Ankh-Morpork is in need of someone new to run the Royal Bank and Mint. Moist von Lipwig has been running the post office for a year and it has never run better. Lord Vetinari offers Moist the job. Moist meets with the bank chairman Topsy Lavish. She is a feisty old lady who sees right through Moist. She can see the swindler and confidence man he is. Topsy passes away and bequeaths the bank to her dog Mr. Fusspot who's care is intrusted to Moist. Moist is now the owner of the chariman of the bank. He takes to his new job with style, flair and a gold suite and top hat.
Terry Pratchett has a lot of fans, but I didn't think his writing was as funny as Jasper Fforde or Douglas Adams. Well, this book has changed my mind. Discworld is a world I will want to visit again and again. ( )

Now this is the way to study economics! Actually, I'm sure I would have got more out of the story if I had studied economics, but it was great fun anyway. Moist Von Lipwig seems to spice up the Patrician's life, and whatever makes the Patrician happy, makes me happy. I completely enjoyed the bits about the bank chairman, Mr. Fussypot (not sure I have his name right), so visual! ( )

as i read this book, i thought 'this would make a perfect musical' ( )

Terry Pratchett is my favorite author writing today. He is hilarious, and yet thoughtful, in a philosophical way. Almost everything I have read by him has entertained me, and made me think. Isn't that the best of what you look for in any novel? ( )

This is the gazillionth book in the Discworld series, and if you don't know what that is this review is going to sound pretty weird. In brief: many years ago Terry Pratchett dreamed up an alternate world which is flat and carried through space on the back of four gigantic elephants standing on the shell of an even more gigantic turtle. In this world, magic is real, Death truly is a scythe-wielding skeleton in a black robe, and a census would have to include troll, dwarf, vampire, golem, and werewolf--among other creatures--in its "ethnicity" box. Within this structure Pratchett explores our society, myths, and institutions, taking them to wherever they might go in a world where pretty much anything is possible.

Confusingly, my picture of the cover of Making Money shows the British version, while the Amazon link shows the American edition. Yes, this is another import from that little island the other side of the pond, where it has achieved huge fame and been made into a TV series. Being a Brit myself, I often find myself wondering how Americans react to Pratchett's very British humor, which is of the deadpan-hilarious variety. I've never read the American editions, so I can't tell you whether they've been altered in any way - I hate it when American publishers do that, as if you Americans can't get your heads round a slightly different culture. I have a much higher opinion of your brainpower.

But I digress. Making Money is set in Ankh-Morpork, the Discworld's largest, most diverse, and most dangerous city, particularly if you eat the sausages. Our hero is Moist von Lipwig who, having saved the Post Office in Going Postal, is beginning to find his life a little too routine. He is rescued from committing crimes to make things more interesting by Lord Vetinari, the city's Patrician/tyrant, who puts Moist in charge of the moribund Bank. Things then get very interesting, as Moist has to deal with Mr. Fusspot, the Lavish family, strange things happening in the basement, golems, a very dead wizard, and an extremely nasty finger.

Having read my way through the Discworld series over the last twenty or so years, I can pretty much tell where these books are going from about page 5. After the first few books, Pratchett settled on a formula and pretty much stuck to it. And yet I keep reading them. Why is this? Possibly because my husband keeps buying them (he's a huge fan) but also, I think, because there's something irresistible about Pratchett's gentle mockery of all we hold dear. He's never cruel, but he has a talent for dissecting all our pretentions and ambitions and holding them up to us in an "oh dear, look at this" kind of way. And he has these throwaway lines that are just a delight to read.

Terry Pratchett now has Alzheimer's, so we may be seeing the last of the Discworld novels soon. If you've never read any of them and want to start, my suggestion would be to go back to the early days, starting with The Color of Magic. By the time you've read enough books to get to the more formulaic later ones, you'll be so fond of this strange universe that you won't mind.

I've classified Making Money as a beach read because the phoned-in plot keeps it out of the "good" category in my opinion. It's still a pleasant way to pass a few hours, and well worth a look if you're after some light humor to pep up your day. ( )

The Post Office is running at peak efficiency, he's engaged to a lovely, vivacious Adora Belle Dearheart, and Moist Von Lipwig cannot think of how his life could be any better. However, boredom has brought out the latent burglar in him and has sent him scalling his own Post Office and picking the locks on his own desk to get a thrill. However, Lord Vetinari, the Patrician of the city of Ankh-Morpork, has some thoughts about Von Lipwig being in charge of the city's bank. That doesn't sit well with the family that currently owns the bank, the Lavish family. The idea of paper money not based on gold, is absurd, isn't it? Not to mention that, if this idea catches on and Moist becomes popular, they'll lose all semblance of power they might have. And we can't have that, can we? ( )

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1274969...

