Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett

A while ago, in remembrance of Terry Pratchett's passing, I said I wanted to read a Terry Pratchett novel.  Read While Walking: Terry Pratchett.


I read Feet of Clay, one of the Discworld novels featuring the City Guard.  I think I read Guards, Guards some time ago, but enough time has passed that I didn't recognize any of the characters in Feet of Clay.  I didn't feel I had any need to have any particular prior knowledge of any of the characters or the world.  Perhaps there would have been a touch more depth to the experience, but I don't think I suffered for it.


The novel finds a very nice balance.  The plot is engaging enough that it's probably worth reading for itself.  The humour reminded me very much of the city watch in Shakespeare's comedies, and the farcical elements were fun.  I wouldn't say I found much of it laugh out loud funny, but it was certainly enjoyable to read, often bringing a smile and I wanted to see how the plot resolved. 


I probably would have preferred a little more plot and characterization, or alternatively more elements just for laughs, but overall I think Feet of Clay walked the line very neatly.  Too much silliness and it would be a denser read, more like Douglas Adams' novels.


There are a few big picture thoughts about free will, religion, the use of labour in production, but none are explored in any great depth.  One of the elements I thought was neatly incorporated was the idea that most groups of people, however egalitarian their viewpoint, need someone they can feel superior to or someone they can order around.  Commander Vimes tries hard to treat everyone as part of his job, and perhaps has some element of growth in his view towards the undead (albeit not vampires).  But there's a neat reminiscence he has about playing hopscotch where he fondly thinks of how he bullied one of the children on his street, without internally recognizing it as such.


I thought that was neatly done by Mr. Pratchett, because while Vimes longs at times for the good old days, there's sometimes an insidious subtlety to people's habits that is hard to change, can be damaging, but is sometimes forgotten in the glow of nostalgia or resistance to further change.


I think a teenage or preteen audience would particularly enjoy Mr. Pratchett's novels.  For myself, I found Feet of Clay diverting and fun, but do not feel any compulsion to read the next or previous in the series.  If sometime I want something lighter, or need a smile though, I'd find a Discworld novel easy to pick up and I'd be happy to do so.