betty reviewed Going Postal (Discworld) by Terry Pratchett (Discworld (31))
Review of 'Going Postal (Discworld)' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
The first thing I loved about it was Prachett's use of language. He thinks it ought to be fun and watching him convinces you it is. Like watching a gifted athlete who can convince you that golf is interesting and entertaining, Prachett uses English with whimsy, grace, and ruthless precision. Every word is where it's meant to be, doing what it's meant to, but in a way you didn't foresee.
The second thing I love is the way Prachett's politics are the an appealing blend of idealism and cynicism. All of his novels are in one way or another political, but I rarely feel scolded or lectured at, possibly because Prachett's so straightforward about it. It's a modern Pilgrim's Progress, where you expect the content to be didactic.
The third thing I love are Prachett's characters. He rarely writes an unlikeable character, so that you find yourself, if not precisely …
The first thing I loved about it was Prachett's use of language. He thinks it ought to be fun and watching him convinces you it is. Like watching a gifted athlete who can convince you that golf is interesting and entertaining, Prachett uses English with whimsy, grace, and ruthless precision. Every word is where it's meant to be, doing what it's meant to, but in a way you didn't foresee.
The second thing I love is the way Prachett's politics are the an appealing blend of idealism and cynicism. All of his novels are in one way or another political, but I rarely feel scolded or lectured at, possibly because Prachett's so straightforward about it. It's a modern Pilgrim's Progress, where you expect the content to be didactic.
The third thing I love are Prachett's characters. He rarely writes an unlikeable character, so that you find yourself, if not precisely sympathizing with, at least enjoying the assassin, the embezzler and the hangman.
More specific to this book, I liked the meditation on technology and its impact on society, the engine of innovation, and the purpose of capital therein, and the importance of communication in bureaucracy and capitalism. Because that stuff is sexy, yo.
