Rating: 
Summary: Just not that funny (very minor spoilers)
Review: A review for previous reader of Pratchett (very minor spoilers, but nothing that I would've been upset to learn before I read it):Monstrous Regiment is written in Pratchett's "new style." As compared to his earlier work, it is more focused on a single character and generally has a more serious plotline. In some cases (The Truth), this can be just as funny as more lighthearted wroks like The Last Continent. Monstrous Regiment is not one of those cases. To put it bluntly, Pratchett just doesn't joke very much. Teh classic word plays are gone completely. Some of the characters have humor potential, but a lot is repetitive from other books(There are only so many Igor jokes you can make). Other characters are spoiled by being taken to seriously. Its one thing to laugh at a coffee-dependant vampire, its another thing when lack of coffee becomes a serious life-or-death issue.
The same goes for the satire. Pratchett has a distinguished history of making fun of fanstasy cliches, but when he takes his own cliches too seriously he ruins the humor. Pratchett takes the woman-dressed-up-as-a-soldier yarn and stretches it far beyond the limits of serious fiction. Unfortunately, he tries to treat this ridiculousness as real important issues, which never works. Satire without humor is just cliche, and that's how this book ends up feeling.
Rating: 
Summary: Merely Great.
Review: I love Terry Pratchett's work and this is a fine example of it. It is, however, a little less than some of the others. Pratchett's work runs about half the gamut; being from very good to inconceivably, rip snortingly wonderful and by his standards this would fall somewhere near the middle. It is less humerous than some of the others - though still with several wry grins and a couple of laugh-out-loud in public moments. The characters are interesting, but not quite as sharply drawn as in other books. Part of the problem is that it is drawn from a culture that his readers are less familiar with, so some of the Jokes I'm absolutely certain, have gone right over my head and that of some of the other reviewers here, too I suspect. I had the same problem with "The Last Continent" where several Australian folk references and heroes were drawn into the plot which I entirely failed to recognize until they got annotated. Terry is nothing if not a meticulous researcher and I have a strange suspicion that this is one of those I'm going to end up reading more often. This is a great book by any measure except those jaded from higher expectations of this author.
Rating: 
Summary: "Whatever it is you are going to do next, do it as you."
Review: Terry Pratchett has been gradually shifting from the compination of linguistic slapstick and outrageous fantasy that marks most of his Discworld novels to a more balanced style of humor and greater focus on the content behind the give and take of his characters. The Great Turtle gets no mention, and Death only gets bit parts. I'm not going to claim that Night Watch is a deep study in evil or that Monstrous Regiment is a feminist anti-war novel, but each picks up the threads of real human issues in addition to the wry humor which is Pratcheets hallmark. The story starts out with Polly Perks, who as the daughter of a stodgy family in the even stodgier country of Brogravia, stands to inherit nothing unless she can track down her brother, who has disappeared into Borogravia's constant wars. This is no simple task in a society that worships Nuggan who has a habit of declaring things abominations. Things like jigsaw puzzles, rocks, accordion players, and, of course, anything independent done by a woman. Polly's solution - dress up as a man and enlist in the glorious Borogravian army. Of course, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Polly, her fellow enlistees, gruff Sargeant Jackrum, and the overly optimistic Lieutenant Blouse find themselves embroiled in the dirty, icky parts of war, a war which, contrary to public statements, is going very poorly. Gradually we discover (well, the title gives it away) that no one in this doughty group is what they seem. We find ourselves partaking in one of those journeys where a group or rank amateurs struggle to succeed, and manage to give everyone else a black eye in the process. Self-discovery with a wry twist. War, when you are on the losing side, really is hell. Maledict the vampire has given up blood for coffee, Carborundum the troll worries about his crags, and young Wazzer believes he is the conduit for The Duchess, a particularly powerless and unwilling nouveau goddess. Role reversals happen every minute, and no one is sure who is wearing the socks in these thoroughly dysfunctional family. But the characters gradually grow from hapless to self-determined, and the reader can't help but cheer them on. And when all else fails, Igor can sew up the pieces. In the process we get a rather candid display of Pratchett's own complicated views on military workings, the rigors of war and patriotism, and social attitudes towards women. It's not that he forces anything down your throat, but while he is making you smile and laugh at things, he is also making you think about them, which is one of the things that separates Pratchett from run of the mill sarcasm. Pratchett's facility with words, and his ability to draw memorable characters will once again win over the reader, as the have done countless times before.
