Call number
Genres
Publication
New York: Doubleday, 2013
Pages
365
Description
"Change is afoot in Ankh-Morpork--Discworld's first steam engine has arrived, and once again Moist von Lipwig finds himself with a new and challenging job"--
Media reviews
Pratchett's unforgettable characters and lively story mirror the best, the worst, and the oddest bits of our own world, entertaining readers while skewering social and political foibles in a melting pot of humanity, dwarfs, trolls, goblins, vampires, and a werewolf or two.
If sometimes the mighty engine of Pratchett's prose skids a bit on the upslope – a tad didactic here, a little heavy-handed in its moralising there – we can forgive him. Not least because he remains one of the most consistently funny writers around; a master of the stealth simile, the
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time-delay pun and the deflationary three-part list . Show Less
Awards
Prometheus Award (Nominee — Novel — 2015)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2013-11-07
Physical description
365 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
9780385538268
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User reviews
LibraryThing member Eat_Read_Knit
Dick Simnel, a man with his flat cap on straight and a good, solid education in mathematics, has managed what many an enterprising but less systematic man has failed to do: get a steam engine to actually work, rather than explode. And his steam engine soon catches the imagination of the rich and
I had been looking forward to this immensely, and was disappointed to see extremely negative reactions in the first couple of days after publication. I was also disappointed when I started reading. Something - I couldn't quite put my finger on what - was a little off in the early pages. It just didn't sound quite right: there was nothing actually wrong with it - in fact, it was quite enjoyable - but it didn't sound quite like Proper Pratchett.
But somewhere around the time Ankh-Morpork was becoming entranced with the idea of trains, people were writing down the locomotive number "1" in a notebook without quite knowing why, and Lord Vetinari was musing over the possibilities of the technology as a small model train chuffed around in circles on his desk*, something fell into place, and from then on I really enjoyed it.
Anyone who comes to this expecting absolute vintage Pratchett, in the sharp style of fifteen years or so ago, is going to be disappointed. And anyone who's read the last four or five books and come to the conclusion that Pratchett just can't do it any more is probably not going to have their mind changed by this book. The tone of this book, like that of other recent work, is a little slower, and a little softer, than mid-series Discworld. This is not flawless, and it's not going to be my favourite Pratchett. But I do think it's still a very good book.
*Somewhere around page 40-50, if that matters.
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powerful, who see profits to be made and an excellent way of getting fresh seafood and still-edible strawberries into Ankh-Morpork. Moist von Lipwig, given the task of Arranging Things to the benefit of the city, soon finds there is rather a lot for him to do. But meanwhile, there is unrest among the dwarves: the faction who disapprove of the new ways are on the rise, and the coming of the trains is the final straw. I had been looking forward to this immensely, and was disappointed to see extremely negative reactions in the first couple of days after publication. I was also disappointed when I started reading. Something - I couldn't quite put my finger on what - was a little off in the early pages. It just didn't sound quite right: there was nothing actually wrong with it - in fact, it was quite enjoyable - but it didn't sound quite like Proper Pratchett.
But somewhere around the time Ankh-Morpork was becoming entranced with the idea of trains, people were writing down the locomotive number "1" in a notebook without quite knowing why, and Lord Vetinari was musing over the possibilities of the technology as a small model train chuffed around in circles on his desk*, something fell into place, and from then on I really enjoyed it.
Anyone who comes to this expecting absolute vintage Pratchett, in the sharp style of fifteen years or so ago, is going to be disappointed. And anyone who's read the last four or five books and come to the conclusion that Pratchett just can't do it any more is probably not going to have their mind changed by this book. The tone of this book, like that of other recent work, is a little slower, and a little softer, than mid-series Discworld. This is not flawless, and it's not going to be my favourite Pratchett. But I do think it's still a very good book.
*Somewhere around page 40-50, if that matters.
Show Less
LibraryThing member shabacus
One of the hallmarks of the early Discworld was the episodic nature of the series, how you could start from pretty much anywhere and be assured that you wouldn't be missing out on anything you need to enjoy the story. That is not the case with Raising Steam.
Terry Pratchett was once quoted as
As a result, many constant readers might pick up this volume and object that it isn't their Discworld. Things are changing, and they don't want them to change. But the answer to these objections are found within the pages of the story itself.
No other series that I have read has done such a good job of showing a world in a state of change. We expect our fantasy stories to exist in static universes, perhaps threatened by some Ultimate Evil, but otherwise forever mired in a paradise of happy Olde World peasantry. That may be where the Discworld series began, but it is not where it is going.
The sheer weight of the 39 books that came before it press down on Raising Steam, with the reader expected to know who De Worde, Vimes, the Librarian, and countless other Discworldians are. That is simply the price of entry. But if that price is paid, then the reader is treated to a fully entertaining ride.
Make no mistake--the protagonist of this story is not Simnel, or Von Lipwig, but instead the notion of progress itself, embodied by the railroad. It is the common thread that runs through the entire story, which is constructed much more like The Long Earth and The Long War, Pratchett's recent collaborations with Stephen Baxter. It is speculative fiction of the purest sort.
Recommended for Discworld fans only, and those are encouraged to appreciate the story for what it is, and not to mourn (too much) the style and world that Pratchett is leaving behind.
