A Large Diamond Among Gems, 05 Oct 2008
More than 20 years ago now, a good friend pressed a copy of "The Colour of Magic" into my hands that launched a love affair with Terry's books that lasts to this day. Like most frustrated authors who lack the talent to deliver themselves, I read a lot, and I think I have read pretty much all that Terry has written since 198whatever, and yes some of it is quite a lot better than some other bits, but his work has never once been a disappointment.

So I was delighted to see Nation appear on the shelf last week and have just used a rainy Sunday morning to finish it.

A quick summation, of the important points; this is not a Disc World novel, it is a book aimed at anyone over about 9 who can read. It deals with the not inconsequential questions of being us, whoever or wherever that may be, and it does it by telling a good story. It is in fact, very good indeed.

I think this is a book Terry has wanted to write for a while, it has a highly polished feel to it, and I have to say represents a stand out piece of work even for his well known if remarkable talent to make us laugh and ponder for a while.

This should be essential reading for all youngsters who might go on to rule a nation, guard a border, expand our knowledge of the universe, join the priesthood or just decide to go fishing.

It certainly will be in my house.

Thanks (again) Terry
Trev Harvey

Not as good as I had hoped, 04 Oct 2008
I had high hopes for this book, possibly too high. Despite the majority of readers giving this rave reviews I'm afraid I'll have to stick with the opinions of the few nay-sayers. I really couldn't get into this book as much as I had hoped - it meanders along at a fairly gentle pace and has a very different 'feel' to Pratchett's other works, but it rarely engaged my emotions or imagination and I didn't feel like I could 'connect' to any of the characters. There are good moments of course, but it really does feel like it's lacking something.

Maybe I'll enjoy it more when (if) I ever re-read it. You can't please all the people all the time. I generally love Pratchett's books and thoroughly look forward to the next one.

Wonderful - and this is a kids book???, 04 Oct 2008
What a fantastic book, I had already read the pre-amble when I ordered the book so I wasn't expecting a discworld novel. This is fabulous though and in it's own way as good as or better than the discworld books. Rather than ride just the frothy waves of humour, this book often dives below the surf into the deeper darker world of real emotions.
The storytelling is magical and I could easily have read this in one sitting but instead I made it last 4 days :)The characters were fantastic and you really get to know and care about Mau and Daphne.
This book will sit on my bookshelf forever and every so often I will take it down and go and vist Mau and Daphne again.
I cannot reccomend it enough, just don't ruin it for yourself by expecting a discworld novel - it's better even that that in it's own way :)



A Classic in the truest sense, 02 Oct 2008
I want to add my review here of Nation but it's actually an extraordinarily difficult thing to do. The reason is that I don't want to appear to be `gushing' with praise for it. If ever I read such a review, it normally has the effect of turning me off the book completely, as it's obviously written by a fan who hasn't read a different author or genre since they left primary school. In view of this, here's what I genuinely thought of it:
I finished the book last night and my immediate thought was `Oh my gosh, this is a classic'. This is a book that will be discussed, debated and written about for years to come. It's a bit like being around when a new Dickens or Jane Austin novel came out.
The plot has been mentioned here already, so I won't repeat it again. I see that some reviewers have said that Nation is pitched at older children in their teens, but don't be fooled. This book has so much depth and can be read at so many levels, there's enough here to keep 10 year old Harry Potter fans to Academic Philosophers happy. The writing style is as clear and sparkling as cut crystal and while reading it, Pratchatt takes your conscious mind out of this world and into his. You become each character, looking through their eyes, thinking their thoughts and feeling their every emotion. It is a fully immersive experience. The book also engages the brain by making you think about how societies and belief systems are created and our place in them. It is also a book to make you think about what makes you, you. If ever there was a book that could provide software upgrade for your brain, this is it.

Terry, I'll probably never meet you in person, but thank you for such a special gift.


One of those feel-good experiences, 01 Oct 2008
Every so often you come across a book that just makes you feel good. The first time I read "The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" was like that, and even though I've been reading Terry Pratchett's books for many years now, this book was another of those experiences.

That's not to say that this is all warm, fuzzy stuff. Indeed, there's death aplenty (and since this isn't a Discworld book, no DEATH) but the way that Pratchett handles all the less palatable aspects of life and death still gives you a good feeling. (I read somewhere recently that he'd had an experience where he suddenly felt that all was right with the world and there was no reason to worry - not something he would describe as a religious experience, but similar in some ways. I wonder whether that was before, after or while he was writing this book, because a lot of it seems to seep through).

Highly recommended both for people who are already Pratchett fans, but also for those who have never read him or avoided him - stop being snobby because he's a popular author and find out WHY. This is a fine piece of work.

A Large Diamond Among Gems, 05 Oct 2008
More than 20 years ago now, a good friend pressed a copy of "The Colour of Magic" into my hands that launched a love affair with Terry's books that lasts to this day. Like most frustrated authors who lack the talent to deliver themselves, I read a lot, and I think I have read pretty much all that Terry has written since 198whatever, and yes some of it is quite a lot better than some other bits, but his work has never once been a disappointment.

So I was delighted to see Nation appear on the shelf last week and have just used a rainy Sunday morning to finish it.

A quick summation, of the important points; this is not a Disc World novel, it is a book aimed at anyone over about 9 who can read. It deals with the not inconsequential questions of being us, whoever or wherever that may be, and it does it by telling a good story. It is in fact, very good indeed.

I think this is a book Terry has wanted to write for a while, it has a highly polished feel to it, and I have to say represents a stand out piece of work even for his well known if remarkable talent to make us laugh and ponder for a while.

This should be essential reading for all youngsters who might go on to rule a nation, guard a border, expand our knowledge of the universe, join the priesthood or just decide to go fishing.

It certainly will be in my house.

Thanks (again) Terry
Trev Harvey

Not as good as I had hoped, 04 Oct 2008
I had high hopes for this book, possibly too high. Despite the majority of readers giving this rave reviews I'm afraid I'll have to stick with the opinions of the few nay-sayers. I really couldn't get into this book as much as I had hoped - it meanders along at a fairly gentle pace and has a very different 'feel' to Pratchett's other works, but it rarely engaged my emotions or imagination and I didn't feel like I could 'connect' to any of the characters. There are good moments of course, but it really does feel like it's lacking something.

Maybe I'll enjoy it more when (if) I ever re-read it. You can't please all the people all the time. I generally love Pratchett's books and thoroughly look forward to the next one.

Wonderful - and this is a kids book???, 04 Oct 2008
What a fantastic book, I had already read the pre-amble when I ordered the book so I wasn't expecting a discworld novel. This is fabulous though and in it's own way as good as or better than the discworld books. Rather than ride just the frothy waves of humour, this book often dives below the surf into the deeper darker world of real emotions.
The storytelling is magical and I could easily have read this in one sitting but instead I made it last 4 days :)The characters were fantastic and you really get to know and care about Mau and Daphne.
This book will sit on my bookshelf forever and every so often I will take it down and go and vist Mau and Daphne again.
I cannot reccomend it enough, just don't ruin it for yourself by expecting a discworld novel - it's better even that that in it's own way :)



A Classic in the truest sense, 02 Oct 2008
I want to add my review here of Nation but it's actually an extraordinarily difficult thing to do. The reason is that I don't want to appear to be `gushing' with praise for it. If ever I read such a review, it normally has the effect of turning me off the book completely, as it's obviously written by a fan who hasn't read a different author or genre since they left primary school. In view of this, here's what I genuinely thought of it:
I finished the book last night and my immediate thought was `Oh my gosh, this is a classic'. This is a book that will be discussed, debated and written about for years to come. It's a bit like being around when a new Dickens or Jane Austin novel came out.
The plot has been mentioned here already, so I won't repeat it again. I see that some reviewers have said that Nation is pitched at older children in their teens, but don't be fooled. This book has so much depth and can be read at so many levels, there's enough here to keep 10 year old Harry Potter fans to Academic Philosophers happy. The writing style is as clear and sparkling as cut crystal and while reading it, Pratchatt takes your conscious mind out of this world and into his. You become each character, looking through their eyes, thinking their thoughts and feeling their every emotion. It is a fully immersive experience. The book also engages the brain by making you think about how societies and belief systems are created and our place in them. It is also a book to make you think about what makes you, you. If ever there was a book that could provide software upgrade for your brain, this is it.

Terry, I'll probably never meet you in person, but thank you for such a special gift.


One of those feel-good experiences, 01 Oct 2008
Every so often you come across a book that just makes you feel good. The first time I read "The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" was like that, and even though I've been reading Terry Pratchett's books for many years now, this book was another of those experiences.

That's not to say that this is all warm, fuzzy stuff. Indeed, there's death aplenty (and since this isn't a Discworld book, no DEATH) but the way that Pratchett handles all the less palatable aspects of life and death still gives you a good feeling. (I read somewhere recently that he'd had an experience where he suddenly felt that all was right with the world and there was no reason to worry - not something he would describe as a religious experience, but similar in some ways. I wonder whether that was before, after or while he was writing this book, because a lot of it seems to seep through).

