Monstrous Regiment

Rating:
Summary: The least enjoyable Discworld novel yet
Review: I've read, if not all the Discworld novels, then at least 90% of them. This is the least enjoyable yet. Not because it's about the folly of war, or the hazards of stereotyping, but because it just isn't funny. Something's missing here. It reads like a lesser author's failed attempt at emulating Mr. Pratchett.

Rating:
Summary: It's one of those books hat you either love or hate.
Review: I loved this book. I checked it out at the library, and when I had to turn it in, I almost drew in purple all over the pages so I could keep it, like Ramona Quimby. But later I bought it, and I've been quoting random bits ever since then.

So why only four stars? Because, when you get right down to it, it's not very well thought out. You cant even fathom what comes next, because it's all out of order with no real pace.

I cant complain that all of them are women, as much as I'd like to side with Paperdragon's reveiw on that issue. It fits with the plot, and all of us fictional character obsessors can just jump off a cliff, alright? Alright.

Seriously, though. It'a a little bit out there that all of them turned out to be women, but stranger coincidences have happened. And lets remember that this world is shaped like a disk and is being carried through space via turtle transportation. Realistim isn't the most important factor.

Personaly, I think it was as funny as any of his other books. The problem is, everybody steps back and looks at morals and then looks to how funny it was. Sure, there where a lot of morals. But go back and read again, and you'll laugh just as much. You just cant see it in the big picture.

The characters in this book are incredibly well accomplished for this being a stand alone in the discworld series. I've found myself drawing them as lions with enough material from the book that you can pretty much tell who they are, even as lions.

If you've never read Terry Pratchett's books, this is a great book to start on. You dont need to know all Pratchett's usual characters, so there's no confusion. Monstrous Regiment brings fresh blood into the Discworld series which was, to be frank, getting a bit stale.

Rating:
Summary: No, I'm pretty sure it was Pratchett, all right!
Review: This is a flawed book, not quite up to NIGHT WATCH, which was one of his best. However, we must keep in mind -- lite Pratchett is better than no Pratchett!

I feel that one of the problems with this outing is an apparent unwillingness to quit. I couldn't find the ending! It seemed to reach several stopping points, and breezed on by them. The Sargent could have been left in the closet and nothing would have been hurt. Everyone didn't have to turn out to be a woman, frankly, although that was funny -- initially.

But, like I said, Pratchett lite is still Pratchett, and one can't be expected to knock it out of the park every time. I admit to giving it an extra star for nostalgia's sake.



Rating:
Summary: Disappointing from a great author
Review: The challenging part of writing fantasy is making the unbelievable believable. Sadly, Terry Pratchett does not meet the challenge in "Monstrous Regiment". I have read and enjoyed previous Discworld stories, and was sorely disappointed in this book. I picked it up fully anticipating another great read, and kept anticipating the story to smooth out until the last few chapters. Unfortunately, every chapter got worse and it was with a heavy heart (and heavy eyelids) that I closed this book for the last time. The characters were only mildly interesting, and the many revelations about them were rather more grating than surprising. The overall theme of the book left me rolling my eyes and sighing, something I would not have expected from Terry Pratchett. My advice: if you are looking for a good fantasy novel, go back to some older Terry Pratchett, and leave this one on the shelf.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read, Pratchett Fan or Not!
Review: Monstrous Regiment is one of the best works that Pratchett has written. Polly Perks disguises herself as a man to join the army of Borogravia, and we find out over the course of the book that she's not the only one. As usual, Pratchett draws upon a wealth of sources to bring us this glimpse into another facet of the Disc. Many would argue that due to the introduction of new characters and the setting being in a non-explored corner of the Disc this book would pale in comparison to many of the other more mainstream titles in the series. I for one feel that this introduction is refreshing and will undoubtedly inject new blood into the life of the series. I envision that one day the names of Perks, Maladict, and Jackrum will shine next to the familiar Vimes, Vetinari, and Weatherwax.

The Cheesmonger squad of Jackrum's Little "Lads" come together for various reasons and then clings together as a cohesive unit as they develop in a land that is actually mad. From the uncountable wars Boragravia engages in, to the madness of the Nugganite Law, we see that these women soldiers are the only sane ones involved. From the vampire, to Igorina, and from the pyromaniac to the Avatar of the Duchess we are treated to a roller coaster of fun and satire. This book deserves to be on the shelf of every Pratchett fan and will hopefully be a spring board for new adventures involving the cast of Monstrous Regiment.

Rating:
Summary: The army
Review: This book starts about a young lady trying to find her brother, and goining the army. The book is well written, shows the futility of war, plus the other suides of it, glory, doing what needs to be done etc. It also handles some other areas well such as desrimination against women ( after readibng the book most of the cvharcters are women). And some of the struggle faced by women in this world. Not just the disc world. I would reccomend this book to any in the military, as it shows good command structure and control of troops well, also is is a well presented book which is a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Ok, but not wonderful
Review: Another disc world book, churned out in the same time scale as the last few. There are a few laughs, though not many, and there is a reasonable story, though not a gripping one.
I think "Ok" sums up the book well! In the same way as sometimes you'll watch a TV program because it's on, it passes the time until something you're really waiting for comes on. Cameo appearances from Vimes and Anguna in the first few and last few pages may make a regular Pratchett reader pick this up hoping for the rest of the Men at Arms squad to be about. They'll be disappointed. The story itself is basically Girl dresses as boy to join army and find missing brother. And that's it. I have a vague notion that this was more of a dig at how women still feel they live in a men's world, rather than a comedy fiction novel. Shame really, as I was left feeling it achieved neither status.

Rating:
Summary: A Few Words to the New Pratchett Reader
Review: There are a lot of books in the Discworld series. Believe me when I say that I am not overemphasizing the term "a lot". But someone who has never read any of the previous books need not fear that he or she will be lost and confused by diving into "Monstrous Regiment". Many of the characters have rich, personal histories that fans have followed over the course of several volumes. It's not necessary, though, to know all about Sam Vimes, for instance, because although he has been the lead character in other books, he plays a secondary role in this one and that role is quite clear without knowing heaps of backstory.

I highly recommend reading "Monstrous Regiment" but I don't think it should be the very first volume of the Discworld series a new fan picks up. It's really better to start with the first book, "The Color of Magic", and read through a few.

I say this because I view "Monstrous Regiment" as the second in a new Discworld series, of sorts. This book and the one before, "Night Watch", have a decidedly different, more mature tone. Some Pratchett fans might be disappointed by the writer's turn, but I say that everyone has to grow up sometime -- even authors. Frankly, although the first Discworld books were hilarious, it became quite clear to me that Pratchett ran out of steam. The later books weren't as funny and were sort of repetitive. In other words, after "Hogfather", I think the whole series goes a bit sideways.

"Night Watch" was really different and it shocked me. I didn't like it too much, but I appreciated that Pratchett was trying to do something different. With "Monstrous Regiment", I think he actually accomplished this. It's not only a brilliant commentary on how men treat women (and how women often treat other women) it's a scathing indictment of what happens to a country that is too war-like. I think, considering when it was written, he might have been talking about our own fair, US of A. But, I wasn't insulted; Britain's had plenty of blood on its hands over the centuries, so who knows who he was talking about, specifically.

Terry Pratchett has always been a good writer, but he's gotten better over the years, so I think the first books of the Discworld series are best for the new Pratchett reader so that they can be enjoyed on their own level. They don't have the gravitas or complexity of his newest books, but they shouldn't be missed.