Rating:
Summary: We Happy Few, We Band of...Brothers?
Review: I've read all of Pratchett's Discworld novels. This one isn't the best--but neither is it, as some reviewers have said, the worst. He continues here in the tradition of Wyrd Sisters, fighting for Female Empowerment on the Discworld, and I think pulls it off rather more successfully than he did with Magrat and the Witches. I'll spare you the plot summary, as it exists elsewhere, and just mention some of the high points: This is one of the more 'serious' of the Discworld Novels. It's not as heavy as, say, Night Watch (which was actually quite a moving book), but it deals with serious themes of the brutalization of women and the tyranny of theocracies. It also deals, at least peripherally, with war, and soldiering, and the tried-and-true-favorite theme of Pratchett's of the underdog. At the same time, he doesn't take the easy outs that he could have, and for that he deserves some kudos. If Pratchett has given us the Keystone Cops of the Discworld in Vimes' Ankh-Morpork Watch, then here we have...well, perhaps the Band of Brothers. Er, Sisters. You needn't feel squeamish; there are no scenes of carnage, there are no brutal deaths, but it is about the esprit du corps of a small unit of (wo)men, and there are some amusing points to be made on military procedure and tolerance amid the Ranks. In terms of the humor, it's subtler this time than in most of his books; much of it comes from the naming-customs of the Borogravian military and from gender-bending issues (as you might expect). A few low-ranking vulgarities crop up here and there, but that's soldier talk for you. Worth a read if you're a Pratchett Fan, and probably worth it even if you're not. Pratchett is nothing if not entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Pratchett has outdone himself with this fresh and witty book
Review: Polly Perks is confronted with a dilemma. She's very bright and her mother has taught her how to read and write, which has become an Abomination Unto Nuggan, the local god. She tends her father's bar and understands the business, but in Borogravia --- ruled by the tyrannical god Nuggan and his human counterpart, The Duchess --- no woman can actually operate a business because that too is an Abomination Unto Nuggan. Art, music, jigsaw puzzles and rocks have also recently been declared as Abominations in a rapidly deteriorating country that is losing its war. The trouble is that her brother Paul, the only legal heir to the lucrative pub, is off to the wars with neighboring Ankh-Morpork, who has been captured or is perhaps dead, so Polly's future looks rather bleak. Paul is a gentle soul by nature, an artist who of course can't practice his craft due to Nugganism and has no head for business. With him installed as legal owner ' well, you see Polly's problem. She needs to find Paul, bring him home, and set him up as owner so she can secure her future --- or else it's the Workhouse (or worse) for Polly. So she crops her hair, dresses up like a boy, and runs off to join the regiment. This is of course an Abomination Unto Nuggan, but Polly is nothing if not resourceful and with the quiet help of someone who whispers helpfully from behind a wall when she's relieving herself in the privy that a carefully placed pair of socks might fool the casual onlooker, Polly becomes Oliver Perks and her adventures begin. Polly, becomes Oliver, takes her duties as a private seriously. When she finds herself feeling aggressive and even belligerent, she blames it on the socks. In fact, after cursing or belching she often thinks to herself, "It's the socks talking, there." Her fellow soldiers in the Monstrous Regiment consist of (remember this is Discworld) a motley assortment of what's left of Borogravian young manhood: a Troll, a vampire, an Igor (Igors are a special class of being on Discworld --- they make excellent field medics because of their skills in stitchery and, er, recycling body parts). Also enlisted are three other young lads, all under the eagle eye of Sergeant Jackrum, veteran of legendary battles and the stuff folk songs are made of. This extraordinarily amusing book is a homage to Terry Pratchett's huge following of well-educated women, which make up a surprising majority of his vast readership. In fact, until J. K. Rowling came along, Pratchett held something of a record in book sales in Great Britain, acquiring an O.B.E. in literature from the Queen. He has caught on in a big way with American readers who enjoy his droll satire. Only a few of the books in the 28 volume-series on Discworld feature women. The Wyrd Sisters (a group of erstwhile Witches), Angua (a female werewolf in Ankh Morpork's Watch) and Commander Vimes's wife are among the few female protagonists. With MONSTROUS REGIMENT, we are introduced not only to Polly Perks but also to some other rather astonishing heroines. Elaborating on them though would spoil the tale. Pratchett has outdone himself with MONSTROUS REGIMENT --- a feat that might be hard to imagine after so many books. It is fresh, witty as ever, and brings a whole new look to Ankh Morpork. One might be tempted to compare this tale to our conflict in the Middle East, if one was of a mind to take Pratchett with more than a grain of salt. --- Reviewed by Roz Shea
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").