Highly recommended both for people who are already Pratchett fans, but also for those who have never read him or avoided him - stop being snobby because he's a popular author and find out WHY. This is a fine piece of work.

Chuckle double effect!, 01 Oct 2008
Making Money is a Discworld novel and features the Man in the Golden Suit, Ankh-Morpork's Postmaster Moist von Lipwig.

Moist is bored. He misses his old, more adventurous life, back when he was Albert Spangler the con artist. So when he's not running the Post Office, he likes climbing to its roof at night, and has already picked all its locks.

But when Mrs Topsy Lavish, chairwoman and owner of 50% of the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork, but owner also of Mr. Fusspot the dog who owns 1%, dies and leaves her shares to her dog and bequeaths Mr. Fusspot to Moist... he has no choice but try and make it work again.

It starts with the Mint, which actually runs at a loss. Since making coins costs too much and people are already using stamps as currency, Moist devises the first bank notes, which soon have the same success as his stamps.

In the meantime, Cosmo Lavish tries to take Vetinari's identity and Moist's girlfriend Adora Belle Dearheart uncovers ancient golems buried in the desert. And all the while the Glooper gloops.

I really like the character of Moist von Lipwig and was glad to read about him again. The book is of course filled with references that make you chuckle twice: when you get them, and when you find yourself clever because to got them... it's the Discworld double effect!

Bright and breezy... and a bit underwhelming..., 23 Sep 2008
Ignore the two stars I've given Making Money and read it anyway. Just don't make it the first Pratchett you read or you'll end up feeling a tad underwhelmed and wondering what all the fuss is about. Better points of entry to Discworld include Mort or Soul Music or Night Watch or The Truth or Monstrous Regiment or even Going Postal. Making Money lacks a truly biting satirical edge, lacks the incisive wit and belly-laughs we've come to expect from Pratchett and lacks the multi-layered density of plot of its older siblings.
But Moist is a very engaging central character and, for regular visitors to Discworld, time spent in his company is time well-spent. Yes, much of Making Money does feel like a slightly feeble re-run of Going Postal. (A bit like Jaws II compared with Jaws.) But several of the supporting players are pretty colourful and Vetinari's cameos are as entertaining as usual... here's hoping the next installment in the series sees a return to form.

My favourite Discworld so far, 20 Sep 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I had yet not read Going Postal. For me, it was witty enough to stand alone. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Discworld, and also to any fellow bankers who are in need of a comic and incisive portrayal of our industry.

How does he keep doing it?, 10 Sep 2008
To my mind Terry Pratchett is the master of all writers. I get excited just knowing a new book is on the way from him and have yet to be disappointed. Making Money has fulfilled me again in the wierd and wonderful Discworld. Once I started I struggled to put it down as I was having so much fun seeing the story develop. Once or twice I got nudged by the wife for giggling in bed but that is what the Discworld books do I'm afraid. If there is anybody out there who has yet to dip their toe, please just do it and hopefully you will not be let down. I envy you the pleasure of discovering a genius with your first book and knowing that there are another 24 out there to be read.

An easy read, 04 Sep 2008
Having read every discworld book now (usually more than three or four or more times) there are two truths:
(1) It is always enjoyable discovering new characters and seeing them interact with the old favourites. The plots are kept fresh and the city 'alive'.
(2) There is humour on the surface, and humour underneath, with alternative meanings and insights gained on subsequent readings, making the jokes go on and on.....

"Making Money" whilst continuing to explore a new socio-political area of the city, falls fairly flat on both the above 'Pratchett Foundations' and so becomes a pleasant enough easy read but without the depth of other Discworld novels with the plot cramming much in without elaborating or building layers - what you see is what you get.

Get it to keep your collection up to date, but the promising plot is confused and will not draw you back in. Terry Pratchett is still great and may long his work continue.

A Large Diamond Among Gems, 05 Oct 2008
More than 20 years ago now, a good friend pressed a copy of "The Colour of Magic" into my hands that launched a love affair with Terry's books that lasts to this day. Like most frustrated authors who lack the talent to deliver themselves, I read a lot, and I think I have read pretty much all that Terry has written since 198whatever, and yes some of it is quite a lot better than some other bits, but his work has never once been a disappointment.

So I was delighted to see Nation appear on the shelf last week and have just used a rainy Sunday morning to finish it.

A quick summation, of the important points; this is not a Disc World novel, it is a book aimed at anyone over about 9 who can read. It deals with the not inconsequential questions of being us, whoever or wherever that may be, and it does it by telling a good story. It is in fact, very good indeed.

I think this is a book Terry has wanted to write for a while, it has a highly polished feel to it, and I have to say represents a stand out piece of work even for his well known if remarkable talent to make us laugh and ponder for a while.

This should be essential reading for all youngsters who might go on to rule a nation, guard a border, expand our knowledge of the universe, join the priesthood or just decide to go fishing.

It certainly will be in my house.

Thanks (again) Terry
Trev Harvey

Not as good as I had hoped, 04 Oct 2008
I had high hopes for this book, possibly too high. Despite the majority of readers giving this rave reviews I'm afraid I'll have to stick with the opinions of the few nay-sayers. I really couldn't get into this book as much as I had hoped - it meanders along at a fairly gentle pace and has a very different 'feel' to Pratchett's other works, but it rarely engaged my emotions or imagination and I didn't feel like I could 'connect' to any of the characters. There are good moments of course, but it really does feel like it's lacking something.

Maybe I'll enjoy it more when (if) I ever re-read it. You can't please all the people all the time. I generally love Pratchett's books and thoroughly look forward to the next one.

Wonderful - and this is a kids book???, 04 Oct 2008
What a fantastic book, I had already read the pre-amble when I ordered the book so I wasn't expecting a discworld novel. This is fabulous though and in it's own way as good as or better than the discworld books. Rather than ride just the frothy waves of humour, this book often dives below the surf into the deeper darker world of real emotions.
The storytelling is magical and I could easily have read this in one sitting but instead I made it last 4 days :)The characters were fantastic and you really get to know and care about Mau and Daphne.
This book will sit on my bookshelf forever and every so often I will take it down and go and vist Mau and Daphne again.
I cannot reccomend it enough, just don't ruin it for yourself by expecting a discworld novel - it's better even that that in it's own way :)



A Classic in the truest sense, 02 Oct 2008
I want to add my review here of Nation but it's actually an extraordinarily difficult thing to do. The reason is that I don't want to appear to be `gushing' with praise for it. If ever I read such a review, it normally has the effect of turning me off the book completely, as it's obviously written by a fan who hasn't read a different author or genre since they left primary school. In view of this, here's what I genuinely thought of it:
I finished the book last night and my immediate thought was `Oh my gosh, this is a classic'. This is a book that will be discussed, debated and written about for years to come. It's a bit like being around when a new Dickens or Jane Austin novel came out.
The plot has been mentioned here already, so I won't repeat it again. I see that some reviewers have said that Nation is pitched at older children in their teens, but don't be fooled. This book has so much depth and can be read at so many levels, there's enough here to keep 10 year old Harry Potter fans to Academic Philosophers happy. The writing style is as clear and sparkling as cut crystal and while reading it, Pratchatt takes your conscious mind out of this world and into his. You become each character, looking through their eyes, thinking their thoughts and feeling their every emotion. It is a fully immersive experience. The book also engages the brain by making you think about how societies and belief systems are created and our place in them. It is also a book to make you think about what makes you, you. If ever there was a book that could provide software upgrade for your brain, this is it.

Terry, I'll probably never meet you in person, but thank you for such a special gift.


One of those feel-good experiences, 01 Oct 2008
Every so often you come across a book that just makes you feel good. The first time I read "The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" was like that, and even though I've been reading Terry Pratchett's books for many years now, this book was another of those experiences.

That's not to say that this is all warm, fuzzy stuff. Indeed, there's death aplenty (and since this isn't a Discworld book, no DEATH) but the way that Pratchett handles all the less palatable aspects of life and death still gives you a good feeling. (I read somewhere recently that he'd had an experience where he suddenly felt that all was right with the world and there was no reason to worry - not something he would describe as a religious experience, but similar in some ways. I wonder whether that was before, after or while he was writing this book, because a lot of it seems to seep through).

Highly recommended both for people who are already Pratchett fans, but also for those who have never read him or avoided him - stop being snobby because he's a popular author and find out WHY. This is a fine piece of work.

Chuckle double effect!, 01 Oct 2008
Making Money is a Discworld novel and features the Man in the Golden Suit, Ankh-Morpork's Postmaster Moist von Lipwig.

Moist is bored. He misses his old, more adventurous life, back when he was Albert Spangler the con artist. So when he's not running the Post Office, he likes climbing to its roof at night, and has already picked all its locks.

But when Mrs Topsy Lavish, chairwoman and owner of 50% of the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork, but owner also of Mr. Fusspot the dog who owns 1%, dies and leaves her shares to her dog and bequeaths Mr. Fusspot to Moist... he has no choice but try and make it work again.

It starts with the Mint, which actually runs at a loss. Since making coins costs too much and people are already using stamps as currency, Moist devises the first bank notes, which soon have the same success as his stamps.

