Rating: 
Summary: The Roles of War
Review: Long-standing fans of Discworld know how Pratchett explores many levels in his books. MR achieves a new degree of intensity in examining the human tendency for conflict. The "fantasy" aspects of the Discworld are nearly abandoned in this story of war and soldier life. To be sure, there's a vampire, a troll, and Angua the werewolf. An Igor completes the team in a special, rather cutting, role. None of these "fantasy" characters can avoid being dominated by their human aspects. Pratchett enhances his ability to show us to ourselves. While his humour carries us along in following the tale, the underlying theme remains clear. War is a distinctly human enterprise. Polly Perks seeks her missing brother in the middle of a conflict none can explain nor justify. Hiding the fact that she's a girl, she slashes her golden curls, dons boys' clothes [including "special purpose" socks] and enlists to seek him out. Her military career is fraught with risk, but not just from battle. If she's exposed, the wrath of Nuggan, the local deity, will be boundless - dressing as a man is an Abomination. As are cats, the colour blue, garlic and a host of social ills. These are lined out in the Appendix of a bible - with the Appendix larger than the main inspirational text. In Sam Vimes' view, Polly has entered a life of crime, but not through her cross-dressing. He thinks "war is a crime - like murder". Sam, Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, has been sent to make a peace. When the stakes are as high as these - who rules the country - the task becomes Herculean. As with most wars, this one uses high moral purpose to camouflage baser selfish motives. A prince seeks power. Polly, along with her meagre "regiment" is caught up in the forces this war for rule has unleashed. They are ill-equipped and untrained for their task. Even so, Polly's first skirmish with the enemy has enduring results. Pratchett, using Polly's voice, has produced his finest work. He delves into military life, the vagaries of monarchy, and the shams of religion. He exposes many nerves in this book, but with a gentle finesse. He encourages the open mind while appealing to those who haven't taken the trouble to even ask questions. Polly asks and confronts many of these queries. She examines the answers in light of what is occurring around her. She's sharp and alert. She has to be, hiding her identity from friend and foe alike. She learns to belch, pick her nose and walk swaying her shoulders instead of her hips. Is this what's important? Pratchett takes us to the abyss of gender politics, reveals its deceptive simplicity, and leads us away. To confront a yet more fundamental horror. He is adept at surprising readers, achieved here with his usual aplomb. Once again, he's "mirrored" our world. Take a look and see if you are imaged here. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Rating:
Summary: Pratchett having rollicking fun
Review: Join up! Fight for your country! Serve the Duchess! Join the Monstrous Regiment, with it's full compliment of trolls, vampires and, well, women... Polly Perks disguises herself as a man in order to enlist in the army, to go and find her brother, lost on the battlefields at the edge of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is Borogravia, and, of course, there's a war on. There's always a war on. The little repulic of Borogravia is a war-like nation, with a penchant for generation-long feuds and border disputes with its neighbours. But, now those neighbours have formed an alliance (indeed, you might wonder what took them so long) and their forces are marching on Borogravia, and it's going to be up to the Monstrous Regiment to use all it's resources to win the day...ALL it's resources. You get the impression when reading this that it was great fun to write. Great fun to write. That's because it's great fun to read. It's hardly the greatest Discworld book, however. Some of the themes are merely only touched upon, and you do get the sense that Pratchett was just going through the motions a little, concentrating on the fun of writing it, rather than trying to eke out depth and meaning upon meaning which some of his very best books do. NEVERTHELESS, this is still excellent stuff, and there's no way it should get less than five stars. It's great fun to acquaint yourself with new characters and new scenery, as this is completely new territory for Pratchett. And some of those characters, too, are brilliant...especially the marvellous Sergeant Jackrum, who we really should see more of, and the delightful vampire Maladict, who just oozes intellectual superiority. The mountain of cameos is also quite entertaining (Vimes, Angua, William de Worde, DEATH, Buggy Squires, Reg Shoe) but because they don't really serve a great purpose, that adds to the initial feeling that this is, actually, not quite Discworld-lite, but Discworld-a-little-bit-liter-than-Night-Watch, which was so heavy I felt like I'd read a piece of lead (but, still, five stars again.) Because, of course, this isn't lite at all. It's just a little less serious. There are some very good notions and ruminations on war which Pratchett explores, and actually some very moving moments, which I really wasn't expecting. Pratchett doesn't normally do "moving", but there were definitely one or two occasions of it here... He also has a nice amount of fun exploring gender-confusion, men dressed as women dressed as men, etc. Indeed, he's beginning to display an almost Shakespearean fondness for having his characters dress up as the opposite sex. All in all, I reccomend this unreservedly to the Pratchett fan, and also think that it's probably not too bad a place for a newbie to begin... It's fun and funny, and definitely worth your time. Now we can all get busy looking forward to his next "Young Adult" (ha!) effort, A Hat Full of Sky, due next Spring...