Terry Pratchett was once quoted as
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saying, "There are no maps. You can't map a sense of humour. Anyway, what is a fantasy map but a space beyond which There Be Dragons? On the Discworld we know There Be Dragons Everywhere. They might not all have scales and forked tongues, but they Be Here all right, grinning and jostling and trying to sell you souvenirs." But that is not the case with Raising Steam, which has a nicely detailed map in its opening pages.As a result, many constant readers might pick up this volume and object that it isn't their Discworld. Things are changing, and they don't want them to change. But the answer to these objections are found within the pages of the story itself.
No other series that I have read has done such a good job of showing a world in a state of change. We expect our fantasy stories to exist in static universes, perhaps threatened by some Ultimate Evil, but otherwise forever mired in a paradise of happy Olde World peasantry. That may be where the Discworld series began, but it is not where it is going.
The sheer weight of the 39 books that came before it press down on Raising Steam, with the reader expected to know who De Worde, Vimes, the Librarian, and countless other Discworldians are. That is simply the price of entry. But if that price is paid, then the reader is treated to a fully entertaining ride.
Make no mistake--the protagonist of this story is not Simnel, or Von Lipwig, but instead the notion of progress itself, embodied by the railroad. It is the common thread that runs through the entire story, which is constructed much more like The Long Earth and The Long War, Pratchett's recent collaborations with Stephen Baxter. It is speculative fiction of the purest sort.
Recommended for Discworld fans only, and those are encouraged to appreciate the story for what it is, and not to mourn (too much) the style and world that Pratchett is leaving behind.
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LibraryThing member Turrean
I am incapable of dispassionately evaluating a Discworld novel. Because Terry Pratchett.
LibraryThing member RobertDay
As my Christmas stocking included 'Mrs. Bradshaw’s Guide to travelling on the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway’, I decided to prepare for that by reading 'Raising Steam' slightly out of sequence within the Discworld novels. (This only involved my skipping two books, 'Unseen
As a railway enthusiast, I appreciated a lot of the jokes and the accuracy of the railway terminology, even when mangled by the Discworld mindset. Pratchett took advice from one of the heritage railways in his part of England, so he avoided the worst of all errors when writers take on a subject with its own fandom – getting the facts wrong. Dick Simnel seems to be based, as a character, on the popular television personality of a few years ago, the late Fred Dibnah, and none the worse for that. Slightly more irritating was the continual namechecking of other characters and situations from the Discworld, going all the way back to Rincewind; and saying that this demonstrates how far enthusiasm for the new railway has penetrated Discworld society really doesn’t work for me.
The march of industry into the Discworld has been a feature of many of the more recent novels, starting with 'The Truth' and 'Thief of Time' with its steam-powered prayer wheels before the appearance of the clacks and the novels involving Moist von Lipwig; this book continues that theme. But I detected an element of the old magic re-appearing in this book. In 'Small Gods', Pratchett developed the idea that gods grew in stature according to how many people believed in them; and is this not what is happening with the railway? The idea of Iron Girder initially running around on a circular demonstration track echoes an actual event from the dawn of steam power, when Richard Trevithick demonstrated an early steam engine, Catch me who can, on a circular track in London in 1808. And the sketchy description of Iron Girder at this point in the book matches the sort of machine Trevithick and his near contemporaries built in the first quarter of the 19th century, with the motion mounted on top of the boiler and a generally grasshopper-like progress along the track. Later descriptions suggest a rapid line of development, with descriptions of Iron Girder as being sleeker, more powerful and more purposeful, with more in common with the engines of the 1890s than the early 1800s. Although Dick Simnel is forever tinkering with his pride and joy, the changes wrought in the engine to make it faster and more powerful would not have come about through mere tinkering alone; and the suggestions that the engine is itself a living, breathing thing (something of a cliché amongst steam fans, but there you are) also suggests that the magic of the Discworld is having an effect on the engine, that merely by existing within a strong thaumaturgical field and being the centre of interest and attention of so many people, the engine has become in its own way a Small God.
There is another theme to the novel, and that is diversity. Just as magical kingdoms in fantasy have a panoply of characters from different races – elves, ogres, vampires and so on – so does our modern world. Of course, in our world it is the modern technological achievements of mass transport that have encouraged the interchange of peoples, whereas on the Discworld that has happened without mass transportation, with the political and economic nexus of Ankh-Morpork acting as the magnet for inward immigration. But what started out on the Discworld as isolated instances of diversity – vampires signing the Pledge, or the emancipation of the golems – has now gathered pace and the mixing and interchange of peoples and acceptance of their differences is shown as a topic with the same sort of inter-relationships and flashpoints as we ourselves are experiencing in the real world. Pratchett has no answer for this, other than to believe in the transformative power of Progress eventually changing hearts and minds. If only it was so easy in real life.
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Academicals' and 'Snuff'.) I wasn’t unprepared for what I saw, but it nonetheless still came as an unpleasant experience, to be confronted with what looks to me like the effects of Pratchett’s illness. The first half of the book is charmless and the dialogue flat. Even Pratchett’s legendary wit and wordplay lacked sparkle. Then, from about page 175 – Moist’s rescue of the children playing on the railway – the book came alive for me. We were back with the Terry Pratchett of old. (This, too, is symptomatic of his illness.) There was one gratuitous insertion of a reference to 'The Railway Children', but that apart I found the second half of the book much more engaging than the first.As a railway enthusiast, I appreciated a lot of the jokes and the accuracy of the railway terminology, even when mangled by the Discworld mindset. Pratchett took advice from one of the heritage railways in his part of England, so he avoided the worst of all errors when writers take on a subject with its own fandom – getting the facts wrong. Dick Simnel seems to be based, as a character, on the popular television personality of a few years ago, the late Fred Dibnah, and none the worse for that. Slightly more irritating was the continual namechecking of other characters and situations from the Discworld, going all the way back to Rincewind; and saying that this demonstrates how far enthusiasm for the new railway has penetrated Discworld society really doesn’t work for me.