In the meantime, Cosmo Lavish tries to take Vetinari's identity and Moist's girlfriend Adora Belle Dearheart uncovers ancient golems buried in the desert. And all the while the Glooper gloops.

I really like the character of Moist von Lipwig and was glad to read about him again. The book is of course filled with references that make you chuckle twice: when you get them, and when you find yourself clever because to got them... it's the Discworld double effect!

Bright and breezy... and a bit underwhelming..., 23 Sep 2008
Ignore the two stars I've given Making Money and read it anyway. Just don't make it the first Pratchett you read or you'll end up feeling a tad underwhelmed and wondering what all the fuss is about. Better points of entry to Discworld include Mort or Soul Music or Night Watch or The Truth or Monstrous Regiment or even Going Postal. Making Money lacks a truly biting satirical edge, lacks the incisive wit and belly-laughs we've come to expect from Pratchett and lacks the multi-layered density of plot of its older siblings.
But Moist is a very engaging central character and, for regular visitors to Discworld, time spent in his company is time well-spent. Yes, much of Making Money does feel like a slightly feeble re-run of Going Postal. (A bit like Jaws II compared with Jaws.) But several of the supporting players are pretty colourful and Vetinari's cameos are as entertaining as usual... here's hoping the next installment in the series sees a return to form.

My favourite Discworld so far, 20 Sep 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I had yet not read Going Postal. For me, it was witty enough to stand alone. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Discworld, and also to any fellow bankers who are in need of a comic and incisive portrayal of our industry.

How does he keep doing it?, 10 Sep 2008
To my mind Terry Pratchett is the master of all writers. I get excited just knowing a new book is on the way from him and have yet to be disappointed. Making Money has fulfilled me again in the wierd and wonderful Discworld. Once I started I struggled to put it down as I was having so much fun seeing the story develop. Once or twice I got nudged by the wife for giggling in bed but that is what the Discworld books do I'm afraid. If there is anybody out there who has yet to dip their toe, please just do it and hopefully you will not be let down. I envy you the pleasure of discovering a genius with your first book and knowing that there are another 24 out there to be read.

An easy read, 04 Sep 2008
Having read every discworld book now (usually more than three or four or more times) there are two truths:
(1) It is always enjoyable discovering new characters and seeing them interact with the old favourites. The plots are kept fresh and the city 'alive'.
(2) There is humour on the surface, and humour underneath, with alternative meanings and insights gained on subsequent readings, making the jokes go on and on.....

"Making Money" whilst continuing to explore a new socio-political area of the city, falls fairly flat on both the above 'Pratchett Foundations' and so becomes a pleasant enough easy read but without the depth of other Discworld novels with the plot cramming much in without elaborating or building layers - what you see is what you get.

Get it to keep your collection up to date, but the promising plot is confused and will not draw you back in. Terry Pratchett is still great and may long his work continue.

Ignore The Bad Reviews!, 01 Oct 2008
I got this book as soon as it came out! i'm such a fan of her fiction stories! I've also read angel and crystal but this was BY FAR the best so far! i nearly cried at the end of the bokk- because i had finished reading it! i just wanted it to go on forever! - I no waht your thinkin oh my god what a SADDO. - I think that this book is her best SO FAR....... ,

just give it a chance... you'll never no unless you read it!.


Hopes shes writes other fiction stories!

:)




Love it!!, 30 Sep 2008
After reading her other 2 books I couldnt wait to read this one and I was not dissapointed! I loved the story and the twist at the end!
I cant wait for her next one!!

Loved It!, 28 Sep 2008
Why should it matter who wrote this?
It's the actual story that is up for review!!

Like other reviewers, I found it was a bit slow at the start, but the rest of the story definitely makes up for it!

It's such an easy and fun read with fantastic plots and story lines, perfect for today's celeb-obsessed culture.

The way some plots are left un-answered just leave you wanting more, roll on the third in the series!

A must-have for Angel / Crystal fans. Or anyone wanting a light-hearted read.

Celeb obsessed generation, 16 Sep 2008
OK, I'm going to be honest here, this is really a book for the Celeb Generation, after all if you're not all "Heat"ed up or "OK"ed then this is really going to be something of a let down. It sells on the Celeb name rather than talent and whilst others sit and congratulate Katie then perhaps they should spare a thought for the ghost writer (the person who actually wrote the thing after chatting with Katie.) After all if you sit down and watched the TV series, read the magazine articles then Katie has to be superwoman, as she must be working 28 hour days whilst us mere mortals have to make do with slogging it out for 12 and trying to fill the rest of our day with travelling to and from work, the family, sleep and trying to psyche ourselves up for the next work day with our remaining hours.

The book is average, the plot plain and simple fair with the only really good thing I can say is that it encourages a generation to read who wouldn't normally bother if it didn't come on DVD or MP3. Just how much more money can this glamour model wring out of the public before she fades with her looks.


Good follow up, disapointing end , 05 Sep 2008
I enjoyed this book, its a bit of fluff and escapisim. As much as I like Katie Price, I dont think you can expect any great literacy masterpiece, from either her or her ghost writer but it does whatit is aimed to do, entertain you for a bit with a few twists and turns!!

I was a bit disapointed at what I can only describe as a total personality change of Cal, and I did'nt like the end of the book at all, I was really disapointed, and a tad confused but in retrospect this is an ideal ending for the next in the Angel triology.

Good read for a beach holiday or just a lazy afternoon, I finished it within about five hours!!!

A Large Diamond Among Gems, 05 Oct 2008
More than 20 years ago now, a good friend pressed a copy of "The Colour of Magic" into my hands that launched a love affair with Terry's books that lasts to this day. Like most frustrated authors who lack the talent to deliver themselves, I read a lot, and I think I have read pretty much all that Terry has written since 198whatever, and yes some of it is quite a lot better than some other bits, but his work has never once been a disappointment.

So I was delighted to see Nation appear on the shelf last week and have just used a rainy Sunday morning to finish it.

A quick summation, of the important points; this is not a Disc World novel, it is a book aimed at anyone over about 9 who can read. It deals with the not inconsequential questions of being us, whoever or wherever that may be, and it does it by telling a good story. It is in fact, very good indeed.

I think this is a book Terry has wanted to write for a while, it has a highly polished feel to it, and I have to say represents a stand out piece of work even for his well known if remarkable talent to make us laugh and ponder for a while.

This should be essential reading for all youngsters who might go on to rule a nation, guard a border, expand our knowledge of the universe, join the priesthood or just decide to go fishing.

It certainly will be in my house.

Thanks (again) Terry
Trev Harvey

Not as good as I had hoped, 04 Oct 2008
I had high hopes for this book, possibly too high. Despite the majority of readers giving this rave reviews I'm afraid I'll have to stick with the opinions of the few nay-sayers. I really couldn't get into this book as much as I had hoped - it meanders along at a fairly gentle pace and has a very different 'feel' to Pratchett's other works, but it rarely engaged my emotions or imagination and I didn't feel like I could 'connect' to any of the characters. There are good moments of course, but it really does feel like it's lacking something.

Maybe I'll enjoy it more when (if) I ever re-read it. You can't please all the people all the time. I generally love Pratchett's books and thoroughly look forward to the next one.

Wonderful - and this is a kids book???, 04 Oct 2008
What a fantastic book, I had already read the pre-amble when I ordered the book so I wasn't expecting a discworld novel. This is fabulous though and in it's own way as good as or better than the discworld books. Rather than ride just the frothy waves of humour, this book often dives below the surf into the deeper darker world of real emotions.
The storytelling is magical and I could easily have read this in one sitting but instead I made it last 4 days :)The characters were fantastic and you really get to know and care about Mau and Daphne.
This book will sit on my bookshelf forever and every so often I will take it down and go and vist Mau and Daphne again.
I cannot reccomend it enough, just don't ruin it for yourself by expecting a discworld novel - it's better even that that in it's own way :)



A Classic in the truest sense, 02 Oct 2008
I want to add my review here of Nation but it's actually an extraordinarily difficult thing to do. The reason is that I don't want to appear to be `gushing' with praise for it. If ever I read such a review, it normally has the effect of turning me off the book completely, as it's obviously written by a fan who hasn't read a different author or genre since they left primary school. In view of this, here's what I genuinely thought of it:
I finished the book last night and my immediate thought was `Oh my gosh, this is a classic'. This is a book that will be discussed, debated and written about for years to come. It's a bit like being around when a new Dickens or Jane Austin novel came out.
The plot has been mentioned here already, so I won't repeat it again. I see that some reviewers have said that Nation is pitched at older children in their teens, but don't be fooled. This book has so much depth and can be read at so many levels, there's enough here to keep 10 year old Harry Potter fans to Academic Philosophers happy. The writing style is as clear and sparkling as cut crystal and while reading it, Pratchatt takes your conscious mind out of this world and into his. You become each character, looking through their eyes, thinking their thoughts and feeling their every emotion. It is a fully immersive experience. The book also engages the brain by making you think about how societies and belief systems are created and our place in them. It is also a book to make you think about what makes you, you. If ever there was a book that could provide software upgrade for your brain, this is it.

