Terry Pratchett's latest Discworld novel, Going Postal, introduces us to yet another new Discworld character. After he "miraculously" survives hanging, Moist von Lipwig, a fraudster by trade, is given a choice by Lord Vetinari: accept the job of Postmaster of Ankh-Morpork's crumbling postal service, or die. Considering this is not really much of a choice, and Moist does not have a death wish, he accepts the position and everything it entails. The obstacles he must face are, among other things, a golem parole officer, mountains of undelivered mail (later resolved rather neatly), getting the postal service back up and running, surviving the trials of the secret society of ancient postmen, and more. Needless to say, life suddenly gets much more complicated for Moist.

Although I am a fan of Pratchett's writing, I have to say I was somewhat disappointed with Going Postal. The introduction of chapters with teaser lines is a first for a non-children's book by Pratchett, yet as there is no evident benefit from it, the readers of his previous books will be left wondering why, or rather, why now. I did not think the implementation of chapters & teasers hurt the continuity of the story in any way, but Pratchett loses another unique aspect by doing this like everyone else. Also, humourous footnotes, another of Pratchett's specialties, have apparently gone the way of the dodo. There are a few remnants every now and then, but they are a pale shadow of what we have grown used to from previous Discworld novels.

The Pratchett wit, satire, sarcasm and humour are still there (Igors are always good for this sort of thing), but I felt they were less expressed and more subtle than in some of the previous novels. The main problem with Going Postal becomes apparent fairly early in the reading. I was not able to shake off the feeling that I am re-reading The Truth. You might not get this impression at once, but the more you read, the more obvious it is that the plot is essentially the same. Considering the abundance of existing (and fan favourite) Discworld characters still waiting for a larger exposition (again), the decision to introduce a new character in a rehashed story is somewhat hard to justify. I am convinced a bit of market research would show the Discworld fans are pining for another Rincewind or Witches book by now.

In spite of all that, Going Postal is still a fair Discworld book. The "clacks" message system, one of the main themes of the book, is explained in detail and masterfully integrated into the Discworld. The free golems are also expanded upon significantly. The Unseen U wizards make an appearance, but generally there is little magic in this book - for better or worse. The characters are believable enough, and Pratchett's view of the government institutions like the Post Office can be felt throughout the text, and is a welcome companion. Likewise with the illustrations of the Discworld stamps, present throughout the book.

Overall, Going Postal is a worthy addition to the Discworld series because of the background information alone. Whether this is enough is a matter of personal opinion, but I have come to expect something more from Pratchett, and miss some of the magic of the earlier novels. The book stands well on its own, but if you intend to hook someone on Pratchett, I suggest picking one of his earlier books instead.

Links: Sorcerer's Place - Terry Pratchett Books

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