Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... Jingo (Discworld, #21) (original 1997; edition 1998)by Terry Pratchett
Work InformationJingo by Terry Pratchett (1997)
Books Read in 2020 (119) Top Five Books of 2015 (240) » 22 more Books Read in 2023 (372) War Literature (31) Books Read in 2015 (1,340) Books Read in 2019 (1,546) Books Read in 2013 (495) 1990s (81) Books Read in 2016 (4,360) Best Satire (116) Books Read in 2008 (173) Books read in 2015 (27) Alphabetical Books (52) Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. One of Prachett's finest, this is a meditation on international politics, racism, war, and humanity delivered through the medium of low fantasy. It shouldn't work, but his astute eye and winning combination of cynicism, optimism, great characterisation, and really good jokes deliver. Perhaps not one for the Pratchett newbie, there might be a little too much backstory required to really appreciate the character development or motivations. One of my favorites of the Discworld novels. Always enjoyable to spend time with the Watch, and this time around, an extended visit with Lord Vetinari. While the story itself is very accessible, the reader will appreciate Jingo more if having read the previous City Watch books. While there's no question about the subject matter (war) and attitudes (the titular jingoism) being addressed, the book manages to escape being preachy by virtue of the strong characters and a wit that skewers both sides in a fabricated conflict between nations. As usual, a Discworld book that remains as relevant today (in some ways, eerily more so) as when it was published. 4.5* This satire of jingoism is hilarious but also sadly appropriate these days. I wish that the United States had a Lord Vetinari and/or a Commander Vimes to balance out our Lord Rusts... I loved seeing Carrot (now a captain) in action once again. And Leonard of Quirms made me chuckle to myself several times... Is contained inHas the adaptationIs abridged in
It isn't much of an island that rises up one moonless night from the depths of the Circle Sea just a few square miles of silt and some old ruins. Unfortunately, the historically disputed lump of land called Leshp is once again floating directly between Ankh-Morpork and the city of Al-Khali on the coast of Klatch which is spark enough to ignite that glorious international pastime called "war." Pressed into patriotic service, Commander Sam Vimes thinks he should be leading his loyal watchmen, female watchdwarf, and lady werewolf into battle against local malefactors rather than against uncomfortably well-armed strangers in the Klatchian desert. But war is, after all, simply the greatest of all crimes and it's Sir Samuel's sworn duty to seek out criminal masterminds wherever they may be hiding ... and lock them away before they can do any real damage. Even the ones on his own side. No library descriptions found.
|
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
Jingo is a long-lost island floating up from the middle of the Circle sea, right smack dab in the middle of Ankh-Morpork and Klatch, and both nations claim ownership of it. This leads, of course, to war. Both nations start plotting and scheming. But this isn't a war book like normal war books. It's a Pratchett book after all.
Jingo focuses on some of my favorite Discworld characters: Commander Vimes; Captain Carrot and the rest of the Ankh-Morpork Watch; and Lord Vetinari, Patrician of Ankh-Morpork. The plot in particular focuses on Commander Vimes, because after all, isn't war just an excuse for Captain Sam Vimes to get involved. If war is a crime, then who better to go after the criminals and stop it than a copper? And he brings the whole Watch with him. And It's not just war that Pratchett sends up here. He also takes jabs at racism, sexism, nationalism.
Of course, there is a lot more going on than just two nations setting out to wage war. Commander Vimes feels like he's out of touch and losing control of the Watch to Captain Carrot, who has been actively recruiting new guardsmen. Since Carrot joined the Watch, the number of guards has grown from three men to over forty men, or actually, creatures. Thanks to Carrot, the Watch now includes dwarfs, gargoyles, a golem, a troll, a gnome, a werewolf and a zombie. Carrot is, of course, totally oblivious to Vimes's concerns, as his only objective is to uphold the law and protect the citizens of Ankh-Morpork. He has the kind of charisma that lets him organize a football game between two armies poised at the brink of war, and make criminals beg to confess. There's also a subplot about Corporal Nobbs trying to get in touch with his feminine side, which was quite frankly, one of the funniest bits of the books.
The ending is brilliant and quite hilarious (I won't spoil it for you). Let's just say the power of football and Carrots' charisma as well as Vimes' desire to peg war as crime saves the day.
Give a warring crowd sports, a strong leader to unify them, and threaten them with the legal system - if you want to stop war or at least, keep it at bay.
( )