Thief of Time: A Novel of Discworld

If you enjoy Sci-Fi and love to laugh this is a great series for you. Thief of time is part of the Discworld Series. It's full of chuckles and makes fun, tongue-in-cheek, of all the elments of Sci-Fi. This is the first book in the many available books in the Discworld Series that I've read. I can't wait to get my hands on the others!

This book brings three of Pratchett's best characters: the small ancient Lu Tze, Death, and Death's granddaughter Miss Susan. Unlike many Pratchett books, this one is a page turner. Highly recommended

No matter what time it is, it's time to read Pratchett's Thief of Time. Disk World may run out of time if something isn't done. Unfortunately no body, even DEATH, knows what to do about it. Like MEMENTO hits Disk World. You'll have a good time figuring this one out.

What can you say about Pratchett ? Philosophy, science both political and material, religion in all its varieties all get their amusing and topical due. If you catch only half the allusions you still have plenty to go on in this weird and loopy discworld. I'm presently on discworld 36 which deals with the very topical idea of banking and money. Simply love the guy!!!

The rules of the universe are once again being bent to endanger life, but this time it is really Time itself that is being used as the weapon of choice. The 26th installment of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series finds many characters quite literally being a Thief of Time from certain points of view, yet only one can truly change history.

The Auditors of Reality attempt once again to organize the universe by getting rid of life by literally stopping everything by having a clockmaker construct the perfect clock. Unfortunately for the Auditors, Death catches wind of their scheming and once against enlists his granddaughter Susan to track down someone who might be able to correct their actions. Meanwhile the Monks of Time catch wind of the construction of the perfect clock as warning sign pop up like they did the first time such a clock was constructed. While Death and Susan take their own paths towards battling the Auditors, the famous Lu-Tse and his apprentice race to stop the clockmaker. And while these heroes race to save Time, the Auditors of Reality begin to learn about what it means to be human and that sudden emersion probably wasn’t the best way to do so.

Thief of Time follows a new pattern by Pratchett in which he focused more on plot and story structure, instead of jokes that string along the story. In fact while there is humor in this book it isn’t paramount to anything connected with the plot, it’s just that some funny things happen along the way towards the climax. This isn’t to say that the book isn’t good, in fact it continues Pratchett’s string of great work but the early sophomoric humor or plain repetitiveness of some jokes are thing of the past in the series. However while the events in this book clear up various timeline anomalies created earlier in the series, it also marks the ending of the Death subseries (though he continues to make appearances) and the last appearance of Susan Sto Helit which for their fans is a major disappointment as the series would continue for 15 more books.

Yet while Thief of Time does turns out to represent the last appearance for some fan favorites, it continues Pratchett’s string of great installments of the Discworld series. For anyone who is a fan of Pratchett you’ll love this book and if you’re new to the Discworld after reading this book you’ll be interested about his earlier installments.

Reread. (again, but whose counting?)

Susan Death is a wonderful protagonist. She just wants to be normal! Not happening. Not even if she goes the most traditional and boring route of Governess and graduates to Schoolmarm. Death happens, or it doesn’t, and Susan has to take up the old scythe. Darn it, time to save the world again!

From a glass clock, just like the fairy tale. Doesn’t sound so bad, but it can stop time. And the Auditors are taking a more direct hand… there’s some interesting observations about the human condition in there. Some subtle, some so broad a slapstick team would blush.

Jeremy the clock-maker – so sane that he comes to crazy from the other direction. And he takes one spoon of meds every day – and pours it down the sink. And has ‘little moments’ when he doesn’t take his meds. Sigh. Some people with mental disabilities hate that bit, because the neuro atypical are more likely to be harmed by ‘normals’ than to do the harm…. but that’s not funny, so its not in the book.

And then Susan finds out that there’s someone like her – the child of an anthropomorphic personification. And romance is supposed to be inevitable, but… not really. I think romance was Pterry’s least favorite part of the story, because they always fall so flat. There’s no chemistry between Susan and Lobsang “Hero is Just Another Word For Idiot” Ludd. Except that he’s someone like her, so who else does she have?

In the wake of the passing of Terry Pratchett, I felt myself wanting to revisit Discworld, only to realize that I'm almost out of new books to read in the series - something that's all the more painful now that Pratchett has passed. Instead, I returned to Thief of Time, which was the first book in the Discworld series I ever read. Would it hold up to my fond memories of it, or would I see that it was mainly remarkable because it was my first exposure to Pratchett's great writing? Turns out, not only did Thief of Time live up to my memories, it surpassed them, still delivering Pratchett's rich, funny, thought-provoking writing and giving you one of the best Discworld stories there is. Trying to explain the plot gets complicated, as it often does in Discworld; suffice to say that a race known as the Auditors are trying to build the universe's most accurate clock, which may result in the Apocalypse; as a result, a pair of monks, Death, and Death's granddaughter (now a school teacher) work to save the universe from its most recent destruction. What happens, though, is far less important than how it all happens, and the how is what provides Thief of Time with its gloriously funny comedy, its genuinely thoughtful and complex philosophy and cosmology, and its intricate plotting. With tangents ranging from the nature of time to the power of sensations, from the importance of temptation in shaping humanity to the way common aphorisms can truly reveal the universe, Thief of Time is boundless in its ambition and complexity, but Pratchett's skill and craft never makes it feel like it's losing control; instead, it always feels shaped and focused, no matter where its gleefully chaotic plot feels like traveling. I stand by my claim that Thief is a phenomenal starting point for anyone wanting to get into Discworld; yes, there are aspects you'll appreciate more having read some of the previous entries, but it stands on its own, and it's a wonderful example of how Pratchett isn't easily pigeonholed into any single category. Comedy, fantasy, science-fiction, drama, philosophy, science - it's all in here, all brilliant, all insightful, and all gripping and enjoyable. In other words, it's just more brilliance from Pratchett. And while it's awful that he's gone, at least he's left behind books like this for us to read and re-read for generations to come.

I've read a number of Discworld books now, and some are really, really good, and some are tedious and not much fun, and this one is somewhere between these two extremes, tending toward really good.

In this book a borderline psychotic named Jeremy is a master clockmaker. He is engaged by the cosmic Auditors to build the perfect clock, which they know (but Jeremy doesn't know) will stop time once it's completed. In this way the Auditors hope to bring an end to the human race and make the universe a more orderly place. Arrayed against the Auditors is Susan Sto Helit, otherwise known as Death's granddaughter, a couple of History Monks, Death, the Death of Rats and Quoth the Raven, one of the Auditors herself, and the fifth rider of the Apocalypse, who is currently a milkman named Ronnie.

Despite all these characters racing to Ankh-Morpork to prevent the clock from going off, the clock does its trick, and time comes to a standstill. Now things get really squirrely. The time monks are living on borrowed time, and the other characters are supernaturals who are not subject to the flow of time, so they continue to resist. In the end they destroy the clock and put the world to rights, though it is a hard fight against many Auditors to do so. This book is better than usual and is quite enjoyable, though it's not Pratchett's best. I wanted Death to take a more active role in stopping the clock than he does, just because I like the character and enjoy seeing him in action. He leaves most of the fight to Susan, who bears up well, as you'd expect. In the end of the book Susan may have finally met an appropriate lover, but it's all up in the air, and we'll see. Maybe we'll find out if Pratchett does another Death book.

This was certainly an interesting one. The Auditors are once again trying to rid the universe of life.
As such, Susan is featured heavily in this one and, as with The Hogfather, I very much enjoyed her "at the end of the day, someone's got to tip the wee out of the shoes" attitude to life. Not sure if I'd have wanted her as my teacher though.
Having loved Small Gods, I was overjoyed to find the history monks are involved, particularly Lu Tze. He was quite the character and had me snickering like a hyena for ages while reading. And I'll certainly remember Rule One as I'm no doubt sure many of Discworld's characters wished they had. Especially the Auditors. And Lobsang. Poor Lobsang, always forgetting Rule One. ^_^
The one blemish in this otherwise excellent read? I wasn't a fan of Jeremy, he was a little too ... odd for my liking and some of the beginning scenes with him are equally out of whack. But then again, Jeremy wasn't a fan of Jeremy either.

They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day." John Watts

First things first. This review is dedicated to Stephen Haines. A prolific, life-long reader Stephen (known to his friends on the store as The Bunyip) was a fine reviewer. Opinionated, literate, and coherent, Stephen covered a wide range of subjects. In particular though he was devoted to Terry Pratchett, science generally and Darwin specifically, and loved nothing more than to do battle with those who saw science as something to be feared or bent to serve some cause or ideology other than science itself. He loved to talk, loved to argue and enjoyed the battle of dissenting, sometimes spluttering opinions amongst his friends. He also loved the taste of single malt and how can you not like a guy who likes a sip of whiskey on a cold Ottawa night? So I decided to pen a review in Stephen's honor and since Stephen's time was too short; a skeletal man riding a white horse named Binky showed up too early at his door, I thought one of Pratchett's finest Discworld books, "Thief of Time" would be suitable. Stephen was a good man and a better friend.

Now, down to brass tacks. Thief of Time pits the forces of rules and order (in the morphing form of the Auditors) against the forces of chaos (humanity - in whatever form that takes in Discworld). The auditor are all about the rules, the laws of nature, numbers, and the objective `data' that goes into making a universe tick. The auditors have long despised the folks on Discworld. They don't know or understand `the rules' and they seem to always put a crimp in the beautiful order of things. So the auditors send one of its own, in the form of the aptly named Lady Myria LeJean (apparently a play on myriad and legion) to build a clock so perfect, so precise that it will stop time. Myria retains the service of Jeremy Clockson, an orphan apprenticed to the Clockmaker's Guild who is renowned for his clock making skills to make this perfect clock. At the same time Lobsang Ludd, also an orphan but one apprenticed to the Thieves' Guild, and who is renowned for his exquisite skills at thievery finds himself being taught new skills by the aged Lu Tze (think Dalai Lama with the skills of Jackie Chan). DEATH smells a rat (and it isn't his sidekick the Death of Rats) and discovers that the auditors are up to no good. He drafts his granddaughter Susan to help Lobsang and Lu Tze. The rest of the book tracks the two camps, Lu-Tze/Lobsang/Susan and Lejean/Jeremy/Auditors as they prepare for the inevitable clash. Oh yes, and DEATH tries valiantly to bring the four other (yes four) horsemen of the apocalypse to help do battle with the auditors.

The above plot description, as convoluted as it may be, is only a superficial description. As any Discworld reader knows, Pratchett's stories are set out in rapid-fire fashion and often include multiple plot lines. Thief of Time is no exception. But also no exception is that the thrill of reading any Discworld book is the unique combination of wit, humor, and insight that Pratchett brings to the table. He manages to take a raft of complex issues, in this instance time and our perception of time, and weave these pretty significant concepts into a fantasy world filled with pretty weird but strangely endearing characters. Lu Tze, Lobsang are two such characters.

All-in-all this is one of Pratchett's finest Discworld books in my opinion. Although it stands on its own, I think readers will enjoy Thief of Time a bit more if they have a few other volumes under their belt. It really would help to have an understanding, for example, of the role DEATH plays in the Discworld series.

Thief of Time closes with this: "Even with nougat you can have a perfect moment." There were a lot of perfect moments in Thief of Time just as I trust Stephen had a lot of his own. Stephen, we miss you. RIP Bunyip.

l. fleisig

When it comes to some airplane/beach reading, Terry Pratchett's Discworld books are definitely not a bad choice if you're a sci-fi/fantasy fan. They're light, not too long, and funny in that British kind of way. They'll make you think a little bit, but not too much to make your head hurt. The mixture of comedy, action, and a little romance is just right for when you want an enjoyable book that isn't too heavy and overbearing.

That said, "Thief of Time" is the fourth of Pratchett's Discworld novels I've read and it didn't really make much of an impact on me. It killed a couple hours at the airport, on the plane, and later on a train but that was really about it. Mostly, this felt the same as the other Discworld books I'd read where some seemingly innocuous thing created by some fringe character threatens to destroy the universe until a ragtag bunch of non-heroes band together to stop it.

In this case, Jeremy Clockson is an orphan adopted by the Clockmaker's Guild who is obsessive about making accurate clocks. A strange but beautiful woman named Lady LeJean comes into his shop one day with the challenge to make the Ultimate Clock. Jeremy takes this on with the help of his rented Igor and some inspiration from his dreams for a glass clock.

