"This book is dedicated to those fine men."
In the eighth Discworld book, the first of the watch arc, and one of the books many recommend as a starting point for reading the wonder that is Discworld, we meet the night watch of Ankh-Morpork just as things are heating up, both figuratively and literally.
The night watch of Ankh-Morpork is not a career path that most are willing to follow. With such things as thievery being legal and enforced by the thieves' guild, which is not good news for a freelancer, the watch is no longer as necessary as it once was. It’s so rundown in fact, that at the beginning of the book, it consists of just three men: Captain Samuel Vimes, Sergeant Fred Colon, and Corporal Nobby Nobbs. They had just buried the fourth member, Gaskin, who had the unfortunate event of catching a miscreant he was chasing. They are not the most inspiring police force one has ever seen, to put it mildly. Nobby is barely human and maybe one step removed from being a member of the thieves’ guild. Colon, described as "one of nature’s sergeants," lacks imagination and is a bit on the cowardly side. Vimes sees how far the watch has fallen and spends much of his time very drunk. Not the most inspiring band of officers of the law we’ve ever seen, but that’s about to change.
Enter Carrot Ironfounderson. Carrot is a two-meter tall (6'6") dwarf. He's actually human, but he was adopted by dwarves as a child. Carrot is sent out of the mine as he is reaching adulthood and this is causing problems in the mine, and not just because of his height, although this is certainly an issue, so much so that his dwarven name is Kzad-bhat, which literally means "head banger." Carrot is sent off to join the night watch at Ankh-Morpork, and he brings his sword, his book of ordinances, and his literally minded honesty to the job. As one can imagine, things are about to get shaken up. Carrot was originally supposed to be the main character, but while he is important, the main character here is clearly Vimes once things get rolling.
The main plots here are the watch’s evolution as mentioned above, and how that intertwines with the arrival of a huge and deadly dragon and how both of these things will change the twin cities and its people. But where is the dragon coming from? Why does it leave no trace? Why are its targets so oddly specific, at least at first? Why is there an heir to the ancient throne of Ankh-Morpork so readily available? And how will they handle the giant fire-breathing reptile as things escalate?
As part of the watch’s investigations, we meet Lady Sybil Ramkin, a tamer of swamp dragons (Draco Vulgaris). Lady Ramkin is from an ancient and noble line, and it shows. She’s actually a very decent person and despite her obvious wealth, she doesn’t flaunt it or lord over others except as needed to get things done. Her expertise comes in handy with their investigations into the big dragon (Draco Nobilis), and her relationship with the watch, and especially Vimes, is a lot of fun and has important ramifications for further books. Her hair is also a wig as those who work with dragons for any length of time tend to lose their hair from all the random flaming the little critters do. She's also an older and larger woman, which really hit home with some fans. Having a woman like that as a romantic lead isn't all that common, and with her being a great character to boot, it's easy to see why a lot of fans love her. She also indicates that she knows Mort and Ysabel, and their current status after the events of Mort.
Another recurring character that debuts here is Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler (a.k.a. CMOT Dibbler). He’s existed in a proto-Dibbler form in Discworld books before whenever a vendor shows up trying to hawk barely edible food when crowds gather; this is the first time we have a name. He also tries to capitalize on the dragon craze by selling all kinds of stuff that range from useless to mostly useless. He’s an enjoyable character that pokes fun at snake oil salesmen and rampant capitalism but is somehow still likeable despite all that.
This book not only introduces some excellent new characters, but it also gives us a lot more of the Patrician and the Librarian. Patrician Vetinari gets a lot of page time here, and he’s brilliant, even this early on. The man is so good at keeping the mess that is Ankh-Morpork running that it’s legitimately scary. The Librarian is always a fan favorite, and he gets to shine here more than ever. We get to see him navigate L-Space (the space that links all libraries), fight crime, and just be a great ape in general. Remember, never call him a monkey!
Magrat Garlick, one of our beloved witches, gets a passing reference in this one. When the dwarf king is writing a letter to get Carrot a spot at the city watch, the dwarves ask her how to stop spelling "recommendation."
Sir Terry really hits human nature hard in this one, even more than he did in the immediately previous Pyramids. The Patrician even speaks about this directly to Vimes at one point. The world is full of people that aren’t the most evil or sadistic, but they have a kind of moral greyness that can be used by those that are truly malevolent to do some horrible things. This is something he points out in his books that feels more real today than ever. In fact, some of the situations in this book feel a bit too real at times, considering the state of things as I write this.
This is a truly marvelous book, from the beginning quote through to the endearing ending. Like all Discworld books it's hilarious at times, but it also hits home in the real world harder than any prior book and sets the standard for later books. Add on the further development of some established characters and some excellent brand new ones, and you have a true winner here.
4 dwarves that are actually humans out of 4.
Some fun quotes:
All dwarfs are by nature dutiful, serious, literate, obedient and thoughtful people whose only minor failing is a tendency, after one drink, to rush at enemies screaming "Arrrrrrgh!" and axing their legs off at the knee.
People who are rather more than six feet tall and nearly as broad across the shoulders often have uneventful journeys. People jump out at them from behind rocks then say things like, "Oh. Sorry. I thought you were someone else."
Sergeant Colon owed thirty years of happy marriage to the fact that Mrs. Colon worked all day and Sergeant Colon worked all night. They communicated by means of notes. He got her tea ready before he left at night, she left his breakfast nice and hot in the oven in the mornings. They had three grown-up children, all born, Vimes had assumed, as a result of extremely persuasive handwriting.
Morella is a Gen Xer who likes strange things a bit too much.
Ah, what a great start to what is possibly the most iconic Discworld subseries!
ReplyDeleteThis is one where I feel he hits his stride 100%. Even the 'worst' Discworld book is good, but when he fires on all cylinders like this volume, it's fantastic stuff.
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