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A review by canaanmerchant
Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett
4.0
This was my most anticipated book of 2013 and 2014. It was going to be interesting to see how the 40th (!) novel in a series will hold up. The good news is that it performs admirably.
This review isn't really about the novel itself and instead is my thoughts on many of the criticisms that have come before, during, and after many others have read it.
- Some people don't like it when Pratchett gets preachy and think he's played out the morality lessons using fantastic racism a few too many times. I'm the exact opposite. Thud! is my favorite discworld novel for pretty much precisely this reason. That novel (and this one, which is is a thematic sequel, if not a direct one since Vimes isn't the main character here) has one of the best arguments for pluralism that one can make. Moreover, visiting the theme again (and again after Snuff and Unseen Academicals) shows that society improves by increments and sometimes steps are backwards or not nearly as large as we'd like them to be. It takes work to make people (and dwarves, trolls and goblins) to be nice and respectful to one another.
- This is just more evidence to my position that Moist is being groomed for Vetinari's job once Vetinari exits on his own terms. But this is part of a larger criticism that the characters (especially Vetinari and Vimes) didn't quite seem like themselves. I got that vibe too but it didn't really bother me and upon analysis it makes sense. Vimes doesn't have much personality but much of the personality we're familiar with comes with the self doubt we always see when he's the main character. His character was right in line with all of his other DW cameos. But this role was much more than a cameo which makes it a little more jarring. But Moist is now one of the more powerful men in Ankh Morpork and is more or less equal in status to Vimes, they're naturally going to swim in the same waters now and the city will still need a watch commander whenever the next patrician comes along.
With Vetinari, it's the relationship that has changed with Moist and not necessarily the character (who is pretty much capable of anything anyway). Moist has already been pressed into service twice by Vetinari at this point and Moist isn't dumb. He knows how the game is played. And once you know the rules you can begin thinking of ways to break them. Vetinari is of course prudent to recognize this and spends considerable time reminding Moist that the only rules that he can break are the ones that Vetinari allows him to break. That's why we see a harsher Vetinari compared to the quiet plotter that we're used to. Vimes and Vetnari reached their understanding a while ago but even at the end of Making Money there's a sense that Moist still hasn't quite gotten there. But I think he learns quickly at the end of Raising Steam.
- Finally, this novel features Vimes and Moist fighting dwarves on the top of a train. I repeat, THIS BOOK FEATURES VIMES AND MOIST FIGHTING DWARVES ON TOP OF A TRAIN! HOW CAN YOU DISLIKE A BOOK THAT FEATURES THAT!
So a fine effort by Sir Terry and here's to 40 more discworld novels.
This review isn't really about the novel itself and instead is my thoughts on many of the criticisms that have come before, during, and after many others have read it.
- Some people don't like it when Pratchett gets preachy and think he's played out the morality lessons using fantastic racism a few too many times. I'm the exact opposite. Thud! is my favorite discworld novel for pretty much precisely this reason. That novel (and this one, which is is a thematic sequel, if not a direct one since Vimes isn't the main character here) has one of the best arguments for pluralism that one can make. Moreover, visiting the theme again (and again after Snuff and Unseen Academicals) shows that society improves by increments and sometimes steps are backwards or not nearly as large as we'd like them to be. It takes work to make people (and dwarves, trolls and goblins) to be nice and respectful to one another.
- This is just more evidence to my position that Moist is being groomed for Vetinari's job once Vetinari exits on his own terms. But this is part of a larger criticism that the characters (especially Vetinari and Vimes) didn't quite seem like themselves. I got that vibe too but it didn't really bother me and upon analysis it makes sense. Vimes doesn't have much personality but much of the personality we're familiar with comes with the self doubt we always see when he's the main character. His character was right in line with all of his other DW cameos. But this role was much more than a cameo which makes it a little more jarring. But Moist is now one of the more powerful men in Ankh Morpork and is more or less equal in status to Vimes, they're naturally going to swim in the same waters now and the city will still need a watch commander whenever the next patrician comes along.
With Vetinari, it's the relationship that has changed with Moist and not necessarily the character (who is pretty much capable of anything anyway). Moist has already been pressed into service twice by Vetinari at this point and Moist isn't dumb. He knows how the game is played. And once you know the rules you can begin thinking of ways to break them. Vetinari is of course prudent to recognize this and spends considerable time reminding Moist that the only rules that he can break are the ones that Vetinari allows him to break. That's why we see a harsher Vetinari compared to the quiet plotter that we're used to. Vimes and Vetnari reached their understanding a while ago but even at the end of Making Money there's a sense that Moist still hasn't quite gotten there. But I think he learns quickly at the end of Raising Steam.
- Finally, this novel features Vimes and Moist fighting dwarves on the top of a train. I repeat, THIS BOOK FEATURES VIMES AND MOIST FIGHTING DWARVES ON TOP OF A TRAIN! HOW CAN YOU DISLIKE A BOOK THAT FEATURES THAT!
So a fine effort by Sir Terry and here's to 40 more discworld novels.