Unbeknownst to Jeremy, this has already been done before and the fallout required the mysterious History Monks to patch Time back together into something resembling a plausible reality. Sweeper Lu Tse was the one who nearly stopped the last clock and vows to stop it this time with the help of his new assistant Lobsang Ludd. Meanwhile, Death realizes the universe will end on Wednesday and is preparing for the Apocalypse by rounding up the other three Horsemen: Pestilence, Famine, and War in a style reminiscent of the "Blues Brothers." In the meantime he tasks his "granddaughter" Susan to look into what will bring an end to life as we know it.

All these different plot threads come together fairly well in the end as all our non-heroes battle the bureaucratic Auditors for the fate of the universe. Still, as I said, even though I've only read four of these it felt like I'd read most of this before with only the specifics changed. I suppose when you write as many of these as Pratchett has it's easy to fall into a formula, albeit an enjoyable formula.

As I said at the beginning though, if you want some light reading that is a little more substantial and enjoyable than the latest Nicholas Sparks or James Patterson rag, Pratchett is your man. It just probably doesn't matter WHICH one you read.

That is all.

"Thief of Time" is the twenty-sixth book in Terry Pratchett's hugely popular Discworld series and was first published in 2001. He has gone on to win the Carnegie Medal for "The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents" and was awarded the OBE in 1998.

Officially, The Auditors are in charge of the universe : they see that atoms spin, that gravity works and that things move in curves. However, they hate life - too many irregularities - and have tried several times to deal with those pesky humans. In "Thief of Time", they're at it again - only, this time, they're being a little more devious about it. Normally Death - wears black, bony knees, big grin, carries a scythe - would do what he could to thwart them. However, due to an impending Apocalypse, he has to gather his fellow Horsemen - Famine, War and Pestilence - for the traditional ride. (There's also the matter of the mysterious fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse, who left before they became famous). As a result, Death persuades his grand-daughter Susan into helping out with the fight against the Auditors. Susan is now a teacher in Ankh-Morpork, so she's used to fighting for her life on a daily basis. Thankfully, for this battle she has Death of Rats and Quoth the Raven to help her out.

The Order of Wen is based at the Monastery of Oi Dong in the High Ramtops. It is known by several aliases - including the History Monks. It's up to them to see that history follows the right track (it doesn't just happen, after all), and when history breaks it's the Order's job to fix it. Their job is made easier by their ability to move and store time, largely thanks to their "procrastinators". Lu-Tze is one of the Order's most notable members. However, as a Sweeper at the monastery, few pay him any real attention - only the most enlightened know who he actually is. He is an expert at deja-fu, a form of martial arts, and particularly enjoys growing bonsai mountains. In "Thief of Time", Lu-Tze is assigned a difficult new apprentice : Lobsang Ludd. Lobsang was a foundling and was raised for a while by the Guild of Thieves. (In fact, it seems he was pretty good at what he did). However, he entered the Monastery after being discovered by Brother Soto, the Order's Field Operative in Ankh-Morpork. Lobsang shows an uncanny talent for the Order's work also : when there's a time leak, he manages the Procrastinators like an artist.

Jeremy Clockson, like Lobsang, is a foundling - though, in Jeremy's case, he was raised by the Guild of Clockmakers. He runs a shop in Ankh-Morpork and is a brilliant, though slightly erratic, clockmaker. He's on medication (senior Guild members make sure he takes it) but id officially sane (he has the certificate that proves it). Jeremy is hired by the mysterious Lady Myria LeJean to build a truly accurate glass clock. If you believed in fairy stories, it might just remind you of one where Time herself was trapped inside a glass clock...

A fast-moving and very enjoyable book - Lu-Tze, in particular, is very funny. On the other hand, I was a bit sorry Quoth and Death of Rats didn't feature more - I hope this isn't the duo's last appearance. Lady LeJean, despite her nefarious first intentions, became a very likeable character. Very highly recommended.

In `Thief of Time' the Assessors, those mysterious, anal retentive entities who are fanatically dedicated to an orderly, clockwork Universe and hate the messiness introduced by living beings, are at it once again with yet another plot to cleanse the world of the contagion of life. This time, their plot involves the building of the ultimate clock; a device made all of crystal and so in tune with the heartbeat of Universe that it can capture and imprison Time herself (yes, on Discworld, Time is a she). To accomplish this, they need the help of Jeremy Clockson, a clockmaker whose brilliance at his trade is only rivaled by the unsettling instability of his personality. More remarkably, they find it necessary for some of their number to actually assume human form and risk the horror of personality to accomplish their goal. Opposing their diabolical plan are the History Monks (a super secret order who work behind the scenes to preserve the integrity of history), and Death, who once again marshals his forces and rides to the rescue of life. As with many of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, this plot is of little importance in itself, but serves mostly as the loose framework upon which he can hang his amazing characters and an excuse to display his highly evolved and hilarious sense of satire and parody.

Discworld fans will recognize many old friends in the present cast, led by Death himself, who as usual displays his grim fascination with and sympathy for those living creatures that are his responsibility to terminate. His companions, Death of Rats and Quoath the raven (the Laurel and Hardy of grim reaping), along with his ever resourceful granddaughter, the stern and perpetually ticked off Miss Susan do most of the footwork, while he rides off to marshal the rest of the Four Horsemen to ride as the world's quite Apocalypse approaches. Even Granny Ogg, the most colorful of the three Lancre witches has a significant cameo which adds nicely to her legend. But stealing center stage for much of the book is Lu-Tze, the humble sweeper and mythic hero of the History Monks. He shines as he expounds upon his Way, a body of wisdom learned from an old lady seamstress and consisting entirely of stale clichés treated as deep, sacred wisdom, and as he displays a remarkable grasp of the art which senior Lancre witch Granny Weatherwax calls headology, which he continually demonstrates in his own sly, unassuming style.

Pratchett's satire is sharp as ever, as he tackles everything from the apparent absurdity of mystical philosophy (and the fact that it sometimes works in spite of this) to the wild realm of Chaos Theory. Along the way he interjects priceless parodies - Qu, the History Monk's device expert (a la 007), who creates such items as exploding begging bowls with spring loaded blades; the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse, who split with the other four early on because of creative differences and went on to pursue a career in dairy products, and of course, death by chocolate.

`Thief of Time' is not the best place to begin if you have never before read any of Pratchett's Discworld novels. Though it can stand alone, it builds upon themes and characters that have appeared in previous novels, such as `Hogfather', `Reaper Man', `Mort', `Wyrd Sisters', and others. If you are already familiar with some or all of these books, you can appreciate `Thief of Time' to the fullest extent of its brilliance. I recommend this one for experienced Discworld travelers.

Theo Logos

Thief of Time, the 26th Discworld novel written by Terry Pratchett, is much more metaphysical than most of the previous books (other than Small Gods, perhaps). The book is so full of ideas that it's almost bursting, which has both its good and bad points.
This is yet another winner by Pratchett. It's nowhere near as good as The Truth, the last Discworld book I read. However, it is really good. Pratchett deals with a lot of large issues, such as the nature of time and space. He's never really been this metaphysical before. Even Small Gods was a bit minor compared to this. It can get a bit confusing at times, which is one strike against the book. If you're not that interested in these kinds of issues, then the book can drag a little. It's still worth it, though, for the many riffs on other, less "grand" things. There's a James Bond riff, a comment on the state of the educational system, even a parody of martial arts movies. You will find yourself laughing despite yourself.
I think Pratchett does a nice job of balancing everything in this one. If you've read my review of Small Gods, you'll know that I thought that it was missing the humour that is Pratchett's trademark, and it suffered a bit. This time, though, he's got the mix right. There is plenty to laugh at, but there is plenty of subtext as well for the serious reader. I really enjoyed reading about Lu-Tze and the sacred text that he follows which is based on the words of a boarding house manager ("Ah, but is it not said, `There is a time and place for everything?'"). This isn't just funny, but turns a series of cliches on its head.
Pratchett doesn't forget the characters in this book, either. In fact, it's so full of characters that sometimes they start stepping on each other. All of them have their funny hook. The Abbott of the monastery, who is immortal only through serial reincarnation (and right now he's just been born again so he's got a baby's urges), is probably the funniest. There's also Susan, who has come to terms with the fact that being the granddaughter of an anthropomorphic projection isn't all it's cracked up to be. She wants to lead a simple life as a teacher, but she finds out that sometimes you have to get involved in things in order to make the world go right.
There are really too many characters to mention all of them, but suffice it to say you'll be entertained by them all. They are all unique characters with wonderful character hooks that get you to care about them. There's a nice mix of characters we've seen before and new characters as well. Don't worry, though. All of the returning characters are explained enough that you will be able to follow along. There is a tiny reference to Small Gods as pertains to Lu-Tze, but it's not that important if you don't get it.
The plot of this book is very large. At 427 pages, it's very long for a Discworld book, as Pratchett has a lot to say on the subject. There are times that it drags, and unfortunately one of those times is when everybody's in the thick of the problem. There are some funny moments in that sequence, but for some reason the book seems to come to a screeching halt occasionally and it takes a while to get going again. There are one or two other sequences where this happens as well (such as when Lobsang stops a timestorm from getting out of hand). In retrospect, I can see the value of these scenes, so I don't think of this as padding. The writing just lets it down so that it feels like padding as you're reading it.
The concepts in this book, though, are marvelous. I love the idea of taking time from somewhere it's not needed and putting it where it is needed (have you ever wondered, "where has the time gone?" It probably got used somewhere else while you were doing something boring). I loved most of the metaphysical and philosophical issues that Pratchett addressed. If this isn't your thing, then I think you'll still be entertained by the book. Perhaps you can just skim through the philosophy. If you do, though, you will miss a lot of the meat of the book.
I highly recommend this book with the above caveat. However, while everything is explained within the book, I would certainly not recommend that you start reading the series with this one. It's not necessarily typical of the Discworld books, and there's a lot of stuff that you won't get the nuances for if you haven't read at least some of the other books. The rest of the series is worth it, though, so I definitely suggest you do that.

Terry Pratchett's wit, erudition and sheer volume of words & ideas will continue to amaze, long after he retires from Discworld writing. Even so, as he got up to the two dozen mark, some of us began to suspect that perhaps he was at last tiring of his creation. He never ran out of fresh ideas, but the way the ideas coalesced into novels started to seem mechanical. It wasn't so certain as before that he was affectionately disposed towards his lead characters. The same bit-part actors began constantly to put in cameo appearances (e.g. the irritating talking dog, the meat pie man, and so on), and to deliver the same predictable punchlines ("on-a-stick", "woof", Death talking "IN CAPITAL LETTERS", etc). For a time, even at best, it looked like writing by numbers. Worse still, the plots sometimes only worked because of holes in the narrative, essential connections between people or actions that the author withheld from the reader in a slightly contrived way (check it out for yourself if you don't believe me). Of course Pratchett remained entertaining - I think he finds it quite hard not to be - but it made me look back nostalgically to "Equal Rites" and "Small Gods".
The good news is that "Thief of Time" is a triumphant return to form. The plot runs like clockwork. The wit, simultaneously affectionate and bitingly ironic, is delivered with beautiful timing. The lead characters are gently heroic, and the villains chilling, even as they are comic. The tragi-comedy runs particularly deep with Lady LeJean, the poignancy of whose inner turmoil (and I don't want to spoil things for anyone who still has the book to look forward to) has been tackled with special warmth and compassion. She ranks as one of the finest creations in Pratchett's entire body of work.
I'm not going to waste your time or mine recycling the plot. Suffice it to say that once again the Universe is in danger of imminent demise. Once again, Pratchett develops a further strand in the cosmology of a universe that works according to the science and superstitions of our medieval ancestors. Yet another cinematic genre is held up to satire (this time the Kung Fu tradition). And once again, Pratchett makes some deceptively deep observations about the world we ourselves live in.
This is Pratchett's best book for some years. Even allowing for the fact that there as always quite a few in-jokes for long terms fans, this would be as good a place as any for a new reader to start.

Much as I love Pratchett, this one was probably the weakest Discworld book of his I've read so far. The first half was great, wittily interweaving three seemingly separate subplots. When they merged half way through, though, something just didn't click together correctly. Sadly, the book never regained its earlier momentum.

On the bright side, parts of it throughout are genuinely funny -- we expect no less from Pratchett -- and he has a few interesting insights into the nature of time and what it is to be human.

Unfortunately, the climax of this book seems to occur half way through it, and then becomes an overly extended sequence that takes up another quarter or so of the book. Several parts of this seemed awkwardly written and/or structured, enough I had to reread a few paragraphs to make sure I hadn't brain-blipped and missed something. That's not normally the case with Pratchett, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to both him having a bad day as a writer and me as a reader.