Terry, I'll probably never meet you in person, but thank you for such a special gift.


One of those feel-good experiences, 01 Oct 2008
Every so often you come across a book that just makes you feel good. The first time I read "The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" was like that, and even though I've been reading Terry Pratchett's books for many years now, this book was another of those experiences.

That's not to say that this is all warm, fuzzy stuff. Indeed, there's death aplenty (and since this isn't a Discworld book, no DEATH) but the way that Pratchett handles all the less palatable aspects of life and death still gives you a good feeling. (I read somewhere recently that he'd had an experience where he suddenly felt that all was right with the world and there was no reason to worry - not something he would describe as a religious experience, but similar in some ways. I wonder whether that was before, after or while he was writing this book, because a lot of it seems to seep through).

Highly recommended both for people who are already Pratchett fans, but also for those who have never read him or avoided him - stop being snobby because he's a popular author and find out WHY. This is a fine piece of work.

Chuckle double effect!, 01 Oct 2008
Making Money is a Discworld novel and features the Man in the Golden Suit, Ankh-Morpork's Postmaster Moist von Lipwig.

Moist is bored. He misses his old, more adventurous life, back when he was Albert Spangler the con artist. So when he's not running the Post Office, he likes climbing to its roof at night, and has already picked all its locks.

But when Mrs Topsy Lavish, chairwoman and owner of 50% of the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork, but owner also of Mr. Fusspot the dog who owns 1%, dies and leaves her shares to her dog and bequeaths Mr. Fusspot to Moist... he has no choice but try and make it work again.

It starts with the Mint, which actually runs at a loss. Since making coins costs too much and people are already using stamps as currency, Moist devises the first bank notes, which soon have the same success as his stamps.

In the meantime, Cosmo Lavish tries to take Vetinari's identity and Moist's girlfriend Adora Belle Dearheart uncovers ancient golems buried in the desert. And all the while the Glooper gloops.

I really like the character of Moist von Lipwig and was glad to read about him again. The book is of course filled with references that make you chuckle twice: when you get them, and when you find yourself clever because to got them... it's the Discworld double effect!

Bright and breezy... and a bit underwhelming..., 23 Sep 2008
Ignore the two stars I've given Making Money and read it anyway. Just don't make it the first Pratchett you read or you'll end up feeling a tad underwhelmed and wondering what all the fuss is about. Better points of entry to Discworld include Mort or Soul Music or Night Watch or The Truth or Monstrous Regiment or even Going Postal. Making Money lacks a truly biting satirical edge, lacks the incisive wit and belly-laughs we've come to expect from Pratchett and lacks the multi-layered density of plot of its older siblings.
But Moist is a very engaging central character and, for regular visitors to Discworld, time spent in his company is time well-spent. Yes, much of Making Money does feel like a slightly feeble re-run of Going Postal. (A bit like Jaws II compared with Jaws.) But several of the supporting players are pretty colourful and Vetinari's cameos are as entertaining as usual... here's hoping the next installment in the series sees a return to form.

My favourite Discworld so far, 20 Sep 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I had yet not read Going Postal. For me, it was witty enough to stand alone. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Discworld, and also to any fellow bankers who are in need of a comic and incisive portrayal of our industry.

How does he keep doing it?, 10 Sep 2008
To my mind Terry Pratchett is the master of all writers. I get excited just knowing a new book is on the way from him and have yet to be disappointed. Making Money has fulfilled me again in the wierd and wonderful Discworld. Once I started I struggled to put it down as I was having so much fun seeing the story develop. Once or twice I got nudged by the wife for giggling in bed but that is what the Discworld books do I'm afraid. If there is anybody out there who has yet to dip their toe, please just do it and hopefully you will not be let down. I envy you the pleasure of discovering a genius with your first book and knowing that there are another 24 out there to be read.

An easy read, 04 Sep 2008
Having read every discworld book now (usually more than three or four or more times) there are two truths:
(1) It is always enjoyable discovering new characters and seeing them interact with the old favourites. The plots are kept fresh and the city 'alive'.
(2) There is humour on the surface, and humour underneath, with alternative meanings and insights gained on subsequent readings, making the jokes go on and on.....

"Making Money" whilst continuing to explore a new socio-political area of the city, falls fairly flat on both the above 'Pratchett Foundations' and so becomes a pleasant enough easy read but without the depth of other Discworld novels with the plot cramming much in without elaborating or building layers - what you see is what you get.

Get it to keep your collection up to date, but the promising plot is confused and will not draw you back in. Terry Pratchett is still great and may long his work continue.

Ignore The Bad Reviews!, 01 Oct 2008
I got this book as soon as it came out! i'm such a fan of her fiction stories! I've also read angel and crystal but this was BY FAR the best so far! i nearly cried at the end of the bokk- because i had finished reading it! i just wanted it to go on forever! - I no waht your thinkin oh my god what a SADDO. - I think that this book is her best SO FAR....... ,

just give it a chance... you'll never no unless you read it!.


Hopes shes writes other fiction stories!

:)




Love it!!, 30 Sep 2008
After reading her other 2 books I couldnt wait to read this one and I was not dissapointed! I loved the story and the twist at the end!
I cant wait for her next one!!

Loved It!, 28 Sep 2008
Why should it matter who wrote this?
It's the actual story that is up for review!!

Like other reviewers, I found it was a bit slow at the start, but the rest of the story definitely makes up for it!

It's such an easy and fun read with fantastic plots and story lines, perfect for today's celeb-obsessed culture.

The way some plots are left un-answered just leave you wanting more, roll on the third in the series!

A must-have for Angel / Crystal fans. Or anyone wanting a light-hearted read.

Celeb obsessed generation, 16 Sep 2008
OK, I'm going to be honest here, this is really a book for the Celeb Generation, after all if you're not all "Heat"ed up or "OK"ed then this is really going to be something of a let down. It sells on the Celeb name rather than talent and whilst others sit and congratulate Katie then perhaps they should spare a thought for the ghost writer (the person who actually wrote the thing after chatting with Katie.) After all if you sit down and watched the TV series, read the magazine articles then Katie has to be superwoman, as she must be working 28 hour days whilst us mere mortals have to make do with slogging it out for 12 and trying to fill the rest of our day with travelling to and from work, the family, sleep and trying to psyche ourselves up for the next work day with our remaining hours.

The book is average, the plot plain and simple fair with the only really good thing I can say is that it encourages a generation to read who wouldn't normally bother if it didn't come on DVD or MP3. Just how much more money can this glamour model wring out of the public before she fades with her looks.


Good follow up, disapointing end , 05 Sep 2008
I enjoyed this book, its a bit of fluff and escapisim. As much as I like Katie Price, I dont think you can expect any great literacy masterpiece, from either her or her ghost writer but it does whatit is aimed to do, entertain you for a bit with a few twists and turns!!

I was a bit disapointed at what I can only describe as a total personality change of Cal, and I did'nt like the end of the book at all, I was really disapointed, and a tad confused but in retrospect this is an ideal ending for the next in the Angel triology.

Good read for a beach holiday or just a lazy afternoon, I finished it within about five hours!!!

Her best yet, 06 Oct 2008
This is the first Picoult that I have enjoyed from start to finish in a while. I do get slightly annoyed when she introduces so many characters at once, but once into the story it was a really good read. Thoroghly recommended!

Totally different & totally brilliant, 15 Sep 2008
Picoults says in the notes of the book that this is her favourite book so far & I have to say I agree - This book is a huge leap away from Picoults usual scenario of family/court drama, which I have always enjoyed, but this is by far her best.
The story centers around 1 guy who after losing the love of his life in a car accident spends time searching for her ghost, he goes on a journey of personal discovery & somehow his life becomes entangled with Lia - a woman who died in 1932.
Part of the story is told from Lias point of view & that part is particularly interesting. I certainly did not find it difficult to get into, confusing, or difficult to understand the eugenetics as other have mentioned. It was a fantastic & interesting read. A must read for all Picoult fans.

A fantastic read, 13 Sep 2008
As other reviewers have noted I found this book diffficult to get into at first. However I perservered and was rewarded. A fantastic story that really comes to life during Part Two. A fantastic story that gripped me and also taught me about a part of American history I never realised had happened. Up there with Jodi's classics My sister's keeper and Nineteen minutes. Buy this book!

Another engrossing winner from Picoult, 08 Sep 2008
Have now read a few of Jodi Picoult's books and really enjoy them.
Here, as always, there is an abundance of interesting characters and predicaments, with some serious and fascinating themes at the heart of this novel. What seems to begin as a story with hints of the supernatural in the town of Comtosook, grows to take in the plight of some Native American people, the Abenaki and the proposed redevelopment of alleged burial grounds, together with the theories and experiments of Eugenics in 1920's Vermont which the author has herself researched and drawn upon within the middle section of the book. There are some compelling characters, including Ethan, the young boy who cannot venture outside until darkness falls because of his skin condition; his Uncle Ross, who despite several attempts to end his life seems indestructible; the detective, Eli Rochert and his trust canine sidekick Watson, who adds a little humour to the adventures; Gray Wolf, and Cecilia and Spencer Pike, involved deeply in the times when Eugenics was being proposed and practised, and also there in the current-day section of the story too, as many of the strands and characters from the past and present sections of the story begin to interweave.

