Hello, it's Reviewsday Tuesday and it's time for a new episode of Discworld Discourses.
Today I am reviewing Feet of Clay
Which is the 19th book in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, first published in 1996.
In this we follow the Watch of Ankh-Morpork, led by Sam Vimes,
As they investigate the poisoning of Lord Vetinari
And two mysterious murders that have seemingly been committed by golems.
As you may know, the Watch books are my very favourites of the Discworld series
And Feet of Clay has been one of my favourites so far in this reread,
Which surprised me a bit because I didn't remember it so specifically from my previous read of the series.
It has one of my favourite openings of any Discworld book,
Especially with how Sam Vimes is introduced.
It's my favorite Sam Vimes introduction,
At time of filming, I don't know if that will change in the future.
But I hadn't remembered that it was in this book so that was a lovely surprise when I read it at the start,
And this is the book in this reread where Sam Vimes has once again become by favourite character.
And just generally I love the characterisation in Feet of Clay.
Of Vetinari, of Angua and Carrot, of Nobby and Colon, of Detritus.
Cheery Littlebottom is a great addition to the series,
And I love Dorfl so much.
One of my favourite books so far in this reread for complex characters and complex relationships.
And the story is pretty complex too.
There's another mystery to be solved, we've had a few of those recently in the Discworld series.
And on several occasions I thought I had a handle on things, and knew what was happening,
And thought I was ahead of the characters. But oh no, I was not. I was not.
It's quite satisfying the way that the book provides the clues to help solve the mystery.
And it doesn't insult the reader's inteligence, which I like a lot.
The book brooches some complex subjects
And I love how it does with the trademark Pratchett wit.
What it means to be alive, prejudice, racism, intolerance, inequality, gender, monarchy,
There's a lot to think about in this book.
Some Discworld books, you know, are lighter and full of fun,
Full of laughs and jokes and puns.
This book has that, it's still funny,
But it feels like one of the more serious books, I'm not sure if that's the right word,
But it has layers and it tackles complex subjects.
I guess it's one of the ones that could require more work to read it
But it's more rewarding because of that.
And that might be a bit why Feet of Clay has faded out a bit in my memory.
A lot of the books, I have a very clear memory of 'this is the book in which, BAM, this happened.'
'This is the thing I remember and loved about this specific book.'
A few words that describe what this book is abou and why I love it.
I feel like the things I like about Feet of Clay are things that are less easily described in a few words.
Like the way that Sam Vimes was introduced.
Like the course of Angua and Cheery's relationship over the course of the book.
How Vetinari works and his relationship with Vimes.
The way the golems are treated over the course of the book
And how the Watch's perception of them changes over the course of the book.
These are all things that are awesome
And are probably things at the end of the series that I might not remember are all in this book.
Anyway, as you may be able to tell, I was really impressed with Feet of Clay
And I will give it 4.6 out of 5.
I would really love to know what you think about Feet of Clay if you have read it.
Do you feel similarly about this book or differently?
So, some facts about Feet of Clay:
Several crests of Ankh-Morpork guilds and families are presented in this book,
And their associated mottos, and a few of them, translated, are:
For baker, Rudolph Potts: 'Because I knead the dough.'
For Vetinari: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'
And for the de Nobbes family: 'Take it all.'
There are, as is common in the Discworld series, many references to the Roundworld.
There are references to Sherlock Holmes, and Hamlet, and the TV comedy, Cheers,
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,
And also to British history with Charles I and Oliver Cromwell.
This book sees the first appearance of a Nac Mac Feegle, with Wee Mad Arthur.
Although in this book he is described as a gnome, so although it's the first appearance,
It's not our first introduction.
And this book also sees the start of Gaspode's association with Foul Ole Ron.
So, if you liked Feet of Clay, what should you read next?
The next Watch book is Jingo, and then after that it is The Fifth Elephant.
But if you haven't read Guards! Guards! & Men are Arms yet then I'd definitely put those at the top of the list.
Also, if you liked the golems, you might want to check out Going Postal and Making Money.
If you didn't like Feet of Clay then I would probably recommend sticking with the Discworld reading order
And trying Hogfather next, and I will be reviewing that on 5th November.
I'll put a link to the full list of Discworld books and when I'm planning on reviewing them in the description below.
That is it for today. As I said before, I would love to know your thoughts on Feet of Clay if you have read it.
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I hope you have a fantastic day and I will see you later on in the week!