One other thing disapointed me: I've always thought that one of the strengths of the series is the vast cast of well-developed characters, yet they are conspicuously absent. There are cameos by Nanny Ogg, Quothe, and Death of Rats, but that's about it. I kept hoping some of the others (the Librarian, Nobby, Vetinari, etc) would show up for at least a "walk on" but no luck.

If you're a fan of Discworld, I suspect this book will be a let-down. At the very least, keep your expectations reasonable, knowing he's done a lot better.

This book is all about time, but I thought it dragged. Pratchett’s pacing from the middle to the end was lacking.

This is a minor criticism, however, given that the humor in this book might be some of the most laugh-out-loud in any Discworld book. The Kung Fu parody is hilarious with the "master" constantly saying "Is it not written" followed by inane things like "Oo, you are so sharp you'll cut yourself one of these days"? Almost as funny is the early section with the clockmaker and the Igor and their discussions of insanity.

I would put this solidly in the middle of my ratings of Discworld books - which is pretty amazingly high. Pratchett's Discworld is a treasure.

"Thief of Time" is one of the better novels in the Discworld series that I have read; I would agree with the sentiment that the later novels surpass the earlier ones. Even though this, the twenty-sixth book in the series, has several characters readers have previously met, it doesn't rely on prior knowledge or revolve these characters around a super-thin plot. This trip is quite the trip through time and a laugh-out-loud look at what makes the universe tick.

There are forces in the universe, known as the Auditors, who want to stop time, to create a perfect universe free of humans, that they can then study. They hire a young clock maker to construct the perfect clock, without the clock maker realizing that the consequence of his work would be the end of Time. DEATH, in an effort to prevent this apocalypse, calls on his granddaughter Miss Susan to seek out the inventor and try to save the world. At the same time, the history monks whose job it is to guarantee that tomorrow happens, have the same task at hand and very little time to do it in.

Terry Pratchett is a master satirist with a keen voice for humor and irony. "Thief of Time", while comedic, has a lot to say about today's world - a giant leap from the early travails of the first Discworld novels. Pratchett has honed his craft into delectable commentaries that engage readers at the humor level, but also at the intellectual level. "Thief of Time" may be the wittiest of them all.

Of the fifteen or so books I've read in the Discworld series, this is the most esoteric and metaphysical -- and, perhaps for that reason, it tends to drag in the middle, when Pratchett is having to come up with explanations and the main characters are mostly on the road. The plot revolves around the Monks of Time, ensconced in a monastery way up in the high mountains near the Hub. Their job is to see that things happen. Not merely the "right things" -- just things. They've learned how to move time from slack periods in history to those points where it's really needed. And perhaps the most important person in the monastery is not the 800-year-old abbot (presently enduring an infantile reincarnation) but the 700-year-old lowly sweeper, Lu-Tze, who takes under his wing a novice named Lobsang, an orphaned ex-thief from Ankh-Morpork, who turns out (of course) to be very important to the survival of Time itself. Because there's a young clockmaker in the city who is about to construct a crystal clock with the ability to stop the progress of time. All this happens because the non-human Auditors want everything nice and tidy. My favorite character this time, though, is Miss Susan, whom we've met before. She's DEATH's granddaughter and she shares a certain number of his abilities (even though she's adopted, but genetics works in more ways than one), which she uses mostly in her job as a grade-school teacher. This is not one of Pratchett's best efforts, especially for his later work, but it's still far, far from being a waste of time.

Years ago, I had the perfect introduction to the joy's Terry Pratchett's unique vision when I checked out this very audiobook from my local library... and I'll forever be grateful to the author, and cast for truly wonderful performances.

I saw in some other review the cry to stop changing narrator's. This strikes me as ignorant as people who complain about the bars on the top and bottom of wide-screen movies.

To shift the narrators as you shift perspective is brilliant. The third person limited narrator is a wonderful tool, and you should read Orson Scott Card's work entitled Character and Viewpoint before you start throwing stones at this masterful manifestation of the tool.

Everything about the performances and brilliance of these actors is to be praised.

Stefan Rudnicki will forever be the perfect voice of Death in my mind and no one can deliver narration with a combination of menace and mischief like Harlan Ellison.

Plus, the woman who narrates the portions about Death's granddaughter, Gabrielle De Cuir, deserves an Audie for just the combination of sensous threat she gives every word.

In short, this audiobook is one of my favorites and when I finally made the jump to the store's partner, Audible, I knew I had to buy it and the rest of Pratchett as soon as possible, which I have since done.

For the Perennial Pratchett Fans: This book is firmly in the Death series. Death and Susan have to save the world. Again. Is anyone keeping track of how many times the world has almost been destroyed?
For the New readers: This book stands on it own well enough. Regular fans will already know Death, War, Famine, Pestilence, Susan, Nanny Ogg, Igor, Lu Tze, and the Way of Mrs.Cosmopilite they are old friends and we are happy to see them again. But Pterry gives enough information so new readers are not lost. Just know that if you like them you can read more about them without waiting for another book.
So what is it about?
The Auditors have hired Jeremy, a man with a perfect sense of time, to build a glass clock that will stop time.
Lu Tze and his apprentice Lobsang Ludd of the History Monks are on a mission to stop the clock.
Susan is working as a school teacher until Death puts her to work saving the world. (Nanny Ogg has a cameo as the world's best Midwife)
Death is having a hard time getting the other three Horsemen to Ride Out for the Apocalypse.
And then there is the Fifth Horsemen, Ronnie, who left before they got famous.
All the stuff about the History Monks is one continuous joke about Kung Fu movies.
The Five Horsemen lend themselves to Beatles references but also to any rock band where some members are more famous than others.
Susan seems to have developed a Chocolate dependency. It is nice to know that Pterry understands these things.
The American edition cover is hideous, they could not have made it more ugly if they tried. Are they actually trying to lose business?
The British cover is the usual Josh Kirby (in case your are wondering it depicts the History Monks' time storage vault,. The little yellow figures are monks. They are getting buckets of water and yak butter out of storage wells to cool and grease the time spindles)

I admit to enjoying Terry Pratchett very much. I've read all 26 Discworld books. I've got the juveniles and the early experiments like _Strata_. Perhaps the best part of reading so much of his work is that I can see how he has grown and evolved as a writer. _Thief of Time_ is an extremely sophisticated book and, while not his funniest, is plainly his best yet.
Early Discworld books were comedy monologues strung together by a plot. Sometimes a pretty thin plot. As just one example, a whole page was required to set up the famous "felonious monk" pun in _Soul Music_. The early stories tended to be pretty much a structure to support the jokes. Sure, there was more, but it was mostly for laughs.
Somewhere between _Hogfather_ and _Carpe Jugulum_, Pratchett brought his writing to a new level. It's controversial among some of his fans, but the newer books raise deeper issues and work at multiple levels. There are still lots of laughs - you can't read about a raven named "Quoth" without smiling - but there's also a terrific, compelling story to be told. While the humor in _Color of Magic_ could be sophomoric - remember when the imp ran out of the color pink when Rincewind and Twoflower visited the Whore Pits? - there is nothing even slightly sophomoric about the plot or jokes in _Thief of Time_.
This story involves the ongoing struggle between Death and the Auditors, the use and abuse of time, quantum physics, the Monks of Time (appearing for the first itme since _Small Gods_) and the peculiar and completely different aptitudes of two very different young men to manipulate time. As an unexpected bonus, you learn why there are those nagging inconsistencies across the Discworld novels; it turns out its not Terry's fault at all... Oh, and the whole Kung Fu/Mystic Masters thing gets the Pratchett Treatment.
On the Discworld, natural forces and even unnatural forces are personified. Death is a person. Well, maybe three persons, but I don't want to spoil anything. The Auditors - roughly, the heat death of the universe - are more or less persons. Time, as it turns out, is a person. And each of those Personifications has most of the foibles of humans. After all, humans invented them.
Trust me, it all makes perfect sense.
This is a terrific book. Highly recommended. You don't need to know anything about Terry Pratchett, the Discworld or Susan Sto Helit to appreciate this book. I disagree with other reviewers who say that we won't read Pratchett 25 years from now. We will, for the same reason we read Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain and other great satirists: their skewed view of their times that they present helps us understand our past. They help us understand what it means to be human.
The Discworld truly is a mirror of our world and, while it is mostly a fun house mirror, it's still possible to know without doubt what it is you are seeing in that distorting mirror. And it makes you laugh.

If you're a newcomer to Terry Pratchett, this may not be the best Discworld starting point. "He's hilarious!" is the frequent recommendation from friends urging Discworld books on you. You won't find much hilarity here, although you will encounter fine writing expressed with penetrating wit. If you're a dedicated Discworld advocate, you'll find this book rather more than "another Discworld novel." Casting a skein of plot threads, he's able to weave them together into a coherent finale. In particular, he achieves new levels of excellence in creating and portraying characters. But it's his view of the Cosmos that captures and holds your attention here. Pratchett is too often portrayed as a "fantasy writer" in contrast with "science fiction" authors. Yet, as this book shows, he has a better grasp of science than most within the "SF" genre. He's shown up the "science writers" in presenting complex questions in understandable terms. If those descriptions use fantasy tempered with the famous Pratchett wit, we've all gained.

Lobsang Ludd is a thief. His wondrous abilities at theft are due to speed. He's unstoppable. He can pick up closely observed items with impunity, disgorging them upon request or his own whim. How does he manage it? A foundling at the Thieves' Guild, he's spotted in Ankh-Morpork by a "field operative" monk and sent to the Monks of History temple in the Ramtops. His abilities lead to his assignment as an apprentice to Lu-Tze. Why should Lobsang be given such a role when Lu-Tze is only the temple Sweeper?

In Ankh-Morpork, meanwhile, another lad, Jeremy Clockson, also exhibits amazing talents. He's a clock maker, the best in the business. He's so good, the Guild has exiled him. Only a few blocks from the Guildhall, but far enough to shed responsibility for him. His reputation for accurate clocks has caught the attention of Lady LeJean, who commissions him to build "a clock of perfect accuracy." Such a clock, it seems, will stop time. Does this matter to Lobsang?

It's staggering to think what Pratchett went through in writing this book. Ankh-Morpork without the Watch or the Patrician. Distortion of reality without the meddling of the Wizards. Death, who last convened the other Horseman for a game of Bridge ["You tell me humans do this for fun?"] seeks out War, Pestilence and Famine: they have to Ride Out. Their evasive excuses are high points of the book, brief as they are. War, henpecked by a Valkyrie spouse, is pitifully real. Only Death, though never married, has a granddaughter, Susan Sto Helit, who finds herself again aboard Binky on a quest of dubious result. Susan must confront one of Pratchett's finest creations, Nanny Ogg, midwife and witch of renown. Susan must learn what Nanny knows about an unusual birth. Then there's Ronnie Soak, Ankh-Morpork's morning milkman. If the Hogfather can clamber down all those chimneys in one night, how long to deliver Ankh-Morpork's cream and yoghurt? And what does it take for an Auditor to learn to be human?

Most significantly, Pratchett has surpassed every previous effort with this book. He's achieved a fresh level of artfulness in his people and the background to the story. He shares insights in ways few can equal, none surpass. He's not pandering to any imposed labels of "humorous fantacist," but firmly establishing he's without peer. Always unique in his writings, this book works in new ideas and threads of thinking. If you're just looking for laughs, go back to Rincewind. If you are willing to have your mind challenged and your thoughts enlarged, buy this. Pratchett will take you into a new world, and the trip is delightful. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

[For context's sake, I have been reading the Discworld books in publication order. Thief of Time is #26.]

Thief of Time was definitely one of my favorite Discworld books. It had a good plot with compelling offshoots and side stories. While Pratchett explored a lot all at once, things tied together nicely, with none of the plotlines coming across as superfluous or indulgent. There was humor--not so much as some other Discworld books, but it was there--and it was never there just for the purpose of humor. It was always furthering an overarching point or plotline. The characters were amazing, as always. I found myself enjoying and understanding Susan Sto Helit more (which is always nice, since I'm not her biggest fan) and really having fun with the new characters (and minor recurring characters).

Start with the most unlikely characters you might think of:

-- A kindergarten teacher,

-- The horsemen of the Apocalypse,

-- A psychotically sane watchmaker,

-- A sanely psychotic lady who's passionate about toast,

-- A little bald guy with a broom,

and a few others, with some very peculiar relationships between them. With Pratchett writing, things don't always go as planned. When the end of the world comes, the Horsemen are fighting against it. A good thing, too, or that kindergarten teacher would give them a good talking to and they'd all wish the world had ended.

