 |
 |
Sign in/joinLanguage: English [ others ]
Over forty million books on members' bookshelves.
|
Loading... Monstrous Regimentby Terry PratchettLibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. bell7 | Jun 10, 2009 |   Pratchett's novels keep getting more and more serious; 'Monstrous regiment' is no exception. Taking the old folk trope of the woman who disguises herself as a man to follow her sweetheart/brother into the army, Pratchett pushes this idea as far as it will go (and then some), on the way examining war, peace, the nature of women's reactions to these states, gender identity, class and stereotyping. Oh, and socks, too. As with many recent Pratchett novels, the magical elements of the Discworld are receding as the society develops - here we are roughly in the earrly 19th century in Earth terms. True, there are the fantastic characters - the trolls, goblins, werewolves and vampires (who have signed the Pledge), and some magical apparatus such as the iconograph are still used. And there are supernatural elements to the story. But this is essentially Pratchett holding a mirror up to our own times. (In case no-one else has spotted it, the title is a reference to Charles I's best-seller, "The first blast of the trumpet against the monstrous regiment of women". Quite apposite in many ways. Look it up.) (  )RobertDay | Mar 15, 2009 | This book is not as funny as other Discworld books, in fact, it's not funny at all.Still a good book.Second time reading it. (  )tundranocaps | Feb 3, 2009 | It started out well, but I felt as if Monstrous Regiment had run out of steam by the end. The plot had promise—barmaid Polly runs off to join her country's army, disguised as a boy—but I felt that the satire lacked the bite which marks Pratchett at his best, and the central joke-slash-plot-twist of the novel (which isn't so hard to figure out if you know where the title comes from) is more than a little one note. Readable, but not particularly memorable. (  )siriaeve | Nov 2, 2008 | Girl disguises herself as a boy and joins the army to defend her war-torn country. ( )meersan | Aug 28, 2008 |  0.086 seconds to build listing  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com (ISBN 0385603401, Hardcover)What do you get when you cross a vampire, a troll, Igor, a collection of misfits, and a young woman who shoves a pair of socks down her pants to join the army? The answer's simple. You have Monstrous Regiment, the characteristically charming novel by Terry Pratchett.Polly becomes Private Oliver Perks, who is on a quest to find her older brother, who's recently MIA in one of the innumerable wars the tiny nation of Borogravia has a habit of starting with its neighbors. This peevish tendency has all but expended Borogravia's ranks of cannon fodder. Whether Sergeant Jackrum knows her secret or not, he can't afford to be choosy, as Perks and her/his comrades are among the last able-bodied recruits left in Borogravia. This collection of misfits includes the aforementioned vampire (reformed and off the blood, thank you), troll, and macabre Igor, who is only too happy to sew you a new leg if you aren't too particular about previous ownership. Off to war, Polly/Oliver learns that having a pair of, um, socks is a good way to open up doors in this man's army. For those who haven't made this underrated author's acquaintance, Monstrous Regiment is as good a place to start as any. Readers will encounter Pratchett's subtle and disarming wit, his trademark footnoted asides along with a not-too-shabby tale of honor, courage, and duty in the face of absurd circumstances. --Jeremy Pugh (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:56 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
Abebooks |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I enjoyed the story in all its goofiness even when I could see where things were going. This seems to be a standalone in the Discworld series. Stephen Briggs does an excellent job of narrating the audio version I listened to. (