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Going Postal

A Novel of Discworld

By Terry Pratchett

(165)

| Hardcover | 9780060013134

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Book Description

Arch-swindler Moist Van Lipwig never believed his confidence crimes were hanging offenses -- until he found himself with a noose tightly around his neck, dropping through a trapdoor, and falling into ... a government job?

By all rights, Moist should have met his maker. Instead, it's Lord VContinue

Arch-swindler Moist Van Lipwig never believed his confidence crimes were hanging offenses -- until he found himself with a noose tightly around his neck, dropping through a trapdoor, and falling into ... a government job?

By all rights, Moist should have met his maker. Instead, it's Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork, who promptly offers him a job as Postmaster. Since his only other option is a nonliving one, Moist accepts the position -- and the hulking golem watchdog who comes along with it, just in case Moist was considering abandoning his responsibilities prematurely.

Getting the moribund Postal Service up and running again, however, may be a near-impossible task, what with literally mountains of decades-old undelivered mail clogging every nook and cranny of the broken-down post office building; and with only a few creaky old postmen and one rather unstable, pin-obsessed youth available to deliver it. Worse still, Moist could swear the mail is talking to him. Worst of all, it means taking on the gargantuan, money-hungry Grand Trunk clacks communication monopoly and its bloodthirsty piratical head, Mr. Reacher Gilt.

But it says on the building neither rain nor snow nor glo m of ni t ... Inspiring words (admittedly, some of the bronze letters have been stolen), and for once in his wretched life Moist is going to fight. And if the bold and impossible are what's called for, he'll do it -- in order to move the mail, continue breathing, get the girl, and specially deliver that invaluable commodity that every human being (not to mention troll, dwarf, and, yes, even golem) requires: hope.

Critics

  • Going Postal By Terry Pratchett

    In the 29th volume of his Discworld series (relax you don't have to read them all), English master fantasist and humorist Terry Pratchett takes on that most moribund of government institutions: the post office. Going Postal features Moist von Lipwig, ... (read full critics)

    bookpage published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

  • The Best Reviews: Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

    "Fun fantasy" He is a thief, a con-man, and an embezzlerand the law finally catches up to Moist von Lipwig when is arrested. He refuses to tell anyone where he hid the $150,000 in ill- gotten gains. He is hung, but awakens in the Patrician Lord Vetin ... (read full critics)

    thebestreviews published on Thu, 16 Sep 2010

10 Reviews

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  • 2 people find this helpful

    Although many people haven't liked Pratchett's later works as much as his earlier efforts, I found this entry - satirizing the postal system - to be delightfully funny. Moist Von Lipwig is not Pratchett's most charming protagonist, but this is still head and shoulders above most books out there. No ... (continue)

    Although many people haven't liked Pratchett's later works as much as his earlier efforts, I found this entry - satirizing the postal system - to be delightfully funny. Moist Von Lipwig is not Pratchett's most charming protagonist, but this is still head and shoulders above most books out there. Not up to previous Pratchett standards, but very funny, nonetheless.

    Is this helpful?

    guaddess said on Sep 23, 2007 | Add your feedback

  • 1 person find this helpful

    Pterry is an absolute genius of wit and inventive. And this counts for everything he writes: even a shopping list, probably. But every book confirms this. Always.

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    virinthesky said on Sep 4, 2008 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • Fantasy should be about epics

    And this book is able to create and epic around boring postmen and the power of hope.

    And while it presents all the post topics, it is also a geek joke to the underground phreaking culture of the '80s.

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    rogersm said on Feb 18, 2010 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • Another nice book by Terry Pratchett!

    This time, in the parallel universe of the Discworld, we read about Moist Von Lipwig's efforts to revive the Postal Service, the fight between it and the Clacks system, which sometimes made me think of Western movies.

    It's a nice book that cleverly ... (continue)

    Another nice book by Terry Pratchett!

    This time, in the parallel universe of the Discworld, we read about Moist Von Lipwig's efforts to revive the Postal Service, the fight between it and the Clacks system, which sometimes made me think of Western movies.

    It's a nice book that cleverly deals with the evolution of communication technologies - I very much enjoyed the parts that describe the Clack Towers - media attention and how it develops media hype, hackers, crooks, racial relations, for example with Golems, and the fact that even the worst human beings, in the end, seem to have a heart.

    I liked it :)

    Is this helpful?

    natalia said on Nov 28, 2009 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

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