With Pratchett, the plot almost doesn't matter. It's the getting there, the play of words and the play of characters against each other. Even into the third dozen of this series, Pratchett sustains energy and interest.

If you haven't read any other Discworld books, this stands well by itself. If you have visited Discworld before, this brings back familiar characters and brings forth some new ones. It's just as good either way.

//wiredweird

The latest Pratchett installment would have got 5 stars but it felt a little long winded (given the philosophical nature of the plot perhaps this is a cleverly subtle technique by Pratchett?)
In Thief of Time Discworld steps into the shadowlands of time to chase down a glass clock that has been made in Ankh-Morpork. The only trouble is, this clock can stop Time Herself. We meet Time Monks, the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse, Susan is the main protaganist, DEATH makes a welcome return and we meet the mysterious auditors (who are obsessed with Rules and simplicity).
If you read Pratchett with a serious philosophical bent you will find that, despite the parody, some of the philosophy spouted is fundamentally thought-provoking. Lobsang's and Lse-Tsu's trip to chase down the clockmaker and Susan's subsequent guidance to a satisfactory post-apocalyptic conclusion are as delightful as ever. It is diffcult to synopsis this novel without giving much of the little puzzles away, but it is fair to say that this is a good effort by Pratchett. Not as good as the previous Fifth Elephant, but an enjoyable ride through time.

I'm somewhat of a newbie to the Discworld books. I've only read two, and I'm getting started on a third. But, inexperience aside, I really, really enjoyed "theif of time", and whether you've read all the other Discworld books, or you're new like myself, you'll probably enjoy this one, too.
Jeremy Clockson, a young man with a passion for exact time, is recruited by a mysterious employer to make a clock that is always exact. Along with his new assistant, the strangely built and hilariously weird Igor, he gets started on it. What Jeremy doesn't realize, though, is that by creating this clock, the world will end, and time will cease to exist. It is up to Lu-Tze the history monk (actually he's just a sweeper), his apprentice Lobsang Ludd, and Death's granddaughter, a kindergarten teacher named Miss Susan, to stop the unassuming clockmaker from destroying the world as we know it.
The one problem I had with this book was that it was very easy to be thrown off track towards the end. However, the complications are just a minor problem. The book overall is most definitely a worthy read.

Ever wonder why technology and history on the Disc is so crazy? Why there's "The Disc" and The Opera House practically on the same street? Why some places seem Medaevil, and others seem pre-Industrial? Well, here's the answer to all of your questions! No more headachey arguments with your fellow Fans of Pterry! No more discussions of quantum effects on the Discworld! (You can pick up The Science of Discworld for THAT.)
This book is really only for long-time, well-established Discworld fans. Newcomers will NOT understand some of the nuances of this book, and will be confused/disappointed. Those of us who are longtime fans will recognize the in-jokes and references to earlier Pratchett works.
The best way to read Discworld is in order, people. The earliest three (The Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic, and Equal Rites) are a little mind-numbing, but overall will help you understand the Disc better.
My only real complaint about this book is that Death and Susan weren't in it enough...it wasn't nearly as good as the other Death books. Still, Pratchett knows his stuff.

A century or so ago, a madman constructed a perfectly accurate clock which, as a side-effect, splintered the universe until the History Monks restored it, piecing bits of space and time back together. Now the world's most sane man (or at least, so he SEEMS) is going to reconstruct the clock. But if he does, and the universe is again splintered, the Monks can't fix things this time.
This is the basic plot behind "Thief of Time," the latest in the Discworld series. The only ones who can stop Jeremy Clockson are Lu-Tze and Lobsang, two of the Monks; Miss Susan, the schoolteacher who is the granddaughter of Death; and the mysterious Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse.
This is a very good book, hampered only by Miss Susan. She's the favorite character of many readers, but to me she's always been a bit irritating (except in SOUL MUSIC). ... Still, Pratchett takes a step to remedying that here, by letting other characters (and thus us) see one or two of her personality flaws for just that, not 'quirks.'
Even with Miss Susan, this is recommended.

I generally dislike stories that deal with time travel. The innate paradoxes always trouble me and even in fantasy I find it less than reasonable. But of course, Pratchett finds a way to make me enjoy it! This book is filled with all the things that make Pratchett a master of the genre, great characters like Lu-Tze, the simple sweeper who is the fixer for the monks that guard history, is an amazing blend of the wise mentor found in almost any martial arts movie and Groucho Marx and the villains of the piece (I won't say who) make a startling discovery about the human condition that is extremely funny and ranks with some of Pratchett's best stuff. The reader also gets to travel around the Disc,and once again be reminded how strange, (Wait until you see how Yetis can help you get around!) and yet logical Discworld is and just when you think you're starting to understand it Pratchett throws in another great curve ball.

Pratchett has been on a roll since "Fifth Elephant," following several, by Pratchett's standards, lackluster and mediocre offerings such as "Jingo" or "Last Continent" (I know, I know: such a statement will lead the jingoists among you into heightened fits of indignant choler and impassioned vilification. But come on, after 26 Discworld novels let's admit not every outing can be a singular stroke of genius), rapidly turning out three outstanding novels in a row, "Fifth Elephant" followed close on the heels by "Truth" and now "Thief of Time." While some might argue that Pratchett has abandoned his earlier and more forthright humor, I would agree that his plotting has become marvelously much tighter, and his sense of satire increasingly deft and subtle. Yes, the puns and parodic gymnastics continue, but no longer are they providing the main support to Pratchett's compositions. Instead, the author is providing more and more layers of depth to his novels, probing and exposing existential and ontological issues in ways only glimpsed or hinted at in his earliest novels.
The thing that is in many ways amazing in the continued development and improvement of Pratchett's writing is that it is accomplished within the format of formula. Pratchett writes in a manner and structure that is linearly and closely linked to his earliest novels, repeatedly returning to previous tropes and conventions yet, with the exception of a few novels, continually refining, expanding and reinvigorating his formulas, somehow able to keep them for the most part fresh and engaging. Even when he turns to what is an obvious cliched stereotype---the wise, old self-effacing Eastern monk/sweeper Lu-Tze and his naive apprentice---Pratchett is able to reinvest the character and role in a guise at once familiar and inventively rendered. In the hands of anyone else the figure of Lu-Tze would come off trite and outworn, but Pratchett is somehow able to re-infuse the character with significance and fresh perspective despite the anticipated behavior and acting out of a role long cliched and tired.
As in most Pratchett novels, we revisit old and fondly remembered characters---Death and his granddaughter Susan, the Four---no Five---Horseman, Nanny Ogg, the Igors and, not seen since "Small Gods," the Monks of History. But the book is centered---if any book by Pratchett can be said to have a center---around the not quite brotherly reflections, Jeremy Clockson and Lopsang Lud, the nature of Time, identity and how we measure it (oops, I used a grey word), the end of the world and, perhaps most importantly, the delights and unavoidable, passionate consumption of chocolate. And this is just skimming a summary. It might be argued that in "Thief of Time" Pratchett explores more than in any previous novel---I can't recall absolutely for certainty---and does so with a subtlety and skill not before accomplished.
That said---floating out on a limb alongside Quoth the Raven, or mayhaps digging a pit with Death of Rats...Squeak!---as is apparent from any reading of Pratchett's many reviews, the author's fans---a legion continuously and rightly growing---all have individual and highly vocalized opinions as to the best of Pratchett's work. Regardless, they are almost all good, and well above the standard lining the retailer's shelves. If you haven't read Pratchett before, you're in for a rollicking thrill, and if you have, no need to fear you'll be disappointed. Another marvelous outing from our contemporary Swift.

I've heard many good comments about Terry Pratchett's work, from many different people, but somehow never managed to pick up any of his books until now. Having finished this one, I can't say that I disagree with any of what I've heard. Pratchett has created a highly imaginative world, one where the rules, while different from the ones we're accustomed to, have their own logic. There is also lots of humor in his work, and I often found myself giggling, or even laughing right out loud.

This is, perhaps, one of the most inventive conceptions of time I've ever come across. The quasi-quantum view of time presented here presents an abundance of opportunities for confusion and paradox, but it provides a wonderful framework to hang the story on. And what a story it is, full of surprises and interesting twists, all drawing the reader towards a fairly satisfying ending. This was a thoroughly entertaining book, and I look forward to reading more of Pratchett's work.

I tried to get through "The Truth," and couldn't. I don't know what; but I picked up "The Thief of Time" cautiously. It didn't sound very interesting on the back cover. But its not...too bad.
It starts out entertainingly and amusingly enough. Pratchett holds our interest with the time "thing." Hmmm....its hard to describe the complexity/confusion of this book. Its amusing. Its got DEATH, Susan Sto Helit, Igor, a dash of Nanny Ogg and two new characters, Sweeper and Lobsang Ludd/Jeremy. These two are Monks of History. Sweeper is Lobsang's trainer and they travel time in a confusing manner. The world is going to end if they don't get to stop the Glass Clock from ticking in time. So they "slice time." The story almost reads like a mystery: who is Time's child? Thats probably the only thing that kept me going: who was it? And to see how the Auditor (more confusion) turned human ended up. Yes, the Auditor battles the Auditors with Susan in the end, an enjoyable messily written scene of battle with chocolates. If this review is confusing, its probably because I still haven't sorted the story out myself! And this is the way YOU will feel afterwards! HOWEVER: the good thing is: There is an excerpt for Pratchett's new story, Night Watch at the end.
Sam Vimes again. I'm not a big Vimes fan, but Prachett seems to slip into the glove of writing Vimes much easier and skillfully than any of the other characters. I enjoyed that wee little review much more than I did the entire "Thief of Time." Read it if you have nothing else to read. Read it if your dying for Prachett. Read it if you can't stand waiting for "Night Watch."

Like many of the "standalone" Discworld novels (Moving Pictures, The Truth, Going Postal), this book leaves most of the protagonists we know and love to follow a new main character: Lu-Tze, the Sweeper, of the History Monks. Of course, like the other "standalone" novels it's still tied closely into the major Discworld storylines (in this case by a major subplot featuring Susan Sto Helit of the Death books), but more than the others this one feels like its own book.

In most of the others, Pratchett seems to be exploring an Idea--What would a postal service look like in Ankh Morpork? Why do civilized nations adopt fiat currency? Why is everyone in Los Angeles crazy?

Perhaps this book could fall into the same list with the question, "What does martial arts look like on the Discworld?" The story he spins out of that question is a fun one. And the philosophical/poetic exploration of Time in this novel shines as well as any of the other topics Pratchett has considered, but the bulk of this book is dedicated to doing what he does best: exploring personalities.

The characters are engaging, but most impressive was the way the theme (Time, and the philosophical approach to it of the History Monks) suffused the entire narrative. It's still unquestionably a Discworld novel and a Pratchett novel, but the so-familiar narrative voice was constantly modulated by the perspective of Time. It's masterfully done.

I rated this book five stars, and to be frank I'd be surprised if anyone gave it less. It's not the best Discworld book that ever was (nothing can beat Witches Abroad), but it's still a lot better than 99.9 per cent of all the other books on the market. Like in previous novels The Truth and Hogfather, the Discworld is more and more drawn away from a pure fantasy world into the realm of our daily life, but there is still enough fantasy left to satisfy readers.
One compaint, however, has to be made. Parts of the story, and I mean large parts as opposed to random sentences, gave me a feeling of Déjá Vu, and I know exactly where that comes from. The first source is Hogfather, the previous Death And Susan book. As soon as Susan, The Son of Time, and Unity meet, you feel that their conversations and actions might as well be those of Susan, The Oh-God of Hangovers, and Violet in Hogfather. A little more variety of character would have been nice.
The other source, it seems to me, is German writer Michael Ende's wonderful novel Momo. Momo is a fantasy story, or rather a fairy tale, about a girl having to fight an invasion of grey entities who look human, but are not. Does that sound familiar? In Ende's book, the invaders are called The Grey Gentlemen, or Time-Thieves, since stealing time is what they do. Hmmm ... Thieve of Time, auditors who want to stop humanity wasting the universe's time ... Not that I'm suggesting anything. Oh, and in Ende's book, time finally comes to a standstill, complete with people stopping dead at whatever they were doing. The only persons still able to move are Momo, who carries a device giving her extra time, and Kassiopeia, who has her own time inside of her. Again, does that sound slightly familiar?
Normally, I don't like books much if you can see the sources so clearly, but Thieve of Time is incredibly well-written, and I can recommend it to anyone. I particularly liked the portrayal of the auditors - I never thought there could be anything funny about those, but there is. It's a shame about Unity, though.

