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kim_j_dare's review against another edition
5.0
Remember Charles Dickens' Artful Dodger? In this delightful period piece set in Victorian London, Pratchett presents Dodger, a "tosher" (one who roams the sewers in search of the treasures that fall through the grates) who enjoys the freedom of life on the streets and has nary a care in the world. Until, that is, he is witness to two men beating up a young woman during a rainstorm one night. Dodger rushes to her defense and beats the thugs soundly. His rescue is witnessed by two other men, Charlie and Henry. They gather up Dodger and the young lady and take them to Henry's house so that the lady can be cared for. This is the beginning of quite an adventure for Dodger-- Simplicity is at first hesitant to reveal details of her past, but it is obvious she is fearful of being caught by the people who are after her. Charlie and Henry (who turn out to be Charles Dickens and Henry Mayhew) want to do right by her and they, along with Dodger, are drawn into a net of intrigue that is only made the more interesting as Dodger has a run-in with Sweeney Todd, meets Benjamin Disraili and Robert Peel, and generally finds himself moving up in the world whether he wants to or not. Pratchett's characters are all fully developed, the dialog is fresh and humorous, and the pacing is such that the reader will quickly find himself swept up onto the streets of London. A wonderful romp. And the audio version, narrated by Stephen Briggs, who reads with a style reminiscent of Monty Python sketches, is a real treat.
daniel1501's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
the_sunken_library's review against another edition
3.0
Now I am finding this a very hard book to review because I simply adore Terry Pratchett. His Discworld is so extensive and vibrant and wonderfully clever that I tackle all his books with such high expectations and I am afraid this fell flat for me.
I didn't like Dodger. He is supposed to be a cheeky chappy with the luck of the Gods considering he's basically a street urchin in Victorian London. When he intervenes in a vicious attack on a pregnant girl during a storm, he is thrown into an entirely new world full of politics and etiquette. However I found him cliched and too clever, charming and shiney. In fact all the characters felt a bit boring and two dimensional. There was nothing of the electric, seductive personalities I have come to expect and hardly a smattering of Pratchett's humour and incessant silliness.
All in All, a bit poor :(
I didn't like Dodger. He is supposed to be a cheeky chappy with the luck of the Gods considering he's basically a street urchin in Victorian London. When he intervenes in a vicious attack on a pregnant girl during a storm, he is thrown into an entirely new world full of politics and etiquette. However I found him cliched and too clever, charming and shiney. In fact all the characters felt a bit boring and two dimensional. There was nothing of the electric, seductive personalities I have come to expect and hardly a smattering of Pratchett's humour and incessant silliness.
All in All, a bit poor :(
timinbc's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, 4.75 but I am rounding up just because I enjoyed reading it.
This is nominally for younger readers, but it shows only slightly. Perhaps Dodger is a little TOO capable, and some situations are a tad less complex than they might have been, and the vocabulary might have been dialled down a bit.
Solomon is, mmm, a wonderful character. Simplicity is a bit of a cipher, but shows character when necessary and after all, the book isn't about her.
Pratchett gradually and deftly introduces the idea of the fog being metaphorical as well as physical, and uses it to explain why Dodger succeeds so well. Links it to Dickens, too - nice.
Favourite quote: a powerful person is giving Dodger advice, and says, "one of the reasons I'm talking to you now is to tell you that whatever you may be planning, you must not break the law. Since I have just now stepped out of this room and any voice you may be hearing cannot possibly be mine, I must however point out to you that ..."
Don't miss the author's note at the end. It explains which people and situations actually existed in Dickensian London.
Most of all, though, this was a highly enjoyable read.
This is nominally for younger readers, but it shows only slightly. Perhaps Dodger is a little TOO capable, and some situations are a tad less complex than they might have been, and the vocabulary might have been dialled down a bit.
Solomon is, mmm, a wonderful character. Simplicity is a bit of a cipher, but shows character when necessary and after all, the book isn't about her.
Pratchett gradually and deftly introduces the idea of the fog being metaphorical as well as physical, and uses it to explain why Dodger succeeds so well. Links it to Dickens, too - nice.
Favourite quote: a powerful person is giving Dodger advice, and says, "one of the reasons I'm talking to you now is to tell you that whatever you may be planning, you must not break the law. Since I have just now stepped out of this room and any voice you may be hearing cannot possibly be mine, I must however point out to you that ..."
Don't miss the author's note at the end. It explains which people and situations actually existed in Dickensian London.
Most of all, though, this was a highly enjoyable read.
moruyle's review against another edition
4.0
Delightful and funny and smart, with lots of in-jokes for Dickens fans. Not as spectacular as Nation, but really, that's a mighty high bar.
beaktastic's review against another edition
1.0
Whilst I've marked this as read I didn't actually finish it. I got a good third of the way in but just couldn't finish it. I just hated the style of writing - I've never read Pratchett before so I don't know if it's his style generally or because he was trying to channel Charles Dickens style or what, but either way it was just annoying. The story was uninteresting and tried to portray and Dickensian London that was generally nicer and cleaner and that this Dodger kid was so amazing and lucky and it was just totally unbelieavable. I was really disappointed because the blurb sounded interesting and I did try to hack it out but I just couldn't.
mil_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
atuin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
3.5
Great to get back to Pratchett. His love of the Victorian era is evident in the descriptions of London and the deluge of cameos from famous/important Victorian figures, like Benjamin Disraeli and Charles Dickens. You'll get more out of it if you know the time period. I admit, it felt a little odd for Sweeny Todd to show up when other famous Victorians were real. There are similarities between this book and Charles Dickens, mostly in the form of a young poor man rising above his station. My favorite character here was Solomon.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse and Miscarriage
retrophrenologist's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25