Going Postal

By: Terry Pratchett

Narrated by: Stephen Briggs

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Arch-swindler Moist von Lipwig never believed his crimes were hanging offenses, until he found himself with a noose around his neck, dropping through a trap door, and falling into...a government job? Getting the moribund Postal Service up and running again, however, may be an impossible task. Worse, the new Postmaster could swear the mail is talking to him. Worst of all, it means taking on the gargantuan, money-hungry Grand Trunk clacks communication monopoly and its bloodthirsty piratical head, Mr. Reacher Gilt.

But it says on the building 'Neither Rain Nor Snow Nor Glo m of Ni t'.... Inspiring words (admittedly, some of the bronze letters have been stolen), and for once in his wretched life Moist is going to fight. And if the bold and impossible are what's called for, he'll do it; to move the mail, continue breathing, get the girl, and deliver that invaluable commodity that everyone requires: hope.

©2004 Terry Pratchett (P)2004 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Fiction (unabridged), 2005

"Thanks to the timely subject matter and Pratchett's effervescent wit, this 29th Discworld novel may capture more of the American audience he deserves." (Publishers Weekly)

"Instead of revisiting old characters, Pratchett again takes on the task of further rounding out his already beautifully imagined Discworld, doing it with his usual blending of good laughs and unexpected depths." (Booklist)

I loved this. Pratchett is wonderful.

I have been listening to everything I can find from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. It is bar-nun, one of the best fictional universes I have had the pleasure of experiencing. It is somehow light hearted and cynical, funny and relatable, and I can’t get enough. I wish there were more and more.

Do you believe in Angels?

I’m not talking about the kind that grace today’s YA fiction, but the kind that Lord Ventinari speaks of, who offer a scoundrel a second chance at life (only once though) while providing a job and a hat. Moist von Lipwig (pronounced Lip-vig) does. A confidence man whose game ran out, he’s offered the job of Post Master General. No one uses the post anymore, because nothing’s ever delivered. All that’s left are 2 postal employees: a junior postman fond of horribly-smelling home remedies and an apprentice postman fond of collecting pins. And mail, mountains and mountains of mail. Some say it’s got a life of its own.

And so begins one of my favorite Discworld books. It’s been so well liked that it spawned 2 other Moist adventures and a BBC adaptation. This audiobook lives up to this legacy and doesn’t disappoint. Stephen Briggs does an excellent job of capturing the narrator’s tongue-in-cheek tone while imbuing the characters with personality and distinctiveness. Some narrators aren’t as adept, but luckily this rollicking tale is narrated by someone with talent. If you’re a fan of Terry Pratchett, this is not one to miss.

I love this book

I love this book. It is among my top favorite Pratchett books. I highly recommend it.

great

I love this book. it's one of my favorites. Stephen Briggs did a great job reading it.

Going Postal

My first thought is that I wished I had bought an actual book. I found following it on tape to be a bit confusing. If you missed anything you can't easily go back. All in all I did enjoy the book.

Another great Discworld novel

I picked up three Discworld novels on sale awhile back. I now wish i had bought them all! This was a really funny and really fun book. The characters are surprisingly fleshed out for something that on its surface seems so silly.

The narration was wonderful and I will definitely have to grab the rest of the novels when i have enough credits.

Absolutely brilliant!

Another brilliant piece of work! Absolutely loved it! Will read repeatedly! Another new favorite to complete with many others!

amazing voicework and a hilariously clever story

enjoyed every minute of it the writing and reading were both so impeccable I couldn't put it down

A pleasure as always.

Like all prolific writers, however brilliant, Terry Pratchett has his ups and downs. Some books are better than others. This is one of them. Set in Ankh Morpork, where the story can brush up against long-standing favorites like Vimes, the Patrician, and the wizards, <u>Going Postal</u> introduces a new cast of characters, and with them, a new energy. Part of Pratchett's genius is that he can be funny, even farcical, without being <i>mean</i>, and that comes through strongly in this story, with his trademark mix of whimsy, cheap shots, social commentary, and a truly engaging and hilarious plot and cast. No one else can write like Pratchett, and no one else should try.

And, as always, Stephen Briggs reads Pratchett's work exactly the way it wants to be read, with energy and understanding and a straight face. There are other performers who can read Pratchett's writing well - Nigel Planer generally does a good job - but no one seems to get <i>inside</i> the story the way Briggs can.

It's impossible to judge which books will be a particular reader/listener's favorites, and which will simply be enjoyable, but <u>Going Postal</u> is strong, witty, and highly entertaining.

Wonderful!

I consider myself a connoisseur of audio books and this is one of the best I have heard. The book and its narrator are both a pleasure to read. This is my first experience with Terry Pratchett and certainly will not be my last. Great characters all performed excellently by the narrator. Check it out, you will not be sorry.