You don’t need to read a single other Discworld novel to enjoy this one, though it does appear to take place in the same mulit-verse as his other works. Prachett takes on the “Tale of the Pied Piper” with the aplomb you’d expect, but he tackles this with a grace I found surprisingly appetizing. This one in the Discworld series is a real stand-aloner. Terry Prachett, I heart you and your takes on famous tales. Review #5 free audio Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents – in the audio player below Perhaps a really savvy 8-year-old could deal with it if he/she has an intelligent cat to explain the difficult bits. This would be a good read for anyone 10 and up.
What they find in the next town is different from anything in their experience, and requires all their intelligence to survive. The rats become uneasy about the fraudulent nature of their business, and the cat (who acts as manager) promises that the next town will be the last. They travel around with a boy who plays a pipe, bringing a “plague of rats” from town to town, then getting rid of said plague for a low, low price. It’s a fantasy about some rats and a cat who become intelligent enough to talk following consuming some garbage from Unseen University. So, if someone has not read any of the Discworld series, they could still enjoy this book immensely. This book is set in Discworld, but the only major Discworld characters who make an appearance are Death and the Death of Rats. Review #4 Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents audio narrated by Nigel Planer Pick this book up, claim it is for the kids, but keep it for yourself. The cherry on the top for me is the name of the rats- Additives, Big Savings, Sardines, and Hamnpork, all taken from the items around them when they learnt to read! ‘You keep changing it until you find one that does.’
Here is one of my favourite lines from this novel: ‘If you don’t turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else’s story.’ In the midst of humour he throws in deep philosophical arguments and statements. Pratchett is brilliant – I honestly don’t think there is a living writer who can touch him. The rats history closely parallels human history and the problems they face are the same as what we face. He uses the story to deliver a message, and even some history. Think Pied Piper on steroids and you have the faintest gleamings of ‘The Amazing Maurice’. “The Amazing Maurice” is one of my perennial favourites. I now have my kids hooked on Pratchett and have read every Practhett novel at least 3 times. I discovered Pratchett when I was in high school in the 1980s and have been a Pratchett evangelist ever since.
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