Night Watch

Ok, I'm going to make a confession here. I read Terry Pratchett novels. I know, I know... They're written for fourteen-year-old boys. He makes the same jokes over and over. I do know, really. But if I'm going to read trash, I'd far rather read a Pratchett novel than some rom-com style story whose author can't spell or use correct grammar (this is not me making stuff up. I have actually seen books like this).

I'm also not doing down the chick-lit genre - well done, it's as good as any other form of literature. Jane Austen, after all, wrote chick-lit. However, if it's poorly done, it's positively painful. And while what Pratchett does isn't on the same level as, say Wodehouse or Douglas Adams, he does Terry Pratchett novels very well. And sometimes you need something slightly trashy (I'm thinking mostly of exam term here. I don't know about you, but I couldn't read a real book to save my life).

Anyway, preamble over, I'll move on to the actual book (isn't it funny the difference a space can make? 'move on to' being very very different from 'move onto'). I chose "Night Watch" because I think it is Pratchett's best novel. It deals with Sam Vimes, who is, admittedly, my favourite Pratchett character. In it, we follow Vimes into the past (the huge advantage of a world where magic exists is that you can just do stuff like that), to an event that proved extremely significant in his life.

The catch? He hasn't ended up there alone. He's in the company of a criminal he's following in normal time - and not just any criminal. Carcer (his name - in case you hadn't figured that out. But what am I saying? Of course you had...) is a madman. He'll kill you as soon as look at you. And he's been looking at Vimes for a long time (oooh, that sounded almost like one of voiceovers you get on trailers for action movies! I should totally write those).

Anyway, in due course it all works out - Vimes does his best to change the past, but no real harm is done. I found this Pratchett's most touching work. I think because it's the only one (or at least the only one I've read) where people die, long before their time. It has all of his usual insight into human nature (you can say what you want about his way of expressing it, but he is insightful) together with a little more depth than he normally shows.

If you're new to Pratchett, start here. If not, look this one up. Unless you've read one of his books and hated it. Then you won't like this one. Otherwise, it's worth it.