Pratchett addresses two questions here: (1) “Do you think it's possible for an entire nation to be insane?” and (2) Does - and, more importantly, should - a well-placed pair of socks (for 'certain' sort of padding) make a difference? “The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it.” As far as Discworld series is concerned, this book can be easily read as a standalone novel. It brings us to the little backwards country of Borogravia, which is constantly at war with someone - this time it's with Zlobenia. Ankh-Morpork is expected to intervene, since, as Commander Sam Vimes points out in his cameo appearance, "the interests of Ankh-Morpork are the interests of all money-lov... oops, sorry, all freedom-loving people everywhere." "Borogravia was a peace-loving country in the midst of treacherous, devious, warlike enemies. They had to be treacherous, devious, and warlike, otherwise we wouldn't be fighting them, eh? There was always a war." Borogravia's economy is on the verge of collapse, and the country has pretty much run out of eligible soldiers. But this does not stop the little country, governed by a "probably dead" Duchess, the country that follows the ever-expanding ring-bound (makes it easier to add pages) gospel of the god Nuggan, who seems to spend his time coming up with new Abominations - recently, we've had garlic, chocolate, dwarfs, cats, oysters and the color blue join the ranks. "So what we have here is a country that tries to run itself on the commandments of a god, who, the people feel, may be wearing his underpants on his head. Has he Abomined underpants?""No, sir. [...] But it's probably only a matter of time." Polly Perks does not care about war, money, or patriotism. What she cares about is saving her not-too-bright brother who has disappeared in the war. So, of course, she chops her hair off and joins the army disguised as a boy. (Did I mention that lots of Nuggan's Abominations have something to do with women acting "non-womanlike"?) A mysterious unseen benefactor advises her on the benefits of a well-placed pair of socks in the 'nether regions'. And given that the title of the book comes from the infamous The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, the readers can easily guess the true nature of Polly's war comrades.Like we have learned to expect from Sir Terry's novels, this book is witty and has plenty of funny moments. But, as many of his more recent novels, it is also sad, angry and frustrated with the events in Discworld clearly paralleling the things that make us angry in the "Roundworld". I love that this book, like the rest of Pratchett's creations, makes me think. Some may complain that the message of this book is on the heavy-handed side, but I love it. I love that Pratchett is not shy or subtle about getting the message across about the evils and pitfalls of bigotry, prejudice, discrimination, and so-called patriotism bordering on jingoism. He is not subtle about the things that people should NOT be subtle about, and I love it. He is open about asking uncomfortable questions and stirring up trouble, and love this as well. “You take a bunch of people who don't seem any different from you and me, but when you add them all together you get this sort of huge raving maniac with national borders and an anthem.” Another thing I love about Pratchett's writing is that he is one of the (regrettably) few male fantasy authors who can portray a woman as not a stereotype or a caricature or a mystery or an adorable nuisance or a far-fetched ideal but as a normal (well, normal for Discworld), real, and believable human being. “This was not a fairy-tale castle and there was no such thing as a fairy-tale ending, but sometimes you could threaten to kick the handsome prince in the ham-and-eggs.” As it's becoming common in Pratchett's novels, the ending is not happy but has bittersweet undertones. There is an understanding that it takes a lot to change the world, to change people's beliefs and prejudices, that anything that is won is only a small step on a long road. "And now it wasn't that good things were happening, it was just that bad things had stopped." Pratchett is not reluctant to show that the world's ways of dealing with things that are uncomfortable, that challenge the status quo is to pretend that they never happened, pretend that they are the exception rather than the rule, pretend that ignoring things would make them go away. "We weren't soldiers, she decided. We were girls in uniform. We were like a lucky charm. We were mascots. We weren't real, we were always a symbol of something. We'd done very well, for women. And we were temporary."************************************************This is now one of my favorite Discworld novels. Five stars is not enough to describe how much I loved it. And I adored the little cameos from the other Discworld characters, especially Vimes (I am a true Vimes girl, why'd you ask?) "The enemy wasn't men, or women, or the old, or even the dead. It was just bleedin' stupid people, who came in all varieties. And no one had the right to be stupid."
