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Description edit
According to the writer of the best-selling crime novel ever to have been published in the city of Ankh-Morpork, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse. And Commander Sam Vimes of... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- His Grace, the Duke of Ankh, Sir Samuel Vimes.: The Duke of Ankh (although he doesn't want to be), the Protector of the Kinge's Piece (surpress your sniggers), the Commander of the City Watch, and Blackboard Monitor (the highest honor the dwarves can accord a human).
- Lady Sybil Deirdre Olgivanna Ramkin: Scion of the House of Ramkin (motto: What We Have, We Keep), wife of Sir Samuel, the Duchess of Ankh, and President of the Sunshine Sanctuary for Wayward Dragons.
- Samuel Vimes: Also known as "young Sam," the eldest and only child of Sir Samuel and Lady Sybil. Six years old, and fascinated with poo.
- Mister Willikins: the butler of Sybil Ramkin and, after their marriage, Sam Vimes.
- Chief Constable Feeney Upshot: the inexperienced Shires policeman
- Mrs Upshot: Feeney's mother
- Mr Bewilderforce Gumption: Tobacco shop owner
- Angua: the first werewolf in the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, Girlfriend of Carrot
- Fred Colon: Old copper, Sergeant and longtime friend of Coporal Nobby Nobbs
- Wee Mad Arthur: an urbanised Nac Mac Feegle raised as a gnome. Around six inches high but heartily dislikes being picked up.
- Constable Precious Jolson: a lady for whom the word large simply would not do
- Cheery Littlebottom: Watch sergeant and forensic expert, former alchemist guild member, female dwarf
- Carrot Ironfoundersson: A 6 feet 6 inches high dwarf (adopted), highly principled and naive (much the same thing in Ankh) watch officer
- Mr Jethro Jefferson: The blacksmith
- Stinky: A local goblin, known for hanging around the jailhouse
- Tears of the Mushroom: A female goblin who is being taught by Felicity Beedle to play the harp.
- Miss Felicity Beedle: An author of children's books primarily focused on bodily secretions.
- Young Sam: Son of Samuel Vimes
- Mister Stratford: Sociopathic killer
- Lord Vetinari of Ankh-Morpork: Patrician of Ankh-Morpork. Not a man you ever say no to!
- Drumknott: Lord Vetinari's secretary.
- William Stoner: Lawyer who answers to the magistrates.
- Mister Flutter: Turkey farmer
- Corporal Nobby Nobbs: Corporal in the Ankh-Morpork City Watch
- Harold King: Sir Harold king, King of Muck. His business is keeping the streets of Ankh-Morpork clean(ish). Among his staff are several goblins.
- Billy Slick: One of the few goblins in Ankh-Morpork; works for sir Harry King.
- Ted Flutter: Turkey farmer
- Mister A. E. Pessimal: Accountant who does the accounts for The Watch.
- Gastric Sillitoe: Gastric Sillitoe. Pilot of the riverboat called Wonderful Fanny.
- Igor: Forensics expert for The Watch. Igor is an Igor which means he is very good at sewing new body parts on.
- Mister Jiminy: Landlord of the Goblin's head. Ex policeman from Pseudopolis.
- Davey Hackett: Add a description of this character.
- Woolsthorpe
- Haddock: Constable Haddock. On secondment to the Quirm watch. His nickname is Kipper.