Rating: 
Summary: Terry Pratchett Rides (his hobbyhorse) Again
Review: When "Thief of Time" came out, I read it. Then I read it again. I read it four more times waiting for the next Pratchett book. Then "Night Watch" came out and I did the same thing. But I don't think that will be happening with "Monstrous Regiment." Pratchett seems to admire and respect human spirituality and the kind of deep faith that can move mountains. He feels the same way about courage and endurance in the face of insurmountable obstacles. And he despises the way the institutional church and national governments exploit these in favor of organized religion, warfare, and political advantage. He devotes "Small Gods" and "Jingo" to this very theme, and he does it brilliantly; those are two of his best. "Monstrous Regiment," looks at these issues, plus another Pratchett theme, the way societies work out their sexuality and gender-role issues. Unfortunately, it doesn't do quite as well. The story is of a war between Borogravia and a neighbor. The basic plot outline is Jeanne d'Arc and the siege of Orleans. It is told from the point of view of Polly, who cuts her hair and dresses like a boy and joins the army to fight the foes of her homeland. We get some cameos from Vimes, Angua, Reg Shoe, Buggy, Death, William de Worde and Chriek, even Lord Rust, but the main characters and the setting are all new. Polly has many adventures, see many new sights, learns many new things, and comes home safe. Hard to say what the problem is. It almost seems like the author isn't giving it his full attention. The footnotes are intermittent and half-hearted, rather than pointed and hilarious. The cameos seem, mostly, aimless: if you're not going to use Death, why bother having him at all? de Worde and Vimes actually serve the plot, but they seem to be going through the motions rather than enhancing the story. More troubling is the main characters themselves. Partly, the book is one long shaggy-dog joke (cf. John Knox's essay, or at least the title of it), and it becomes obvious pretty early what the punchline is. But, worse, none of the lead characters thrill, none of the humor lifts off the page and makes you guffaw. The satire is often blunt where it should be sharp, the sadness never reaches very deeply. Some of the main characters are never fully explained or developed, especially the Jeanne d'Arc character and Lt. Bounce; but even Jackrum remains flat (no pun intended). As an empowered woman, Polly doesn't come close to Angua or Miss Susan. Despite the constant references to the weird local religion, there is no religious fanatic like Vorbis, no believer to compare with Brother Brutha. Nor is there a real villain. There are various villainous characters who appear and disappear and reappear, but no single bad guy to keep your eye on, to represent an always dangerous threat to our heroes, and that may be the greatest weakness of the whole book.
Still, it's Pratchett, and so well worth the price and the time to read it. And I can always re-read "Thief of Time" and "Night Watch."
Rating:
Summary: I miss Ankh-Morpork
Review: Polly Perks, disguised as a boy, joins a regiment of Borogravians filled with the usual lot of trolls, vampires, and the like, and learns what war is really like: violent, senseless, hierarchical with the addle-brained near the top of the hierarchy (her sergeant insists on calling her "Private Parts" instead of "Private Perks" for a good part of the book). Like all Pratchett books this one is worth reading, a much better satire than anything else out there today. But "Monstrous Regiment" is not going to end up on my Favorite Discworlds shortlist. It takes place in the unfamiliar land of Borogravia, with characters new to the series (although Sam Vimes and Angua put in a very modest appearance), so I miss the wealth of local detail that goes into the more familiar Ankh-Morpork-based novels. Even compared to, say, "Jingo," much of which is also set abroad, Borogravia is a bit less, um, colorful. Pratchett does a nice job making the plot topical (the divisions in Borogravia seem more-or-less Yugoslavian to me), but the setting and the characters seem like they will need another novel or two to come to reach their full Pratchett-osity.
