tCSI: Ankh-Morpork, that is to say the Watch storyline of the Discworld series, continues in Feet of clay and once again there’s more socio-political philosophy than you can shake a stick at. Marxism, feminism, you name it, Pratchett’s got it, though fortunately they are presented in a much more palatable and enjoyable manner than my professors could ever impart such information, but I’ll get into that more later.tTo start off, I found this iteration of the Watch’s story to adhere much more strictly to the format of a traditional crime novel, which in my opinion is a very good move. Not only is it the next logical stage of the Watch’s development as an effective branch of government, but it also provides a much needed sense of freshness to the fantasy police setting. It’s so refreshing to see the Watch employ so many different kinds of people, dwarves, trolls, werewolves, gargoyles, ect and seeing them used for their individual strengths towards a common goal.tNot only that, but the more traditional format presents the overarching plot more clearly in a manner where it is possible for the reader to pick up on the clues themselves in order to piece together the mystery; it really felt like the characters were on the trail of a criminal rather than flailing about while anyone and everyone seemed to have the authority to tell the Watch to bugger off.tOn a similar note, but of great personal importance, Sam Vimes was given the opportunity to shine through this book. Roughly half the book follows his perspective and he has just the right amount of cynicism and heart to present the city simultaneously as a dark and gritty place and a fertile ground worth protecting. Sam comes across in this book not as the dour bachelor soon to be wed in the previous book. Now he’s a lovably stubborn man with the determination to see things through and get the job done.tI’ve briefly mention the traces of Marxism and feminism in this book, and I believe that they are both handled quite well. In the wake of the push for integration and diversity presented in Men at Arms, the new character of Cheery helps to explore the subtle difference between “being one of the boys” and being yourself, in this case expressing her suppressed femininity (in dwarvish society there is little to no distinction between being a man and a woman in terms of not only gender roles but also appearance). It’s enjoyable to see her form a friendship with Angua and slowly “come out of the closet” so to speak and present herself as a woman without presenting herself as weak of character.tThe golems, man-made creatures of clay created as a sort of slave race, serve triply to provide Marxist social commentary. At one level as a slave race, they represent the down-trodden lower class, and their very existence is treated as material property and serves to further suppress the non-slave lower classes by undercutting wages lower and lower while driving unemployment ever higher. I can’t say much more about them without spoiling the plot, but ultimately they become an example of the fact that you can’t rely on people to save you. In the end, we have to look out for one another and work for a better tomorrow under our own determination, resolve, and strength.tNevertheless, there is one glaring weakness still nestled away in the pages of this book. I am, of course, talking about Carrot. He hasn’t changed, not since the last book or in the course of this one; I’m not even convinced that he’s capable of change. He’s just so static as a character that it frustrates me to see him thrust into the role of main character, which is also why I was so very glad to see Vimes take the helm as one of the main protagonists in this book. I wish there were a better way to describe him, but Carrot is such a Garry Stu. He’s so moral and always right, never daring to intentionally hurt or threaten anyone unless it was for a justifiably greater goal. Many times his girlfriend, Angua, bemoans this very fact and I echo her concerns in saying that I just wish he had some fault of character, something to make him believably and relatably human.tOn top of this, Angua questions why she even likes Carrot –Surprise, there’s no answer. It genuinely bothers her that Carrot seems to like the city as a whole more than any one individual or even her, and it bothers her that it bother Carrot what other people think of her. These are serious questions that strike at the heart of their relationship which go unresolved. It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for werewolves, so it’s no great shock that I like the character of Angua. So, to a major aspect of her character, this relationship, fall so flat while still remaining in the relationship is just a slap in the face to me. It’s fine if Carrot only hurts himself as a character, but to ruin another character is rather disappointing.tAll aside, though, I very much enjoyed this book. Great characters (sans Carrot), great story, and an always interesting setting. Can’t wait to read the next one.
