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Summary: The Pied Piper's Plague
Review: Terry Pratchett has taken the "The Pied Piper of Hamlet" and turned it on its ear. This time the pied piper is a scam and the group is led by a talking cat who is in cahoots with the rats! This book has been portrayed as a children's book, but is still a perfect discworld novel for adults. There are the usual stupid bad guys and characters that just do not seem to get the larger picture. This book examines the develpoment of society from hunter gatherer to working together and the rise of writing. The rats are borrowed from "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH". The book also has a take on the "Rat King" which is unique and fun. This is a good way to start chilren on Terry Pratchett of for their parents to be introduced to a true modern master at work. Highly Recommended.
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Summary: The Pied Piper of Discworld
Review: Terry Pratchett has taken the "The Pied Piper of Hamlet" and turned it on its ear. This time the pied piper is a scam and the group is led by a talking cat who is in cahoots with the rats! This book has been portrayed as a children's book, but is still a perfect discworld novel for adults. There are the usual stupid bad guys and characters that just do not seem to get the larger picture. This book examines the develpoment of society from hunter gatherer to working together and the rise of writing. The rats are borrowed from "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH". The book also has a take on the "Rat King" which is unique and fun. This is a good way to start chilren on Terry Pratchett of for their parents to be introduced to a true modern master at work. Highly Recommended.
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Summary: "Amazing" Discworld
Review: Terry Pratchett's Discworld series has topped British bestseller lists for years and has a sizable fanbase in the United States as well. Now with "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" Pratchett expands Discworld from adult fantasy to young adult fantasy as well.A boy, a cat, and a troupe of rats arrive at the town of Bad Blintz. But while Keith is normal, feline Maurice and his "educated rodents" are not -- they speak, think, and are self-aware (they ate wizards' garbage). And they have a nice racket going, where the rats pretend to infest a town (they gnaw things and "widdle" on the flour), and Keith poses as a piper to lead them away. But something is wrong with Bad Blintz -- there are no native rats, yet the rat-catchers claim that there's an outright plague of them, and are producing rat-tails to prove it. (They bear a remarkable resemblance to shoelaces) With the help of a too-imaginative-for-her-own good girl, Malicia, Keith and Maurice begin to investigate why all the rats are gone, and what the rat-catchers are up to. But when they discover the conspiracy, Maurice starts hearing the voice of something down in the sewers -- something evil, something powerful, something that can command hundreds of rats... So help me, I'm an idiot where funny titles are concerned, and "Amazing Maurice" is further proof that they often c. Much as he gave a new spin to MacBeth in "Wyrd Sisters," here he gives a new spin to the "Pied Piper" legend, with some interesting philosophy and his trademarked humor as well. Does the idea of talking animals and preteens make you cringe? Don't -- Pratchett handles it with rare style. There's plenty of humor in this book, from the names of the rats (Dangerous Beans, Additives, Big Savings, Toxie) to Sardines, the tap-dancing rat with a hat to the incident with the laxatives. His dialogue is still brilliant. ("Think of my dear wife and my four lovely children who'll be without their daddy!" "You're not married. You don't have any children!" "I might want some day!") But Pratchett doesn't forget the deeper currents either -- the sense of evil he builds up is very genuine, and Spider is one of the most unique fantasy villains he's created. Also good is the attitude of the Changed rats: they cherish their greater intelligence, fear their instincts, and gradually we see them overcome some of those ratty instincts (rather than eating one of their dead, they bury him like humans do). Keith is a nice character, seeming dim but surprisingly intelligent; Malicia is a pain in the butt, and only seems to gain any brains near the end. Maurice is the character that Pratchett does best -- he seems, initially, to have no good characteristis, but he's a good person underneath. (With a dirty little secret involving one of the rats) The Educated Rodents are all given individual personalities that Pratchett juggles very well. And Dangerous Beans, a little blind rat, has one of the best scenes in which he confronts the mysterious Spider. "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" isn't actually that different from Pratchett's adult fantasies, and older fans of that series will enjoy this one just as much as the kids. Witty, thought-provoking, entertaining.
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Summary: Pied Pier meets NIMH on Discworld
Review: The Amazing Maurice (a cat), some educated rats, and a stupid looking boy have been running a con involving plagues of rats and a kid who pipes them away for a price. Sounds simple, but this is form the imagination of Terry Pratchett. The cat and rats can think and talk (the rats have been eating the garbage behind the wizardry school). The title characters have just arrived in a strange new town. There seems to already be a plague of rats although Maurice and company cannot find any. If there are no rats, who is stealing all of the food? Where did the rat tails come from that the Rat Catchers have been turning in? What is really behind everything? Can the boy be as stupid as he looks? All of these questions, and more, are answered in typical Pratchett style in this new tale of the Discworld. A quick and entertaining read (with uncharacteristic chapters) that catches the reader at the start like a terrier catching a rat, and doesn't let go until it's all over (like a terrier with a rat). A must read for Pratchett fans.
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Summary: Top Shelf!
Review: This is one of Pratchetts best! While set on Diskworld, the novel stands alone. Being familiar with characters and events from other Diskworld novels does slightly enhance the reader's experience, but isn't at all necessary to understanding and enjoying the story. Buy it, read it, enjoy it! FIVE STARS!
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Summary: Just as good as you'd expect Pratchett to be!
Review: This was a fun read. It is short--under 300 pages--so it goes by quickly. The story is set in the Discworld universe, though it is not officially one of the Discworld novels. The story hinges around a boy, a talking cat, a "clan" of rats who are also able to talk--the result of eating magic-contaminated trash. They run a scam, moving from town to town faking "rat plagues" and then doing the pied piper thing (the boy plays a pipe) and getting rid of the rats--for a fee. Then they get to a different sort of town, and the adventure begins. Good fun, cute characters, engaging plot... go read it.
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Summary: Amazing Morice?..more like amazing story!
Review: Wow! Terry Pratchett has done it again! He's managed to creat an excelent book for not only children but all ages. His wonderfull twist on the pied piper was even better than the origanal. This was sertanly the best book I have ever read in my entire life, and Ive read a lot of books. I suggest that you should read it, it would suit all fans of terrys books and great for all ages. This book is not only cunning, but has hints of humor. So definatly read this book and any of Terrys other books... im sure you'll be amazed and never want to put it down!! TAKE MY WORD FOR IT!!
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