The march of industry into the Discworld has been a feature of many of the more recent novels, starting with 'The Truth' and 'Thief of Time' with its steam-powered prayer wheels before the appearance of the clacks and the novels involving Moist von Lipwig; this book continues that theme. But I detected an element of the old magic re-appearing in this book. In 'Small Gods', Pratchett developed the idea that gods grew in stature according to how many people believed in them; and is this not what is happening with the railway? The idea of Iron Girder initially running around on a circular demonstration track echoes an actual event from the dawn of steam power, when Richard Trevithick demonstrated an early steam engine, Catch me who can, on a circular track in London in 1808. And the sketchy description of Iron Girder at this point in the book matches the sort of machine Trevithick and his near contemporaries built in the first quarter of the 19th century, with the motion mounted on top of the boiler and a generally grasshopper-like progress along the track. Later descriptions suggest a rapid line of development, with descriptions of Iron Girder as being sleeker, more powerful and more purposeful, with more in common with the engines of the 1890s than the early 1800s. Although Dick Simnel is forever tinkering with his pride and joy, the changes wrought in the engine to make it faster and more powerful would not have come about through mere tinkering alone; and the suggestions that the engine is itself a living, breathing thing (something of a cliché amongst steam fans, but there you are) also suggests that the magic of the Discworld is having an effect on the engine, that merely by existing within a strong thaumaturgical field and being the centre of interest and attention of so many people, the engine has become in its own way a Small God.
There is another theme to the novel, and that is diversity. Just as magical kingdoms in fantasy have a panoply of characters from different races – elves, ogres, vampires and so on – so does our modern world. Of course, in our world it is the modern technological achievements of mass transport that have encouraged the interchange of peoples, whereas on the Discworld that has happened without mass transportation, with the political and economic nexus of Ankh-Morpork acting as the magnet for inward immigration. But what started out on the Discworld as isolated instances of diversity – vampires signing the Pledge, or the emancipation of the golems – has now gathered pace and the mixing and interchange of peoples and acceptance of their differences is shown as a topic with the same sort of inter-relationships and flashpoints as we ourselves are experiencing in the real world. Pratchett has no answer for this, other than to believe in the transformative power of Progress eventually changing hearts and minds. If only it was so easy in real life.
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LibraryThing member klai
I enjoyed this book - I love Pratchett's work, and this didn't let me down. He can still surprise the reader.
But I can't help feeling there's too much stuff in this book – too many themes: mechanical progress, religious fundamentalism, multiethnic and -cultural tensions and conflicts, social
A good book, then, but not the place to start reading Discworld novels.
But I can't help feeling there's too much stuff in this book – too many themes: mechanical progress, religious fundamentalism, multiethnic and -cultural tensions and conflicts, social
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progress (advancement of the rights of all sapient species; the growth of the middle classes), and much more besides. And it felt as if too many aspects of Discworld were brought in and too many characters have cameos, not always adding to the story. Am I really complaining about richness? Well .. yes, it felt a bit like watching a band with a brilliant guitarist play an amazing guitar solo in every song of the set: I loved it, but incrementally less as the book went on.A good book, then, but not the place to start reading Discworld novels.
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LibraryThing member Kellswitch
This is one of the more difficult reviews I’ve had to write. Terry Pratchett is one of my very favorite authors and the decline in his writing has been painful, if understandable, to watch. If this book had been written by anybody else I doubt I would have made it to the first 100 pages.
This
The characterizations and dialog were very stiff and flat it felt more like the author had been told about who these characters were, what their traits were, but had never read them before and then went on to write for them and it just didn’t work. The Patrician was the most painful.
The story itself was actually quite interesting, though I felt the whole “train culture” that sprouted up advanced way to fast, and I was way more interested in the dwarf subplot and would have liked more time spent on that and less on the trains.
There are glimmers of the old Terry Pratchett throughout the book but it is painfully obvious how much has been lost. The characters felt flat, the story felt rushed and with too much squished in and even the footnotes seemed pointless and unentertaining. This was heartbreaking to read.
This
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book was very, very difficult to read, especially the first 2/3’s of it, it did pick up in the last third but even at that point I was skimming whole paragraphs that just felt repetitive and like filler.The characterizations and dialog were very stiff and flat it felt more like the author had been told about who these characters were, what their traits were, but had never read them before and then went on to write for them and it just didn’t work. The Patrician was the most painful.
The story itself was actually quite interesting, though I felt the whole “train culture” that sprouted up advanced way to fast, and I was way more interested in the dwarf subplot and would have liked more time spent on that and less on the trains.
There are glimmers of the old Terry Pratchett throughout the book but it is painfully obvious how much has been lost. The characters felt flat, the story felt rushed and with too much squished in and even the footnotes seemed pointless and unentertaining. This was heartbreaking to read.
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LibraryThing member themulhern
One of Terry Pratchett's very last. Lengthy, unwieldy, sentimental, and not all that funny. A far cry from his very first Discworld novels.
