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Terry Pratchett
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Carpe Jugulum Hardcover – 5 Nov. 1998

by Terry Pratchett (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 5,607 ratings
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Mightily Oats has not picked a good time to be a priest. He thought he'd come to the mountain kingdom of Lancre for a simple little religious ceremony. Now he's caught up in a war between vampires and witches, and he's not sure there is a right side. There's the witches - young Agnes who is really in two minds about everything, Magrat, who is trying to combine witchcraft and nappies, Nanny Ogg who is far too knowing ... and Granny Weatherwax, who is big trouble. And the vampires are intelligent - not easily got rid of with a garlic enema or going to the window, grasping the curtains and saying 'I don't know about you, but isn't it a bit stuffy in here?' They've got style and fancy waistcoats. They're out of the casket and want a bite of the future. Mightily Oats knows he has a prayer, but he wishes he had an axe.
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  1. Part of series
    Discworld
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Doubleday
  5. Publication date
    5 Nov. 1998
  6. ISBN-10
    0385409923
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0385409926
  8. See all details
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Product description

Amazon Review

Carpe Jugulum is the 23rd Discworld novel, and with it this durable series continues its juggernaut procession onwards. Pratchett is an author who inspires such devotions that his fans will fall on the novel with cries of joy. Non-fans, perhaps, will want to know what all the fuss is about; and that's something difficult to put into a few words. The best thing to do for those completely new to Pratchett is to sample him for themselves, and this novel is as good a place to start as any. But fans have a more precise question. They know that Discworld novels come in one of two varieties: the quite good, and the brilliant. So, for instance, where Hogfather and Maskerade were quite good, Feet of Clay and Jingo were brilliant. While true fans wouldn't want to do without the former, they absolutely live for the latter. And with Carpe Jugulum Pratchett has hit jackpot again. This novel is one of the brilliant ones.

The plot is a version of an earlier Discworld novel, Lords and Ladies, with the predatory elves of that novel being replaced here by suave and deadly vampires, and the tiny kingdom of Lancre being defended by its witches. But plot is the least of Pratchett's appeal, and Carpe Jugulum is loaded with marvellous characters (not least the witches themselves, about whom we learn a deal more here), comic touches and scenes of genius, and even some of the renowned down-to-earth Pratchett wisdom (here about the inner ethical conflicts we all face, and the wrongness of treating people as things). Pratchett's vampires are elegant Bela Lugosi types, and they come up against an unlikely but engaging alliance of witches, blue-skinned pixies like Rob Roy Smurfs, a doubting priest with a boil on his face and a magical house-sized Phoenix in a seamless, completely absorbing and feel-good-about-the- universe mixture. Highly recommended. --Adam Roberts

From the Back Cover

Mightily Oats has not picked a good time to be a priest.

He thought he'd come to the mountain kingdom of Lancre for a simple little religious ceremony. Now he's caught up in a war between vampires and witches, and he's not sure there is a right side.

There's the witches - young Agnes who is really in two minds about everything, Magrat, who is trying to combine witchcraft and nappies, Nanny Ogg who is far too knowing ... and Granny Weatherwax, who is big trouble.

And the vampires are intelligent - not easily got rid of with a garlic enema or going to the window, grasping the curtains and saying 'I don't know about you, but isn't it a bit stuffy in here?' They've got style and fancy waistcoats. They're out of the casket and want a bite of the future.

Mightily Oats knows he has a prayer, but he wishes he had an axe.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Doubleday; 1st edition (5 Nov. 1998)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385409923
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385409926
  • Customer reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 5,607 ratings

About the author

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Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett

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Terry Pratchett sold his first story when he was fifteen, which earned him enough money to buy a second-hand typewriter. His first novel, a humorous fantasy entitled The Carpet People, appeared in 1971 from the publisher Colin Smythe. Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels, including his first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic, in 1983. In 1987 he turned to writing full time, and has not looked back since. To date there are a total of 36 books in the Discworld series, of which four (so far) are written for children. The first of these children's books, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, won the Carnegie Medal. A non-Discworld book, Good Omens, his 1990 collaboration with Neil Gaiman, has been a longtime bestseller, and was reissued in hardcover by William Morrow in early 2006 (it is also available as a mass market paperback (Harper Torch, 2006) and trade paperback (Harper Paperbacks, 2006). Terry's latest book, Nation, a non-Discworld standalone YA novel was published in October of 2008 and was an instant New York Times and London Times bestseller. Regarded as one of the most significant contemporary English-language satirists, Pratchett has won numerous literary awards, was named an Officer of the British Empire “for services to literature” in 1998, and has received four honorary doctorates from the Universities of Warwick, Portsmouth, Bath, and Bristol. His acclaimed novels have sold more than 55 million copies (give or take a few million) and have been translated into 36 languages. Terry Pratchett lived in England with his family, and spent too much time at his word processor. Some of Terry's accolades include: The Carnegie Medal, Locus Awards, the Mythopoetic Award, ALA Notable Books for Children, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Book Sense 76 Pick, Prometheus Award and the British Fantasy Award.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
5,607 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the witty humor and clever language. The characters are well-developed and tied together. Readers praise the author's imagination and wonderful prose. The pacing is described as good.

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100 customers mention ‘Readability’100 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it a brilliant read and one of the better stories in the series. Readers enjoy the developing story and appreciate the twists and turns. The book is described as a lighthearted adventure with enough subtlety.

