Guards! Guards!

I like Terry Pratchett. I like his Discworld series a great deal. So far.

Guards! Guards! is the first Discworld book I have read outside of the Rincewind character. I was a bit nervous because I wasn't certain I was going to enjoy any other protagonist besides Rincewind. He is the perfect Aurthur Dent-ian mix of cluelessness, inane luck and cowardice. How can you not love a character like that in a world that doesn't leave many living for very long due to the magical fluctuations? But Guards! Guards! focuses its plot on the misfit crew of the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch. Why are they misfits, you might ask? Other than the unique characters in a unique city, they are the police task force in a city which it's best not to be policing. So they do a good job of avoiding their job. Creatively and carefully.

This book wasn't as funny as Sourcery or Light Fantastic, it was definitely the darkest satire of Pratchett's that I have read to this point. In fact, I would consider this a "biting satire," not ... well, not whatever the alternative of a "biting satire" is. The previous books were poking fun at the genres of fantasy, human nature and were all around enjoyable. This book kicks you in the face and stabs at your heart. Which was fine, until the end when the "character who speaks the truth" explains that all humans are bad: some are just worse than others. Not a light-hearted way to end the novel. In fact, not at all the reason I read satire. I like the jovial criticisms. I don't appreciate being shown how we're all (for lack of a better word) screwed.

Perhaps I'm just taking this book a bit too seriously. I'm sure that's all. Overall, this book was really good. I think I was just too gullible.