LibraryThing member JudithProctor
Not bad overall. The first half was a bit clunky, though still some good bits. The final rail race to get to Uberwald in time is definitely the best part (though the Railway Children pastiche just slowed the pace without adding anything).
Although she only has a small role here, Adora Belle
Time seems very elastic. The rail network grows with unbelievable rapidity and the whole of Ankh Morpork seems to change without Vimes or Vetinari getting any older.
I liked the details of the engine and the railway, but I do wish Pratchett didn't need to emancipate a new race with every book.
Although she only has a small role here, Adora Belle
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Dearheart was the character I enjoyed the most.Time seems very elastic. The rail network grows with unbelievable rapidity and the whole of Ankh Morpork seems to change without Vimes or Vetinari getting any older.
I liked the details of the engine and the railway, but I do wish Pratchett didn't need to emancipate a new race with every book.
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LibraryThing member pwaites
Raising Steam is the fortieth book in the Discworld series and definitely not one you should start with! While it’s the third following Moist, there’s significant appearances from characters from other arcs, such as Vimes. Raising Steam is a book you’re better off reading if you’re already
The first time I read Raising Steam, I really didn’t like it. On a second read through… it wasn’t completely horrible. It has a few good spots. It suffers in comparison to other Discworld novels, but I also think it’s helped by the inclusion of so many characters I love. Am I forgiving it some failures because of this? Possibly.
In Raising Steam, a young engineer invents the steam engine (FYI he’s the son of a character in Reaper Man). He uses the new engine to construct the Disc’s very first train. All around the Sto Plains, people start to become enchanted by the magic of the railway. However, dwarf extremists are reacting violently against the changing world.
Raising Steam does have a plot, however it’s a weak one. The plot is not at all well constructed, and Raising Steam doesn’t have the constant humor that helps some of the less plot focused Discworld books.
Overall, Raising Steam is way too ambling and wordy. There’s too many little words and clauses like “indeed” and “on the other hand” thrown in constantly. Same goes with exclamation marks. This carries over to the dialogue, which often doesn’t feel discernible from the rest. Dialogue has also gotten longer and more unwieldy. I ended up skimming multiple sections.
However, there were a few good lines. I found myself smiling at the scene where Colon and Nobby tried to explain how the steam engine worked to two small children and became even more entrenched in their wrong explanation as the conversation went on. There also some good character moments, and Pratchett retains his gift for creating spot on analogies:
“Moist, on the other hand, in the vicinity of the press, was as straightforward as a sackful of kaleidoscopes.”
Raising Steam tries to delve into the darkness that some of the later Discworld books have plumbed to well. It tries to do this by expanding on the concept of the small minded grags, who first appeared in Thud!… but it just doesn’t work. It’s too on the nose and over the top. The darkness doesn’t have the palable quality of books like Night Watch or Thud!. If it’s darkness you’re looking for, read one of those novels instead. Although, there was one line in Raising Steam that did work well in this regard:
“When you’ve had hatred on your tongue for such a long time, you don’t know how to spit it out.”
So, overall, Raising Steam isn’t completely horrible, but it’s still a mess and doesn’t compare well to the other books in the series. I’d only recommend it to Discworld completists.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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familiar with the majority of the Discworld series. If you haven’t read any Discworld books but are interested in starting, I would suggest Monstrous Regiment, Guards! Guards!, The Wee Free Men, or Going Postal.The first time I read Raising Steam, I really didn’t like it. On a second read through… it wasn’t completely horrible. It has a few good spots. It suffers in comparison to other Discworld novels, but I also think it’s helped by the inclusion of so many characters I love. Am I forgiving it some failures because of this? Possibly.
In Raising Steam, a young engineer invents the steam engine (FYI he’s the son of a character in Reaper Man). He uses the new engine to construct the Disc’s very first train. All around the Sto Plains, people start to become enchanted by the magic of the railway. However, dwarf extremists are reacting violently against the changing world.
Raising Steam does have a plot, however it’s a weak one. The plot is not at all well constructed, and Raising Steam doesn’t have the constant humor that helps some of the less plot focused Discworld books.
Overall, Raising Steam is way too ambling and wordy. There’s too many little words and clauses like “indeed” and “on the other hand” thrown in constantly. Same goes with exclamation marks. This carries over to the dialogue, which often doesn’t feel discernible from the rest. Dialogue has also gotten longer and more unwieldy. I ended up skimming multiple sections.
However, there were a few good lines. I found myself smiling at the scene where Colon and Nobby tried to explain how the steam engine worked to two small children and became even more entrenched in their wrong explanation as the conversation went on. There also some good character moments, and Pratchett retains his gift for creating spot on analogies:
“Moist, on the other hand, in the vicinity of the press, was as straightforward as a sackful of kaleidoscopes.”
Raising Steam tries to delve into the darkness that some of the later Discworld books have plumbed to well. It tries to do this by expanding on the concept of the small minded grags, who first appeared in Thud!… but it just doesn’t work. It’s too on the nose and over the top. The darkness doesn’t have the palable quality of books like Night Watch or Thud!. If it’s darkness you’re looking for, read one of those novels instead. Although, there was one line in Raising Steam that did work well in this regard:
“When you’ve had hatred on your tongue for such a long time, you don’t know how to spit it out.”
So, overall, Raising Steam isn’t completely horrible, but it’s still a mess and doesn’t compare well to the other books in the series. I’d only recommend it to Discworld completists.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member John5918
The railway comes to Ankh-Morpork. As intricate and exciting as most of the Discworld novels, this one also demonstrates a good understanding of the world of steam railways.
