Thud!

Discworld, Book 34

By: Terry Pratchett

Narrated by: Stephen Briggs

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's Summary

Koom Valley? That was where the trolls ambushed the dwarfs, or the dwarfs ambushed the trolls. It was far away. It was a long time ago.  

But if he doesn't solve the murder of just one dwarf, Commander Sam Vimes of Ankh-Morpork City Watch is going to see it fought again, right outside his office.

With his beloved Watch crumbling around him and war drums sounding, he must unravel every clue, outwit every assassin, and brave any darkness to find the solution. And darkness is following him.

Oh, and at six o'clock every day, without fail, with no excuses, he must go home to read Where's My Cow? with all the right farmyard noises, to his little boy. There are just some things you have to do.

Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Browse more novels of Discworld.

©2005 Terry and Lyn Pratchett (P)2005 Isis Publishing Ltd

Critic Reviews

"He may write benign comedy but he knows how horribly complicated and exciting the Universe is." (The Times)
"Imaginative, witty and consistent ... Everything that the 30th novel in a fantasy sequence ought to be, and more." (SFX Magazine)

A masterpiece!

This is Terry Pratchett at his best. The Night's Watch storyline literally spans decades and at this point, the story has been filled out so richly that the characters are old friends and all of that history just adds so much to this book.

This is a somewhat more serious book than his usual style and it works wonderfully. A complex murder mystery tied to an ancient and world-changing battle that still causes chaos today. Vimes must sort through a mountain of facts and evidence, even reconstructing the events of the original battle itself to find answers, and the pieces falling into place through the story results in one of the most compelling mystery books I've ever read period.

In typical Vimes fashion, he charges through the political quagmire like a bull in a china shop and many key players watch his progress with interest, either subtly helping his efforts or outright trying to sabotage him. This is Vimes at his best and is the very definition of why he is the perfect person to head the City's Watch - justice is what matters, not politics, and he will follow a case to the ends of the Earth to solve it, with the help of his ever loyal team.

Audio: Stephen Briggs is the best person for the Discworld novels - his wonderful and distinct accents for every single character means you can follow the story very easily because you immediately know who is speaking. He transforms this book, already magnificent, into a complete must-have for any fantasy fan.

This is my favourite Discworld novel, and one of a short list of my favourite books of all time - Terry Pratchett's signature humour, a riveting and complicated mystery to solve, all of your favourite characters in peak form. There are so many moving parts in this book and I'm sure my review isn't doing it justice - I have listened to this audio book so many times that it is an old and beloved friend. Highly recommended.

You don’t get better than Pratchett

The discworld series is iconic and this story lives up to the expectations set by the previous books

One of the best

A hilarious book. I started laughing in a otherwise quite room in the middle of work, when it got near to the end. One of the best terry Pratchett books and my personal favourite thus far.

Overall a great book, read well but a few issues with accents.

I've read all of the Discworld series multiple times and I guess I have a pretty good understanding of all the characters nuances. Although Stephen Briggs did a good job narrating I think that some of the accents and inflections didn't live up to characters. Sam Vimes is a hardened street cop often compared to a Dirty Harry type but doesn't come across this way through the narration. Sgt. Colon sounds nothing like he should and even Carrot is not quite right. I understand it can't be easy to voice all the characters seamlessly but I think it's a must for such important roles.

Overall though I think that THUD is a fantastic story and I'd recommend this version for those who haven't read the hard copy.

The Somening Dark

I am a bit surprised that I am disappointed in this story. I feel that it is a bit rushed, do not get me wrong it still a good book, but it lacks something.

Briggs brings out the best of Pratchett

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, definitely. I am a huge fan of Pratchett's work, and Briggs brings out the best in it: laugh-out-loud humour, fun, and insight into our world and his.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Vimes. He's cynical, mistrustful, a little bit prejudiced, and plenty flawed, but for all that, he's our hero, and he's a genuinely good, genuinely likeable man who can carry the listener along with his experience.

What about Stephen Briggs’s performance did you like?

I love Briggs' character voices; they really bring the work to life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The denouement of this book never fails to move me as the battle between light and dark over the heart of a good man reaches its peak.