"Loved this book. Brilliant, humorous writing with incredible characterisation...." Read more

"Love the way things work or not in disc world. What a wonderfull lighthearted adventure" Read more

"As usual I do so enjoy the twists and turns...." Read more

"Good read if you enjoy the discworld series." Read more

35 customers mention ‘Humor’35 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find the plot engaging and witty, with clever wordplay that makes them laugh. The characters are well-developed and the writing is well-crafted.

"Loved this book. Brilliant, humorous writing with incredible characterisation...." Read more

"...As always it made me laugh out loud, and it was so good to be re-united with the witches again - it was like meeting up with old friends...." Read more

"Nothing to dislike just great to read. Plenty of humour." Read more

"...I still laugh at all the jokes and b)..." Read more

16 customers mention ‘Writer’16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and engaging. They praise the author's imagination and wonderful prose. The narrators are also mentioned as great.

"...Every line is beautifully crafted and the reader is transported into DiscWorld. Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are inspirational strong characters." Read more

"Looks good, it was a present" Read more

"...The author had amazing imagination and converted that to wonderful prose. Fascinating to read" Read more

"...novels for about 15 years now and it's a mark of how great a writer Sir Terry was that a)..." Read more

14 customers mention ‘Character development’14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and their connections. They find the plot humorous and engaging.

"Loved this book. Brilliant, humorous writing with incredible characterisation...." Read more

"...The story is fun, the world is beautiful and the characters.... I suspect that my mum will be amused to know that I spent half the book thinking how..." Read more

"Excellent characters & even if you’ve not read the other books the story is full & can stand alone...." Read more

"...Like most Pratchetts, it's so characterful you wonder how his head has space for them all...." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Pratcheeth's writing’12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy Terry Pratchett's writing. They find the book well-written and amusing, a fine example of his wit. However, some customers mention formatting issues with the ebook copy.

"It is a book so I am reading it. Very good. Pratchett at his best." Read more

"...A good read as usual from the great Terry Pratchett." Read more

"Pratchett is great as ever, but this ebook copy has some formatting issues, especially with dialogue for some reason...." Read more

"Love terry Pratchett, his words and thoughts filled my adolescence with hope and meaning as I compared realities . Very interesting story line...." Read more

11 customers mention ‘Pacing’11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They mention it's full of witches, vampires, priests, and two-tailed dogs. The story plays with horror cliches and suspense, but is not as scary as expected. The time flew by for them, thanks to the gripping story and engaging characters.

"...The suspense was palpable, with evil, fear, anger and bravery all described impeccably." Read more

"...The story itself is gripping, well paced and stars Nanny Ogg as one of the main protagonists...." Read more

"...This audiobook (among other T.P. audiobooks) got me to and from Cornwall in 14 hours. The time flew by...." Read more

"...book to everyone, it has everything a good book needs, humour and vampires." Read more

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  • Caroline
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great romp of a read.
    Reviewed in Canada on 8 February 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I love this book so much that when it quite literally fell apart I had to replace it.

    Terry Pratchett's discworld is hilarious and thought provoking at the same time.
    Report
  • Pat Edinburgh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!
    Reviewed in Germany on 29 January 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Another superb Terry Pratchett book...heis much missed.
    I bought this second hand and it is in wonderful condition, thank you!
    Report
  • Mrs. Entity
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and satisfying read
    Reviewed in the United States on 14 November 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The story begins with the christening ceremony of King Verence and Queen Magrat's baby girl, Princess Margaret Note Spelling. A family of modernist vampires from Uberwald attend the ceremony and quickly and painlessly take over the castle, in part by using mind control on all in attendance. But two people couldn't be controlled: one was the priest who performed the christening, the other was Agnes Nitt/Perdita, she of two minds, neither of which could be controlled by the vampires. Meanwhile, Granny Weatherwax has gone missing, and the three junior witches: Magrat, Nanny Ogg, and Agnes/Perdita (wait--isn't that technically 4?) have to work out for themselves how to conquer the vampires. They can't be killed in the usual way--they have trained themselves to overcome the effects of religious symbols, holy water, garlic, sunlight, and other traditional methods. It's not long before the witches know they're in over their heads, and have to find Granny Weatherwax. But when they do find her, she refuses to come with them. She cannot get into the vampires' minds, but they can get into hers, and the only way she feels safe is to hide out in a cave. Of course, the reader knows that won't last long. She figures out a way to store part of herself in someone else--but whom? But this weakens her and when she finally faces down the vampires, she cannot resist them, and one of them bites her.

    At this point, I was wondering how Pratchett could pull off the plot resolution without it seeming terribly contrived, but he succeeded. If you want to find out how, you'll have to read the book. It's the usual pace of the Discworld books: seemingly disparate plot lines plod along, start to converge halfway through the book, then there's an action-packed crisis, and a then he ties up the loose ends in the last few pages. We get some great insights into Granny Weatherwax's character. A very satisfying read.
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  • wendy lederer
    5.0 out of 5 stars comme toujours un regal
    Reviewed in France on 11 May 2015
    Verified Purchase
    c'est toujours un délice de suivre les pérégrinations des héros de Pratchett!
    Je vous recommande ce livre si vous ne l'avez pas encore lu!
    Report
  • Reika
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another masterpiece
    Reviewed in Germany on 21 August 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Loved it!
    Report