Picoult skillfully weaves together the various threads and characters of this tale and presents us with some challenging ideas, and yet at the heart as always are relationships, human struggles and love. It is very rewarding, and a little magical, how the events are resolved at the conclusion of the story. Very enjoyable to read.

Second Glance, 01 Sep 2008
This is the first book I have read from the Author and loved it. There are a lot of characters but I soon became so involved with all their lives, I could not stop reading just to find out what happen next. The slightly supernatural "life after death" story line just hooked me from the start. Her writing is so perceptive and her phasing is so descriptive that I can't wait to read the another one of hers.

A Large Diamond Among Gems, 05 Oct 2008
More than 20 years ago now, a good friend pressed a copy of "The Colour of Magic" into my hands that launched a love affair with Terry's books that lasts to this day. Like most frustrated authors who lack the talent to deliver themselves, I read a lot, and I think I have read pretty much all that Terry has written since 198whatever, and yes some of it is quite a lot better than some other bits, but his work has never once been a disappointment.

So I was delighted to see Nation appear on the shelf last week and have just used a rainy Sunday morning to finish it.

A quick summation, of the important points; this is not a Disc World novel, it is a book aimed at anyone over about 9 who can read. It deals with the not inconsequential questions of being us, whoever or wherever that may be, and it does it by telling a good story. It is in fact, very good indeed.

I think this is a book Terry has wanted to write for a while, it has a highly polished feel to it, and I have to say represents a stand out piece of work even for his well known if remarkable talent to make us laugh and ponder for a while.

This should be essential reading for all youngsters who might go on to rule a nation, guard a border, expand our knowledge of the universe, join the priesthood or just decide to go fishing.

It certainly will be in my house.

Thanks (again) Terry
Trev Harvey

Not as good as I had hoped, 04 Oct 2008
I had high hopes for this book, possibly too high. Despite the majority of readers giving this rave reviews I'm afraid I'll have to stick with the opinions of the few nay-sayers. I really couldn't get into this book as much as I had hoped - it meanders along at a fairly gentle pace and has a very different 'feel' to Pratchett's other works, but it rarely engaged my emotions or imagination and I didn't feel like I could 'connect' to any of the characters. There are good moments of course, but it really does feel like it's lacking something.

Maybe I'll enjoy it more when (if) I ever re-read it. You can't please all the people all the time. I generally love Pratchett's books and thoroughly look forward to the next one.

Wonderful - and this is a kids book???, 04 Oct 2008
What a fantastic book, I had already read the pre-amble when I ordered the book so I wasn't expecting a discworld novel. This is fabulous though and in it's own way as good as or better than the discworld books. Rather than ride just the frothy waves of humour, this book often dives below the surf into the deeper darker world of real emotions.
The storytelling is magical and I could easily have read this in one sitting but instead I made it last 4 days :)The characters were fantastic and you really get to know and care about Mau and Daphne.
This book will sit on my bookshelf forever and every so often I will take it down and go and vist Mau and Daphne again.
I cannot reccomend it enough, just don't ruin it for yourself by expecting a discworld novel - it's better even that that in it's own way :)



A Classic in the truest sense, 02 Oct 2008
I want to add my review here of Nation but it's actually an extraordinarily difficult thing to do. The reason is that I don't want to appear to be `gushing' with praise for it. If ever I read such a review, it normally has the effect of turning me off the book completely, as it's obviously written by a fan who hasn't read a different author or genre since they left primary school. In view of this, here's what I genuinely thought of it:
I finished the book last night and my immediate thought was `Oh my gosh, this is a classic'. This is a book that will be discussed, debated and written about for years to come. It's a bit like being around when a new Dickens or Jane Austin novel came out.
The plot has been mentioned here already, so I won't repeat it again. I see that some reviewers have said that Nation is pitched at older children in their teens, but don't be fooled. This book has so much depth and can be read at so many levels, there's enough here to keep 10 year old Harry Potter fans to Academic Philosophers happy. The writing style is as clear and sparkling as cut crystal and while reading it, Pratchatt takes your conscious mind out of this world and into his. You become each character, looking through their eyes, thinking their thoughts and feeling their every emotion. It is a fully immersive experience. The book also engages the brain by making you think about how societies and belief systems are created and our place in them. It is also a book to make you think about what makes you, you. If ever there was a book that could provide software upgrade for your brain, this is it.

Terry, I'll probably never meet you in person, but thank you for such a special gift.


One of those feel-good experiences, 01 Oct 2008
Every so often you come across a book that just makes you feel good. The first time I read "The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" was like that, and even though I've been reading Terry Pratchett's books for many years now, this book was another of those experiences.

That's not to say that this is all warm, fuzzy stuff. Indeed, there's death aplenty (and since this isn't a Discworld book, no DEATH) but the way that Pratchett handles all the less palatable aspects of life and death still gives you a good feeling. (I read somewhere recently that he'd had an experience where he suddenly felt that all was right with the world and there was no reason to worry - not something he would describe as a religious experience, but similar in some ways. I wonder whether that was before, after or while he was writing this book, because a lot of it seems to seep through).

Highly recommended both for people who are already Pratchett fans, but also for those who have never read him or avoided him - stop being snobby because he's a popular author and find out WHY. This is a fine piece of work.

Chuckle double effect!, 01 Oct 2008
Making Money is a Discworld novel and features the Man in the Golden Suit, Ankh-Morpork's Postmaster Moist von Lipwig.

Moist is bored. He misses his old, more adventurous life, back when he was Albert Spangler the con artist. So when he's not running the Post Office, he likes climbing to its roof at night, and has already picked all its locks.

But when Mrs Topsy Lavish, chairwoman and owner of 50% of the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork, but owner also of Mr. Fusspot the dog who owns 1%, dies and leaves her shares to her dog and bequeaths Mr. Fusspot to Moist... he has no choice but try and make it work again.

It starts with the Mint, which actually runs at a loss. Since making coins costs too much and people are already using stamps as currency, Moist devises the first bank notes, which soon have the same success as his stamps.

In the meantime, Cosmo Lavish tries to take Vetinari's identity and Moist's girlfriend Adora Belle Dearheart uncovers ancient golems buried in the desert. And all the while the Glooper gloops.

I really like the character of Moist von Lipwig and was glad to read about him again. The book is of course filled with references that make you chuckle twice: when you get them, and when you find yourself clever because to got them... it's the Discworld double effect!

Bright and breezy... and a bit underwhelming..., 23 Sep 2008
Ignore the two stars I've given Making Money and read it anyway. Just don't make it the first Pratchett you read or you'll end up feeling a tad underwhelmed and wondering what all the fuss is about. Better points of entry to Discworld include Mort or Soul Music or Night Watch or The Truth or Monstrous Regiment or even Going Postal. Making Money lacks a truly biting satirical edge, lacks the incisive wit and belly-laughs we've come to expect from Pratchett and lacks the multi-layered density of plot of its older siblings.
But Moist is a very engaging central character and, for regular visitors to Discworld, time spent in his company is time well-spent. Yes, much of Making Money does feel like a slightly feeble re-run of Going Postal. (A bit like Jaws II compared with Jaws.) But several of the supporting players are pretty colourful and Vetinari's cameos are as entertaining as usual... here's hoping the next installment in the series sees a return to form.

My favourite Discworld so far, 20 Sep 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I had yet not read Going Postal. For me, it was witty enough to stand alone. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Discworld, and also to any fellow bankers who are in need of a comic and incisive portrayal of our industry.

How does he keep doing it?, 10 Sep 2008
To my mind Terry Pratchett is the master of all writers. I get excited just knowing a new book is on the way from him and have yet to be disappointed. Making Money has fulfilled me again in the wierd and wonderful Discworld. Once I started I struggled to put it down as I was having so much fun seeing the story develop. Once or twice I got nudged by the wife for giggling in bed but that is what the Discworld books do I'm afraid. If there is anybody out there who has yet to dip their toe, please just do it and hopefully you will not be let down. I envy you the pleasure of discovering a genius with your first book and knowing that there are another 24 out there to be read.

An easy read, 04 Sep 2008
Having read every discworld book now (usually more than three or four or more times) there are two truths:
(1) It is always enjoyable discovering new characters and seeing them interact with the old favourites. The plots are kept fresh and the city 'alive'.
(2) There is humour on the surface, and humour underneath, with alternative meanings and insights gained on subsequent readings, making the jokes go on and on.....

"Making Money" whilst continuing to explore a new socio-political area of the city, falls fairly flat on both the above 'Pratchett Foundations' and so becomes a pleasant enough easy read but without the depth of other Discworld novels with the plot cramming much in without elaborating or building layers - what you see is what you get.

Get it to keep your collection up to date, but the promising plot is confused and will not draw you back in. Terry Pratchett is still great and may long his work continue.