Pratchett delightful as ever, Briggs superb

If you could sum up Thud! in three words, what would they be?

delightful, mind-bending

What was one of the most memorable moments of Thud!?

Vimes finally missing his 6 o'clock appointment

What about Stephen Briggs’s performance did you like?

No one else should ever be allowed to read Prachett

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Of course

Sam Vines at his best again

Love the Sam Vines book and his character development. Once again Disc World is in chaos. Look for the little bits of humour, they are the best, although I wonder if the last laugh isn't on all of us!

Another very good novel

This was another very good novel from Terry Pratchett and also a good narration. Although Pratchett writes each story to be fully self-contained, this should be read before Snuff (which I did not do). Enjoy.

Hrrruuurrh

As a long time lover of discworld it was hard to pick which book to start with for my discworld audio experience. With Discworld celebrating its 25th anniversary there are plenty to choose from! It had to be unabridged and then had to be Stephen Briggs, so familiar to many discworld fans for his adaptations for the stage. Listening to a few clips I finally decided on Thud! - Vimes at his best. It was a complete joy to listen to, with the characters leaping out of the speakers and coming to life. It is a great book read by a man who vividly recreated the atmosphere and humour of the discworld. In particular I loved the reading of 'Where's my cow?' to young Sam, with '...it goes Hrrruurrrh.That's not my cow, it's a hippopotamus...' having me in fits of giggles even after replaying that short bit many times! A really great listen that I would reccommend to either seasoned discworld fans or those who are new to Pratchett. Hours of fun to be enjoyed over and over again. Hrrruurrrrh!

Fantastic story, great reading

Pratchett always has great stories but this is read so well. So many characters, each with an individual voice and, what is more, the exactly right one! Brilliant reading. brilliant writing. A match made in Heaven!

Don't hesitate!

This is Pratchett at his best. Fantastic, very entertaining story. As usual, leaves me wondering how on earth he thinks these story lines up. If you are a fan of Sam Vimes, this one is definitely for you. And I must comment on Stephen Briggs. I've heard many a favourite story ruined by the wrong reader, but Stephen Briggs is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. I can't imagine anyone reading it better than he does.

One of my favourite discworld books.

"Thud!" is the 30th adult Discworld novel, but if asked to rank them I would put it near the top. Several of the books after this have been a bit lacklustre for me, but this one is amazing.

This is Vimes and Co. at their best, and is a brilliant and funny study of racial prejudice and mob mentality told with Pratchett's characteristic optimism and faith in humanity. The Discworld seems a richer and more believable world than ever, and I really hope Pratchett has time to elaborate on the hints of troll culture he makes here. Several of the new characters are also brilliant.

I really like Stephen Briggs's readings, much more than Nigel Planar. It's true he seems to feel the need to give every single character a different accent, which is a bit odd, but does certainly help to distinguish them. His voices are great, and his Vimes is spot-on.

The only warning I would give is that by this point in the series a certain amount of foreknowledge of the Discworld mythos is helpful. It's not as bad as in some subsequent books, but I would say there are other books that it would be better to start with (Feet of Clay, maybe - that's another of my favourite Vimes books). Still, if you've read a Discworld book before, you can't do much better than this for your next one!

One of the best ones

Very nice. Lots of stuff about the dwarves. Carrot, Angua and Cheery feature prominently, which is always a good sign. Fairly taut plot and not too much dawdling for predictable jokes.

Great but

As usual, Simon Briggs is amazing and reads it just the way you hear the characters in your head. But the editing is terrible in places. Parts being repeated, sometimes words are missing. it doesn't take away from the story, but it would be nice if it was fixed

Vimes at his best!

If you like a 'near-Vimes' experience then this is a great book for Pratchett fans.

Just love the Discworld books.

Stephen Briggs is my choice for narrating Terry Pratchett's books, he gives the characters 'character'

THUD

Any book by Sir Terry Pratchett's is enjoyable, even funnier than reading it yourself. Stephen Briggs narration is practiced and believable and he brings out the humour in the story.

Never disappoints

As always, the story and the story behind that leaves your feeling both entertained and thoughtful.
A genius a legend a hero sadly missed