Rating:
Summary: Pratchett is the most creative Science Fiction writer today
Review: There is so much rubbish that pretends to be science fiction. Thank goodness for Pratchett! His books are a wonderfully wacky alternative world that bring pleasure to millions while maintaining an extraordinary consistency in every volume. I don't know how he does it but he has clearly done it again. Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE (Zondervan, 2003)
Rating:
Summary: Is that a cutlass in your pocket or...oh, yes it is.
Review: First of all, Monstrous Regiment is the 28th Discworld book, and Pratchett is just getting started. Every time you think he has run out of ideas, he comes up with something new (or an interesting take on something old). This book is no different, as this time he examines the military and the military mindset. Is it a good one? SIR, YES SIR! This is another winning Discworld book. It's a bit different in tone from Night Watch, if only because the humour is broader. In Night Watch, the humour was on the side and it was a fairly serious book except for that. This has a serious point to make as well, but the humour involves everybody. It was refreshing to see. Pratchett has some good points to make on military matters in the real world, and he skewers the entire mindset (not necessarily of the men, who he never really disparages, but the planners). He does have the obvious stereotypes of the hard drill sergeant and the lieutenant who doesn't really know what he's doing and has no experience. But even these stereotypes he turns on their heads, shakes them upside down, and looks at what comes out. Pratchett, always a master of character, has created some new winners (though I don't believe they'll be back in another book, like some of Pratchett's recurring characters). Polly is the typical Pratchett hero: determined, relatively straight-laced, intelligent and resourceful. She's a wonderful viewpoint character, scared but determined to do what is right. When she's assigned to be the lieutenant's assistant, she's reluctant to take advantage of the position, though she does so to help out her mates. She helps Lieutenant Blouse along, though she's terrified of shaving him because she's never learned how to shave herself. Probably the best character in the book, though, is Jackrum. He reminds me a lot of Sam Vimes from the City Watch books, but with a different edge to him. He's a soldier and nothing else. He doesn't want to be an officer. He doesn't want to be a civilian. He wants to do his job, keep his lads safe, and bring them home. He doesn't like sneaking around and doing things different from the army way, and he's horrified when Blouse wants to use subterfuge to get into the castle they're supposed to take. He's a man of duty, honour, and integrity, and while he's always rough on his men, he also respects them. Of course, we find out there's a reason behind the man he is, which is what really cuts him apart from Vimes. The other characters are standout even if they aren't developed that much. There's the religious zealot who constantly speaks to "The Duchess," (the figure who, much like Queen Victoria, hasn't been seen much since her husband died, and who many feel is actually dead). There are a couple of fire-bugs who ran away from where they were being held. The best of this bunch, however, is the vampire (Maladict) and the latest in a long string of Igors in a Discworld book. Maladict has sworn off blood in order to be accepted in society, and has developed an addiction to coffee instead. He's the only one that seems, at least initially, to know what's going on. When the coffee runs out, look out! Igor is much the same as most of his brethren, handy with a surgical knife and internal organs. Both of these characters add some sparkle when they're on the page, as well as a lot of laughs. There are a few well-known Discworld characters in the book to add colour as well. William de Worde (the journalist from The Truth) and his photographer vampire Otto, make an appearance. I'm surprised that they weren't "embedded" with the troops, but that may have been a bit obvious. Pratchett does use them to make some statements about the Press in wartime, and how wars are reported. Samuel Vimes and a couple of his watchmen are also included, though they don't have a major part. I think Vimes is included mainly as a counterpoint for Jackrum's character, and he does a good job of that. He's also a voice of reason in a sea of insanity (Polly's adrift in that sea, so she doesn't count). The best thing about Pratchett is that he is entertaining and thought-provoking even when you might not agree with him. Given some of the things he makes light of, I may be able to guess what his opinion is on the recent war in Iraq. However, even if you don't agree with him, he will make you think. And he will make you laugh, which is the most important part. He also touches on gender and religious issues, all in one book. The fact that he's able to make interesting points without seeming like a scattershot approach says something about Pratchett's writing. Monstrous Regiment is a return of sorts to Pratchett's previous style of combining humour and social commentary. It's another must-read for any Pratchett fan. David Roy
Rating:
Summary: The Roles of War
