Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time (A Discworld Novel) Review

Overall Rating

Excellent characters, told at a fair old pace.

Fragmented plot?

Terry Pratchett's "Thief of Time" is the twenty-sixth in a long line of Discworld novels. For the uninitiated the Discworld is a world which houses Dwarfs, Trolls and Werewolves yet mirrors our own in so many ways. Throughout the series Pratchett examines the Discworld in which we live and the relationships which result. Surely, a world that is carried through space by four elephants on the back of a turtle can bear no semblance to our own?

"Thief of Time" is such a mish-mash of styles, ideas and characters that you barely know were to begin. Told in a fragmented fashion Pratchett happily jumps from one plot device to the next and at first you may think where is this going? However, Pratchett succeeds in weaving the main protagonists story together in a fascinating fashion for amid this tale of time is the core theme of relationships. Pratchett seems to enjoy examining family and work relationships throughout his Discworld series and this continues here in his examination of his characters Death and Susan, as Grandfather and embarrassed Granddaughter and Jeremy and Igor and Lobsang and Lu Tze as Master and Servant. What happens when the pupil surpasses the teacher? Even romantic relationships are examined in the form of Jeremy and Lady LeJean and Susan and Lobsang. It is in the interplay between characters that Pratchett shines in this novel.

Often dismissed as a fantasy writer there is no doubt that Pratchett writes for laughs and this is prevalent throughout in the characterisations. Where else could you find a nonchalant old man who has convinced the world that he is invincible by teaching them the fear of rule one:

'Do not act incautiously when confronting little bald wrinkly smiling men!'

However, the most interesting thing about this novel is perhaps the auditors. These grey hooded, lifeless beings have the appearance of Ringwraiths, the thinking processes of the Borg yet the personality of accountants. They believe the best way not to die is never to live. It is the slow realisation of one lone auditor that perhaps to die is never to live that is the turning point for the novel.

As with all Pratchett novels he borrows heavily from other works and parodies anything and everything that he can. Fairytales such as Hansel and Gretel exist in the Discworld as "The Old Lady in the Oven" yet as this is Discworld can another story "The Glass Clock of Bad Schuschein" have any truth to it? Several movies and novels are also parodied including a hilarious appearance of a "Q" like inventor straight out of James Bond and a homage to Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein".

At 425 pages this is fairly lengthy for Pratchett yet you find it reads in no time at all. The story has so much pace to it you hardly have time to breathe in between plots and sub-plots. Pratchett's style has always been to excite the reader, to make them think but still have a bucket load of laughs along the way and this novel succeeds in all respects. Full of one liners and accessible to all due to a largely new set of characters this remains one of my favourites in an ever expanding collection.

Do yourself a favour and read it now. Go on time waits for no man unless your name is Lobsang Ludd.

ISBN 0-552-14840-7
Paperback price: £6.99