Sign in with Facebook
Leah's Reviews > Night Watch
Night Watch (Discworld, #29)
by
by
My favourite Pratchett novel, but I'm not really sure why.
I think that Sam Vimes' being in it definitely helps: I think my favourite "series" in the Discworld novels are the City Watch series (along with the witches of Lancre and Death). His character arc really comes to a head in this one, even though he still has another level to go to in Thud!
I also think that time travel being in it also definitely helps. Though not the quantum, metaphysical, zany fun of Thief of Time (though Lu Tze makes an appearance), this trip through the Trousers of Time is meaningful, poignant, even tragic.
Oh. I think this was the first Discworld novel to make me cry. I don't cry a lot when I read: rarely do I even get weepy. Discworld always, always makes me laugh (a lot); it makes me want to write, wonder, think, grin, ponder, mull, and all that... but this book was the first to make me cry.
I think this is the first Discworld novel in which I really realized that Pratchett is who I want to be as a writer. Night Watch is funny, yes... it's fantasy, yes... but it's more than that. It's human. It tells a story of being human. Pratchett has some great characters with great arcs (like Moist in Going Postal), and he has some epic, meaty stories (like Thud!) with so much behind them you can hardly breathe... but Sam Vimes, in Night Watch, is about as truly human as Pratchett gets.
And that is probably why this is my favourite Discworld novel.
I think that Sam Vimes' being in it definitely helps: I think my favourite "series" in the Discworld novels are the City Watch series (along with the witches of Lancre and Death). His character arc really comes to a head in this one, even though he still has another level to go to in Thud!
I also think that time travel being in it also definitely helps. Though not the quantum, metaphysical, zany fun of Thief of Time (though Lu Tze makes an appearance), this trip through the Trousers of Time is meaningful, poignant, even tragic.
Oh. I think this was the first Discworld novel to make me cry. I don't cry a lot when I read: rarely do I even get weepy. Discworld always, always makes me laugh (a lot); it makes me want to write, wonder, think, grin, ponder, mull, and all that... but this book was the first to make me cry.
I think this is the first Discworld novel in which I really realized that Pratchett is who I want to be as a writer. Night Watch is funny, yes... it's fantasy, yes... but it's more than that. It's human. It tells a story of being human. Pratchett has some great characters with great arcs (like Moist in Going Postal), and he has some epic, meaty stories (like Thud!) with so much behind them you can hardly breathe... but Sam Vimes, in Night Watch, is about as truly human as Pratchett gets.
And that is probably why this is my favourite Discworld novel.
Sign into Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if any of your friends have read
Night Watch.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 1, 2004
–
Finished Reading
April 23, 2008
– Shelved
April 23, 2008
– Shelved as:
fantasy
Comments Showing 1-7 of 7 (7 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Igor
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Mar 31, 2014 04:59AM
It's exactly that - all about being human. This is his best work in the entire series.
reply
|
flag
Yes, yes, yes! Everything you said is exactly how I feel about this book, up to and including crying over this one! Gosh, I love Sam Vimes.
Definitely. This sums up a lot of what I was trying to put into words. Thanks!
perfect description Leah
I agree - I'm not sure if this is my favorite Discworld book or just my favorite book, period! I saw a license plate once (in the library parking lot!) that said, "VIMES." That about sums it up!
Leah's review convinced me to read Night Watch, my very first Pratchett novel. I loved it! This story had it all, intrigue, action, some laughs and it pulled my heart strings too. Wow what a gem.
This is my favourite discworld and many others seem to agree.