I just finished reading "Good Omens" byt Neil Gaimen and Terry Pratchett last week, and was hungry for more. Fortunately, I ran into some Pratchett fans in the bookstore, and they recommended "Thief of Time" as a good book to start with. I can't remember ever enjoying an author so much since Tolkien! (Not to mention that Pratchett is quite a bit funnier!) You don't need to have read any of the other books in this series to follow along, by any means. I alternated between laughing, thinking so hard that my head nearly exploded, and laughing again. I never thought I would enjoy something like this, based on the description on the back of the book, but I'm so grateful I gave it a try because I'm hopelessly hooked now. I would say that the only downfall to reading this is that it may cost you quite a bit of money to keep up with your "Pratchett Fix" afterwards! Fortunately, it looks like I'm going to have plenty of his books to read, so I won't be going into withdrawals anytime soon! You don't need to be a fantasy or science fiction lover to enjoy this book; just someone who loves a dry sense of humor and a good read!

If you're interested enough in Discworld to sift through all the reviews of "Thief of Time" to read this one, you will buy the book. There's nothing I'd be able to say or do to influence your decision one way or the other. I was always going to buy it no matter what as well. I'll write this for the benefit of Pratchett starters.
"Thief of Time" is... interesting. If it were a movie, you could imagine it with a lot of Matrix-style time-stopping special effects. That kind of interesting. Basically the kind of interesting you'd be bound to get when your main character is an 800-year old monk whose order lives in the belief that yesterday they weren't born. When your other main character is Death's grand-daughter Susan (who gets better every book she's in, IMHO). She's a damn fine schoolteacher - well, for starters, you'd imagine the kind of discipline she could wield... The kind of interesting you get where the word "when" has no meaning for large portions of the story. That kind of interesting.
And if you were confused by this review, you _shouldn't_ buy Thief of Time, as it's at least that level all the way through. Hence only four stars. Pratchett beginners go get a City Watch novel, they're equally brilliant and usually easier to read. Sam Vimes is not a complicated man. Folks who are really into Pratchett have surely bought the book already.

This is the first Terry Pratchett book I read. In the beginning, it was difficult for me to get through first pages. The characters and dialogues sounded so absurd with no obvious story line. But once I reached 3 - 4 chapters, it got clearer. Then I got so engaged, I finished it immediately. I must say, this book really deserved the 5 stars review it got from many of its readers.

There were dialogues about universe with its physical, spiritual aspects, and inhabitants, which I know belongs to different religions teaching and quantum physic theories/ concepts. Mr. Pratchett juggled and wove all those into a hilariously entertaining story. Never had I found such a heavy concepts blended so well into a story book, and still managed to be fun-to-read at the same time.

Thief of Time story revolved around these major characters:

Master Wen, who knew the answers to many questions. But said one of the most difficult ones to answer was what to have for breakfast.
Lobsang Ludd, because of who he was, could be doing many things. And yet found the most pressing thing to do after saving the universe, was to learn the fifth surprise of Lu-Tze's garden.
Jeremy, a clock maker, who was going to build a glass clock so accurate, it could have measured universe's tick.
Lady Lejean, formerly member of the auditors, who could not resist the temptation of chocolate.
Lu-Tze , a monk who found some of his Way in Ankh-Morpork, the city with merchants whose ad claimed to have everything, and the lady innkeeper Mrs. Cosmopilite, who was not born yesterday.
The Auditors, who avoided death by never going so far as to get a life.
Miss Susan, Death's granddaughter, who practically had practical answer to everything.
Death, one of the Four Horsemen, who found that after Wednesday one o'clock, there would be no future.
The Fifth Horsemen, who was actually the first of the horsemen, but withdrew from the history, before he got famous. He was back, though.

And these few characters whose brief appearance, made this book even more amusing:

Soto, a monk, who was bald under all the hair.
Yeti, who had found the secret of growing back the chopped off head.
Clodpool, who knew for sure, it was too early in the morning for it to be too early in the morning.
The Abbott, who was currently at growing teeth stage, again.
Igor, who had never worked for a sane person before, until the Clock Maker.
The White Clothed Angel, who after waiting for thousands of dull, boring, wasted years, found out he had been edited out from the Book of Prophecy.
War, one of the Four Horsemen, who got married to a former Valkyrie.
Famine, one of the Four Horsemen, who did not care.
Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen, who was frightened.
Nanny Ogg, the edge witch, who delivered the twin.

I love all the characters that made this story. I can even relate to Clodpool or Mrs. Cosmopilite, the regular human who remains much oblivious and ignorant to the religious/physical concept of universe or life, and yet, live the day-to-day life according to those concepts. I found the absurdity of many dialogues were so hilarious, bursting into laugh almost every page turn. And I have come to love the Discworld, too, a world carried by four elephants on the back of a giant turtle.

The whole Discworld series now has reached 37 books. I am excited now by the prospect of reading the rest of them. Can't wait!

Terry Pratchett's Discworld books never fail to entertain me.

I especially love his books about Death and his Granddaughter Susan. This was no exception.

Even with my favorite characters in tow, the book was still stolen (appropriately) by the Thief of Time.

Both the Time Monks and the "Mad" Scientist and his Igor were thoroughly fascinating characters.

Pratchett's trademark wit was on full display, without sacrificing some truly ingenious storytelling, including a fascinating view at humanity for several entities new to the experience.

This is the first Terry Pratchett book I read. In the beginning, it was difficult for me to get through first pages. The characters and dialogues sounded so absurd with no obvious story line. But once I reached 3 - 4 chapters, it got clearer. Then I got so engaged, I finished it immediately. I must say, this book really deserved the 5 stars review it got from many of its readers.

There were dialogues about universe with its physical, spiritual aspects, and inhabitants, which I know belongs to different religions teaching and quantum physic theories/ concepts. Mr. Pratchett juggled and wove all those into a hilariously entertaining story. Never had I found such a heavy concepts blended so well into a story book, and still managed to be fun-to-read at the same time.

Thief of Time story revolved around these major characters:

Master Wen, who knew the answers to many questions. But said one of the most difficult ones to answer was what to have for breakfast.
Lobsang Ludd, because of who he was, could be doing many things. And yet found the most pressing thing to do after saving the universe, was to learn the fifth surprise of Lu-Tze's garden.
Jeremy, a clock maker, who was going to build a glass clock so accurate, it could have measured universe's tick.
Lady Lejean, formerly member of the auditors, who could not resist the temptation of chocolate.
Lu-Tze , a monk who found some of his Way in Ankh-Morpork, the city with merchants whose ad claimed to have everything, and the lady innkeeper Mrs. Cosmopilite, who was not born yesterday.
The Auditors, who avoided death by never going so far as to get a life.
Miss Susan, Death's granddaughter, who practically had practical answer to everything.
Death, one of the Four Horsemen, who found that after Wednesday one o'clock, there would be no future.
The Fifth Horsemen, who was actually the first of the horsemen, but withdrew from the history, before he got famous. He was back, though.

And these few characters whose brief appearance, made this book even more amusing:

Soto, a monk, who was bald under all the hair.
Yeti, who had found the secret of growing back the chopped off head.
Clodpool, who knew for sure, it was too early in the morning for it to be too early in the morning.
The Abbott, who was currently at growing teeth stage, again.
Igor, who had never worked for a sane person before, until the Clock Maker.
The White Clothed Angel, who after waiting for thousands of dull, boring, wasted years, found out he had been edited out from the Book of Prophecy.
War, one of the Four Horsemen, who got married to a former Valkyrie.
Famine, one of the Four Horsemen, who did not care.
Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen, who was frightened.
Nanny Ogg, the edge witch, who delivered the twin.

I love all the characters that made this story. I can even relate to Clodpool or Mrs. Cosmopilite, the regular human who remains much oblivious and ignorant to the religious/physical concept of universe or life, and yet, live the day-to-day life according to those concepts. I found the absurdity of many dialogues were so hilarious, bursting into laugh almost every page turn. And I have come to love the Discworld, too, a world carried by four elephants on the back of a giant turtle.

The whole Discworld series now has reached 37 books. I am excited now by the prospect of reading the rest of them. Can't wait!

Terry Pratchett's Discworld books never fail to entertain me.

I especially love his books about Death and his Granddaughter Susan. This was no exception.

Even with my favorite characters in tow, the book was still stolen (appropriately) by the Thief of Time.

Both the Time Monks and the "Mad" Scientist and his Igor were thoroughly fascinating characters.

Pratchett's trademark wit was on full display, without sacrificing some truly ingenious storytelling, including a fascinating view at humanity for several entities new to the experience.

Thief of Time is possibly the most complex plot Pratchett has spun. We get a better look at those crazy monks who re-direct wasted time, particularly Lu Tze. We also meet Lobsang, Jeremy Clockson, a Lady, and we see the Auditors again. Death, again, is one of the best characters ever.
The story centers around a young clock maker being commissioned to make the most accurate clock in the Universe, down to the last tick. Problem is, with a clock like that, a bad person could control time. Lu Tze, sweeper extraordinaire, and his assistant Lobsang are off to the rescue.
With a spinning plot that touches on physics, the nature of time, and chocolate, Thief of Time is at times confusing. You've got to pay attention! But have faith, the conclusion brings it all together.
For those familiar with Pratchett and the Discworld, there are many funny moments, but you won't be in pain like you were with Eric. But you will love it anyway!
For those not familiar with Pratchett, hold on tight because you will have your socks knocked off!

This is the 26th of Pratchett's Discworld series. Alternatively, you could consider it to be the 5th in the Death/Mort/Susan subseries ("Mort," "Reaper Man," "Soul Music," "Hogfather," and "Thief of Time"). I say this because Susan and Death play a very large part in the book (say, 40% of the plot). However, the real players are Lu-Tze (seen once before in "Small Gods" (which is a fairly important book in the series, though I didn't care for it)) and his apprentice Lobsang Ludd. This book seems to be Pratchett's attempt to have some fun with the quantum nature of space and time. But, the best part of the book is simply Pratchett's genius at using cultural metaphors and other things we take for granted for humor and wit. This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

In my original review, I rated this book at 4 stars out of 5. After re-reading the book, I'd like to upgrade my rating to 5 stars out of 5. Unfortunately, I can't edit the actual rating that shows up here.

With each successive Discworld novel, Terry Pratchett pushes the boundaries of his creation further and further - in Thief of Time, he tries to destroy it altogether.
... using the Auditors, the little papershufflers of the universe who crave order, and find humanity the source of way too much disorganization. The Auditors send an emissary to find a sympathetic human to unwittingly aid them by re-assembling the Glass Clock which imprisons Time. This plot to bring and end to chaos is discovered by Death, who brings iin hbis granddaughter Susan, who's been working as the hardest-working schoolteacher in Ankh-Morpork...
... already you can tell it's a little much, even for Terry Pratchett. The idea behind Thief of Time is good, but it almost might have made two books instead of just one. We get to spend some great, hilarious moments with Lu Tze (from Small Gods) the humble sweeper and rogue History Monk; Death, as always plays a role, but the really great bits go to Susan; and Nanny Ogg plays a bit part in the substory which, of course, merges with the main plot in the last 80 pages.
While the subject matter of reversing time, editing history, "slicing time" is very inventive; it tends to make the reading a bit chaotic. The characters, as always are funny and warm, and resonate well with this enjoyable series - but the individual parts intereaction seemed a bit forced. Any one of the substories would have made a good story by itself: with Lu Tze and Lobsang, Susan and her students, and Lady LeJean and Jeremy Clockson you find youself wishing for only one thing - a little more time.

Jeremy, a clockmaker of Ankh-Morpork has just been commissioned by the odd-looking Lady LeJean to buid the first perfect, truly accurate clock, one that would render all others useless. But if he succeeds, time will stop and the world will end. And Death can feel it, so he asks his granddaughter Susan to investigate while he's trying to round up the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
At the same time at the History Monks' monastery, Lu-Tze the Sweeper has just taken a new apprentice, Lobsang Ludd, who seems to be able to slice time very, very finely.
In Thief of Time, the 26th Discworld novel, Terry Pratchett explores time paradoxes. Aside from his unmistakable humour which, again, made me chuckle and look a bit silly on the bus (but it's OK), I found the philosophical parts a bit too... well, philosophical, and I must admit I sometimes found myself out of my depth. But as a whole, I found this novel very enjoyable. And in any case I just love Igors.

