...
Carpe Jugulum is one of several Pratchetts featuring the Witches, but apparently his first to star vampires – and what a great bunch they are! This book grabbed me by my throat, grinned a toothful grin and bit into my neck in a way, which made it hard to shake off. Soon I was swept ... Read review
Carpe Jugulum is the 23rd Discworld novel, and with it this durable series continues its ... more
juggernaut procession onwards. Pratchett is an author who inspires such devotions that his fans will fall on the novel with cries of joy. Non-fans, perhaps, wil...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Carpe Jugulumis the 23rd Discworld novel, and with it this durable series continues its ... more
juggernaut procession onwards. Pratchett is an author who inspires such devotions that his fans will fall on the novel with cries of joy. Non-fans, perhaps, will...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The Magpyrs are a thoroughly modern, sophisticated vampire family. They're looking to ... more
enhance their social status by taking over a kingdom or two. Over the years they've even developed a taste for garlic and for holy icons. They're not going to take 'no' for an answer - particularly from witches or priests.
Mightily Oats has not picked a good time to be priest. He thought he'd come to Lancre for ... more
a simple ceremony. Now he's caught up in a war between vampires and witches. There's Young Agnes, who is really in two minds about everything - Magrat, who is trying to combine witchcraft and nappies, Nanny Ogg, and Granny Weatherwax, who is big trouble.
Carpe Jugulum is the 23rd Discworld novel, and with it this durable series continues its ... more
juggernaut procession onwards. Pratchett is an author who inspires such devotions that his fans will fall on the novel with cries of joy. Non-fans, perhaps, will want to know what all the fuss is about; and that's something difficult to put into a few words. The best thing to do for those completely new to Pratchett is to sample him for themselves, and this novel is as good a place to start as any. But fans have a more precise question. They know that Discworld novels come in one of two varieties: the quite good, and the brilliant. So, for instance, where Hogfather and Maskerade were quite good, Feet of Clay and Jingo were brilliant. While true fans wouldn't want to do without the former, they absolutely live for the latter. And with Carpe Jugulum Pratchett has hit jackpot again. This novel is one of the brilliant ones. The plot is a version of an earlier Discworld novel, Lords and Ladies, with the predatory elves of that novel being replaced here by suave and deadly vampires, and the tiny kingdom of Lancre being defended by its witches. But plot is the least of Pratchett's appeal, and Carpe Jugulum is loaded with marvellous characters (not least the witches themselves, about whom we learn a deal more here), comic touches and scenes of genius, and even some of the renowned down-to-earth Pratchett wisdom (here about the inner ethical conflicts we all face, and the wrongness of treating people as things). Pratchett's vampires are elegant Bela Lugosi types, and they come up against an unlikely but engaging alliance of witches, blue-skinned pixies like Rob Roy Smurfs, a doubting priest with a boil on his face and a magical house-sized Phoenix in a seamless, completely absorbing and feel-good-about-the-universe mixture. Highly recommended. --Adam Roberts
Postage & Packaging:£2.75 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Great characters, excellent plot, hard to put down... Disadvantages: None...
...Witches.
Carpe Jugulum is one of several Pratchetts featuring the Witches, but apparently his first to star vampires – and what a great bunch they are! This book grabbed me by my throat, grinned a toothful grin and bit into my neck in a way, which made it hard to shake off. Soon I was swept away back into the Discworld, to Lancre and an occasional day trip to Uberwald.
This is one of the best stories I have read ... ...and his characters are always beautifully drawn, but sometimes the story itself can take a backseat or just become rather too confusing. This time, the story is the star and you can easily get into it and find yourself reading on, into the early hours before you can find a safe place to leave it.
The basic premise for the plot is that King Verence and Queen Magrat are holding a big naming ceremony for their baby daughter. Amongst the ... more
I really haven’t done much reading lately. I have even given up on two novels after reading 70-80 pages, which is so unlike me. It’s another symptom of my depression though, as I can’t concentrate for long.
So the fact that a 425-page novel gripped me enough for me to finish the whole thing is just a few days is really quite remarkable! I have just got back into another phase of reading Terry Pratchett and this time, I experienced my first venture into the territory of the Witches.
Carpe Jugulum is one of several Pratchetts featuring the Witches, but apparently his first to star vampires – and what a great bunch they are! This book grabbed me by my throat, grinned a toothful grin and bit into my neck in a way, which made it hard to shake off. Soon I was swept away back into the Discworld, to Lancre and an occasional day trip to Uberwald.
This is one of the best stories I have read by Pratchett. He is always very clever and very funny and his characters are always beautifully drawn, but sometimes the story itself can take a backseat or just become rather too confusing. This time, the story is the star and you can easily get into it and find yourself reading on, into the early hours before you can find a safe place to leave it.
The basic premise for the plot is that King Verence and Queen Magrat are holding a big naming ceremony for their baby daughter. Amongst the invited guests are a strange family with old-fashioned clothes, pointy teeth and unusual names like Vlad and Lacrimosa. When people meet them, they get a strange feeling that things aren’t quite right, but this is soon replaced by a calm happiness – just as if someone was playing with their minds and had injected far too much sherry.
When things are beginning to go too far and the Magpyr family seem to be planning to stay, it looks like it’s up to the Witches to return things to normal. However, now Queen Magrat has had her baby, she fulfils the Mother role in the Witches’ trio. Nanny Ogg becomes the Crone and Agnes (who’s always in two minds – literally. Her other one’s called Perdita.) is the new Maiden.
So where does this leave senior Witch, Granny Weatherwax? Has she really gone away to die? When she fails to turn up at the new princess’ naming ceremony, it seems very suspicious and not at all pleasant.