LibraryThing member thorold
I had fun reading this - not least because I'm a bit of a train nut myself. Pratchett is as funny as ever, and he's clearly made the effort to learn as much as he could about how railways developed and how they work, so his story hangs together very well technically. Interestingly, for once he has
However, what he doesn't really manage to do is put a specifically Discworld spin on the story of railway technology. The problems solved and difficulties overcome are exactly what we would expect, so it does often feel as though we are rumbling along rather predictable tracks. The other main plot thread, about radical fundamentalist dwarves trying to stop progress by means of terrorist attacks, is also well-intentioned and well-executed, but again it seems to lacks that additional bizarre twist that we expect from Pratchett. It's hard to be entirely objective when you know about the author's health problems, but I'd say this one is a lot better than some of his flimsier pot-boilers, but it doesn't quite have the focussed liberal-humanist anger with the stupidity of the world that you find in the best of his serious novels, like Night Watch and Monstrous Regiment.
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managed to integrate a real-world technology into Discworld without relying on any magical elements (other than a bit of time-compression that takes him from first steam engine to transcontinental railway in little more than a year). And there is a vast amount of entertaining detail, with dozens of pastiches of familiar railway-related culture - everything from The Railway Children and Buster Keaton's The General to Brief Encounter. However, what he doesn't really manage to do is put a specifically Discworld spin on the story of railway technology. The problems solved and difficulties overcome are exactly what we would expect, so it does often feel as though we are rumbling along rather predictable tracks. The other main plot thread, about radical fundamentalist dwarves trying to stop progress by means of terrorist attacks, is also well-intentioned and well-executed, but again it seems to lacks that additional bizarre twist that we expect from Pratchett. It's hard to be entirely objective when you know about the author's health problems, but I'd say this one is a lot better than some of his flimsier pot-boilers, but it doesn't quite have the focussed liberal-humanist anger with the stupidity of the world that you find in the best of his serious novels, like Night Watch and Monstrous Regiment.
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LibraryThing member mattries37315
Once it had been a dream, it had been nearly realized before being abandoned, and many lost their lives looking to harness it until one young man succeeded. Raising Steam is the penultimate book of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, as Moist von Lipwig helps along the technological marvel of
Young Dick Simnel saw his father killed while trying to control steam, but after years of reading and later technological tinkering he succeeded in creating a locomotive engine and a means to use it on rails. Dick then heads to Ankh-Morpork and the wealthy Harry King to get support, which the latter is happy to do. Soon train fever hits Ankh-Morpork and Lord Vetinari calls on Moist von Lipwig to utilize the invention to the betterment of the city, in no uncertain terms. Like always Moist’s mind begins seeing the possibilities in the new technology and begins helping Dick and Harry come up and implement ideas, but soon Vetinari begins pressing Moist to get things moving faster. All the while, dwarf society is splitting between fundamentalist and pragmatists resulting in attacks on such technological marvels as the clacks and the new railway. Then after the fundamentalists launch a coup when the Low King is at summit, it is only with the railway that the “King” is able to return to put down the coup and change dwarf society.
While I enjoyed the character of Moist in his previous two books, this book was not really a Moist von Lipwig book though he was the main point-of-view. In fact this book very much needed the reader to know the events that happened Thud! and Snuff, which were both Watch driven books especially as Sam Vimes featured heavily in the latter part of the book. The story was not bad, but the twists and turns were predictable and some random scenes were in fact plain random as they never played in the overall plot of the book. There was a hint of Pratchett attempting to make a commentary on religious fundamentalism with the acts of terror, but because of political climate of the time he wrote he watered it down a lot. However, the biggest drawback is that the humor was lacking especially as Pratchett included every person or group that have been featured prominently in the series, save the Witches, almost as if he wanted to show them on last time just in case.
Raising Steam is not the worst Discworld book—Eric—and it is close to being one of the best. Honestly, the story is fine, but seems to take longer than necessary. In previous books the reader could forgive this fact because of the great humor, but as stated before that is lacking. This book is for long time Pratchett fans and anyone interested in getting into Discworld is encouraged to find an book in the first three-quarters of the series to read first and work their way to this one.
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locomotion created by Dick Simnel that is monetarily supported by Harry King and pushed by Lord Vetinari early on especially to reach Uberwald which becomes imperative as the Dwarfs verge on civil war.Young Dick Simnel saw his father killed while trying to control steam, but after years of reading and later technological tinkering he succeeded in creating a locomotive engine and a means to use it on rails. Dick then heads to Ankh-Morpork and the wealthy Harry King to get support, which the latter is happy to do. Soon train fever hits Ankh-Morpork and Lord Vetinari calls on Moist von Lipwig to utilize the invention to the betterment of the city, in no uncertain terms. Like always Moist’s mind begins seeing the possibilities in the new technology and begins helping Dick and Harry come up and implement ideas, but soon Vetinari begins pressing Moist to get things moving faster. All the while, dwarf society is splitting between fundamentalist and pragmatists resulting in attacks on such technological marvels as the clacks and the new railway. Then after the fundamentalists launch a coup when the Low King is at summit, it is only with the railway that the “King” is able to return to put down the coup and change dwarf society.