And another great book by Terry Pratchett. Thief of Time is number 26 in the Diskworld series and again Pratchett doesn't disappoint. The story is a simple one. The Auditors want to stop Time so the world can be neat and organised. An unfortunate side effect would be that all life will go extinct. But you can't have it all. Some great characters of the Diskworld play a role in this book. First there is DEATH. And it's always fun to have DEATH around because he just is. Second there is Susan, the granddaughter of DEATH, who is a schoolteacher and who really likes chocolat. And then there is Igor, the loyal servant who doesn't condemn his masters. The lisp and hunch are complimentary. Many others also played and perhaps we'll see them again in future Diskworld books. Fans of the Diskworld series will have to buy this one. And for those who haven't read any yet. This book can safely be read without knowledge of the others. It's just not as much fun.

Terry is back! Which is particularly amazing since he hasn't been away. Someone, somewhere a long time ago wrote "Terry Pratchett does for fantasy what Douglas Adams did for Science Fiction". On the basis of that description I read the first of these (now) 26 novels and I have NEVER looked back. With a series this large some books will be better than others, but they are all consistantly entertaining. Read them all!
But particularly this one. Having a layman's interest in both Eastern philosophy and quantum mechanics I particularly enjoyed this book. (And only Terry could bring them together so entertainingly) I hope to see the History Monks sprinkled generously through future Discworld volumes.
The past few Discworld tomes have been good, but they have been missing one special Pratchett element. As a longtime Pratchett reader it was an element that I had not see for awhile, but I just assumed I was getting more demanding. This made it doubly special when I found it again in this book. When you read this book you will know it. There will come a moment in reading Thief of Time when you will LAUGH OUT LOUD and that is the true magic of Terry Pratchett's Discworld.

The first thing I have to say is that "I AM A FAN OF DISKWORLD" I have all the books published so far, and have read many of them 3,4, 5 and 6 times. Terry Pratchett has grown and evolved as a writer as this series has progressed. Many 'humor' writers tend to become pretentious and unfunny after their second or third book. Mr Pratchett has grown into the role! As a bonus to diskworld fantatics he has developed a way of getting into his characters that is almost unrivaled among modern writers (Dick Francis developes characters as well, but I cant think of anyone else in this catagory). I have read the reviews of other diskworld fans that were dissapointed by "Thief of Time", but I must disagree with them. I found this novel very "diskworldian" and quite readable and entertaining. The characters are well drawn and defined, the plot is adhered to and as we have come to expect the humor and inside jokes abound. I revell in being able to see characters that were introduced in previous novels evolve. This is not really a 'stand alone' novel, you should read several of Mr Pratchett's books dealing with the character of Death first. If you do this, I think you will find that "Thief of Time" is above average literature. Go, Purchase, Read, Enjoy.

Great classic Pratchett! This is one of the DEATH stories. I give it 4 stars only because it wasn't quite as good (for me) as some of his other ones. Against any other humorous fantasy author, it would get a 5.
In _Thief of Time_ theories about time and space are brilliantly woven into the oddest imaginable case of mistaken identity. You may have heard of the Tibetan-like Time Monks? Well, you're about to get a good look at them! Prepare to battle the Auditors of the universe in a bizarre apocalypse in which Death and his daughter are the only hope for mankind. The best part is the interplay between Death and Susan and her attempts to do his job. Also, the hilarious four horseman and the mysterious fifth. Caution: Pratchett gets a little sacrilegious in this one; he takes it right to the edge, anyway.

Terry Pratchett doesn't write complex character-driven novels. What he writes--what he is the master of--is funny and illogical books that make you think. Imagine a mix of Douglas Adams and J.R.R. Tolkien and you start to have an idea of what Pratchett delivers.
He delivers again in THIEF OF TIME. The auditors (nice enough beings, perhaps, but they really would like to simplify their jobs by eliminating such complexities as living organisms) have come up with a plot to destroy time through a perfect clock. Only Death's granddaughter and an 800-year-old monk with his apprentice even know what's going on and they are certain to be too late.
Pratchett deals with the concepts of time, uses a set of cliches from a boarding house matron to develop an intriguing philosophy, introduces the fifth rider of the apocalypse, and generally has a lot of fun.
Trust me, you will too.

I've read perhaps 5 of the Discworld series, and have really enjoyed a couple of them and thought the others were entertaining but not entirely captivating. I picked up Thief of Time on my 19 year old son's recommendation, which was "Do yourself a favor, read this book and make your life better." Well, how could I not?
He was right. In Thief of Time Pratchett strikes a unique balance between many different types of humor--from silly take-offs of oriental martial arts names (okidoki) to literate inside jokes (the raven named Quoth) and far beyond--with a complex and even philosophical plot. It's truly an amazing bit of writing that admittedly might fall flat for those looking for lighter entertainment, but I was delighted. I think it best not to go into plot details--you'll enjoy the book much more if you discover them for yourself--but there are plot twists aplenty, all of which make "sense". Especially nice are the scenes dealing with the revelation of the identity of the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse, and the Zen Buddhist humor.
So do yourself a favor, read this book and make your life better.

Let me start to say that I am a fan of Pratchett, "Small Gods" ranks among my all time favourites and books like "Good Omens" and "Men at Arms" have made him one of the authors I buy in hardcover as soon as they publish another book.
One of the things i like about Pratchett is his ability to take a story most of us know by hart and give the story a spin, making us see new angels. "Eric", "Wyrd Sisters" and "maskerade" are exellent examples of his ability to do this. This is why I find it so sad to see him so obviosly steal this story, and then not manage to improve on it.
Anybody who has read Michael Endes "Momo" will of course know that this probably has inspired some of Pratchetts earlier books. But there is a big difference between taking the grey men and making them into watchers and taking the entire story and making it his own without at least celebrating the orginal (something he usually is wery good at).
This said Pratchett still has the language in his hand and as usuall manages to make what he writes a pleasure to read. It is just that I would recomend "Momo" over "Theif of Time".

Others have reviewed the plot and characters of this outstanding Discworld novel, THIEF OF TIME, so I want to stand back and admire Pratchett's skill with wrapping concepts into a few, often ironic, words. He is the master of the succinct statement. Here are just a couple from THIEF OF TIME:
Page 321: Lobsang is saying to Susan, "It makes you wonder if there is anything to astrology after all." Susan replies: "Oh there is. Delusion, wishful thinking, and gullibility."
Page 356: Referring to Susan, Death's granddaughter: "...she would be immortal for as long as she lived."
And did you catch the wonderful pun on page 308? "Chaos...new, shiny Chaos, dancing in the heart of everything. The idea was strangely attractive." (Strange attractors, anyone?)

If you are unfamiliar with Pratchett, you will be happier starting earlier in the series with something lighter, like "Colour of Magic." "Thief of Time" is ambitious -- admirable for someone on his 25th book of a series -- and, for Pratchett, dark (it all comes out OK in the end, though). Pratchett satirizes Zen, mathematics ( he may have written the only characterin all of literature based on a mathematical bifurcation), death and Death, kung-fu movies, accountants and a dozen more. If you've read a couple of the series, you'll understand this one. It does start a bit slowly, but Pratchett has a lot of setting up to do before all hell breaks loose with the Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Yes, five. There is just *a lot* in this book. No wizards, though.

This is partly a Death story, but it can stand alone; it is, in part, a great spoof on western society's fascination with Tibet and Buddhism, and quite funny. It is probably my single favorite Discworld novel so far, and I have only a small handful remaining to read. Jeremy Clockson is an obsessive-compulsive clockmaker who has to stay on his medication or his mind goes a little bit off the rails. He is commissioned to build a clock, and not just any clock, and is even sent an Igor to help him. Meanwhile, the monk Lu-Tze has taken on an apprentice from the thieves' guild. Unlike a lot of the Pratchett books, in this one the various plots remain coherent and the ending actually brings it all together (and gives new meaning to the phrase "death by chocolate").

If your a new Terry Pratchett reader, be warned, these are no ordinary fantasy books. They will take on a wild ride through a flat world that sits on the back of four elephants who themselves stand on the back of a giant turtle. And that's just the beginning! In this book, Terry has his beloved characters take on the nature of Time. DEATH's grandaughter, Susan is back, dragged kicking and screaming into the adventure. This is the kind of book that you savor every line (and every last chocolate!). The author's comic, but astute observations of human nature make this much more than a simple fantasy novel. If you've started with Thief of Time and loved it, then go back and read these others, you won't be disappointed!

In 2007 Terry Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA) a form of Alzheimer's Disease. I've read dozens of his books and consider him probably one of the most brilliant humorists writing today. Learning about his diagnosis was a sombering experience.

Thief of Time is Pratchett's 26th book that takes place on Discworld, a flat world that rests on the shoulders of four elephants which stand on the shell of A'Tuin, a giant turtle that swims through space.

Someone wants to bring about the end of time on Discworld, and Death (the actual entity and not the state of being) doesn't think the time is right for him and his friends - War, Pestilence, and Famine to mount up and make their final ride. So he enlists the help of his granddaughter Susan to put a stop to the end of everything. Thief of Time is full of Pratchett's wit and humor. It's a good starting point for someone who wants to start reading the series without reading the 25 previous books first.

Well, personally, I rather liked this book. It wasn't my VERY favourite of the Discworld series, but I liked it a good deal better than the last book, "The Truth".
The main problem is that the slicing time and the quantum theory and all that did, as many other reviewers have pointed out, make The Thief of Time a bit on the confusing/chaotic side. But still enjoyable.
As fun as it was to see the old characters such as Susan and Death back again, for me, one of the _guest stars_ really stood out: Lady Myria LeJean, former Auditor of Reality. I don't quite know why nobody else has mentioned her yet, but I found her uphill struggle from an _it_ to a _she_; from a faceless nonentity to a PERSON, to be really sweet and genuinely _touching_. As Discworld one-shot characters go, she really stood out, at least for me. (And this is just my Trekkie brain talking here, but I SWEAR I was rather strongly reminded of Seven of Nine's gradual _re_gaining of her individuality; becoming a person again after being a faceless grey Borg. But like I said, that's probably just me. I'm sure Terry didn't _intend_ a "Voyager" reference...)
And I LIKED Jeremy Clockson, in fact I liked him _better_ than Lobsang the monk. If he reminded me of anybody it wasn't William de Worde (from "The Truth") instead, I kept very vividly seeing the brilliant but clueless H.G. Wells in the movie "Time After Time", as played by (at the time young) Malcolm McDowell. With big blue earnest eyes, a tweedy old-fashioned suit, a little bow tie... I don't know why, but I kept being reminded of that character. (Excellent movie, by the way.)
ANYway. The Thief of Time is a fun book, not the best, but fun. The kung-fu movie references are hilarious; but watch for a Ghostbusters one that had me, personally, on the FLOOR laughing out loud. Susan ROCKS, obviously. The thing with the yeti _saving_ their lives like you would save before trying something dangerous in a video game was inspired. And only Terry Pratchett could concieve of a battle-cry like "EAT--a delicate infusion of raspberry creme and essence of violets, sprinkled with shredded pralines and almonds--YOU SCUM!!" (I'm paraphrasing from vague memory here--I've only read it once (waiting for the paperback before I get my own copy)). I swear..._chocolate_ as a weapon...hilarious
It ain't perfect, but it's pretty darn good. For a book that will make you laugh, make you think, and even...well, for me, anyway, make you cry a bit, at the end...get this book. Watch out for side-effects, though--after reading this book, I just HAD to run down to the store and buy a box of chocolates! ;)
...Notorious

Experimentation can be an amazing and fruitful endeavor. Where would we be if our ancestors hadn't experimented with fire, horticulture, or metallurgy? What would life be like if Claudius Galen hadn't experimented with physiology, if Galileo hadn't experimented with falling bodies (no, I'm not referring to corpses), if Pierre and Marie Curie hadn't isolated radium and polonium from uranium ore? What kind of world would we live in without the experimentation of Edison, Tesla, or the Wright brothers? Experimentation is nearly always a good thing. That is, with the possible exception of the audio book presentation of Terry Pratchett's, Thief of Time by Fantastic Audio.

I was drawn to this adaptation in Pratchett's Discworld series due to the presence of Harlan Ellison, whose work as a voice actor is as exceptional as is his work on the written page. Ellison doesn't just read the words he lives the part, and that is the beginning of the problems with this audio book because Ellison isn't given a role, but only paragraphs, sentences, and fragments of sentences. Listed as "a guest appearance by Harlan Ellison", his role comes off more like someone hired to patch holes left by others. In the twelve hours, Ellison's appearances come across as startling and discordant due to their dropped-in nature. I don't blame Ellison, but I do hold the producer, Stefan Rudnicki, responsible for wasting not only the talents of Ellison, but also those of the other actors in this audio book adaptation: Christopher Cazenove, Gabrielle De Cuir, Karesa McElheny, and John Rubinstein. Their talents are diluted by Rudnicki's experimentation with identification of characters. Each of the actors is given certain characters to portray through most of the eight tapes, but near the end chaos reigns supreme as actors switch roles and voice characterizations! If you're like me and listen to an audiotape to make your commute to and from work bearable, this type of experimentation is frustrating, jarring, and drains the pleasure I derive from the authors work.

