As someone else noted about Pterry in another thread a couple of days ago: We can start calling him Guilty of Literature.
From the dust jacket:
“Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch had it all. But now he’s back in his own rough, tough past without even the clothes he was standing up in when the lightning struck.Living in the past is hard. Dying in the past is incredibly easy. But he must survive, because he has a job to do. He must track down a murderer, teach his younger self how to be a good copper and change the outcome of a bloody rebellion.”
Night Watch might very well be his best work. It’s certainly among the most mature he’s ever written, on par with Small Gods when we’re talking philosophy and morality.
From about the 3rd or 4th Discworld book, it was apparent to me that Pratchett was a very skilled storyteller. Swift movement, good jokes, fabulous imagination. My though upon finishing Night Watch is that he’s finally caught up with himself and is now producing literature of the same level.
His style of writing has matured and as a reader, I can tell that he now trusts his ability to tell a story. He dares touch on very deep stuff and he knows that his readers have a very high tolerance for what he can throw at them. Details will follow in the spoiler space, but without ruining it for any future reader, this is, I think, the first time he really sticks to one very basic plot, without getting sidetracked with minor plots. It’s a beautiful read.
When Thief of Time and The Truth came out, I was a bit… wary. They were good and entertaining, but lacking in the depth Pratchett had shown in Small Gods, Jingo and Interesting Times. I was silently wondering to myself if he had lost the touch. He’s been so productive, it wouldn’t have surprised me. Then came The Amazing Maurice and his educated Rodents, quite possibly one of the best books for a young reader in ages. What I noticed there, was that The Discworld now is much more of a backdrop. The Deus ex Machina elements were lacking, other than saying - this place is ruled by magic, not by science.
The same with Night Watch. Apart from the time travel element, mentioned on the dust jacket, this could be a cop story happening in London or New York. The Discworld as a magic place is not really needed anymore, and I for one is happy that we don’t need explanations about how it all works. I just gets in the way of the story.
So - on to proper spoilers:
- This is a very moral tale. A frequent quote is “What evil lurks in the hearts of men” and Pterry does a wonderful study. What’s the difference between Sam Vimes and the villain, Carcer? A lot of the subtext in the book deals with this and it’s wonderfully written. The inner monologue of Vimes flows smoothly, without hindering the action.
- And there is lots of action. I think Pratchett started with The Fifth Elephant which read like an action movie. It was exciting. So is this book, which will make you show up at work, red eyed, and getting comments in the line of: “Someone got some last night.”
- This is the story of Sam Vimes. Even though we meet some of the characters we know from Ankh-Morpork, in this story that takes place 30 years prior to the other stories about the Watch, the normal cast of sidekicks is all but missing. DEATH makes a very brief cameo. Ridcully and Ponder Stibbons are there briefly in the now where the book starts. The Sweeper plays a part.
- The supernatural elements are almost totally missing.
- It’s a story about non-violence as compared to pacifism and the need to do what’s right. It’s a very good look into the minds of people and what makes them tick. It’s, as noted above, a story about why some men turn to evil while others don’t.
- The ordinary paradoxes that so many writers get hooked upon, when writing about time travel, is handled deftly if at all. Pratchett trusts us to be smart readers and don’t dwell unnecessarily on the subject.
- Fewer laughs, more deep thoughts.
And two sidenotes: - One of the bad guys - swing - is described very well in the way he talks. The description immediatly got me thinking about Gent Smith in The Matrix. I would be glad if that was Pterry’s intention.
- I’ve said it before. I find many similarities between Pratchett and Heinlein. I’m sure Pratchett read Heinlein when younger. The appearance of a Jubal St. confirms my suspicion.
All in all: 10/10