While I enjoyed the character of Moist in his previous two books, this book was not really a Moist von Lipwig book though he was the main point-of-view. In fact this book very much needed the reader to know the events that happened Thud! and Snuff, which were both Watch driven books especially as Sam Vimes featured heavily in the latter part of the book. The story was not bad, but the twists and turns were predictable and some random scenes were in fact plain random as they never played in the overall plot of the book. There was a hint of Pratchett attempting to make a commentary on religious fundamentalism with the acts of terror, but because of political climate of the time he wrote he watered it down a lot. However, the biggest drawback is that the humor was lacking especially as Pratchett included every person or group that have been featured prominently in the series, save the Witches, almost as if he wanted to show them on last time just in case.
Raising Steam is not the worst Discworld book—Eric—and it is close to being one of the best. Honestly, the story is fine, but seems to take longer than necessary. In previous books the reader could forgive this fact because of the great humor, but as stated before that is lacking. This book is for long time Pratchett fans and anyone interested in getting into Discworld is encouraged to find an book in the first three-quarters of the series to read first and work their way to this one.
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LibraryThing member grizzly.anderson
I wish I could give this more stars because I've at least liked and mostly loved every other Terry Pratchett book I've read (and that's almost all of them). But I can't.
When I saw that there was another Discworld book coming out I scrounged the internet for a copy from abroad, just so I didn't
Somewhere around page 50 it recovered a bit, and wasn't so painful to read, but it still was a story about a discworld story, not a discworld story itself. Every other story, no matter how much it is a satire or commentary on war or racism or economics or hollywood or tourism is still primarily about the main character. As a reader there is someone there to directly engage with and experience the story through. In Raising Steam the closest is Moist Lipwig, but not really.
Along the way the story features Moist, Vetnari, Adora Belle, Sam Vimes, Angua Sgt. Colin, Nobby, Rhys Rysson, Mr Shine, Cherry, Albrect, Bashfull Bashfullsson (who uncharacteristically wields an axe at one point), Harry King, Drumknot, the Archchancellor, Rincewind, Lu-Tze, Detritus, Igors, Sacharissa, Otto, various goblins and golems, and oblique references are made to Cohen the Barbarian & his horde, the history monks, witches, the Nac Mc Feegle, Gnomes, the King and Queen of Lancer and.... you get the point. At some point pretty much EVERY character you've ever met except for Captain Carrot and Twoflower makes at least a cameo appearance.
As a result the closest thing there is to a coherent viewpoint is the IDEA of a railroad, and even then the book can't decide if it is about obsessive railroad culture, robber barrons, or about violent phobic anti-whatever terrorism in fear of change. So it meanders around sort of telling a story while giving as many characters as possible a chance to wander onto stage. And at the end of it all, those wonderful two opening paragraphs still seem to have dropped in from some other book entirely. I've got no idea why they are in this book.
I've thoroughly enjoyed Sir Terry's books. I'm amazed that he's been able to write so many that are so good. I'm horribly horribly sorry that he's been stricken with Alzheimer's. If the reason that so many characters made an otherwise pointless appearance in Raising Steam was to give them a curtain call, so be it. And I really really really hate to say it, but Sir Terry, thank you for all the wonderful stories, I'll keep reading them again, and passing them along. But it's time to stop. Please stop. Don't ruin a great thing.
When I saw that there was another Discworld book coming out I scrounged the internet for a copy from abroad, just so I didn't
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have to wait months and months more for it to be released in the US. I read the opening two paragraphs of classic Pratchett prose on the universe being so full of nothing that nothing was something and nothing is everywhere and nothing knows something... and I thought "This is IT. Sir Terry is back and in fine form!" And then I got to the third paragraph. And the 40 or 50 pages after that. I almost quit reading it was so bad. It was like reading an incredibly detailed description of a Terry Pratchett story, as told by someone that has no idea how to actually TELL a story.Somewhere around page 50 it recovered a bit, and wasn't so painful to read, but it still was a story about a discworld story, not a discworld story itself. Every other story, no matter how much it is a satire or commentary on war or racism or economics or hollywood or tourism is still primarily about the main character. As a reader there is someone there to directly engage with and experience the story through. In Raising Steam the closest is Moist Lipwig, but not really.
Along the way the story features Moist, Vetnari, Adora Belle, Sam Vimes, Angua Sgt. Colin, Nobby, Rhys Rysson, Mr Shine, Cherry, Albrect, Bashfull Bashfullsson (who uncharacteristically wields an axe at one point), Harry King, Drumknot, the Archchancellor, Rincewind, Lu-Tze, Detritus, Igors, Sacharissa, Otto, various goblins and golems, and oblique references are made to Cohen the Barbarian & his horde, the history monks, witches, the Nac Mc Feegle, Gnomes, the King and Queen of Lancer and.... you get the point. At some point pretty much EVERY character you've ever met except for Captain Carrot and Twoflower makes at least a cameo appearance.
As a result the closest thing there is to a coherent viewpoint is the IDEA of a railroad, and even then the book can't decide if it is about obsessive railroad culture, robber barrons, or about violent phobic anti-whatever terrorism in fear of change. So it meanders around sort of telling a story while giving as many characters as possible a chance to wander onto stage. And at the end of it all, those wonderful two opening paragraphs still seem to have dropped in from some other book entirely. I've got no idea why they are in this book.
I've thoroughly enjoyed Sir Terry's books. I'm amazed that he's been able to write so many that are so good. I'm horribly horribly sorry that he's been stricken with Alzheimer's. If the reason that so many characters made an otherwise pointless appearance in Raising Steam was to give them a curtain call, so be it. And I really really really hate to say it, but Sir Terry, thank you for all the wonderful stories, I'll keep reading them again, and passing them along. But it's time to stop. Please stop. Don't ruin a great thing.