Fortunately, the quality of Pratchett's wit and his mastery of satire and parody shine through and I will sample his written works. It remains to be seen if I will experiment with other audio book adaptations by Fantastic Audio (an imprint of American Audio Literature, Inc.) in the future, but it's unlikely...

Let me start off my admitting I have read nearly all of the disc world books available on audiobook. I was very excited to see this one offered at such a reasonable price, compared to previous books from Isis Audio that are double the price of this one. The reader changes every few pages of text, which I found rather annoying at first, but I got used to it. If you liked the character of Susan Sto Helit, death's grand daughter, she figures as one of the leads in this book. The other leads are all new. It had Pratchett's usual blend of hilarity and plot. Though this plot was more complicated than usual, so I may have to listen to it a few times to REALLY figure out what was going on. That's OK though, because disc world books are more about process than outcome, and the more I listen, the more I get my money's worth, right? :)

Thief of Time is a book of the Discworld series, falling into the category of Death and the Monks of History. Jeremy Clockson, a master clockmaker on meds, is commissioned to make the perfect clock, a glass clock to keep perfect time. He is commissioned by Lady LeJean, who is one of the Auditors. The Auditors are bent on wiping out all the people, and by making the perfect clock, time will stop, and there goes the problem. Lobsang Ludd, an apprentice thief from the Thieves Guild, is seen by Master DeSoto, one of the Monks of History. Although Lobsang has absolutely no teaching about time, he seems to know everything about it already, and is apprenticed under Lu-Tze, the sweeper. Read on, read on, this is a book to be read once and again.

Contrary to the usual progression of serials and the opinions of many Discworld fans, I think Pratchett just keeps getting better and better. "Thief of Time" is no exception. I'm tempted to just say "It has Susan in it, so you know it's good" and leave it at that, but there's so much more to this one. Death's unnervingly real and practical granddaughter, now a schoolteacher, is joined by a monastery that collects time, a young monk with an intriguing family history, a frighteningly obsessive clockmaker, and an Auditor unlike any you've ever seen. Footnotes are common and hilarious, the plot is engaging, and of course it all makes sense, eventually. I could go on, but I think saying any more would give too much away.

Terry Pratchett's Discworld books are staggeringly funny, yet contain an element of poignancy. This book is no exception, I had it read within 5 hours of receiving it. Fortunately Pratchett's books are worth at least a couple of reads. I always define Discworld books in terms of the characters. This book fits into the Death category as Death and his Granddaughter Susan Sto Helit are among the main characters. Susan is a schoolteacher in this book and her conversation with the soppy headmistress of the Froud Academy and creator of the Froud Method of Learning by Fun is a riot. The Death of Rats (SQUEAK), the Raven (got any fresh eyeballs), Nanny Ogg and an Igor (yeth marthter) also figure in this story. Particularly prominent is the sweeper (no one notices the sweeper) monk Lu-Tze, who creates bansai mountains with small shovels and mirrors to focus the sun. As far as I know, this character only appeared in one other book, Small Gods, and its a pleasure to see him again. I also thouroughly enjoyed Susan's classroom, Death's Gentleman's Club, Jeremy Clockson's lab, Igor's method of arrival, the Auditors' corporeal confusion and the Five riders of the Apocalypse, Death, Famine, War, Pestilence and the fifth, who left before they got famous. In a typically Pratchettian description, back then Death was Death, of course, but Famine, War and Pestilence were only Localized Crop Failure, Scuffles and Spots. If you haven't read a Discworld book, there is no need to read them in order, they all stand by themselves and this is as good of a one to start with as any of them. If you have read Discworld books before, you already know this one is another must read.

Every so often a book comes along in which you can only WISH you had thought of first.
For me, Thief of Time is one of those books. The plot is a standard Pratchett plot (dole out bits and pieces of information, build to an exciting climax, and then explain everything afterwards to a stunned readership), but the idea, the CONCEPT, behind the plot -- slicing time -- is so brilliantly handled, that it's a wonder to read. (And, yes, "a marvel to behold" for those of you who were eagerly anticipating that phrase).
Pratchett is only getting better with age. Let's hope he keeps aging forever.

"Thief of Time" was my third visit to Discworld and my first disappointment. Pratchett's riffs on the subject of time do not show his usual comic panache. He has jettisoned his standard cast of characters from Ankh-Morpork -- if there is such a thing as standard Pratchett characters -- in favor of a collection of unfunny semi-superhumans. Death's granddaughter, the five horsemen of the Apocalypse, and the son of Time are arrayed against a host of extra-dimensional Auditors who want to catch time , not in a bottle, but in a glass clock. We are meant to see it as a struggle of human individuality versus bureaucratic conformity with the future of Discworld at stake. But "Thief of Time" fails to blend its jokes and satire smoothly with its Armageddon. The result is closer to Dr Who than to Tolkien or the late Douglas Adams.
The central locus, if the story has one, is the monastery of Oi Dong where the History Monks keep time reeling smoothly between a graduated series of dredyls. Pratchett's funniest characters are "The Sweeper", a parody on all the unprepossessing, weirdly-wise martial arts masters from Kung Fu to Yoda, and his apprentice, Lobsang, formerly a member of the Thieve's Guild. A stray Igor from Uberwald who is helping build the glass clock also chips in some sorely-needed humor.
Discworld, itself, seems to wobble in this story between its usual pre-industrial state and a more modern time. There is talk of lathes, an exotic alloy invar, acid batteries, and chocolate truffles. The currency alternates between pence and dollars. Books abound in this incarnation of Discworld -- even though the printing press put in its first appearance in Pratchett's last book, "The Truth". I suppose Pratchett would attribute this inconsistency to a mis-calibrated time spool.
I have no quarrel with Pratchett exploring new literary turf, but in this novel he has gotten mired in some very sticky moralizing.

the author loves people, which is a good thing since he sees people so clearly with all their incredible dumbness and ugliness. whenever i feel depressed and sad over something awful in the news, i pick up one of the discworld books. he manages to change my feelings from "we all deserve to die" to "oh well, another day..." i will be re-reading this book and the entire series over and over again, until i can't pick up books anymore, and then i will be listening to the wonderful audiobook versions.

There is a link with Small Gods as the sweeper, is the garderner in this item, death and susan make a consistent appearance, as the title suggests there is a element of time in the book, with some interesting twists, for terry pratchet fans this is must, the American cover is attrocious, and does a dis-service to the book, and I can understand why Americans are prefering the British cover, the Americans have more sense than the American publisher, stick with Josh Kirby. The bok is well writen with footnotes of course and if you want a laugh or a parody on life buy it, with the British cover.

I'm a longtime fan of Terry Pratchett and the whole Discworld series, and it's rare for any book not to completely grip me. This is one of those rarities. It's not a BAD book by any stretch of the imagination -- it's always a treat to see Susan and Death take center stage again, and the bits about the Auditors struggling to grasp their human forms were pure gold. For some reason, though, I didn't quite get pulled into this book the way Discworld does at its best. Oh well -- you can't hit a home run every time. I'll still be back for the next one.

Terry Pratchett surpasses all of his previous creative achievements in "Thief of Time." Ideas and themes that have been touched upon in his previous works break forth in a new level of expression. All while keeping a lighthearted innocence and freedom that keeps bringing people back to his world, again and again.

Pratchett has spent years developing a rich fantasy world populated with vivid and memorable characters. He makes good use of those characters to explore the fundamental question, "What does it mean to be human?"

In this novel Pratchett applies his own unique view to the subject of time.

Pratchett explores time through three distinctive parings. First he presents us with a group of people who specialize in smoothing out all of the wrinkles in time. This group is called the Monks of History. We see the Monks of History as presented to the apprentice Lobsang Ludd by the infamous time saving hero, The Sweeper, aka Lu Tze. Lu Tze is an ancient, down to earth monk working in a world of ivory tower idealists. He is also a rascal, a maverick and an accomplished trickster. Lu Tze is one of the most charming and delightful characters that Pratchett has ever brought to life.

A second paring of characters features the never-ending dance between the anthropomorphic personification of Death and his "granddaughter" Susan. Here Death is at his most human, trying to once again save the world from the dreaded Auditors while obeying the limitations of his appointed role. By presenting Susan with an irresistibly tantalizing offer, Death is able to motivate Susan to help save the world from certain doom.

A third pairing features the clock making genius Jeremy Clockson and his patron, the mysterious Lady LeJean. Jeremy has been commissioned to make the perfect clock, and if he succeeds then it will have unimaginable consequences for everyone.

This is a delightful read for the both dedicated fan and for the first time visitor to Discworld.

When Lobsang is taken to a supposly famouse master Lu Tze the Sweeper, Lobsang realizes that the sweeper is something more then he thought. In another place, a clockmaker named Jeremy has had a dream about a the perfect clock and decides to make it. In another place, Susan is getting visits from the Death of Rats and has learned that the apocalyse is coming. In yet another place Death is assembiling the four horseman for the apocalypse. This story contains glass clocks, time spiners, the fifth horseman, history monks, yeti's, and Auditors.

I liked this book alot because of it's brilliant ideas on time and monks. The one reason I don't like this book is because of the description on the time spinners. It was incredibly confusing.

I gave the book four stars because it was brilliant yet confusing. I recomend it for anyone.

Several stories come together in this novel. Jeremy Clockson, an orphan taken in by the clockmaker's guild, is exceptionally talented at his trade. He has something of a genius for clockmaking, which is why he has been hired to construct a glass clock that will be the only device ever to measure time perfectly. Well, except for the other glass clock that came very close to destroying the world and was almost completely written out of history.

Death, personified, knows what is happening and puts his somewhat-immortal granddaughter Susan on the case. She is to track down and fix the problem, while Death tries to round up the other Apocalyptic Horsemen to ride out if the end of the world can't be avoided, as is their tradition.

The famous philosopher and sort-of History Monk, Lu-Tze, has taken on an apprentice, Lobsang Ludd. The apprentice has a better grasp of time than anyone Lu-Tze has ever met; he is able to balance it and split it better than experts in the field. When Lu-Tze also becomes aware of the construction of the glass clock, he takes Ludd with him to try to stop it before it's too late.

This was the first book I've read by Pratchett. I was led to believe it was a good stand-alone volume and one I could enjoy if I couldn't get my hands on his first book. However, I found it difficult. First of all, I came to the book with none of the Discworld backstory I should have had, which made it hard for me to grasp some of the details of how this universe was put together. Second, I felt as if the book had a sort of smugness that I couldn't understand, like there were lots of jokes I didn't quite get. The ones I did get, though, didn't seem as funny as the author seemed to expect. One example is the names of the martial arts practiced by the monks, which include "Okidoki" and "Upsidazi." Details like this were just a bit too cutesy for my taste.

Half of the story grabbed my attention. I really liked Death, the Death of Rats, and Susan. However, I found the other characters mostly tedious and the story itself alternately confusing and bland.

Yet another thoughtfully wrote and wry book in PTerry's growing collection of discworld books that are #1 in the UK and not far behind in the U.S. This one, following The Truth (one of his masterpieces), is about a clock that will keep perfect time, and as a aftereffect destroy history, or time, as we know it.
DAMN, says Death. HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD ALREADY? I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE I GET PAID FOR IT. BUGGER OFF, TERRY PRATCHETT!
And with that he stalks off to practice his sycthing skillz on an innocent beatle.
But although this plot seems a little contrived, PTerry is just too good. It still is a gripping read, as only PTerry can make it.
No, my one main problem is with Lu-Tze, of Small Gods. PTerry totally destroyed him. He is nothing like he was in the first book he was in, and by the end he is reduced to a bumbling fellow who has only managed to keep his reputation via magic tricks. That's what it seemed like to me, anyway. I didn't like Jeremy either; he seemed a clone of the main dude from The Truth.
Also, what was with the yeti? It just didn't make sense; you will find out what I mean when you read this book, which you will.
Happy Discworld reading.