Ignore The Bad Reviews!, 01 Oct 2008
I got this book as soon as it came out! i'm such a fan of her fiction stories! I've also read angel and crystal but this was BY FAR the best so far! i nearly cried at the end of the bokk- because i had finished reading it! i just wanted it to go on forever! - I no waht your thinkin oh my god what a SADDO. - I think that this book is her best SO FAR....... ,

just give it a chance... you'll never no unless you read it!.


Hopes shes writes other fiction stories!

:)




Love it!!, 30 Sep 2008
After reading her other 2 books I couldnt wait to read this one and I was not dissapointed! I loved the story and the twist at the end!
I cant wait for her next one!!

Loved It!, 28 Sep 2008
Why should it matter who wrote this?
It's the actual story that is up for review!!

Like other reviewers, I found it was a bit slow at the start, but the rest of the story definitely makes up for it!

It's such an easy and fun read with fantastic plots and story lines, perfect for today's celeb-obsessed culture.

The way some plots are left un-answered just leave you wanting more, roll on the third in the series!

A must-have for Angel / Crystal fans. Or anyone wanting a light-hearted read.

Celeb obsessed generation, 16 Sep 2008
OK, I'm going to be honest here, this is really a book for the Celeb Generation, after all if you're not all "Heat"ed up or "OK"ed then this is really going to be something of a let down. It sells on the Celeb name rather than talent and whilst others sit and congratulate Katie then perhaps they should spare a thought for the ghost writer (the person who actually wrote the thing after chatting with Katie.) After all if you sit down and watched the TV series, read the magazine articles then Katie has to be superwoman, as she must be working 28 hour days whilst us mere mortals have to make do with slogging it out for 12 and trying to fill the rest of our day with travelling to and from work, the family, sleep and trying to psyche ourselves up for the next work day with our remaining hours.

The book is average, the plot plain and simple fair with the only really good thing I can say is that it encourages a generation to read who wouldn't normally bother if it didn't come on DVD or MP3. Just how much more money can this glamour model wring out of the public before she fades with her looks.


Good follow up, disapointing end , 05 Sep 2008
I enjoyed this book, its a bit of fluff and escapisim. As much as I like Katie Price, I dont think you can expect any great literacy masterpiece, from either her or her ghost writer but it does whatit is aimed to do, entertain you for a bit with a few twists and turns!!

I was a bit disapointed at what I can only describe as a total personality change of Cal, and I did'nt like the end of the book at all, I was really disapointed, and a tad confused but in retrospect this is an ideal ending for the next in the Angel triology.

Good read for a beach holiday or just a lazy afternoon, I finished it within about five hours!!!

Her best yet, 06 Oct 2008
This is the first Picoult that I have enjoyed from start to finish in a while. I do get slightly annoyed when she introduces so many characters at once, but once into the story it was a really good read. Thoroghly recommended!

Totally different & totally brilliant, 15 Sep 2008
Picoults says in the notes of the book that this is her favourite book so far & I have to say I agree - This book is a huge leap away from Picoults usual scenario of family/court drama, which I have always enjoyed, but this is by far her best.
The story centers around 1 guy who after losing the love of his life in a car accident spends time searching for her ghost, he goes on a journey of personal discovery & somehow his life becomes entangled with Lia - a woman who died in 1932.
Part of the story is told from Lias point of view & that part is particularly interesting. I certainly did not find it difficult to get into, confusing, or difficult to understand the eugenetics as other have mentioned. It was a fantastic & interesting read. A must read for all Picoult fans.

A fantastic read, 13 Sep 2008
As other reviewers have noted I found this book diffficult to get into at first. However I perservered and was rewarded. A fantastic story that really comes to life during Part Two. A fantastic story that gripped me and also taught me about a part of American history I never realised had happened. Up there with Jodi's classics My sister's keeper and Nineteen minutes. Buy this book!

Another engrossing winner from Picoult, 08 Sep 2008
Have now read a few of Jodi Picoult's books and really enjoy them.
Here, as always, there is an abundance of interesting characters and predicaments, with some serious and fascinating themes at the heart of this novel. What seems to begin as a story with hints of the supernatural in the town of Comtosook, grows to take in the plight of some Native American people, the Abenaki and the proposed redevelopment of alleged burial grounds, together with the theories and experiments of Eugenics in 1920's Vermont which the author has herself researched and drawn upon within the middle section of the book. There are some compelling characters, including Ethan, the young boy who cannot venture outside until darkness falls because of his skin condition; his Uncle Ross, who despite several attempts to end his life seems indestructible; the detective, Eli Rochert and his trust canine sidekick Watson, who adds a little humour to the adventures; Gray Wolf, and Cecilia and Spencer Pike, involved deeply in the times when Eugenics was being proposed and practised, and also there in the current-day section of the story too, as many of the strands and characters from the past and present sections of the story begin to interweave.

Picoult skillfully weaves together the various threads and characters of this tale and presents us with some challenging ideas, and yet at the heart as always are relationships, human struggles and love. It is very rewarding, and a little magical, how the events are resolved at the conclusion of the story. Very enjoyable to read.

Second Glance, 01 Sep 2008
This is the first book I have read from the Author and loved it. There are a lot of characters but I soon became so involved with all their lives, I could not stop reading just to find out what happen next. The slightly supernatural "life after death" story line just hooked me from the start. Her writing is so perceptive and her phasing is so descriptive that I can't wait to read the another one of hers.

Great play.., 31 Aug 2008
Didn't read this copy, but I have read the play and it's great. Although fairly old-fashioned, it's very easy to keep up with for young readers. Also came in perfect condition.

Recommended buy.

i am reading this for gcse its really good , 15 Mar 2007
i am reading this in my class for gcse english it has got such a twist in it its fab i love the character eric i am a little bit squiffy! the inspector is such a good character how he is so aburpt and stern and makes nearly all of them regret there actions the play preformed on stage is also amazing i would reconmend this to anyone who loves a good moral mystery murder well suicide and to have all there ideas how they thought the play would end out of the window
read it!

About An Inspector Calls, 11 Jun 2006
Some consider this play to be a murder mystery or whodunit but in the ending of the play the form of moral tale is added as the inspector makes the audiece think about their moral responsiblity and how they collectively killed an innocent woman Eva Smith. An inspector calls is a very well-written play and of course contains the three unites of time place and action. These are all constant throughout the play and so allows the audience to focus of the dialogue. Priestley's socialist view point are put across clearly and many feel after reading or seeing this play they are better people and live a more socialist life. Priestley's use of languge, hints puns and suggests a different meaning to the names Goole and Eva Smith. A good play and a must read.

A brilliant read, 15 Nov 2005
This book is a suprisingly good read for a play. The characters in this book are written under finese, you will find yourself relating to each of them; An inspector does indeed call around, investigating the death of a woman; as the story unfolds you are exposed to a world of deceit, betrayal, and social intolerence. It is an extremely well crafted book, plot twists are aplenty - its core ideas are representation of the time at which the book was set, the ideas of socialism and capitlism, money and love. In the end it is the combined act of each and every family member that seems to lead to the woman's demise. Each one of the family ended up affecting the woman in unimaginable ways - and only after recalecting, do the family peice together how they were involved (pushed along by the inspector), the true essence of the inspector is revealed - how he represents the guilt ridden voice in the back of your head, the final part of the story chilling in itself...when the inspector leaves, the phone rings, the police tell Mr Birling that they are sending an inspector, to ask some questions as they have just found a woman dead...

Relevent Then, Relevent Now, 04 Jun 2004
I think that An Inspector calls is an esential book to read.

When J.B Priestly wrote the play in the 1940's, it made a big point a bout class, and although those barriers are alot more faded and fallen than they were, they haven't completely dissapated, making this play still relevent today.

It is one of the set texts for at least one GCSE examining boards, so many will be studying it for their GCSE's. To those the reason to buy your own copy is obvious, school don't yell if you lose it, annotating is perfectly allowed, and the book is usually in a better state.

The play itself, is very brilliant, very dramatic, exciting and intiguing (yeah, I know I can't spell). I won't give everything away (that would be very mean...)but as every character reveals their story, it links into the others, and makes you want to hear the rest. When you have heard all the stories, you can't blame the girl for killing herself.

Plath was an excellent poet but is known to many for this largely autobiographical novel. The Bell Jar tells the story of a gifted young woman's mental breakdown beginning during a summer internship as a junior editor at a magazine in New York City in the early 1950s. The real Plath committed suicide in 1963 and left behind this scathingly sad, honest and perfectly- written book, which remains one of the best-told tales of a woman's descent into insanity.

A Large Diamond Among Gems, 05 Oct 2008
More than 20 years ago now, a good friend pressed a copy of "The Colour of Magic" into my hands that launched a love affair with Terry's books that lasts to this day. Like most frustrated authors who lack the talent to deliver themselves, I read a lot, and I think I have read pretty much all that Terry has written since 198whatever, and yes some of it is quite a lot better than some other bits, but his work has never once been a disappointment.

So I was delighted to see Nation appear on the shelf last week and have just used a rainy Sunday morning to finish it.

A quick summation, of the important points; this is not a Disc World novel, it is a book aimed at anyone over about 9 who can read. It deals with the not inconsequential questions of being us, whoever or wherever that may be, and it does it by telling a good story. It is in fact, very good indeed.

