Carpe Jugulum: A Novel of Discworld
by Terry Pratchett

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Book Reviews of Carpe Jugulum: A Novel of Discworld

Book Review: James Wilkinson
Summary: 5 Stars

It seems that just about every passing mythological creature wants to mess with Lancre these days. They're fighting tooth and nail (and fang and talon) to take over. Following on from the elves of "Lords and Ladies" are a family of vampires who have decided that their kind should stop lurking around in the shadows and living in impractical gothic mansions and take over Lancre, with the rest of the world to follow. No longer happy with how things are, they've decided to enslave the humans of the Disc (they obviously don't believe in free-range food). Sadly, they make the mistake of starting with a certain small county starting with "L"...

Whereas in "Last Continent", Pratchett seemed to forget about character progression (aside from poor Ponder Stibbons), he's back on form here. Agnes Nitt stops being a slightly more tough version of Magrat and becomes a fully fledged character in herself, whilst Granny's put through the emotional wringer again. As well as bringing back the old familiar (in both senses of the word) characters, CJ also brings in some new people - a priest who's lacking in self-confidence and a stereotypical igor being two of the most memorable.

In fact, there are only a couple of problems with the book, starting with the aforementioned igor character - in a world where Pratchett seems desparate to supply explanation for every odd occurance (how gods are 'made' in "Small Gods" or how an aerodynamically dragon can fly in "Guards! Guards!) the idea behind a community where people are sewn together from their relatives' body parts just doesn't feel... right (it makes for some pretty good jokes though). Likewise, there's a grey area as to exactly who's been turned into a vampire by the end of the book.

But it quotes a Beautiful South song, so that's okay.

Still, it's great to see Pratchett back on form. Welcome back, sir.

Summary of Carpe Jugulum: A Novel of Discworld

Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent Discworld novels satirize and celebrate every aspect of life, modern and ancient, sacred and profane. Consistent number-one bestsellers in England, they have garnered him a secure position in the pantheon of humor along with Mark Twain, Douglas Adams, Matt Groening, and Jonathan Swift.

Even so distinguished an author as A. S. Byatt has sung his praises, calling Pratchett's intricate and delightful fictional Discworld "more complicated and satisfying than Oz."

His latest satiric triumph, Carpe Jugulum, involves an exclusive royal snafu that leads to comic mayhem. In a fit of enlightenment democracy and ebullient goodwill, King Verence invites Uberwald's undead, the Magpyrs, into Lancre to celebrate the birth of his daughter. But once ensconced within the castle, these wine-drinking, garlic-eating, sun-loving modern vampires have no intention of leaving. Ever.

Only an uneasy alliance between a nervous young priest and the argumentative local witches can save the country from being taken over by people with a cultivated bloodlust and bad taste in silk waistcoats. For them, there's only one way to fight.

Go for the throat, or as the vampyres themselves say...
Carpe Jugulum

The plot is a version of an earlier Discworld novel, Lords and Ladies, with the predatory elves of that novel being replaced here by suave and deadly vampires, and the tiny kingdom of Lancre being defended by its witches. But plot is the least of Pratchett's appeal, and Carpe Jugulum is loaded with marvelous characters (not least the witches themselves, about whom we learn a deal more), comic touches and scenes of genius, and even some of the renowned down-to-earth Pratchett wisdom (about the inner ethical conflicts we all face and the wrongness of treating people as things). Pratchett's vampires are elegant Bela Lugosi types, and they come up against an unlikely but engaging alliance of witches; blue-skinned pixies like Rob Roy Smurfs; a doubting priest with a boil on his face; and a magical house-size Phoenix in a seamless, completely absorbing, and feel-good-about-the-universe mixture. Highly recommended. --Adam Roberts, Amazon.co.uk

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