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Monstrous Regiment

Discworld, Book 31

By Terry Pratchett

(128)

| Paperback | 9780552149419

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Book Description

It began as a sudden strange fancy. . .

Polly Perks had to become a boy in a hurry. Cutting off her hair and wearing trousers was easy. Learning to fart and belch in public and walk like an ape took more time. . .

And now she’s enlisted in the army, and is searching for her lost brotheContinue

It began as a sudden strange fancy. . .

Polly Perks had to become a boy in a hurry. Cutting off her hair and wearing trousers was easy. Learning to fart and belch in public and walk like an ape took more time. . .

And now she’s enlisted in the army, and is searching for her lost brother.

But there’s a war on. There’s always a war on. And Polly and her fellow recruits are suddenly in the thick of it, without any training, and the enemy is hunting them.

All they have on their side is the most artful sergeant in the army and a vampire with a lust for coffee. Well ...they have the Secret. And as they take the war to the heart of the enemy, they have to use all the resources of...the Monstrous Regiment.

Critics

  • The Best Reviews: Terry Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment

    "Discworld" Over the last three decades, the Duchy of Borogravia has declared war on all of its neighbors. Now more countries have formed the alliance whose goal is to destroy the duchy. The prince of Zlobenia is the heir to the Borogravian throne an ... (read full critics)

    thebestreviews published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

  • Monstrous Regiment

    There's a lot to be said about Life In These Interesting Times. The conflicts and issues that swirl around us seem as pressing as ever, the march towards Apocalypse seems undaunted by threats of good or evil and humans continue to demonstrate their e ... (read full critics)

    bookotron published on Mon, 13 Sep 2010

4 Reviews

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  • I read the back of the book after my friend gave it to me. "Oh great, another one of THOSE stories." Going in expecting a trite, Mulan-style story was probably the best expectation for reading such a book, because very soon I realized I was completely wrong.

    And for once, it felt so good to be w ... (continue)

    I read the back of the book after my friend gave it to me. "Oh great, another one of THOSE stories." Going in expecting a trite, Mulan-style story was probably the best expectation for reading such a book, because very soon I realized I was completely wrong.

    And for once, it felt so good to be wrong.

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    DFL said on Jan 30, 2010 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • Although not up to par with his previous work, this lesser Pratchett elicits its share of laughs. The story of young women joining the Discworld army (an age-old practice in the annals of history) is engaging and delightful, yet lacks the typical Pratchett insightfulness which we fans have grown to ... (continue)

    Although not up to par with his previous work, this lesser Pratchett elicits its share of laughs. The story of young women joining the Discworld army (an age-old practice in the annals of history) is engaging and delightful, yet lacks the typical Pratchett insightfulness which we fans have grown to love and expect. Worth a read, but will never be one of my favorites.

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    guaddess said on Sep 23, 2007 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • Discworld at war.

    By my count this is the 28th Discworld novel, although if you include the "Younger Readers'" discworld books then you get 30. So take your pick, I don't think it really makes much of a difference what number it is.

    The Discworld books are, in my opinion, among the greatest novels ever written. ... (continue)

    By my count this is the 28th Discworld novel, although if you include the "Younger Readers'" discworld books then you get 30. So take your pick, I don't think it really makes much of a difference what number it is.

    The Discworld books are, in my opinion, among the greatest novels ever written. Not just the greatest fantasy, or humour novels, but the greatest books of all. Sure the earlier ones lack the complexity of the later ones, they are more simply comedic in nature. But the later books use humour and a fantasy setting to explore the modern world. And always (well okay, mostly) in entertaining stories, with fascinatng characters.

    Monstrous Regiment is the story of Polly, a girl who dressed up as a boy in order to join the army, find and bring home her brother. Her country, Borogravia, always seems to be at war. The border with the neighbouring country is fixed by the river's course, which unfortunatly changes course, so border conflicts are more than a little common.

    And then there is the religous issue. Nuggan,their god is rather fond of updating the Book of Nuggan, and mainly with Abominations, that is things that are forbidden; chocoate, garlic, cats, dwarfs, blue, oysters, babies and many many more.

    When I first read it I have to say I was a little disapointed. It lacked the humour (and the footnotes seem to have been reduced in quantity) of other books, and wasn't as engaging. Despite this I did enjoy it, Polly and her fellow soldiers did keep my interest, and of course the few appearances of Vimes brightened up the book. Still I finished it without ever laughing out loud, and wasn't all that impressed. But afterwards parts of the book kept coming back to me.

    As is usual with books, the back of my copy has quotes on how great Monstrous Regiment is. Among them is one from the Daily Express comparing it to Evelyn Waugh's Officers and Gentlemen, and Jonathon Swift. And the anti-war parts were the parts of the book that stuck in my mind. The absolute absurdity of the war that Borogravia had gotten involved in, and the reasons why. And that fact means I have to rate it higher than I did at first. Maybe it is missing part of the humour, but maybe it was the mood I was in while reading it. I'll reread it in a while and know for sure about that. What I do know now is that it really does point out the ridiculous ease with which wars start;

    "We are a proud country."
    "What are you proud of?"
    It came swiftly, like a blow, and Polly realized how wars happened. You took that shock that had run through her, and let it boil.
    ...it may be corrupt, benighted and stupid, but it's ours...

    Polly stayed silent. She was still trying to cope with the anger. It made it worse to know that he was right. We have our pride. And that's what we're proud of. We're proud of being proud...

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    Dee said on Jul 20, 2007 | Add your feedback

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