An enjoyable but not very demanding read. Some interesting ideas which didn't feel like they completely came together. ( )

Very disappointing followup after Moist's stellar debut in 'Going Postal'. Characters seemed to be going mostly in circles without any convincing villains or conclusion. ( )

Pratchett's early Discworld novels were great funny books that made me laugh out loud, and frequently. Later, his work turned more to Comedy (with a capital 'C') which reflected on the human condition and gave you a wry smile. More recently, though, I've found myself laughing more and harder at his work, and this book is a return to top form, with the added bonus of it being about the Way We Live Now.

There are added bonuses. Tha Lavish family are obviously based on the Medicis, though the epilogue with mad Cosmo in the Vetinari ward is as chilling in its own way as the closing pages of Orwell's '1984'. The Igors are revealed as the hidden force behind a likely future industrial and technological revolution in the Discworld. And perhaps one of the oddest things in the book, the Glooper, is completely true. A British economist, in the 1970s and 1980s, built a hydraulic model of the British economy which dealt with 'cashflow' literally. Truth can be stranger than fiction.

If there is a weakness, it is the removal of Cribbins. His comeuppance is too much of a deus ex machina and looks as if it was pitched in at the end to tie up a loose end. I was also a bit unsure about the Mr Bent subplot, but seeing as I read it just after seeing the League of Gentlemen's latest television offering, 'Psychoville', which features a psychotic clown with a disability (his act is called 'The Hundred Hands of Mr Jelly'), I was quite satisfied at the outcome, especially the Guild of Fools. ( )

Real genius.
A sarcastic parody on banking. ( )

This is Pratchett's second outing with the character Moist von Lipwig, and it's not as entertaining as the first one, but still good. Surprisingly good, considering that the basic premise is more or less the same. Some of the things that were new and refreshing in Going Postal aren't new any more, and Making Money does occasionally feel as if it is covering the same ground over again. But for the most part I found it engaging and funny, with the occasional very well-placed barb and the occasional joke that fell flat. I'd say that without any major curveballs, Pratchett could probably squeeze one more decently readable book out of this cast of characters before I lose interest. But then, he makes his living being unpredictable, so who am I to make predictions?

Not the best of the Discworld books, but fun and definitely worth reading - after you've read Going Postal. ( )

Making Money is the latest of the "industry" or "government" books in Terry Pratchett's Discworld collection, and is a delightful look at the financial institutions that develop in prosperous communities. Following the themes and ideas established in Going Postal, Making Money once again introduces the lovable conman Moist von Lipwig, and he once again finds himself at the mercy of Vetinari's agendas and - most importantly - his own desires to pursue dangerous vocations. And it is truly amazing how exciting a bank can be.

Like always, Pratchett's satire is both brilliant and captivating, and his sense of style is unparalleled in modern fiction. ( )

Now here is something that is unusual. I read this book in April 2009, a little over six months since the banking system almost went in to meltdown, and, weirdly for a Terry Pratchett book, this actually felt almost topical! Not that the world of Discworld's banks need bailing out to the tune of billions of dollars, but being about banking, and trying to make it something that could benefit everyone, not just the already obscenely rich.

The story is a sequel to 'Going Postal', an earlier entry in the Discworld canon. This time the central character 'Moist Von Lipwig' has been asked to take over the running of the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork. The reason is that Vetinari, the tyrannical ruler is intent on expanding the city and he needs a banking system that makes that possible.

I'm strongly of the opinion that Terry Pratchett's writing has almost continuously improved as the Discworld series has gone on. His ideas, plotting and execution have improved during the time he has been regailing us with his tales. 'Making Money' does nothing to buck that trend in my mind. It is an enjoyable romp full of deft, humourous touches. If you're a fan then I think you'll love it. If you're not and you sneer at fantasy, then this won't be enough to convert you. ( )

Awesome book. not as good as nightwatch but up there with going postal which is also excellent. ( )

I assume that this must follow on from "Going Postal" which I haven't read, as it starts with Lord Vetinari offering the Post-master General, former conman Moist von Lipwig, a new job as Master of the Royal Mint, which would also involve running the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork. Some of the funniest things in this book are a golem called Gladys, who has been initiated into female ways by the Post Office counter staff, and the university's Department of Post-Mortem Communications, who definitely don't do necromancy as that would be highly illegal. Post-Mortem Communication is entirely different, although it does involve masks, candles, skulls and dread invocations, and the letters NECR can still be seen faintly on the departmental door. ( )

In my teenage and young adult years, I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy. In fantasy, which was often turgidly serious or magically silly, my favorite works were from the comedic fantasists: Kyle Crocco's two "Heroes" novels, Robert Asprin's splendid and otherworldy "Myth" books, John DeChancie's dimension-hopping "Castle Perilous" adventures, and Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series.