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LibraryThing member Herenya
The penultimate Discworld book -- the last one published during Pratchett’s lifetime -- is about the development of the railway system. After a meandering beginning, the plot picks up speed and this becomes a story which is eventful, amusing, sharply observant about people and progress, and
This features Moist von Lipwig, but unlike in Going Postal and Making Money he is more of a facilitator of other people’s goals rather than a protagonist pursuing his own agenda. In terms of the political context, this story follows on from the later City Watch books. Since there aren’t any more books about the City Watch, this was unexpected and satisfying -- as were the appearances made by Sam Vimes.
If I were a relative newcomer to Ankh-Morpork, if I was just expecting a sequel to Making Money, I might have felt that this installment was lacking. But as the last book about Ankh-Morpokians who work for Lord Vetinari, it was a very fitting conclusion.
“No, it is your kind of thinking that makes dwarfs small, wrapped up in themselves: declaring that any tiny change in what is thought not be dwarf is somehow sacrilege. I can remember the days when even talking to a human was forbidden by idiots such as you. And now you have to understand it’s not about the humans, or the trolls, it’s about the people. In Ankh-Morpork you can be whoever you want to be and sometimes people laugh and sometimes they clap, and mostly and beautifully, they don't really care. Do you understand this? Dwarfs now have seen liberty. And that’s head stuff.”
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delightfully surprising.This features Moist von Lipwig, but unlike in Going Postal and Making Money he is more of a facilitator of other people’s goals rather than a protagonist pursuing his own agenda. In terms of the political context, this story follows on from the later City Watch books. Since there aren’t any more books about the City Watch, this was unexpected and satisfying -- as were the appearances made by Sam Vimes.
If I were a relative newcomer to Ankh-Morpork, if I was just expecting a sequel to Making Money, I might have felt that this installment was lacking. But as the last book about Ankh-Morpokians who work for Lord Vetinari, it was a very fitting conclusion.
“No, it is your kind of thinking that makes dwarfs small, wrapped up in themselves: declaring that any tiny change in what is thought not be dwarf is somehow sacrilege. I can remember the days when even talking to a human was forbidden by idiots such as you. And now you have to understand it’s not about the humans, or the trolls, it’s about the people. In Ankh-Morpork you can be whoever you want to be and sometimes people laugh and sometimes they clap, and mostly and beautifully, they don't really care. Do you understand this? Dwarfs now have seen liberty. And that’s head stuff.”
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LibraryThing member bragan
It's steam engine time in Terry Pratchett's latest Discworld novel, as the Disc gets its first railroad. Meanwhile, a group of reactionary dwarfs are going around blowing things up.
I don't think Pratchett is capable of writing a bad Discworld novel, but I dunno. Maybe I just wasn't in the right
Rating: 3.5/5, although I'm pretty sure that's only so low because my expectations of Pratchett are always so high.
I don't think Pratchett is capable of writing a bad Discworld novel, but I dunno. Maybe I just wasn't in the right
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mood for this one, but it seemed kind of flat to me, as if it was missing something. More humor, maybe, or some kind of crazy, magical Discworldian plot twist. It does pick up steam towards the end (so to speak), but I'm starting to wonder if maybe this Technology X Comes to Discworld plot formula is getting a little played out.Rating: 3.5/5, although I'm pretty sure that's only so low because my expectations of Pratchett are always so high.
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LibraryThing member MrsLee
If you are not a huge fan of steam-powered railroad engines, you may find bits of this story tedious. But even when Pratchett is a bit tedious, it is still better reading than many "good" books. As usual, the story attacks many serious issues such as religious fanaticism, racial harmony/disharmony,
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and technical advances affect on the world at large, with sympathy, humor and a deep understanding of the human condition. I enjoyed this one very much. Show Less
LibraryThing member riverwillow
I’m not a huge fan of trains so it took me a while to settle into this book, but from the moment Vetinari takes out the bandits who attacked his coach because they didn’t recognise his crest, black on a black background, on, as Drumknott notes, ‘a very dark night’. I knew all would be fine.
Yes its not vintage PTerry, but even so its still fabulous satire and fun and a good instalment in the series.
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Yes its not vintage PTerry, but even so its still fabulous satire and fun and a good instalment in the series.
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LibraryThing member Novak
A good yarn telling what happens when some upstart on Discworld decides it is time to introduce steam driven rail travel for all. As here on roundworld, there are numties who do not like progress, or the thought of anyone else making a profit from it. Trust TP to see the opportunity in this
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development to create a good fantasy novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member salimbol
A fun, fluffy and not terribly substantial Pratchett.
LibraryThing member Helenliz
In this latest Discworld novel, the inventive people who populate the disk have invented steam engines. And they spring, fully formed, from the mind on Dick Simnel who's the disc's equivalent of a no-nonsense, down to earth, practical minded Yorkshireman. The enthusiasm with which the new invention
Combined with Dick's technical nouse you have Harry King wanting to be a railway baron (rather than the shit king) and Moist running the thing with charm and charisma as usual. But it's not all fun & frolics. You have dwarf infighting (just for a change) with the deep down dwaves causing trouble and wanting to turn the clock back (I can think of any number of modern parallels there) and a mad dash to save the king's throne. There are a number of interesting twists, but I'm not sure the ending is necessarily one of the strongest.
