Thud!

By: Terry Pratchett

Narrated by: Stephen Briggs

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch will be damned if he lets anyone disturb his city's always tentative peace, and that includes a rabble-rousing dwarf from the sticks who's been stirring up trouble on the eve of the anniversary of one of Discworld's most infamous historical events.

Centuries earlier, in a hellhole called Koom Valley, trolls met dwarfs in bloody combat. Though nobody's quite sure why they fought or who actually won, each species still bears the cultural scars and views the other with simmering animosity. Lately, an influential dwarf, Grag Hamcrusher, has been fomenting unrest among Ankh-Morpork's more diminutive citizens. And it doesn't help matters when the pint-size provocateur is discovered beaten to death, with a troll club lying nearby.

Vimes knows the well-being of his city depends on his ability to solve the Hamcrusher homicide. But there's more than one corpse waiting for him in the vast mine network the dwarfs have been excavating beneath Ankh-Morpork's streets. A deadly puzzle is pulling Sam Vimes deep into the muck and mire of superstition, hatred, and fear, and perhaps all the way to Koom Valley itself.

©2005 Terry Pratchett (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

• 2005 Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award, Science-Fiction/Fantasy

"Pratchett's fantastic imagination and satirical wit are on full display." (Publishers Weekly)

Another classic by Terry Pratchett

A great story of a Man who finds himself more important then he wishes to be. Mysticism, wizards, werewolves, Vampires, kings, and spies. this book has everything!

Great book.

Terry Pratchet (sp?) is one of my favorite satirists. Stephen Briggs does an excellent job performing it.

It was a good read of a fun book, would recommend.

Another fun diskworld book. Laughs on every “page”. The reader did a good job varying the voices, giving accents as appropriate. Constable Vimes doesn’t disappoint to keep order under his city, even as the dark approaches.

Another Delightful, Ingenious Discworld Story

Where does Thud! rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As with all Terry Pratchett books, this one ranks up at the top. I know Sir Pratchett has been knighted, but he should be king!

What did you like best about this story?

Sam Vimes' near-death experience. I suppose you think that's giving away the ending, but it's not. There's a surprise in every sentence of this book.

What about Stephen Briggs’s performance did you like?

Everything. Accents. Characterization. Attitude. Timing. Inflection.

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

It was all excellent.

As always Sir Terry writes a very entertaining story that makes you think while being entertained.

Commander Vimes deals with an explosive political situation while investigating the murder of a dwarf religious leader, that has been stirring up cultural tensions between the dwarves and trolls around the five hundredth anniversary of an important battle between the trolls and dwarves.

Excellent!

This is Pratchett in fine form. Heartbreaking, thoughtful, and hilarious, often all in the same sentence.

Fantastic!

I miss you so much Mr Pratchett. You have no idea what your books gave me.

Another Great book.

In this book Comander Vimes HAS to let in his worst nightmare a vampire into the watch. He hates it, but he has to by orders of Load Vetanary. At least interview said vampire who turns out to be a great asset to the watch especially in Coon Valley where we lean the TRUTH about what happened there so long ago.

exemplary

this is my favorite and first book by terry pratchett. i find it inspiring in my attempts at writing fiction myself. has a way of stirring vitriolic emotions. (as in immersion, it isn't a controversial story)

An Utter Delight

I’ve read these books all out of order. I bought “Thud” on a whim because my best friend has a quote from this book hung up on his wall. But the beautiful thing is that it didn’t matter that this story is several books into the series. I was able to pick a lot of things up from context (plus I’d read one other Pratchett book, so I kinda knew what to expect).

“Thud”, like all of Pratchett’s stuff tow the line between humor and adventure with his unique flavor of satire. Vimes is an instantly captivating character, who anchors the entire book. And the message and themes speak for themselves without getting preachy.

I’ve listened through multiple times and the book still gets me to chuckle.

Great book. Great laughs. Great fun.