I think this is a book Terry has wanted to write for a while, it has a highly polished feel to it, and I have to say represents a stand out piece of work even for his well known if remarkable talent to make us laugh and ponder for a while.

This should be essential reading for all youngsters who might go on to rule a nation, guard a border, expand our knowledge of the universe, join the priesthood or just decide to go fishing.

It certainly will be in my house.

Thanks (again) Terry
Trev Harvey

Not as good as I had hoped, 04 Oct 2008
I had high hopes for this book, possibly too high. Despite the majority of readers giving this rave reviews I'm afraid I'll have to stick with the opinions of the few nay-sayers. I really couldn't get into this book as much as I had hoped - it meanders along at a fairly gentle pace and has a very different 'feel' to Pratchett's other works, but it rarely engaged my emotions or imagination and I didn't feel like I could 'connect' to any of the characters. There are good moments of course, but it really does feel like it's lacking something.

Maybe I'll enjoy it more when (if) I ever re-read it. You can't please all the people all the time. I generally love Pratchett's books and thoroughly look forward to the next one.

Wonderful - and this is a kids book???, 04 Oct 2008
What a fantastic book, I had already read the pre-amble when I ordered the book so I wasn't expecting a discworld novel. This is fabulous though and in it's own way as good as or better than the discworld books. Rather than ride just the frothy waves of humour, this book often dives below the surf into the deeper darker world of real emotions.
The storytelling is magical and I could easily have read this in one sitting but instead I made it last 4 days :)The characters were fantastic and you really get to know and care about Mau and Daphne.
This book will sit on my bookshelf forever and every so often I will take it down and go and vist Mau and Daphne again.
I cannot reccomend it enough, just don't ruin it for yourself by expecting a discworld novel - it's better even that that in it's own way :)



A Classic in the truest sense, 02 Oct 2008
I want to add my review here of Nation but it's actually an extraordinarily difficult thing to do. The reason is that I don't want to appear to be `gushing' with praise for it. If ever I read such a review, it normally has the effect of turning me off the book completely, as it's obviously written by a fan who hasn't read a different author or genre since they left primary school. In view of this, here's what I genuinely thought of it:
I finished the book last night and my immediate thought was `Oh my gosh, this is a classic'. This is a book that will be discussed, debated and written about for years to come. It's a bit like being around when a new Dickens or Jane Austin novel came out.
The plot has been mentioned here already, so I won't repeat it again. I see that some reviewers have said that Nation is pitched at older children in their teens, but don't be fooled. This book has so much depth and can be read at so many levels, there's enough here to keep 10 year old Harry Potter fans to Academic Philosophers happy. The writing style is as clear and sparkling as cut crystal and while reading it, Pratchatt takes your conscious mind out of this world and into his. You become each character, looking through their eyes, thinking their thoughts and feeling their every emotion. It is a fully immersive experience. The book also engages the brain by making you think about how societies and belief systems are created and our place in them. It is also a book to make you think about what makes you, you. If ever there was a book that could provide software upgrade for your brain, this is it.

Terry, I'll probably never meet you in person, but thank you for such a special gift.


One of those feel-good experiences, 01 Oct 2008
Every so often you come across a book that just makes you feel good. The first time I read "The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" was like that, and even though I've been reading Terry Pratchett's books for many years now, this book was another of those experiences.

That's not to say that this is all warm, fuzzy stuff. Indeed, there's death aplenty (and since this isn't a Discworld book, no DEATH) but the way that Pratchett handles all the less palatable aspects of life and death still gives you a good feeling. (I read somewhere recently that he'd had an experience where he suddenly felt that all was right with the world and there was no reason to worry - not something he would describe as a religious experience, but similar in some ways. I wonder whether that was before, after or while he was writing this book, because a lot of it seems to seep through).

Highly recommended both for people who are already Pratchett fans, but also for those who have never read him or avoided him - stop being snobby because he's a popular author and find out WHY. This is a fine piece of work.

Chuckle double effect!, 01 Oct 2008
Making Money is a Discworld novel and features the Man in the Golden Suit, Ankh-Morpork's Postmaster Moist von Lipwig.

Moist is bored. He misses his old, more adventurous life, back when he was Albert Spangler the con artist. So when he's not running the Post Office, he likes climbing to its roof at night, and has already picked all its locks.

But when Mrs Topsy Lavish, chairwoman and owner of 50% of the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork, but owner also of Mr. Fusspot the dog who owns 1%, dies and leaves her shares to her dog and bequeaths Mr. Fusspot to Moist... he has no choice but try and make it work again.

It starts with the Mint, which actually runs at a loss. Since making coins costs too much and people are already using stamps as currency, Moist devises the first bank notes, which soon have the same success as his stamps.

In the meantime, Cosmo Lavish tries to take Vetinari's identity and Moist's girlfriend Adora Belle Dearheart uncovers ancient golems buried in the desert. And all the while the Glooper gloops.

I really like the character of Moist von Lipwig and was glad to read about him again. The book is of course filled with references that make you chuckle twice: when you get them, and when you find yourself clever because to got them... it's the Discworld double effect!

Bright and breezy... and a bit underwhelming..., 23 Sep 2008
Ignore the two stars I've given Making Money and read it anyway. Just don't make it the first Pratchett you read or you'll end up feeling a tad underwhelmed and wondering what all the fuss is about. Better points of entry to Discworld include Mort or Soul Music or Night Watch or The Truth or Monstrous Regiment or even Going Postal. Making Money lacks a truly biting satirical edge, lacks the incisive wit and belly-laughs we've come to expect from Pratchett and lacks the multi-layered density of plot of its older siblings.
But Moist is a very engaging central character and, for regular visitors to Discworld, time spent in his company is time well-spent. Yes, much of Making Money does feel like a slightly feeble re-run of Going Postal. (A bit like Jaws II compared with Jaws.) But several of the supporting players are pretty colourful and Vetinari's cameos are as entertaining as usual... here's hoping the next installment in the series sees a return to form.

My favourite Discworld so far, 20 Sep 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I had yet not read Going Postal. For me, it was witty enough to stand alone. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Discworld, and also to any fellow bankers who are in need of a comic and incisive portrayal of our industry.

How does he keep doing it?, 10 Sep 2008
To my mind Terry Pratchett is the master of all writers. I get excited just knowing a new book is on the way from him and have yet to be disappointed. Making Money has fulfilled me again in the wierd and wonderful Discworld. Once I started I struggled to put it down as I was having so much fun seeing the story develop. Once or twice I got nudged by the wife for giggling in bed but that is what the Discworld books do I'm afraid. If there is anybody out there who has yet to dip their toe, please just do it and hopefully you will not be let down. I envy you the pleasure of discovering a genius with your first book and knowing that there are another 24 out there to be read.

An easy read, 04 Sep 2008
Having read every discworld book now (usually more than three or four or more times) there are two truths:
(1) It is always enjoyable discovering new characters and seeing them interact with the old favourites. The plots are kept fresh and the city 'alive'.
(2) There is humour on the surface, and humour underneath, with alternative meanings and insights gained on subsequent readings, making the jokes go on and on.....

"Making Money" whilst continuing to explore a new socio-political area of the city, falls fairly flat on both the above 'Pratchett Foundations' and so becomes a pleasant enough easy read but without the depth of other Discworld novels with the plot cramming much in without elaborating or building layers - what you see is what you get.

Get it to keep your collection up to date, but the promising plot is confused and will not draw you back in. Terry Pratchett is still great and may long his work continue.

Ignore The Bad Reviews!, 01 Oct 2008
I got this book as soon as it came out! i'm such a fan of her fiction stories! I've also read angel and crystal but this was BY FAR the best so far! i nearly cried at the end of the bokk- because i had finished reading it! i just wanted it to go on forever! - I no waht your thinkin oh my god what a SADDO. - I think that this book is her best SO FAR....... ,

just give it a chance... you'll never no unless you read it!.


Hopes shes writes other fiction stories!

:)




Love it!!, 30 Sep 2008
After reading her other 2 books I couldnt wait to read this one and I was not dissapointed! I loved the story and the twist at the end!
I cant wait for her next one!!

Loved It!, 28 Sep 2008
Why should it matter who wrote this?
It's the actual story that is up for review!!

Like other reviewers, I found it was a bit slow at the start, but the rest of the story definitely makes up for it!

It's such an easy and fun read with fantastic plots and story lines, perfect for today's celeb-obsessed culture.

The way some plots are left un-answered just leave you wanting more, roll on the third in the series!

A must-have for Angel / Crystal fans. Or anyone wanting a light-hearted read.

Celeb obsessed generation, 16 Sep 2008
OK, I'm going to be honest here, this is really a book for the Celeb Generation, after all if you're not all "Heat"ed up or "OK"ed then this is really going to be something of a let down. It sells on the Celeb name rather than talent and whilst others sit and congratulate Katie then perhaps they should spare a thought for the ghost writer (the person who actually wrote the thing after chatting with Katie.) After all if you sit down and watched the TV series, read the magazine articles then Katie has to be superwoman, as she must be working 28 hour days whilst us mere mortals have to make do with slogging it out for 12 and trying to fill the rest of our day with travelling to and from work, the family, sleep and trying to psyche ourselves up for the next work day with our remaining hours.