Things in Lancre definitely aren’t right. Even the birds have changed, as obsessive falconer Hodgesaargh has noticed. When there is a new arrival in the feathered world, it seems that something magical is due to rise again – which is just as well, considering all the magpies. Is it one for sorrow, two for joy? Or something completely different? And does the rhyme cover as many magpies as those covering the skies of Lancre?
The novel is full of wonderful characters, as always. We meet the Omnian priest, Mightily Oats, whose faith is soon challenged somewhat. He believes in holy books, religious symbols and the power of Om. When not delivering sermons, he knocks on doors and hands out pamphlets – while most people hide and pretend not to be in.
He is shocked to meet the Witches. He assumes all witches dance round naked – but not Nanny, Granny, Agnes or Magrat. Oh no. These Witches are really rather special. Mightily Oats has his own spiritual journey to make, one which will finally illustrate the best use for a holy book.
My favourite character of all is Igor. He ith the thort-tongued thervant of the Magpyr family. He preferred having the old Count as hith marthter, but he thill adhereth to the old wayth – placing thpiderth and dutht and making thure the creakth were jutht right. He altho hath a wonderful dog called Thcrapth – nine-thirtyeighth Rottweiler with a lethal dribble.
And I haven’t even mentioned the blue pixies with red hair, who talk in a kind of angry Scottish dialect.
If you like Pratchett, you’ll love this one. If you don’t, give this a try. It’s easy to get into, hard to put down and above all, it’s a blinking good story. Lose yourself in Lancre for a few hours. Just watch your necks, you never know who might be around.
Advantages: Pratchett’s usual blend of easy going humour; an interesting satirical take on Vampires which is not executed in an obvious way. Disadvantages: a minor plot strand which seems to go nowhere; the front cover makes one of the witches look like Tom Baker.
...his books simply to increase page count (even the Mac Feegles are not of poor enough quality to count as evidence of that).
Carpe Jugulum, therefore, is yet another novel from Pratchett whose humour level is quite considerable. Effortless, but not lightweight, this is most certainly worth the effort. ...
B.Bligh 05.07.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Carpe Jugulum - Terry Pratchett
Advantages: Great interplay between characters, sense of humour throughout. Disadvantages: Prior knowledge of "The Witches" to fully appreciate this outing.
Vampyres have invaded Lancre. Well I say invaded, more like invited to the naming ceremony of the King's daughter. This makes it difficult to ask them to leave. It is made all the more improbable when it is discovered they are keen to make Lancre their new home and there seems to be little anyone can do about it, especially when the Discworld's most powerful Witch goes to ground. But who is this figure striding righteously across the valley? It's ... ...What can he, Agnes Nitt, a Witch who is in two minds over everything and Nanny Ogg, the oldest swinger in town do to fight these modern Vampyres who are so keen on a trendy, new spelling?
"Carpe Jugulum" is Terry Pratchett's twenty-second Discworld novel. For those who remain Discworld Virgins, the Discworld is a fantasyland created by Pratchett in which Witches and Vampires exist and almost anything is a probability. This World is massively different ...
Shortsharpshock 30.11.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Carpe Jugulum - Terry Pratchett
Advantages: Funny and not just another version of Dracular. Disadvantages: Some of the character's don't speak English and don't have subtitles.
...of reading.
About Carpe Jugulum
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The main characters in this book are witches and vampires, and a power struggle ensues between them. The witches (from previous Discworld novels) are fighting the vampires because they want to turn the humans in their home town (including them) into ‘cattle’ to satisfy their blood-lust. The vampires are very clever and have attempted to speed up the process of evolution and make themselves ... ...they be clever enough to defeat the witches, with their new ally Mightily Oats, a priest who gets off on a wrong foot with the witches due to his religions past teachings? The tension and excitement is kept up well during this book and I found it very hard to put down towards the end. This is because the plot is not sacrificed in the name of humour, a consistent trait with Pratchett. Before I begin to sound like I work in Pratchett’s marketing ...
student9824 09.04.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Carpe Jugulum - Terry Pratchett
Advantages: deeper than most pratchett books and slightly darker than is normal for a pratchett romp Disadvantages: Darker theme may give wee ones nightmares...
...none). I can understand the Carpe (diem)part, but Jugulum? It turns out to mean something like “seize the throat” (that's Nanny Ogg's translation, not mine), which could be quite a hint towards the topic of this book, namely Vampires. And now that I've mentioned Nanny Ogg, most of you will have guessed that the main characters are the witches of Lancre (first appearing in “Wyrd Sisters”). Not my favourite Discworld characters, but then again all ... ...Assassins guilt. There's a new kind of king in Lancre, who's decided he wants to make friends of all his neighbours, and there for invites them to Lancre for the naming of his daughter. The Vampires of Uberwald are trying to be modern and are doing their best to move into the Century of the Fruitbat (before it's over), but they still need an invitation before they can enter other people's homes or countries. Now combine these two facts and you have ...
scruffygit 12.07.2000
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Carpe Jugulum - Terry Pratchett
Advantages: Funny, good plot and characters Disadvantages: Repetitive and not the best of Pratchett ( Read Wyrd Sisters instead)
...of reading Wyrd Sisters before Carpe Jugulum. The second point is that Pratchett is a comic fantasist. This means that Carpe Jugulum is both fantastical and (unlike other authors in this genre)funny. The introduction of a modern vampire clan that has used childhood conditioning to overcome the boundaries of less up-to-date vampires is inspired. The book uses this to deal with the themes of traditional values and the pace of change. These are highly ... ...of being some of the best writing avaliable Carpe Jugulum is not the best of Pratchett.
The plot is good if a little complex and the characters are well rounded, enjoying the development of several books. But overall it lacks the magic that makes Pratchett at his best unmissable. ...
Telute 18.10.2000
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Carpe Jugulum - Terry Pratchett
