Feet of Clay
My first time through the Discworld series, I didn't fully appreciate the City Watch books. Sure, they were fun and funny. But I always enjoyed the books about Death or the Witches more. This time through, however, I'm finding new depths in the City Watch that has me falling even deeper in love with this series than I was before. Whether that's because I've matured as a reader or a person, or if I'm just catching more the second time around is hard to say. But these books more than any others have me glad that I'm revisiting this series.
I think I've mentioned before that Discworld is a good series to grow with. Not grow from childhood to adulthood, like Harry Potter. They're good for your twenties, when you're figuring out what kind of adult you want to be. Pratchett's growth as a writer mirrored and informed my growth as a socially-conscious human. But I think I reached this book slightly before I had the context and vocabulary to deal with it.
This is the first time Pratchett really dives into social issues and makes them text. It introduces Cheri, a dwarf who has been perceived as male her entire life (by virtue of being a dwarf) but is starting to think she wants to be seen as female. It was actually jarring to see her referred to with male pronouns for the first half of the book, before she came out. I'm so used to her wearing heels and skirts while she does her alchemy that it was jarring to remember she had to fight to be able to do so.
The book also introduces Dorfl, a golem. And it starts to raise questions about life and sentience and then exploitation and slavery and freedom. There's a lot of prejudice in this book. But, it being the Discworld, things are mostly resolved by the end. Life is still hard, but Dorfl has a good job with the respect of his colleagues and boss, and a plan to begin freeing the other golems of the city (which is a lovely thread that continues far into future books).
And around this there's plenty of commentary about class, too, mostly from the perspective of Vimes. This is by far one of the densest books in the series yet, with an incredibly tight plot. Everything here clearly and deliberately adds up to a book about disenfranchisement and finding your place and fighting for it. It was a delight to read, and I can't wait for the next City Watch book (which I distinctly remember hating, actually, but hopefully that changes)
I think I've mentioned before that Discworld is a good series to grow with. Not grow from childhood to adulthood, like Harry Potter. They're good for your twenties, when you're figuring out what kind of adult you want to be. Pratchett's growth as a writer mirrored and informed my growth as a socially-conscious human. But I think I reached this book slightly before I had the context and vocabulary to deal with it.
This is the first time Pratchett really dives into social issues and makes them text. It introduces Cheri, a dwarf who has been perceived as male her entire life (by virtue of being a dwarf) but is starting to think she wants to be seen as female. It was actually jarring to see her referred to with male pronouns for the first half of the book, before she came out. I'm so used to her wearing heels and skirts while she does her alchemy that it was jarring to remember she had to fight to be able to do so.
The book also introduces Dorfl, a golem. And it starts to raise questions about life and sentience and then exploitation and slavery and freedom. There's a lot of prejudice in this book. But, it being the Discworld, things are mostly resolved by the end. Life is still hard, but Dorfl has a good job with the respect of his colleagues and boss, and a plan to begin freeing the other golems of the city (which is a lovely thread that continues far into future books).
And around this there's plenty of commentary about class, too, mostly from the perspective of Vimes. This is by far one of the densest books in the series yet, with an incredibly tight plot. Everything here clearly and deliberately adds up to a book about disenfranchisement and finding your place and fighting for it. It was a delight to read, and I can't wait for the next City Watch book (which I distinctly remember hating, actually, but hopefully that changes)
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