There was always a war. Usually they were border disputes, the national equivalent of complaining that the neighbor was letting their hedge grow too long. Sometimes they were bigger. Borogravia was a peace-loving country in the midst of treacherous, devious, warlike enemies. They had to be treacherous, devious, and war-like, otherwise we wouldn't be fighting them, eh? There was always a war. The Night Watch goes to War! Or, at least, that was my expectation before I started the novel. Only thing is, this Discworld novel is not exactly about the Night Watch, even if Sam Vimes, Angua and a couple of others do participate in the conflict. The theme chosen by Sir Terry is indeed the lampooning of martial mentality, but the main actors are a bunch of fresh recruits in the army of Borogravia. Each of these recruits harbors a secret identity, and I guess it is not much of a spoiler to mention that for some of them that identity has to do with gender roles.A long history of open conflict with all its neighbors, in particular a recent attack on Ankh-Morpork clack towers has brought Vimes and the imperial forces to fight on the side of Zlobenia and has left Borogravia deprived of fresh blood to send to the slaughter. Recruiting parties are chased out of the impoverished villages empty handed, until Polly decides to switch genres and enroll. All it takes, apparently is a pair of socks, shorn hair and a lifetime of observing the habits of the opposite sex. You might pick your nose a bit more often. Just a tip. Few things interest a young man more than the contents of his nostrils. The new platoon that Polly joins is heading for the front, where a defeated Borogravian army is dug in under the battlements of a massive fortress they just lost due to the deviousness of Vimes. Under the fierce tutelage of veteran sergeant Jackrum, a ragtag collection of losers and misfits is welded together into a formidable fighting machine, in the best tradition of war movies that Pratchett sets out to subvert with an energy and a self-assurance that proves the Discworld treasure chest of ideas is far for reaching its bottom. I spotted some clear references to Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket, but there are probably more barbed arrows that I missed along the way. I joined t'see exciting forrin places and meet erotic people! declares Carborundum, a rumbling troll in search of adventure who probably means exotic people. The platoon also includes an Igor, an abstinent vampire, a pyromaniac, a pregnant girl, a religious zealot modelled after Jeanne d'Arc, a couple of runaways from a correction house, etc. Together they will become famous as the Monstrous Regiment and they will change the course of history.This would have been one of my favorite Discworld novels, given the mastery of plot, comedy and pathos that I have come to expect from every new Pratchett novel, but for a small bother. (view spoiler)[ I enjoyed the reversal of gender roles, but I believe the joke was taken too far by the end of the novel, with almost everybody being a woman in disguise. (hide spoiler)]
What do You think about Monstrous Regiment (2003)?
Re-read Sept 2010 & still just as good as I remembered - probably my favorite Discworld novel. ****************Received Monstrous Regiment as a Christmas gift & have put off reading it til now, as I knew once I finished, I'd be all caught up with the doings of the Discworld and that would make me sad. :^) Polly Perks is the daughter of an inn owner in the duchy of Borogravia, a small country with a big attitude. Their national deity, Nuggan, continues to rewrite the rather strict scriptures on a daily basis, becoming more and more severe as time goes by; at one point, the color blue is an Abomination. Polly's brother has gone off to the near-perpetual war, and after months pass without hearing from him, she decides to find him. She becomes Oliver Perks (this is of course, an Abomination) and joins a small regiment under the command of Sergeant Jackrum. Upon reaching the military encampment, they find they are the last recruits and are to be commanded by a know-nothing lieutenant, who was until recently, a clerk. Lt. Blouse leads them on a reconnaissance mission, and Polly begins to suspect not all of her brothers-in-arms (including a troll, a Black Ribboner vampire and an Igor) are ... well... brothers. Terry's writing has made a grand (if gradual) departure from the start of the series, instead of gently poking fun at the conventions of fantasy, he's taking a more pointed look at the nature of war and restrictive societies. This isn't to say the humour is gone, not at all... but you may find more wry chuckles than simple guffaws. Recommended to anyone with an interest in satirical humor that occasionally throws in a belly laugh.
—Tracey
Confession time: The first time I read Monstrous Regiment, when it was released in 2003, I didn't like it. As a big fan of the City Watch, I resented that we were teased with cameos from Vimes and Angua but we didn't see their characters evolve, and I thought the ending was too contrived. From the sidelines, I watched my fellow fans EXPLODE with love for the book and produce reams of fanart and fanfic, never participating myself. I made a mental note to maybe give it another go, but I never got around to it.Now eleven years later, in a fit of feminist fury, I bought the audio edition and listened over the span of a few days. Oh my god, this book is phenomenal. I think I read it at the wrong point in my life. In 2003, I'd just graduated from an all-girls' high school. I went to an all-girls' summer camp for a big chunk of my childhood, too. I was fed a steady diet of girl power propaganda, which was ultimately meaningless because I didn't really understand what it was like to live in a universe with men in it and feel lesser or unwelcome. I grew up with Female as default, and I was told I could have anything I wanted, because I wanted to be an engineer and the world was desperate for women engineers! Of course, one month into my first semester of my 90% male computer science major, when this book came out, my ego was busy being CRUSHED. I felt like everything I'd been promised was a lie, because the subject that had always come easy to me was kicking my butt, and I had no idea how to make friends to work and study with, making me even more useless. I don't know if I resented the book because it was too close to home, or if I was in denial about what I was experiencing, but now that I've grown and rebuilt my self image, I can fully appreciate this marvel of a book and the struggles Polly faces. It wasn't what I needed at 18, but it's exactly what I needed right now.And more than that, I feel like the universe has given me a gift. It's like discovering a gem from Pratchett's heyday for the first time. I love these characters. I love the world they discover and how they shape it. This book is GENIUS. I actually got a little teary explaining to my roommate about how meaningful the experience of rediscovering this book was. It's like my favorite author of the time reached forward into the future to write the book I needed when he was still in prime shape to write it. Thanks, Pterry.
—Priscilla
Hilariously enough, I remember reading this one as a teenage girl and not really getting it. Of course I hadn't been properly slapped in the face with Real Life and the full extent of its internalised misogyny at that stage, so most of the bitterly farcical moments went over my head. Now I am older, more bitter, and more alive to the black humour of that very hypocritical man's army of Borogravia.There is also a lovely message buried in this book that I particularly appreciated given that Moronic Patriotic Celebration of 100 Years Since Britain Ordered The Colonies to Invade Turkey Day is rapidly approaching in my country. That message is, even when there is nothing else to be proud about your stupid country, you can still be proud of you.
—Ms_prue
