Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but disappointing
Review: G. K. Chesterton in "The Man Who Was Thursday" conceived the amiable joke of having an undercover policeman join a seemingly terrifying gang of anarchists only to discover it to consist entirely of other undercover policemen as terrified as himself. Pratchett here reprises this joke in a book about how Polly/Oliver enlists as a soldier in the desperately embattled army of the obscure and backward Duchy of Borogravia only to discover that her entire platoon consists of similarly disguised female imposters with socks stuffed down their trousers to imitate a manly swelling. It's quite good, quite funny. But, like the other more recent instalments in the Discworld series it's pretty disappointing stuff when we compare it to that series' splendid earlier highlights. There is good satirical stuff here about sex and about war. The fun Pratchett has with the appalling superstitions of the Borgrovian religion whose God Nuggan is given to increasingly arbitrary and absurd prohibitions, while amusing, is something of a faint echo of the much better "Small Gods". I keep reading the latest of the Discworlds in the hope that my suspicion that that imaginary planet is now irreversibly in decline will be proved wrong. Alas, not here. Don't get me wrong: this is an entertaining read. But the sparkle and brilliance of earlier books like "Witches Abroad", "Soul Music" or "Hogfather" is conspicuously diminished.
Rating: 
Summary: A Discworld fan who could not finish this one.
Review: I have read and enjoyed the entire Discworld series but stopped reading this one 3/4 of the way though. Most of the book is simply attempted character development, which gets repetitive fairly early on and stays that way, never reaching any real depth. The plot that actually existed, had it been in a well planned book, would have taken up no more than a few chapters. The book seems to be a long string of peeing, belching, sock-placement comments, targeted at a female audience, including a gratuitous lesbian couple and a girl looking for the father of her child born from a one-night-stand, and when I reached the point of the trip to a brothel followed shortly by a scene where one of the main characters lifts up her skirt to expose her crotch to a military captain, I finally called it quits, thinking "this is a Discworld novel?". I get enough of this type of stuff from the rest of the media. The only things that really called Discworld to mind were the sparse cameo appearances by Vimes and his usual bunch, added in just so the reader doesn't get too homesick. The book has a little of the usual Pratchett wisdom and humor (though very little), but if it was an attempt to make some real commentary on war (he already did that in Jingo) or on sexual roles in society, it fell flat there too. As an adult, I couldn't finish this book, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to my young family members either. Disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: First Discworld novel I didn't bother to finish.
Review: I have read and enjoyed the entire Discworld series but stopped reading this one 3/4 of the way though. Most of the book is simply attempted character developement, which gets repetetive fairly early on and stays that way, never reaching any real depth. The plot that actually existed, had it been in a well planned book, would have taken up no more than a few chapters. The book seems to be a long string of peeing, belching, sock-placement comments, targeted at a female audience, including a gratuitous lesbian couple and a girl looking for the father of her child born from a one-night-stand, and when I reached the point of the trip to a brothel follwed shortly in another scene by one of the female characters lifting up her skirt to expose herself to a military captain, I finally called it quits, thinking "this is a Discworld novel?". The only things that really called Discworld to mind were the sparse cameo appearances by Vimes and his usual bunch, put in mainly to help marketing. If this book was an attempt to make some deep commentary on war (he already did that in Jingo) or on sexual roles in society, it fell flat there too. Sadly it seems that after a couple previous close squeaks to the edge, Mr. Pratchett, possibly from publisher-induced deadlines, has fallen over into the catagory of authors using their fame to sell a book, if not pandering. Disappointing.
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: Monstrous regiment is a great book
Review: Hello my name is Gaspode, i live on the discworld in Aknh-morpork. currently i'am living with a man named foul ole Ron, (not a good idea in my opion Terry, i mean in moving pictures i lost my ability to speak and since everyone loved my character you completly spoiled moving pictures and brought me back. But i have to say you did it quite well.)Anyway i chewed up Monstrous regiment and it was a great read. It (as normally is the matter) very very funny, I advise that you all read this book, but don't buy it, thats what libraries are for. I personally have bought 5 discworld books and they are currently collecting dust up on my shelth.
If terry P is reading please include me in future books you wouldn't believe the stuff i've gotten up to.
If you are wondering if this is really Gaspode. then my job is done .....I am a wonder dog.
Rating:
Summary: A monstrous wit
Review: Pratchett's latest effort takes us into a parody of the regimented life in the army as we follow Sir Samuel Vimes, hot off the press from Nightwatch, as he resumes his ambassadorial role. This time we move to the land of Borogravia, constantly at war with the Zlobenians and follow the story of Polly Perks who has learned how to act like a boy (with the aid of a few well-placed socks) and joined up with her fellow recruits, the vampire Maledict, Tonker Shufti, Wazzer, the troll Corfundum, Igor, and Lofty, to name a few, under the command of the self-important and nasty corporal Strappi and the quietly heroic Sergeant Jackrum. After losing Strappi, very quickly, Polly's secret is out (as is most of the last regiment) and they find themselves on the front line with no training (as the war's going badly but this cannot be mentioned). Nevertheless, they manage to surprise and overcome an advance scout group of heavy dragoons under the command of the disguised Prince Heinrich (there is a very amusing episode as Sergeant Jackrum neatly maneuvers his way around Discworld's 'geneva convention'-equivalent). Gradually, they stumble their way past a skirmish at a clacks tower, bump into William de Worde and the delightful Otto Chriek, deal with Maledict's coffee withdrawl symptoms, and eventually end up dressing as washerwomen to gain entry to the Zlobenian-held Kreck keep. Once inside, the ever-surprising lieutenant Blouse manages to steers them, with Polly's excellent guidance, to freeing all the prisoners with some explosive help, restore control of the keep to Zlobenian hands and then avoid a court martial with de Worde's intervention before Polly moves onto her next misison.