I have just read this book, and wow is all I can say.
The novel is a cross between the next Susan Sto Helit novel a and a 'new character' novel. The History Monks are the real main characters in this book, expounding on Lu-Tze and his new apprentice, Lobsang Ludd.
The novel is, without a doubt, one the the better novels he has written. I would give it 4.5 stars (but the store won't let me)-it's a great book, but there are better ones out there.
The plot is interesting, to say the least, and the last half of the book kept me reading all night (but this is a normal occurence for me, esp. with Pratchett books I am reading for the first time), and works well. And the Igors, who have populated every single book since Carpe Juglum are back. Even though Igors are funny (espically the Pratchett version of them), their apperance in four straight books is a little odd. He's apparently got all these Uberwald ideas, and Igor keeps trotting out for another round of 'yeth, marther'ing.
Also, the Auditors are back, and are a lot better then they were in Hogfather. They have also started a new trend-but you'll have to read the book to find out...
Overall, though, the plot is interesting, the History Monks are colorful (but could use a little development), and the apperance of the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse is quite funny.
This is a book to read.

I love this book! It made me laugh out loud the first time I read it years ago. Silly, ridiculous, insane, it pokes fun at all of our spiritual quests and journeys, in a delightfully, funny way. What is it about laughing at ourselves...

I thought this was a nice, funny light-hearted book with some god twists in it ((no won't tell you what they are :P)). It was probably the 2nd book i read by Terry Pratchett and afterwords i had to agree he is an awsome author! The book got complicated in a few places, but had an "interesting" end and all in all was a very good read. If your in the mood for a lite, easy going book with some classy humor and interesting themes then i highly recommend this book.
~Lupus

Thief of Time is the most fun of the recent Discworld novels, avoiding the more somber tone of some. Pratchett's satire touches on martial arts, Eastern monastic mysticism, mad scientists, time, teaching, chocolate lovers, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse mixed with the Beatles, and a hilarious take on reincarnation. The villains are the bureaucratic Auditors who want to put an end to the messy chaos of life. That their plan gets them into much more trouble than they expected is one of the most amusing parts of the book. The fate of one renegade Auditor is surprising poignant. The action is fast-paced and keeps your interest the whole time. Highly recommended for a Discworld fan.

Another wonderful book in the Discworld universe. Terry Pratchett writes brilliant reflections of the world but rarely sacrifices story by overreaching for the satire. Story and characterization are strong, interesting & FUNNY. You will see people & situations you know perfectly skewered without feeling that the author has slipped into meanness or over-judgmental caricature writing.

Terry Pratchett has pulled another miracle off with the lastest book in the Discworld(TM) Series! This was a wonderful book. This book unlike other books in the Discworld series talks about different charcters than the usual Ankh-Morpork Watchers. Also it steps bravely into the ranks of Douglas Adams and others who make an effort to keep their readers awake with strange and twisted (but humourous) ideas of the universe. This book focuses on the the Time. If you have ever been wondering if there will was a yesterday and if there will be a yesterday, read this book.
My only complaint is that sometimes the plot gets too confusing to follow when Pratchett puts to many of his wacky ideas in one paragraph.

I'm not giving this a lukewarm review because it's shabby or poorly written or otherwise sub-par, only because it simply didn't turn out to be my taste. "Thief of Time" consists of vignette after vignette and conversation after conversation on the nature of time, humanity, and the absurdities of life, all done with a humorous Monty Python-esque and Douglas Adams-ish bent. Individual scenes are somewhat amusing (I like Monty Python and Douglas Adams) but the whole thing sort of meanders and spins its wheels. I like momentum and story and progression, even with humorous satires, and this just sort of lost me time and again (no pun intended). But, as stated, strong fans of offbeat humor and satire may like this more than I did. I hear a lot of good things about Terry Pratchett, so I'll probably eventually try another of his "Discworld" titles (apparently it doesn't matter where you start). But I think I'll take a break for a while.

This is why Terry Pratchett is the best. In The Thief of Time he gets deeper into the story and its characters with every turn of a phrase, riding rough-shod through the English language.
While revisiting Death and his granddaughter, Miss Susan, Pratchett takes us on a tour-de-farce tour of the Discworld past and present while introducing an entire new cast of characters that numbers in the billions (let's see MGM beat that!). These include the other four (yes, that's five total) Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the history monks who manage time, and the bean counters of the universe - and where would we be without them? Hmmm?
The story starts out as a sort of suspense-thriller in a literal race against Time. Miss Susan and the monks, working separately, must stop Time from coming to a stop. Meanwhile, seeing how it's the Apocalypse and all, Death must round up his old pals and ride out. Except that Time has taken its toll on his buddies.
Will Time come to a full stop? Or will our intrepid heroes arrive in the nick of Time to save the day? If they don't, history will shatter into so many pieces that even the Igor can't put them together again. So don't miss the exciting conclusion and don't forget to tune in next Time, if there is a next Time.

Truly phenomenal work in the Discworld series. This book explores the concept of time on Discworld and how it is governed. The concepts introduced are very unique and the plot has twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I have read six of the Discworld novels so far and have loved them all. This was by far my favorite.

This book is fabulous, on a level with "Feet of Clay" or even better. I liked it much better than "The Truth".
The Auditors return. Pratchett explores the nature of time and of what it means to be human. I felt the philosophical aspects were very well integrated into the overall story line and were definitely in the "make you think" category.
There is a stronger magical fantasy aspect to Thief of Time than in many books of the series. The Monks of Time have awesome abilities and the enormous responsibility of ensuring that time flows properly on the Discworld. We also learn more about the "special" people, such as Death's "granddaughter" Susan Sto Helit.
All in all, the book flowed beautifully, had intriguing interwoven plotlines, and really got me thinking about life and the nature of time (all while having a very enjoyable time). It's a "must" read for any Discworld fan.

I really like all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld (fantasy) books, including this one. You will best enjoy reading them in the order published, but they're good on their own. They have a unique, fey humor: I expect you will like all or none, so if they're new to you, get just one to begin with.

I have read all the Discworld novels right from the very beginning. As with any series some titles are better than others. Thief of Time is as the title suggests time taken without jsut compensation. This is one of Pratchetts most disappointing outings to date. Sadly so even more by the fact that the premise had so much potential. To me the story line didn't really hold together and the details somewhat confusing. I had an easier time understanding Hawkings Brief History of Time. (Yes I actually read it and it's sequel). The humor which is Pratchetts mainstay is somewhat lacking in tis title. Even Death, my favorite charector, isn't able to pull off many jokes. I believe Pratchett needs to go back to what worked and stick with his main charectors, especially the wizards, witches, Death, the Librarian (my second most favorite), the watch and others. Portions of this book take place in Ankh Morpork but do not involve any of it's most common residents. I cannot reccommend this title which is sad knowing how many others in the series are superb.

Stick to the pros to tell a story.
Too many readers trying to be, So Good!
But the story is fun. If Nigel reads this i will delete this version and repurchase.
Man those Readers are just annoying.

A warning to those thinking about purchasing the audiobook. The version available from Audible is a multi-narrator version and I found it very distracting and some of the narrators were not to my liking. I wish I could have gotten the Stephen Briggs version.

Perhaps I enjoyed this novel so much because it was my first introduction to Susan Sto Helit, who has become my favorite Discworld character (among many!). However, I must say that it was also my first experience with Igor, and he's a character not to be missed!
If you've enjoyed "Mort," "Soul Music" and "Hogfather," you must read this book to see what Susan's been up to lately. If you've never read any of the Discworld novels, this is a fine place to start!

I am a long-time Terry Pratchett fan and I have read every single one of his Discworld series. At one time or another, I have owned every single one of his Discworld series (I lend them out frequently). Knowing that, this is my favorite work of his, by far. I love the simple complexity of any Pratchett work, but he is at his best here. Not only do Lobsang and Lu-Tze make perfect partners, but this book also has some of his best characters and anthropomorphic personifications. It has Death, Nanny Ogg, and Miss Susan. It has an Igor, too. Theif of Time is almost never on my bookshelf because I either just read it, am reading it, or am about to read it. I have read it probably five times so far, and every time I come upon something new. It's a wonderful, wonderful book.

I needed something to waste time on during a 12-hour drive, so I picked this audio-recording up at the library. I had read several Discworld novels (read: as many as I could get my hands on), so I was ecstatic to find this in the public library! As audio-recordings go, it is unparallelled -- the voice acting is professional, natural, and well suited to each character. The voice of Death does indeed sound "in tones of funeral bells", but without an obvious exaggeration that would detract from the listening experience. Cameos by Harlan Ellison (someone has to read the footnotes!) add charm to an already exceptional performance. I would recommend it to anyone with at least a passing like for Pratchett, and ears to hear.

It's amazing. Pratchett keeps getting better. And thanks to his success in America, we diehard fans no longer have to send off to the UK for the latest volume.
Witty and clever, with humor both subtle and broad, Pratchett raises profound questions about the human condition. From Susan (Death's granddaughter) to Igor with real hand-me-down-hands Pratchett succeeds in holding up a very twisted mirror to the world and showing us an all to familiar reflection. May he write for many years to come.

Pratchett is a god, only not as annoying, stupid, or petty. :) The only thing that held me back in this book is a slightly convoluted story. However, this book is still Discworld-tastic, and it features Nanny Ogg, which is a nice change from the usual focus on Granny. Also, the Sweeper is always great. Funny, fast, and freaky-deaky!

I look forward to every book. Don't get me mistaken; his books are not crowning literary achievements that will be remembered in centuries to come but they are very, very funny. And that's why I love them. So if you don't try this book, at least try one of his other ones. You'll laugh so hard you're stomach will hurt, and you will get strange stares from people around you.

This is one of those unfortunate works that start excellently, even audaciously, take risks, but suddenly fall precipitously to an ignominious conclusion. My hat's off to Pratchett for his brave invention, but in this case the results are mixed.
The jokes, puns, take-offs, etc., fly about in rapid-fire, but the author's coyness eventually becomes tedious, and his characters cease to convince. In fact, the best ones--Igor, for example--disappear from the real action in the last third or so of the novel. So does the author, actually; toward the end he seems to lose interest and merely outlines a denouement. Quite a letdown. . . .

If you read enough of Pratchett's books you get a feel for his structures of storyline. Before this book I considered Interesting Times an unsurpassed example of his storytelling intricacies, but this one beats them all, and to think that it comes so soon on the heels of the excellent The Truth. And to think that Death's granddaughter could actually become appealing.

Terry Pratchett delivers again! Another saterical tale that will leave you both laughing your ass off, and pondering the mysteries of time. An excellent read. However, I highly suggest reading some of his earlier works to gain a better understanding of the world and his charecters. God Bless!

If you read enough of Pratchett's books you get a feel for his structures of storyline. Before this book I considered Interesting Times an unsurpassed example of his storytelling intricacies, but this one beats them all, and to think that it comes so soon on the heels of the excellent The Truth. And to think that Death's granddaughter could actually become appealing.

Terry Pratchett delivers again! Another saterical tale that will leave you both laughing your ass off, and pondering the mysteries of time. An excellent read. However, I highly suggest reading some of his earlier works to gain a better understanding of the world and his charecters. God Bless!

This book was great. (as mentioned above) it was pure terry pratchett and i loved it. It was one of his really good ones. If you haven't read terry pratchett, read it!! They are fantastic!! old fans will enjoy this one as well as new.

I have reread this book maybe three or four times and it is one of those books I can just read again and again. It was the first book from the Discworld series I ever read and still is by far my favourite! A great book!

Theif of time begins as a thinking man's book, with symbolic objects and themes, but eventually becomes less serious and comical. Not bad at all. Quite an enjoyable read, though may be more enjoyed more by young adults more than kids or "serious" readers.

What people say everyday without thinking, things we take for granted and the odd traits of people we know all masterfully blended to pull you into the story and not let go. I received Thief of Time and Awakening by Alexander Degrate as a gift. One very satisfied reader. No disappointments, both a must read.

This novel introduced me to Discworld, and after reading 6 or 7 of them, I still consider this one my favorite. However, I much prefer the original cover art and larger format (from the first paperback printing in the UK).

I've never read any of Pratchett's stuff before. Someone bought this book for me as a gift. I tried reading it. I got to page 120 and just gave up. This book is boring, pedantic, and tedious. Maybe I just don't get the jokes. Maybe I need to be more familiar with "disc world" or whatever it's called. But this book sucks. There is no character development. There is virtually no description of what the characters look like. This book is simply a plodding nightmare with a confusing plot and pretentious philosophy. I know, the book is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek; and the philosophy is supposed to be an in-joke, but I don't get the joke, and Pratchett never takes the time to explain it.