Rating: 
Summary: Serious Satire or Slapstick?
Review: In far-off Borogravia, the kingdom is at war and has used up its supply of male cannon fodder, and so it is up to the girls to protect the motherland. Our hero(ine) Polly joins up, and winds up in a regiment containing a vampire, an Igor, and a troll, and with several other members who are, predictably, not quite what they seem. There is a great critique of militarism and military culture buried in here, and Borogravian society is a great send-up of theocracy in which the god Nuggan is suffocating his followers in endless new commandments about things to avoid. Then there's the mysterous and creepy Duchess: the book gets an extra half-point for some unexpected genuine spookiness. Reviewers are calling this Pratchett's best book to date. I'm not sure I agree, but I acknowledge that over his last few books he has become a satirist to take seriously, if that makes any sense; I think it yields mixed results when this is a writer whose appeal comes largely from his wordplay and humor; I'm not sure he can quite pull off both Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain at the same time. As is usual in his books, the final plot twists and surprises are not very interesting by the time we get to them. Vimes, Angua, Otto, William de Worde, and an Igor show up, and so it all makes more sense if you've read Fifth Elephant, The Truth, or Carpe Jugulum, but this is best thought of as a standalone.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly funny yet touching
Review: Loved every minute.
On the one hand, I found this book more touching, and slightly darker, then some other Discworld novels. There's bound to be some saddness involved with going into hopeless wars for stupid gods. This is not necessarily bad: I felt this was giving a true heart to the story, making the characters real & compassion-worthy (well - at least some of them, that is).
On the other hand, Pratchett has always been able to introduce compassion into his novels without ruining the fun (see the witches stories in particular). This book is no different. It has the usual parade of insane characters & hilarious moments. I was reading it on the train & sometimes it was all I could do not to embarass myself by bursting out laughing.
Rating:
Summary: Pratchett Strikes Again!
Review: Oh, what a yummy book! I've been going through some lean times lately, and felt pretty sure that even good old Discworld wasn't going to get me smiling, but that was only because I hadn't done any Pratchett reading for a while. No matter how bad things get, Discworld makes me laugh. No, not just laugh, CHORTLE.
I went through this in two days, and I couldn't stop laughing (well, okay, at the serious parts I could). Pratchett has the supremely enviable skill of being able to do it all -- humor, drama, the Low Condition of Man/Woman In Dire Times, heck, even practical wisdom. And, he can do it with fascinating, complex characters, an intriguing plot, and a handful of subplots all going on at the same time.
Pratchett, good job! And thanks for the laughs. I really needed that. Fundamentally my life situation hasn't actually changed. But at least I'm smiling. :) (see?).
Rating:
Summary: Just Not The Same
Review: I won't go into too much detail, since there are already so many similar reviews here. I just have to say, I am a massive Pratchett fan. I have read nearly every book in the Discworld series, and I have loved them all, always found something clever, insightful in them...until this book. Monstrous Regiment was like Pratchett Lite...all the footnotes and none of the heart. I felt as if I were reading a book by someone who was trying desprately to emulate Pratchett, but simply didn't have the skill. So much low-brow humor, predictable plot points, and nothing original. Pratchett has covered war issues, gender issues and equality, in books infinitely better than this. This is the first time a Discworld book failed to make me laugh out loud. And Vimes and Angua's little cameos did nothing to improve the situation. I truly hope that this book is not an indicator of what's to come, but if it is, at least I still have every book that came before this to fall back on.
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