Pratchett is without doubt the current master of satire across all genres. The subtety of his humour and his inoffensive parody is coruscating in its effectiveness, poking enjoyable fun at the establishment. By breaking all the usual rules our gallant ladies defy and rampage through the war with devastating effectiveness to show that in a war, there are no rules. Written with Pratchett's usual wit and razorsharp satire, this would come somewhere high up my list of Discworld recommended novels.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and yet thought provoking
Review: This is the Thirty-first(!) book in Terry Pratchett's series on the Discworld--a flat world, supported on the backs of four massive elephants riding on the back of a planet-sized turtle. Anything hilarious can happen here, and eventually does. With the Duchy of Borogravia locked in a long-standing war, that it seems to be losing, plucky Polly Perks sets out to find her missing-in-action brother. And, what better way is there to find a soldier than to become one? So, armed with the Duchess's commission, a short haircut, and a pair of socks thrust confidently into her pants, it's off to war for Private Oliver (nee Polly) Perks. But this new regiment of the Tenth Foot ("Ins-and-Outs") has more that its fair share of non-men; it has a vampire, a troll, and a group of soldiers who all have something to hide. No doubt about it, this is a monstrous regiment! I have been a fan of Terry Pratchett of many years, and consider him one of the master storytellers of this era. As always, this book is funny, with the author taking an offbeat look at men, women and war. Not quite as funny as many of his previous books, this one is also not single-minded in its social commentary, with Mr. Pratchett not just knocking war, but examining it from many different angles. Overall, I thought that this was a very good book, funny and yet thought provoking.
Rating:
Summary: Different, but still good
Review: Monstrous Regiment, the latest Discworld novel, doesn't really read like a Discworld novel at all. It is about war, or, more precisely, the insanity and futility of war, and the setting for the story is just superficially, and barely recognisably, the Disc. We are introduced to the war-mongering duchy of Borogravia (the Discworld version of Nazi Germany before the fall, with a bit of Soviet Russia thrown into the mix), which is on its last legs after having fought war after war with all its neighbours for as long as anyone can remember. Our heroine is Polly Perks, the daughter of an inn-keeper, who joins some other recruits (among them, a vampire and a troll) disguised as a young man in order to find her brother (otherwise she risks loosing the inn, since women can't own businesses). Borogravia is under the additional curse of having Nuggan (last seen in The Last Hero) for a god, and the list of "abominations unto Nuggan" is growing daily. But everything is not what it seems. Soon enough, it transpires that none of the recruits are what they seem to be, for this is not just a story about war, but also about gender, and about sometimes the best man for the job being a woman. This is a theme that Pratchett uses in this book to an absurd length, and the ending, especially, is exaggerated beyond reasonable limits. Commander Vimes (sent to deal with the Borogravian mess), Angua, and Reg Shoe make cameo appearances. It is interesting to see Vimes as a statesman, acting like a grey eminence in the shadows, manipulating and controlling events, while the "important men" are bickering and fighting. I would have liked to have seen more of that.
This was a little bit of a strange outing for Pratchett, this time around, but it was still quite readable and enjoyable. More philosophical than fun, but that is a virtue in itself.
Rating:
Summary: We are Women...
Review: Having been a female soldier back in the early 70's when women were not quite common in the military (unless you were a nurse or other care giver) I could identify with Polly. Fortunately I didn't have to resort to using socks (as Polly had to..wink wink nod nod) or shaving off all my hair. I found it delightful and a continuous twist and turn as we learn more and more about the makeup of this squad sized regiment. Also liked the fact that Vimes had a key role in this one. If they ever wise up and make some movies based on the d-world series please please try to get Russel Crowe to play Vimes.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best
Review: Terry is one of my favourite authors (we're even on first name terms) and i've read. I confess. All of his books. And this is definitely not as strong as most of his discworld series.
His humour is, surprisingly, almost as good as ever. He's a funny guy. But i think the fact that he is introducing a whole new cast of characters and there not even in Ankh Morpork its actually a little boring. You don't really become involved because throughout the whole book hes saying how unimportant this country is. Also, he does use an old cast of characters- My favourites- the city watch but they are not used affectively and dont crop up as often as i would have liked. Vimes seems particularly absent from his usual surly self. He smiles.
But i still think it's an excellent book. A good laugh. And perfect for anyone. God Save Terry Pratchett.
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