- Charles Augustus Makepeace
- Mrs Sillitoe: Wife of the captain of and namesake of the Wonderful Fanny
- Amanda
- Jackson Fieldfair
- Mr Praise and Salvation False: Complicated chicken farmer
- Marquis of Fantailer: The creator of the well known rules of combat - which no one knows
- Mistress Slightly
- Mrs Colonel
- Susan
- Ms. Emily Gordon
- Captain Carrot
- Knatchbull Harrington: Music writer for the Ankh-Morpork Times
- Sybil Vimes: Wife of Commander Vimes; mother to Young Sam
- Mister Burleigh
- Lady Margolotta: Ruler of Uberwald
- Letitia
- Mr Slant: Zombie lawyer
- Mister Brassbound: Crewman on the Wonderful Fanny
- Lord Rust
- Jane
- Lieutenant Perdix: Police officer in Quirm
- Roberta E. Biscuit: River boat on Old Treachery
- Young Gravid: Son of Lord Rust - not a nice guy
- Shires
- William Butler: Butler of the Ramkin estate
- Miss Pickings
- Jack Ramkin
- Kipper: Nickname of Haddock a Quirmian police officer
- Mr. Trooper: The city hangman for Ankh-Morpork
- Mr. Whistle
- Mr. Coffin
- Mr. Stratford: The main bad guy in the book - don't want to give anything away
- Granny Slick: Goblin granny; likes brandy, and snuff. Billy's great-grandmother
- Diamond King of Trolls: The character name sort of says it all
- De Worde: Chief editor of The Times
- Mr. Dave
- Sir Harry King: Generally shady businessman
- Mr. Gumption: Tobacconist - friend of Fred Colon
- Mr. Silver
- Low King: Of the Dwarfs
- ye ken
- Sam Vimes: Commander Samuel Vimes, Duke of Ankh-Morpork Blackboard monitor Vimes. Currently on holiday on his wife's estate and as a good copper is now investigating a multitude of crimes
- Mister Sillitoe: Captain of the Wonderful Fanny
- Mister Stoner
- Eddie Brassbound
- Mr. Sillitoe
Quotes edit
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“Aristocrats don’t notice philosophical conundra. They just ignore them. Philosophy includes contemplating the possibility that you might be wrong, sir, and a real aristocrat knows that he is always right. It’s not vanity, you understand, it’s built-in absolute certainty. They may sometimes be as mad as a hatful of spoons, but they are always definitely and certainly mad.”
Willikins -
“Everyone should occasionally break the law in some small and delightful way, Drumknott. It's good for the hygiene of the brain.”
Vetinari -
“Predators respect other predators... They may perhaps even respect the prey: the lion may lie down with the lamb, even if only the lion is likely to get up again, but the lion will not lie down with the rat.”
Vetinari
- Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
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I tell you, commander, it’s true that some of the most terrible things in the world are done by people who think, genuinely think, that they’re doing it for the best, especially if there is some god involved.
Highlighted by 47 Kindle customers -
“What is normal? Normal is yesterday and last week and last month taken together.”
Highlighted by 42 Kindle customers -
Indeed, if a poor man will spend a year in prison for stealing out of hunger, how high would the gallows need to be to hang the rich man who breaks the law out of greed?”
Highlighted by 40 Kindle customers -
yogurt, which to Vimes’s mind was a type of cheese that wasn’t trying hard enough.
Highlighted by 39 Kindle customers -
once policemen stopped being civilians the only other thing they could be was soldiers.
Highlighted by 37 Kindle customers -
Everyone should occasionally break the law in some small and delightful way, Drumknott. It’s good for the hygiene of the brain.”
Highlighted by 33 Kindle customers -
There was no point in arguing with Sybil, because even if you thought that you’d won, it would turn out, by some magic unavailable to husbands, that you had, in fact, been totally misinformed.
Highlighted by 28 Kindle customers -
It is well known that any drive to reduce paperwork only results in extra paperwork.
Highlighted by 26 Kindle customers -
I have no particular objection to people taking substances that make them feel better, or more contented or, for that matter, see little dancing purple fairies—or even their god if it comes to that. It’s their brain, after all, and society can have no claim on it, providing they’re not operating heavy machinery at the time.
Highlighted by 24 Kindle customers -
good people have no business being so bad. Goodness is about what you do. Not what you pray to.
Highlighted by 20 Kindle customers
Setting & Locations edit
- Ankh-morpork City Watch
- Ramkin Hall: The ancestoral home of Lady Sybil
- Wonderful Fanny: An oxen led riverboat
- Howondaland
- Nimes
- Tanty
- Koom Valley
- Uberwald
First Sentence edit
The goblin experience of the world is the cult or perhaps religion of Unggue.
Glossary edit
- Unggue: The nearest thing goblins have to a religion.
- Cucumiform: Shaped like a cucumber, or a variety of squash.
- Malus Equilibria: A most unusual tree, even by Discworld standards, in that when one of its apples falls to the ground, another rises to the heavens.
Series & Lists edit
This is book 39 of 54 in Discworld. (standard series)
Preceded by I Shall Wear Midnight.
This is book 8 of 8 in Ankh-Morpork City Watch. (standard series)
Preceded by Thud!.
This book is in 2011 Locus Recommended Reading List: Fantasy. (authoritative list)
This book is in Kirkus Reviews: Best Fiction of 2011. (authoritative list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- Terry Pratchett (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Doubleday UK
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Date: November 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-0385619264
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Doubleday UK
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Date: November 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-0385619264
Page Count: 400
Awards edit
- Prometheus Award (Finalist, 2012)
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 813
Subjects edit
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Links to Supplemental Material edit
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