Now in adulthood, I find little reason to delve back into Asprin's Aahz tales of fish-out-of-water adventures or John DeChancie's derivative if fun "Castle Perilous" tales. But Pratchett, who started as a good-natured, crotchety, fun British writer has grown older and better at his craft.

Discworld books, I realized a few days ago, succeed phenomenally with a unique and appealing formula. Contemporary issues of one sort or another—dueling politicians, cops, families, friends, relationships, finances, etc., etc.—are framed in a world where true and sour evil characters bop alongside mumbling, discombobulated selfish characters who are either bounced out of the picture by fate, death, or imprisonment, and the main characters, who are typically selfish but whose hearts or souls are gold—or goldish, as the man running the Glooper in Making Money might say.

Pratchett uses fantasy the way Douglas Adams used science fiction: cynically, satirically, mockingly. Yet Adams was willing to go over the edge into the absurdity and pain of the universe's dark heart. Adams' "Hitchhiker" books are funny but cruel, with lots of meaningless death and disaster. Pratchett, however, always turns all adventures and political tales into moral plays, where the good triumphs, the evil fails, and everyone gets their just desserts. Yes, there are cruel fates awaiting people, but things always seem to come from good purpose. The gods, who don't interact with people anymore in Pratchett's fantasy world, must either be keeping everything proper and happy, or else mindlessly absent in a universe of a disc on the back of four turtles that somehow comports to deliver good karma and bad karma in perfect amounts.

Pratchett's treatment of his imperfect casts of characters in the dozens of books is compassionate, sympathetic if critical, and ultimately appealing. One gets a warm feeling from bouncing through the "Discworld" adventures. The world is bad, yes, indeed, his books tell us, but things will work out. Everything isn't perfectly fair, but Pratchett delivers us a fantasy world that loves and mocks our world at the same time. There is beauty in the absurdities of daily life and the high-minded political goings-on. Pratchett's world couldn't be any other way, and neither will ours.

This all comes to me as I begin the second of his Moist von Lipwig books, named after the new main character, a scoundrel who is forced to change tack when he's saved from death by a city ruler who needs him to fix one of his bureaucratic nightmares.

I think you know what to expect from a Pratchett novel, but that's not a bad thing. ( )

I didn't like this one as much as Going Postal. It sort of has the same main character, Moist Von Lipwig, but the plot isn't as tight and it rambles a bit. But I think the main character is really the person working behind the scenes in the book, Lord Vetinari. He manipulates Moist in very specific ways and is more of a protagonist than the obvious hero. There were some bits I really enjoyed, the glooper, the four gold? (no that word isn't gold, its thousand!) golems and some normal Pratchett phrases that stick with you. There was an unfortunate running joke that was too crude for my tastes.
I liked it, but it wasn't nearly one of my favorites. ( )

The book is not deeply satirical, as it shows us what we already have. It also doesn't show the way it was beforehands in a manner that is too deep of a contrast, so we are not too moved by the change. It does serve as a historical account in a way.There are some pieces where you laugh in the book, but it has a lot less of a "Discworld feel" to it. A lot less happens in it than in "Going Postal", we get a lot more space devoted to feel and a lot less to stuff actually happening.The writing also suffers from unclarity in some places, where you have to read the text several times to gather what the author is actually meaning.An easy, light read, but it's at the bottom of the "3 star" grade, a slightly above average book. ( )

pretty good, standard pratchett ( )

Making Money (2007) is the lastest installment of The Discworld Series, and is really a continuation of Going Postal (2004)*, in which we meet Moist von Lipwig, a man sentenced to hang as a cheat, con, and thief, until Ankh-Morpork's dictator, Lord Vetinari, realizes that his talents could be put to very good use.