Having followed this series from the early days, I love the way they reference back, so a tinkering Simnel sparked a hint of memory - of course! Ned Simnel devises the reciprocating reaping machine in Reaper Man. This tinkering Simnel is his son. It's that sort of unobtrusive link to prior knowledge that make the entire series hang together so well - it's not just the main characters that appear in multiple episodes, it's the fact that the minor characters have that continuity as well.
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is greeted is great, with the first train spotters putting a "1" in their book even before there are any other engine numbers to collect. Being married a bit of a steam train nut, I thought this very well observed, although himself, as usual, found nothing even vaguely amusing in the extracts I read to him. Combined with Dick's technical nouse you have Harry King wanting to be a railway baron (rather than the shit king) and Moist running the thing with charm and charisma as usual. But it's not all fun & frolics. You have dwarf infighting (just for a change) with the deep down dwaves causing trouble and wanting to turn the clock back (I can think of any number of modern parallels there) and a mad dash to save the king's throne. There are a number of interesting twists, but I'm not sure the ending is necessarily one of the strongest.
Having followed this series from the early days, I love the way they reference back, so a tinkering Simnel sparked a hint of memory - of course! Ned Simnel devises the reciprocating reaping machine in Reaper Man. This tinkering Simnel is his son. It's that sort of unobtrusive link to prior knowledge that make the entire series hang together so well - it's not just the main characters that appear in multiple episodes, it's the fact that the minor characters have that continuity as well.
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LibraryThing member cissa
This is a more serious book than most of the Discworld novels. Both the subject matters and the tone are more sober.
There was some thoughtful writing on the meaning of "progress" and everyone's acclimation to it, and the ways in which it can change society- and the impossibility of shutting it down
But- while many other characters from the Ank-Morpork threads of the books paid a visit- as a whole it really didn't develop the verve that the best of pterry's novels have. I understand why- but i still missed it.
I also very much disliked the way Vetinari was depicted here. He was far more directly involved as usual... and he was also pretty much a jerk. Not a jerk in necessary ways, either- just a jerk so as to be a jerk. OK, tyrants are bad.The thing I loved about Veinari, though, ws that he was completely aware of it, and thus generally kept only the lightest of fingers on events- and just gave them a delicate tap occasionally. Here, he is far cruder and more heavy-handed, and that disappointed me; he was ruling explicitly by force and threats, and not by cleverness and innuendo.
I'll keep reading new Discworld books as long as pterry keeps writing them, of course. I've been a fan for most of my adult life! This one, though, is for the dedicated fans- and even we can be somewhat disappointed. Still- far better than no such book at all!
There was some thoughtful writing on the meaning of "progress" and everyone's acclimation to it, and the ways in which it can change society- and the impossibility of shutting it down
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and going back to the Olde Ways. Interesting stuff about the progression of tolerance in Ankh-Morpork. The engineer character was nicely done, too.But- while many other characters from the Ank-Morpork threads of the books paid a visit- as a whole it really didn't develop the verve that the best of pterry's novels have. I understand why- but i still missed it.
I also very much disliked the way Vetinari was depicted here. He was far more directly involved as usual... and he was also pretty much a jerk. Not a jerk in necessary ways, either- just a jerk so as to be a jerk. OK, tyrants are bad.The thing I loved about Veinari, though, ws that he was completely aware of it, and thus generally kept only the lightest of fingers on events- and just gave them a delicate tap occasionally. Here, he is far cruder and more heavy-handed, and that disappointed me; he was ruling explicitly by force and threats, and not by cleverness and innuendo.
I'll keep reading new Discworld books as long as pterry keeps writing them, of course. I've been a fan for most of my adult life! This one, though, is for the dedicated fans- and even we can be somewhat disappointed. Still- far better than no such book at all!
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LibraryThing member ritaer
It's steam engine time in Discworld, complicated by reactionary revolution among the dwarves and increasing acceptance of goblin, who turn out to love machinery. Mois tvon Lipwig rises to the occasion.
LibraryThing member babybelle
Still on top form-who doesn't love and recognise Discworld? Especially enjoyed the magic of sines and co sines.
LibraryThing member sloopjonb
Meh. Very flat prose. Several characters read like they were delivering a lecture. Never got involved with the plot; it was obvious that no major characters were harmed in the making of this book, the good guys win and everybody goes home for tea and buns. Even the parody bits felt very forced. No
And would somebody just kill off Vetinari, please? His omnipotence and invulnerability is getting very tiresome.
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actual laughing happened.And would somebody just kill off Vetinari, please? His omnipotence and invulnerability is getting very tiresome.
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LibraryThing member rivkat
The railroad comes to Ankh-Morpork, and it’s all progress except for the anti-progress dwarf grags who make trouble, kill a few people, and are rather neatly routed with minimal bloodshed. Lots of people are hired to do new jobs, and none of them are underpaid or discriminated against (well, not
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by the majority of Ankh-Morporkians). The railroad brings fresh food to the city but the pollution is already there so that’s not a problem. Dwarfs make social progress (which here means “publicly acknowledging that some dwarfs are women”), which left me mildly disappointed that what looked like a gay romance was actually a heterosexual dwarf romance. Maybe it comes from my extradiegetic knowledge about Pratchett, but I felt like he was rushing to get Ankh-Morpork into the late nineteenth century, British-style, but without as much of the energy that makes Discworld so much fun. Show Less