The book is average, the plot plain and simple fair with the only really good thing I can say is that it encourages a generation to read who wouldn't normally bother if it didn't come on DVD or MP3. Just how much more money can this glamour model wring out of the public before she fades with her looks.


Good follow up, disapointing end , 05 Sep 2008
I enjoyed this book, its a bit of fluff and escapisim. As much as I like Katie Price, I dont think you can expect any great literacy masterpiece, from either her or her ghost writer but it does whatit is aimed to do, entertain you for a bit with a few twists and turns!!

I was a bit disapointed at what I can only describe as a total personality change of Cal, and I did'nt like the end of the book at all, I was really disapointed, and a tad confused but in retrospect this is an ideal ending for the next in the Angel triology.

Good read for a beach holiday or just a lazy afternoon, I finished it within about five hours!!!

Her best yet, 06 Oct 2008
This is the first Picoult that I have enjoyed from start to finish in a while. I do get slightly annoyed when she introduces so many characters at once, but once into the story it was a really good read. Thoroghly recommended!

Totally different & totally brilliant, 15 Sep 2008
Picoults says in the notes of the book that this is her favourite book so far & I have to say I agree - This book is a huge leap away from Picoults usual scenario of family/court drama, which I have always enjoyed, but this is by far her best.
The story centers around 1 guy who after losing the love of his life in a car accident spends time searching for her ghost, he goes on a journey of personal discovery & somehow his life becomes entangled with Lia - a woman who died in 1932.
Part of the story is told from Lias point of view & that part is particularly interesting. I certainly did not find it difficult to get into, confusing, or difficult to understand the eugenetics as other have mentioned. It was a fantastic & interesting read. A must read for all Picoult fans.

A fantastic read, 13 Sep 2008
As other reviewers have noted I found this book diffficult to get into at first. However I perservered and was rewarded. A fantastic story that really comes to life during Part Two. A fantastic story that gripped me and also taught me about a part of American history I never realised had happened. Up there with Jodi's classics My sister's keeper and Nineteen minutes. Buy this book!

Another engrossing winner from Picoult, 08 Sep 2008
Have now read a few of Jodi Picoult's books and really enjoy them.
Here, as always, there is an abundance of interesting characters and predicaments, with some serious and fascinating themes at the heart of this novel. What seems to begin as a story with hints of the supernatural in the town of Comtosook, grows to take in the plight of some Native American people, the Abenaki and the proposed redevelopment of alleged burial grounds, together with the theories and experiments of Eugenics in 1920's Vermont which the author has herself researched and drawn upon within the middle section of the book. There are some compelling characters, including Ethan, the young boy who cannot venture outside until darkness falls because of his skin condition; his Uncle Ross, who despite several attempts to end his life seems indestructible; the detective, Eli Rochert and his trust canine sidekick Watson, who adds a little humour to the adventures; Gray Wolf, and Cecilia and Spencer Pike, involved deeply in the times when Eugenics was being proposed and practised, and also there in the current-day section of the story too, as many of the strands and characters from the past and present sections of the story begin to interweave.

Picoult skillfully weaves together the various threads and characters of this tale and presents us with some challenging ideas, and yet at the heart as always are relationships, human struggles and love. It is very rewarding, and a little magical, how the events are resolved at the conclusion of the story. Very enjoyable to read.

Second Glance, 01 Sep 2008
This is the first book I have read from the Author and loved it. There are a lot of characters but I soon became so involved with all their lives, I could not stop reading just to find out what happen next. The slightly supernatural "life after death" story line just hooked me from the start. Her writing is so perceptive and her phasing is so descriptive that I can't wait to read the another one of hers.

Great play.., 31 Aug 2008
Didn't read this copy, but I have read the play and it's great. Although fairly old-fashioned, it's very easy to keep up with for young readers. Also came in perfect condition.

Recommended buy.

i am reading this for gcse its really good , 15 Mar 2007
i am reading this in my class for gcse english it has got such a twist in it its fab i love the character eric i am a little bit squiffy! the inspector is such a good character how he is so aburpt and stern and makes nearly all of them regret there actions the play preformed on stage is also amazing i would reconmend this to anyone who loves a good moral mystery murder well suicide and to have all there ideas how they thought the play would end out of the window
read it!

About An Inspector Calls, 11 Jun 2006
Some consider this play to be a murder mystery or whodunit but in the ending of the play the form of moral tale is added as the inspector makes the audiece think about their moral responsiblity and how they collectively killed an innocent woman Eva Smith. An inspector calls is a very well-written play and of course contains the three unites of time place and action. These are all constant throughout the play and so allows the audience to focus of the dialogue. Priestley's socialist view point are put across clearly and many feel after reading or seeing this play they are better people and live a more socialist life. Priestley's use of languge, hints puns and suggests a different meaning to the names Goole and Eva Smith. A good play and a must read.

A brilliant read, 15 Nov 2005
This book is a suprisingly good read for a play. The characters in this book are written under finese, you will find yourself relating to each of them; An inspector does indeed call around, investigating the death of a woman; as the story unfolds you are exposed to a world of deceit, betrayal, and social intolerence. It is an extremely well crafted book, plot twists are aplenty - its core ideas are representation of the time at which the book was set, the ideas of socialism and capitlism, money and love. In the end it is the combined act of each and every family member that seems to lead to the woman's demise. Each one of the family ended up affecting the woman in unimaginable ways - and only after recalecting, do the family peice together how they were involved (pushed along by the inspector), the true essence of the inspector is revealed - how he represents the guilt ridden voice in the back of your head, the final part of the story chilling in itself...when the inspector leaves, the phone rings, the police tell Mr Birling that they are sending an inspector, to ask some questions as they have just found a woman dead...

Relevent Then, Relevent Now, 04 Jun 2004
I think that An Inspector calls is an esential book to read.

When J.B Priestly wrote the play in the 1940's, it made a big point a bout class, and although those barriers are alot more faded and fallen than they were, they haven't completely dissapated, making this play still relevent today.

It is one of the set texts for at least one GCSE examining boards, so many will be studying it for their GCSE's. To those the reason to buy your own copy is obvious, school don't yell if you lose it, annotating is perfectly allowed, and the book is usually in a better state.

The play itself, is very brilliant, very dramatic, exciting and intiguing (yeah, I know I can't spell). I won't give everything away (that would be very mean...)but as every character reveals their story, it links into the others, and makes you want to hear the rest. When you have heard all the stories, you can't blame the girl for killing herself.

degradation into depression, 15 Sep 2008
Sadly this author knew what she was talking about, and sadly I can relate to the protagonist. She describes the thought process perfectly and at one point I didn't even notice the change. It's a wonderfully written book, I just love it. I don't know what to say about it other than I really liked it, it's the only thing of hers I have read and because of this I just might try to read some of her poems, even though I'm not a poem kind of person.

On another note if you know of anyone who is depressed it might be a good idea to read this book to understand the way they are thinking. It could help and even if it doesn't it still a good read.

The view from inside a breakdown, 29 Jun 2008
I read this on the recommendation of my daughter who related to the semi autobiographical protagonist even 35 years later.
Although medical treatments have changed since the book was written, the frequency of such cases must surely have risen and this is as relevant a book as ever.

Esther Greenwood reperesents Sylvia Plath in the book; an intelligent, active woman who suddenly begins to find that life has lost its meaning and importance. From being constantly busy, she becomes totally demotivated, giving up further study in favour of lounging around her mother's house. After she attempts to kill herself with an overdose, her mother enlists medical help and Esther is eventually admitted to an asylum for treatment. This includes electric shock treatment and constant medication.
The treatment seems to have been sucessful to a degree as Ms Plath went on to write this book and numerous works of poetry. Unfortunately her eventual suicide, aged 31, suggests that all was not as it should have been and the ghosts were still lurking.

It put me in mind of Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen who also wrote of her time in a psychiatric ward in 1967. I was amazed to find, on further investigation, that she was in the same hospital as Sylvia Plath.

Recommended - a unique opportunity to understand the emotions and confusion of a breakdown.


Plath was a genius, 21 Sep 2007
The Bell Jar is definitely Plath speaking from her own experiences, in 1950s America and the tigma of mental illness that she experienced and how her family and friends coped.
It charts the journey of her bi polar illness and is very heavy in places but a worthwhile reading in understanding her poetry and other works.


Suicide as career move, 18 Sep 2007
A reviewer below claims, as a 'fact', that "Plath's genius is not being taught in schools". Not only is it a fact that The Bell Jar is on the AQA A2 syllabus, I am teaching it in my school. I am dismayed that someone who can make such elementary errors of fact feels at liberty to disseminate their ill-informed opinions. Not only is Plath a vastly inferior poet to her husband, The Bell Jar is vastly inferior to The Iron Man.

boring!, 28 Aug 2007
I read this book after hearing great things about it. What a waste of time it was. The book is incredibly dull, it picks up slightly in the last half. But i was not impressed, dont waste your time with it