 and I don't even like time travel...
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.
Time enough to laugh
This may be his best yet. Susan has to save the world while DEATH rides. The horsemen are demented or at least demoralized. The history monks are wonderful and the sweeper is second only to the Abbot (2 yr old?) in the portrayal of the strength and the confusion of a well functioning bureaucracy. Meet and despise the Auditors and ALWAYS carry chocolate (trust me here)
I have a real soft spot for Terry's treatment of DEATH- if you haven't yet, read an enjoy REAPER MAN and Morte. I thank him for both works.
Hilariously Entertaining!
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!
First Discworld novel I read and still my favorite
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).
Make Time for This Book
If you are looking for enlightened entertainment or you want some Zen with your zany, this hilarious offering from the pen of Terry Pratchett is the best choice you can make.
In THIEF OF TIME, Death's granddaughter Susan is again called upon to put down her schoolteacher's marking pen and save the world from the Auditors--sinister accountant-like figures who just don't get this chaotic thing called Life.
The title character is an orphan raised by the Thieves Guild until he is discovered manipulating time by the Monks of History--who are the ultimate managers of this concept humans call Time. Young Lobsang is quite a pain to his teachers in the monastery who hit on the idea of apprenticing him to the "humble" sweeper Lu-tze. While many city people came to the mountains to find simplicity, Lu-tze went to the city to discover complications and there found his own spiritual guru in the person of Mrs. Cosmopilite. Her philosophy may be summed up in the beautiful words: "It won't get better if you pick at it."
Whether you find this profound, or just profoundly funny, don't miss this book. Highly, highly recommended!
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