Review: Long-standing fans of Discworld know how Pratchett explores many levels in his books. MR achieves a new degree of intensity in examining the human tendency for conflict. The "fantasy" aspects of the Discworld are nearly abandoned in this story of war and soldier life. To be sure, there's a vampire, a troll, and Angua the werewolf. An Igor completes the team in a special, rather cutting, role. None of these "fantasy" characters can avoid being dominated by their human aspects. Pratchett enhances his ability to show us to ourselves. While his humour carries us along in following the tale, the underlying theme remains clear. War is a distinctly human enterprise. Polly Perks seeks her missing brother in the middle of a conflict none can explain nor justify. Hiding the fact that she's a girl, she slashes her golden curls, dons boys' clothes [including "special purpose" socks] and enlists to seek him out. Her military career is fraught with risk, but not just from battle. If she's exposed, the wrath of Nuggan, the local deity, will be boundless - dressing as a man is an Abomination. As are cats, the colour blue, garlic and a host of social ills. These are lined out in the Appendix of a bible - with the Appendix larger than the main inspirational text. In Sam Vimes' view, Polly has entered a life of crime, but not through her cross-dressing. He thinks "war is a crime - like murder". Sam, Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, has been sent to make a peace. When the stakes are as high as these - who rules the country - the task becomes Herculean. As with most wars, this one uses high moral purpose to camouflage baser selfish motives. A prince seeks power. Polly, along with her meagre "regiment" is caught up in the forces this war for rule has unleashed. They are ill-equipped and untrained for their task. Even so, Polly's first skirmish with the enemy has enduring results. Pratchett, using Polly's voice, has produced his finest work. He delves into military life, the vagaries of monarchy, and the shams of religion. He exposes many nerves in this book, but with a gentle finesse. He encourages the open mind while appealing to those who haven't taken the trouble to even ask questions. Polly asks and confronts many of these queries. She examines the answers in light of what is occurring around her. She's sharp and alert. She has to be, hiding her identity from friend and foe alike. She learns to belch, pick her nose and walk swaying her shoulders instead of her hips. Is this what's important? Pratchett takes us to the abyss of gender politics, reveals its deceptive simplicity, and leads us away. To confront a yet more fundamental horror. He is adept at surprising readers, achieved here with his usual aplomb. Once again, he's "mirrored" our world. Take a look and see if you are imaged here. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Rating:
Summary: Another Amazing Book from Pratchet
Review: After reading "Nightwatch", I was sure that the next book would be somewhat of a disappointment. No insult to Pratchett meant; I mean just the opposite, in fact, since "Nightwatch" is a stunningly amazing piece of literature which continues to floor me. Thus did I open "Monstrous Regiment" with trepidation and more then a little skepticism since the characters, location, and situation were all entirely new to the Discworld.
Any fears I had previous to this book concerning Pratchett's ability to continually keep the Discworld to it's high standard were brought to rest by this book. I won't comment on the actual plot of the book, but I will comment on what Pratchett has managed to do. For one, he has managed to create yet another amazing character and land within the Discworld, as well as include old and new favorites from other works. The inclusion of William and Otto from "The Truth" as well as Commander Vimes and Sergeant Angua from the various Watch novels brought just enough familiar flavor to keep us from feeling lost without overpowering the new part of the Discworld brought to light. As to Polly and her band...I loved them. They so finely walked the tightrope in so many ways, both within the story and within the mind of the reader, that I simply stand in awe of Pratchett's ability to populate this story with characters the way he does. Jackrum was...there aren't really any words for Jackrum. While some Discworld fans might be hesistant at accepting the new players in their favorite universe and wish for more of Rincewind or the Witches or even Death (who plays a decidedly small role in this novel about War), I feel that the new blood that Pratchett is putting into the Discworld is doing nothing but making it stronger, better, and more rich. Seeing William and Otto was great fun, and their effects on the world being so quickly felt...well, it just SMACKS of Discworld. The book in short is, to me, an amazing novel that I will treasure. It made me laugh out loud more then once, scream out loud many times more then that, and think a great deal more then perhaps any other fantasy writer has the ability to make me. I'd give it five stars if I hadn't read "Nightwatch".
Rating:
Summary: Very well written
Review: As a soldier myself I see a lot of humor in there that I can personnaly relate. I think that it is definately worth reading and any true Pratchett fan should already have it. True this is not the best one written, but it is by far not the worst (That would be "The Unadulterated Cat").
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