Going Postal

Going Postal may not be Terry Pratchett at the top of his game, but it's pretty close. This book introduces Moist (who is entertaining in the beginning but, much like Rincewind, quickly wears out his welcome) and focuses on an ever more modern Ankh-Morpork.

The clacks have been around for several books now, allowing messages to pass quickly both within the city and between the city and the outlying regions. Communication with Sto Lat is near instantaneous and it's even possible to keep up to date with far-flung Genua. But it's all starting to fail. The system was privatized, maintenance was dropped in the name of profit, and now the clacks is down more often than not, while the fat cats who own it grow ever fatter.

So Vetinari enlists Moist von Lipwig, notorious conman, to resurrect the failing postal service. What follows is a rollicking adventure, touching on everything from public service to redemption to freedom. The references to Tump Tower feel even more on the nose in this day and age, and the integration of multiple species into cosmopolitan Ankh-Morpork is beginning to show some strain, even as progress is made.

This is a fun, entertaining book. A great entry-point to the Discworld if you want to jump right to Pratchett's later work. It doesn't require the background of Night Watch or even Monstrous Regiment. While there are references to Feet of Clay and The Truth, this book stands really well on it's own. And Moist hasn't quite worn out his welcome by the end of it.

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