The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

Rating:
Summary: clever allegory and thought-provoking story
Review: A friend gave me this book for my birthday, explaining that it was a book about rats. Was I ever surprised when I opened the cover and started reading. It is not just about rats.

Pratchett has done his work. I believe him when he says that he read loads about rats before beginning this. But not only the rat part is accurate. When he describes rat writing (pictograms, could be hieroglyphic-like), it parallels the history of the development of human writing. The rats in this story provide a kind of microcosm of how human society might have developed; their dreams of utopia do not come from out of the blue. The rats have their version of a holy book, a keeper of the flame, and of course their characters are all very different and sometimes conflict. Baseness, greed, and corruption all figure in the story, and the rats need to discover how to deal with this new threat called EVIL (as the book's back cover will also tell you).

Although the mentally-mutated (smart) rats naturally figure prominently in the story along with a mentally-mutated cat (Maurice), I think that it also works as an allegory. You can read this story either for face value or more deeply. In the latter way, I think that Terry Pratchett critiques current society. It's funny that reading about rats would make one question humanity, but that's what happened to me!

In a way this book is about having dreams and trying to fulfill them, and getting disillusioned along the way but not giving up. However, it has no morality overtones and despite its seriousness, it is also pretty funny (take the tap-dancing rat named Sardines, for instance). The story ends on a happy note too but it isn't overly saccharine. In a way, it's like pop philosophy and a good story rolled into one.

I was also able to read this story without knowing anything at all about Discworld.

Rating:
Summary: clever allegory and thought-provoking story
Review: A friend gave me this book for my birthday, explaining that it was a book about rats. Was I ever surprised when I opened the cover and started reading. It is not just about rats.

Pratchett has done his work. I believe him when he says that he read loads about rats before beginning this. But not only the rat part is accurate. When he describes rat writing (pictograms, could be hieroglyphic-like), it parallels the history of the development of human writing. The rats in this story provide a kind of microcosm of how human society might have developed; their dreams of utopia do not come from out of the blue. The rats have their version of a holy book, a keeper of the flame, and of course their characters are all very different and sometimes conflict. Baseness, greed, and corruption all figure in the story, and the rats need to discover how to deal with this new threat called EVIL (as the book's back cover will also tell you).

Although the mentally-mutated (smart) rats naturally figure prominently in the story along with a mentally-mutated cat (Maurice), I think that it also works as an allegory. You can read this story either for face value or more deeply. In the latter way, I think that Terry Pratchett critiques current society. It's funny that reading about rats would make one question humanity, but that's what happened to me!

In a way this book is about having dreams and trying to fulfill them, and getting disillusioned along the way but not giving up. However, it has no morality overtones and despite its seriousness, it is also pretty funny (take the tap-dancing rat named Sardines, for instance). The story ends on a happy note too but it isn't overly saccharine. In a way, it's like pop philosophy and a good story rolled into one.

I was also able to read this story without knowing anything at all about Discworld.

Rating:
Summary: A Cat that Talks back
Review: A Review by Chet

The only thing keeping these wise rats inline is Maurice, the cat who knows it all, followed closely by his young piper. The rats controlled by Maurice, go around threatening of plague in the Europe during the late 1800's, when paid the piper boy comes to bring the rats to back to do it once again. Agreeing to be there final threat, the rats go into play to get the routine plague but run into a scam in play and get into a mess of trouble.

The parts I liked was that that there was always a conflict going on and making you want to read on and discover the solution, whether its internal or external. Another part is that the main character is a cat, not a human but a talking cat that's constantly persuading those around him. Although it's a great book, the read switches back and forth between the rats and the cat right at the time something happens, making you forget when it comes back to the last one.

I would recommend this book to the younger readers in the age range of 6-8th, though in 9th I received a real thrill out of reading it. There's a mix of fantasy and drama, along with the occasional humor.

Rating:
Summary: Not really part of Discworld
Review: Even though it takes place in the Discworld, it's not part of the series. It's written at about the 6th grade level, with none of the sarcasm or wit of the Disc books. I'd recommend it as a good book for that age level, even as a light introduction to the Discworld, but it's just a good kid's book.

Rating:
Summary: Not really part of Discworld
Review: Even though it takes place in the Discworld, it's not part of the series. It's written at about the 6th grade level, with none of the sarcasm or wit of the Disc books. I'd recommend it as a good book for that age level, even as a light introduction to the Discworld, but it's just a good kid's book.

Rating:
Summary: One for the kids
Review: Four stars as a kids' book, three stars as an adult's book. It's an interesting little story about what Maurice, the rats, and the dumb-looking kid will do when they arrive in Bad Blintz and discover that something very nasty indeed is going on involving a famine, ratcatchers, and dark cellars.
You could take a lot away with you from this story if you liked. If you just want an interesting story, it works on that level, too. I'm a little restrained in my praise because as an adult, the story is somewhat predictable and dragging, and because there isn't the depth we've come to expect from a Pratchett novel.
But like I said, this is one for the kids.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book -- Not Just for Kids
Review: I don't agree with the Reading Level assigned to this book (ages 9-12). Sure, 9-12 year olds could read it without problem. But, it's not a really a kid's book. It's just a very, very good book that's fun and light to read. It's also almost entirely independent of any need for prior knowledge of the Discworld. At a guess, I'd assign it a place just after "Moving Pictures" (purely based on the "Gaspode-the-Wonder-Dog" affect plus the fact that Maurice is mentioned twice in "Reaper Man" (which comes just after "Moving Pictures")). Definitely a book to read. Anyone CAN read it and everyone SHOULD read it.

Rating:
Summary: One of Terry Pratchett's Finest
Review: I read The Amazing Maurice while I was on holiday, and I could do little else until it was finished. Cloaked in mystery and full of homour, The Amazing Maurice is a great read, and one of my favourite books

Rating:
Summary: Among Pratchett's best
Review: I was beginning to feel that the Discworld books were getting a bit tired; the author himself has claimed he wanted to write something else. While set in Discworld, this book does not follow any of the established Discworld storylines. I would go so far as say his children's books (Bromeliad, Good Omens, etc.) are superior to anything Discworld. Even the names of the rats have kept me chuckling for several weeks.

Rating:
Summary: An Exciting and Thought-Provoking Novel
Review: Maurice doesn't really know how he became so intelligent and chatty. After all, he used to just be a normal cat. But now he's a genius, as are the rats that he goes from town to town with. No humans, except for the stupid-looking kid (Keith) accompany them on their journeys, as they try to swindle money from towns, because, you see, Maurice is a criminal mastermind, and also quite money hungry. But when they happen upon a town called Bad Blintz, they realize that it truly lives up to it's name. As there are people there who are some of the worst that you'll ever meet. Now Maurice, along with his educated rodents, and the stupid-looking kid, and a new friend, who just happens to be human, are preapred to turn the town of Bad Blintz upside down, and make the residents wish that this "Pied Piper" and his gang had never set foot in their cozy city.

Terry Pratchett is a true science fiction genius. THE AMAZING MAURICE AND HIS EDUCATED RODENTS takes you on a journey into the minds of rats, cats, and even dogs, and reveals what they think of humans, each other, life, and the world in general. Maurice is a character whom will stick in the minds of all, young and old, as will his entertaining companions, Dangerous Beans, Peaches, Darktan, Hamnpork, and even the stupid-looking kid. A must-have book for all who enjoy a good science fiction novel here and there. Or if you're just looking for an entertaining novel featuring a gang of exciting, talking animals.

Erika Sorocco