Actually, he was hanged. But--that's another tangent of the story for the former Albert Spangler, who survives to have a new lease on life as Moist von Lipwig, a man whose talents include the charm, gift of gab, quick thinking, and outright sneakiness that somehow allow him to mezmorize people--okay, con people--into doing whatever he needs them to do. And Lord Vetinari has a job for him. In Going Postal, the job is to somehow rescue a failing postal system and make it run efficiently, which Lipwig pulls off with ingenuity, luck, and style. (Style is important.) This time around, though, Lord Vetinari has another job. "Tell me, Lipwig, how would you like to make some real money?" That is, how would Lipwig like to take over the Bank of Ankh-Morpork and The Royal Mint? At first Lipwig refuses, but of course, we know that he will be forced into the position in the most comically way possible.

Actually, Lipwig's job as Postmaster General has gotten a bit too easy and boring for this former man of danger. In fact, this tale opens with Lipwig trying to break into his own office. He still has a criminal mind, and in his restlessness, he's taken up Edificeering** and Extreme Sneezing*** as leisure pursuits. Well, especially when his fiance, Adora Belle Dearheart, is away for extended lengths of time. Her presence, it seems, provides enough danger for him.

As usual, the variety of characters is not missing--Igors, golems, trolls, vampires, werewolves, and insane rich people populate Discworld, and these books are always fun to read. Actually, the chairman of the bank is Mr. Fusspot, a delightful terrier. Lord Vetinari has the chairman eating out of his hand, by the end of the book.

And Lipwig? Oh, he'll run the mint and the bank for awhile, but--Lord Vetinari knows that one day, Lipwig will again become a danger to himself and the city and--just how old is the taxmaster? .......

I enjoyed Making Money very much (it's not usually this fun), and my only reservation about this novel was that I found myself missing the Watch, or the cops of Ankh-Morpork. I particularly enjoy Commander Vimes, and was a bit disappointed that he was barely in this novel. The Watch is a most diverse group of characters who add splash to any occasion and I think they should always be invited to the story.

* ..which is still my favorite Discworld novel (so far, of the ones I've read) despite the fact that it's not about the Watch
**Involves scaling the highest, steepest, trickiest and most difficult buildings in the city.
*** I have no idea, but Lord Vetinari says it's potentially lethal, and I believe him.

Making Money sees the return of the lovable rogue Moist van Lipwig. Going Postal was a hoot and Making Money is almost a remake rather than a sequel. That said, Making Money still delivers; it contains some spot on humour, heaps of entertaining dialogue, bags of originality, a score of new characters and a finale you won't see coming. Pratchett is definitely definitely making the most of Moist, which is no bad thing. It's not his funniest work, it's not his most inventive, but that doesn't stop it being a cracking read. Plenty of cameos to keep the hardcore fans happy, although this is a standalone read. Recommended to everyone. ( )

Follow up to Going Postal. Just as amusing.

I got a chance to read Making Money, which is his latest Discworld novel. It was a good story, the main character, Moist von Lipwig, is one that hasn't been overused (only his second appearance) and the topic was handled fairly well. But the book also has the same problems that I noted when I considered Thud! here.

The book has the same irrational pacifism of Jingo, it finally manages to completely spoil the character of Vetinari (he's too... nice) and the world becomes a little cleaner, a little more solid, a little more utopian and, most grievously for a book series, a little more boring. At least the end of Going Postal saw Vetinari flexing his muscles as tyrant and arresting people without charge and without much in the way of evidence (though not entirely without cause). But Making Money sees his final transformation from iron-fisted tyrant to "benevolent" EUrocrat.

What's even more shocking to me is that in trying to make his idealised world a perfectly peaceful place, Pratchett's pacifism gets the better of him to the extent that he tacitly endorses the espionage of the Rosenbergs, Klaus Fuchs and others. Pratchett has really gone downhill and his books are not what they once were. It's sad to see a good author in such a decline. ( )

Typical Terry Pratchett fare, which means it's a quick-paced, enjoyable read that runs from amusing to giggle-inducing. It won't win new fans over to the Discworld franchise, but existing fans should enjoy this story. ( )

I am, in general, a Discworld fanatic. I read and reread them and generally think Mr. Pratchett is a master. Occasionally, though, he mis-steps, and for me, this was one of those occasions.

There were parts of the novel I really enjoyed. I liked the general musings on economic theory, found Moist suitably entertaining and was very pleased to have more time with Vetinari. The trouble with the novel was that the threads just didn't seem as tightly woven together as I've come to expect from Pratchett. Threads of plot seemed to appear and then disappear, never to be seen again. The golems, who from the opening paragraph seemed like they should be a major factor, became a rather
lacklustre plot device. Terry Pratchett still has plenty of imagination and fun, but ultimately for me this read was far less satisfying than his usual efforts. ( )