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Carnivorous plants have not yet eaten Terry Pratchett, he who used to be their master. One assumes that since his keyboard is still helping create Discworld improbabilities that the Pratchett house has similarly been spared. It is possible that a trend was set for Britons when Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy achieved popularity in the late seventies. Terry Pratchett had had his first short story, The Hades Business, appear in his school magazine when he was thirteen and later saw it published commercially when he was fifteen. His first full length book, The Carpet People predated Adams' success while The Dark Side of the Sun andStrata appeared during Hitchhiker's heyday. Pratchett's books were primarily aimed at children, however. A short time later, in 1983, the first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was released. 1986 saw the publication of The Light Fantastic . The popularity of Discworld was such that in 1987 Pratchett gave up thoughts of mundane journalism, or even being a press officer for nuclear power plants, to settle full-time on Discworld. Since then Pratchett has been producing children's novels such as The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents and The Wee Free Men, collaborations with artists such as Paul Kidby on graphic novels (which others might call comic books) and items as disparate as The Discworld Companion, (with Stephen Briggs) Nanny Ogg's Cookbook and calendars and diaries. A Good Thing, too. Would either our Earth or Discworld be as rich as they are without the Witches, who first appeared in Equal Rites had Terry Pratchett obeyed any unnatural impulse to remain a journalist? Other Discworld novels such as The Last Continent, Reaper Man, Mort or more latterlyThe Truth, Thief of Time and Night Watch have not witnessed a lessening of Pratchett's popularity. In fact, he was Britain's highest earning author of 1996. It is interesting to note that the author who has overtaken him in popularity, J K Rowling, also writes in the fantasy genre. One wonders what this says of the reading public who are, perhaps, rather tired of the horrors of the Real World. True to earlier Discworld tales, Monstrous Regiment is a satire. This time war, soldiers and of course the generic army come under scrutiny. Polly Perks, who helps her father run the inn, The Duchess, decides to cut off her long golden curls and dress in boys' clothing in order to join the army and discover what has happened to her brother Paul. 'Borogravia is a peace -loving country in the midst of treacherous, devious, warlike enemies' so of course the army was pleased to welcome young Oliver (as Polly had become) Perks into the ranks of its severely depleted ranks. Oliver had learned to behave as a man, mastering the walk, farting, scratching and picking of nose - all the necessary and sufficient attributes of being a male - so becomes one of the newest recruits. Polly is not in the slightest fazed by being one of a squadron containing a vampire, a troll and an Igor. Polly's own secret makes her a very acceptable Monster in the Monstrous Regiment. Borogravia has a very intolerant god - Nuggan - unto whom nearly everything is an abomination (including, of course, women dressed up in boys' clothes.) The citizens, perhaps as a measure of defiance, have therefore turned to worship their ruler, the Duchess, as almost a powerful deity as the god himself. The Monstrous Regiment has, as one of its soldiers, a devout worshiper of the Duchess, a lad who swears he can see the Duchess and communes with her continuously. Sergeant Jackrum vows to take care of his 'little lads' as he leads them on a quest to vanquish the enemy. Just how this is to be done is told by Pratchett in his customarily hilarious manner. The chapterless narrative lacks, alas, any appearance by the Witches, although DEATH has a cameo part. Commander (for some time a Duke) Sam Vimes has a bit role - although I did not find him nearly as endearing as in previous tales. Lampooning of officers is great sport in this novel which even includes a Joan of Arc facsimile. Perhaps the Big Secret of the squadron is a bit obvious, but who cares in the face of all the improbabilities that are, as usual, featured in a Discworld book. Unlike the earlier Discworld outings, there are no magicians inhabiting this novel, and no magic appears in a puff of Octarine. There is a very dark side to the story. Well, darkness has been more and more intruding into the Discworld in comparison with the innocence and naïveté of the early books. One wonders how much of an influence the war in Iraq (does 'shock and awe' ring any kind of a bell with readers?) has had on the author. To my regret, Josh Kirby is not the artist for this work. Regardless, Pratchett should see no lessening of his popularity with readers with this opus. I, for one, eagerly await the next installment of the chronicles of Discworld, be they ever so dark.
Reviewed by Denise Wels, September 2003
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