Making Money

By: Terry Pratchett

Narrated by: Stephen Briggs

Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

The Ankh-Morpork Post Office is running like...well, not at all like a government office. The mail is delivered promptly; meetings start and end on time; five out of six letters relegated to the Blind Letter Office ultimately wend their way to the correct addresses. Postmaster General Moist von Lipwig, former arch-swindler and confidence man, has exceeded all expectations: including his own. So it's somewhat disconcerting when Lord Vetinari summons Moist to the palace and asks, "Tell me, Mr. Lipwig, would you like to make some real money?"

Vetinari isn't talking about wages, of course. He's referring, rather, to the Royal Mint of Ankh-Morpork, a venerable institution that has run for centuries on the hereditary employment of the Men of the Sheds and their loyal outworkers, who do make money in their spare time. Unfortunately, it costs more than a penny to make a penny, so the whole process seems somewhat counterintuitive.

Next door, at the Royal Bank, the Glooper, an "analogy machine", has scientifically established that one never has quite as much money at the end of the week as one thinks one should, and the bank's chairman, one elderly Topsy (née Turvy) Lavish, keeps two loaded crossbows at her desk. Oh, and the chief clerk is probably a vampire.

But before Moist has time to fully consider Vetinari's question, fate answers it for him. Now he's not only making money, but enemies too; he's got to spring a prisoner from jail, break into his own bank vault, stop the new manager from licking his face, and, above all, find out where all the gold has gone: otherwise, his life in banking, while very exciting, is going to be really, really short.

©2007 Terry and Lyn Pratchett (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Locus Award, Best Fantasy Novel, 2008

"An educational and entertaining mirror of human squabbles and flaws." (Publishers Weekly)

A Seamless Addition to a Beautiful Universe

Easily picked up by Discworld followers, I would advise an earlier title for new readers.

Great narrator, odd format

The audio book contains odd transition music, as if it were converted from an old multi-tape version.

The narrator's great though

Fun, exciting and extraordinary

Love the Discworld series, it is such a great way to dive in a different world of fantasy but still with the problem we face every day as being walking this globe world.

Very clever!

A clever introspection on so many aspects of our world. Sir Terry blends lovable characters and a humorous setting to deliver a thoughtful commentary on human interaction. Could not recommend enough to readers of all ages. Certainly one for the bookshelf.

A great follow up to Going Postal

if you want a continuation of going postal this book is perfect. it starts off a little odd, but once you get into the throw of the story it's great!

10/10 I really enjoyed the performance and the story!!

Long Live Pratchett

Terry Pratchett does it again! He takes the dullness of the mint and banking and gives us a fun little romp that ends with pies thrown and much merriment.

How can you not love everything he does? I think the only way for that is to have no funnybone.

the music must go

love the disc world it's always better than rain.
I hated the music horribly distracting.

Highly Entertaining

Stephen Briggs is THE Discworld narrator, as far as I am concerned. He is outstanding.

The story is, of course, brilliant, perfectly paced, total brain candy. It's prime Terry Pratchett material. But Briggs' performance is what makes the audiobook actually preferable (as far as I'm concerned) to the print version.

Excellent Book

I love this book and I adore Terry Pratchett and Steven Briggs, but there's random super disruptive music in the middle of chapters sometimes. It's pretty frustrating, but as long as you have your volume control handy and you're able to skip forward 30 seconds when the awkward music comes on so you can muddle through, it's another excellent installment in the Discworld universe.

good performance predictable story

The performance was well done (though it is a bit disconcerting to hear a different performer, then on previous audiobooks in the same series). The story, however, was predictable and a bit boring. The sorry was not comedic enough to make up the deficit.