The butcher, the baker ...23 March 2015tA part of me, upon learning of Sir Terry's death, thought that it was only fitting to make the next book that I read a Discworld novel; which turned out to be this one. I won't say anything about Sir Terry here as I have already written a blog post on his passing and instead will just speak about this book. In fact, it turned out that so far this was one of the best discworld novels that I have read (and that is saying something since there are quite a few contenders out there, and it also goes to show how great a writer he is if he can still hold my interest this far into the series).tAt first Feet of Clay reminded me a lot of the movie I, Robot – you know the one where Will Smith discovers that the robots that were created to serve humanity are actually planning a takeover? The problem is that this book was written quite a few years before Will Smith took to the stage playing a cop in a movie that give the term 'loosely based' a completely new definition (and for those who have not seen the film, but read the book, the only similarities between the two is that they have robots in them – well, not quite, but you get the picture).tMind you Feet of Clay is definitely a 'cop novel'. I would say a 'cop movie' but it is not actually a movie – it is a novel, but I guess the term is sort of transferable. Okay, it is partly a detective novel because there have been a couple of murders, as well as an assassination attempt (isn't if funny that if a person is unimportant then it is a murder, but if they are important they are assassinated – why can't I be assassinated, it would be much better than being murdered – at least in my opinion), and Captain Vimes is trying to find the person behind it. So Vimes (and the rest of the City Watch) goes out to investige the situation - it isn't as if it is an Agatha Christie novel: you know, set in a static place (unless you consider Anhk-Morpork a static place, but for some reason I really don't think that actually counts) where there are a bunch of culprits and you are supposed to work out the guilty party before the author gives it all away. Okay, Sir Terry does give us some clues, such as the Butcher, the Baker, and the Candlestick Maker, but that doesn't necessarily tell you how the poison was administered (and it is quite clever in that regards).tSo, what has this to do with robots, you ask? Well, the book is about golems - you know those creatures made of clay (or whatever non-living material may be at hand, including corpses, but in Discworld they are made of clay) who do other people's bidding. Well, they do play a role in this book, and they are effectively the magical version of a robot. Actually, to our modern mind, golems really seem to be a magical version of a robot, and Sir Terry plays that idea up to no end. What is interesting is that this idea goes back to the Ancient Greeks (though I can't quite remember which myth it was) where one of the gods, or was it a mortal, I can't remember which off the top of my head, did create something that was remarkably similar to a robot. There is also another legend, from the Jewish Quarter of Prague, where a golem was created to protect the Jews from their enemies (a legend that I discovered when I actually visited that city where I picked up a book called The Prague Golem).tInterestingly enough he is also playing up the fears of automation in this book as well. We, or at least the working class, don't like robots because they take away our jobs. However these robots are so much more efficient, and faster, than any human could ever be. In Discworld we are told that golems do not eat, sleep, or require any maintenance so they are much better than the ordinary worker. However, the problem is that they scare people, they scare people because they are so life like, yet they are unliving. In a sense they have a body, and a mind, but they have no soul. This is probably why I connected it with I Robot (the movie, not the book) because, in many ways, the robots were so creepy because of that very thing. In every sense of the word they were alive, but in reality they were not. Okay, they aren't undead – at least undead beings were at one stage alive, but they are not exactly living either.tAnyway, I should probably finish this review off here, though I should say that I really enjoyed this book, and am compelled to continue reading his books right down to the final one. I'm not sure if I will get to the last one, but at least I will try.tAlso, for those who are interested, you can find my tribute to Terry Pratchett here (and sorry, it may not be as fancy as hiding it in computer code, but I felt that I should probably write one anyway).
What do You think about Feet Of Clay (2005)?
Another humourous foray into the Discworld where we find that while assassinations are acceptable, outright murder is not. Here we follow Commander Vimes and his Watch team as they follow the trail of an unusual murderer who may not even be alive let alone human. On top of this Vimes has to balance the delicate situations of the Patrician not being on top form, one of his team discovering his heraldric ancestery, a werewold with pre-luna tensions and a new alchemist dwarf on his team, all with hilarious results. Once again Pratchett's dry wit and superb humour shine through as the reader is taken from one unbelievable situation to another, and all in a day's work for the Watch.
—Sam
I really enjoyed Pratchett's Death series, but the Night Watch series is even better. These are real police procedurals which follow all the conventions of the genre, except that some of the characters are human, some dwarf, some troll, some werewolf, some vampire, and each and every one is a fully realized and believable character. There's danger, happiness, sadness, intrigue, and throughout all, Pratchett's own brand of humor. Witness this passage: "He shook his head sadly. 'The trouble is, you know, that once the taste's got you it never lets go.' 'But you've been very good, sir,' said Carrot. 'I've not seen you touch a drop for - ' 'Oh, that, said Vimes. 'I was talking about policing, not alcohol. There's lots of people will help you with the alcohol business, but there's no one out there arranging little meetings where you can stand up and say, 'My name is Sam and I'm a really suspicious bastard.'"
—Ann
I've read most of the Discworld novels now and have loved some and enjoyed most. Feet of Clay is now my favorite. This book has it all! First of all, it's a City Watch series book, which I love, so that's good. Then, there are mysteries to be solved. Two old men have been murdered, presumably by golems, and Lord Venitari is being poisoned. Someone has to save the day! And it's the City Watch, led by Commander Sir Sam Vimes, followed by his loyal group of Captain Carrot, Angua, Detritus, Colon, and Nobbs. Additionally, there's now a new member of the watch, an alchemist, Cheery Littlebottom. His job is forensics. His role in this book is to bring up questions of minorities and gender identity. Because this dwarf is actually a she -- Cheri. It's pretty funny to watch her progress to wearing lipstick and so on while the male members of the Watch look on, not knowing what to think.The golems, hard working "things," are going crazy in this book. We find late in the book that they have banded together to create a golem king, but it turns out to be really crazy, hence the crime sprees. However, other people are banding together to discuss succession should Vetinari so unfortunately cease to exist. The leaders of the community want a yes man in place, someone who will do what they're told to do because they're too stupid not to. But they've got to have some royal blood somewhere. Enter Corporal Nobby Nobbs. He's found out he's an earl, due to odd lineage, and is treated as such by the upper crust, who try to talk him into becoming king. But he's pretty dense and it doesn't work out as planned.Vimes still has to find the poisoner. Could it be the Dragon, a vampire who maintains the history of the royal families of the area? Good question. Vimes will answer it too. We don't see Death in this book much, if at all, and he's my favorite Discworld character, so that's unfortunate, but there's so much action and suspense in this novel, that it more than makes up for it. This is Pratchett at his best and I strongly recommend it.
—Scott Holstad
