Name: Feet of Clay
ISBN: 9780552142373

Terry Pratchett

Feet of Clay

There’s a werewolf with pre-lunar tension in Ankh-Morpork. And a dwarf with attitude, and a Golem who’s begun to think for itself. But Commander Vimes is more concerned about the crime that’s happened. He’s got to find out not only whodunit, but howdunit too. He’s not even sure what they dun. But as soon as he knows what the questions are, he’s going to want some answers.

Sarah Sammis

I started reading through the Night Watch series of Discworld books for the Beach Blanket Bonanza challenge I ran. I enjoyed the books I read then enough to keep reading more of the series. I recently finished Feet of Clay and am now starting Jingo.

Feet of Clay is another straight up mystery. There have been a handful of murders and someone is trying to kill the Patrician again. Vimes, Carrot and the rest of the Watch must figure out who is behind the murders, the assassination attempts and why.

The novel is fleshed out with details of Ankh-Morpork's history and culture. We learn more of the Vimes who committed regicide and of the city's peerage. There are a number of humorous scenes involving the heraldry of the various families. In the midst of these scenes, Nobby Nobbs finds himself elevated.

Over all it's a good combination of mystery, world building, social commentary and humor. It was been fun to see how the Watch has changed as it diversifies. All the different cultures have their own prejudices even if they grudgingly agree to work together.

Gavin

Another monarchist plot, another wonderful slice of Vimes. This instalment, one of his increasingly cinematic plots, pivots on the enduringly poignant trope of the Golem, the put-upon automata given life by holy words. Their persecution doesn’t quite map to any one political issue, a point in favour really– they echo slavery, class struggle, and A.I. Pratchett also stretches to get a big bad pun into every scene, with mixed but gladdening results. 
 
(Read aloud)

Ryan LaFerney

Something is afoot in the great city of Ankh-Morpork. Two murders seemingly unrelated. Golems who appear to be misbehaving. And to top it all up, the Patrician has been poisoned (although he still lives).

Fear not, for the City Watch and its commander Sam Vimes are on the case.

In the third installment of Terry Pratchett’s City Watch storyline, and the nineteenth novel overall in his Discworld universe, Pratchett introduces yet more ethnic groups into the City Watch and provides us with the most unlikely of replacements for Ankh-Morpork’s Patrician.

One of the continuing plotlines for Ankh-Mopork is the absurdity of its ruler, Havelock Vetinari. A former member of the Guild of Assassin’s, holds the city in what can only really be called a vicelike grip. That being said, he finds himself the target of many attempts on his life and position, although is never really at any harm from them. He runs the cities underworld like he runs the business world, saying that the only sort of crime he likes is organized crime; organised by him!

Naturally, Commander Vimes, once again promoted as a result of the previous books ending (Men at Arms which in my opinion, is a superior novel),. He's on hand to help Vetinari out, although it’s obvious halfway through that Vimes’ involvement is purely academic. Carrot (the true heir to the throne of Ankh-Morpork) and his girlfriend and fellow officer, Angua join Vimes in trying to solve the crime.

As noted: This story isn’t as good as Men at Arms was. And I'm told nothing compares to Night Watch. But I did enjoy that it introduced us to the Golems (who will show up in one of my favorites, Going Postal) as well as the watch's new forensics expert dwarf Cheery Littlebottom (she was pretty funny). 

Interesting side note: The title is a figure of speech from Hebrew scripture and the script used in the book to represent Morporkian being written by a golem resembles the Hebrew alphabet, a reference to golems' origins in Jewish folklore. 
 
In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being that is magically created entirely from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud). The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing.

As usual, Pratchett serves up an entertaining story full of sly puns, witty historical/mythological references, and philosophical musings all in the guise of fantasy. Having just read Men at Arms, this novel and its plot just wasn't as fascinating to me, as the plot of the previous book. Still, any Pratchett is worth your time.

Marsh Wu

Words in the heart cannot be taken.

It's about golems and the value of a person and the chains we make for ourselves. Funny and poignant as always.

THERE'S A WEREWOLF WITH PRE-LUNAR TENSION IN ANKH-MORPORK. AND A DWARF WITH ATTITUDE AND A GOLEM WHO'S BEGUN TO THINK FOR ITSELF. But for Commander Vimes, Head of Ankh-Morpork City Watch, that's only the start... There's treason in the air. A crime has happened. He's not only got to find out whodunit, but howdunit too. He's not even sure what they dun. But soon as he knows what the questions are, he's going to want some answers.

Olivera Mitić

I was less impressed by this than previous Watch books. It was interesting and had the usual twists, but it's a little too long and just a tad too drawn out for my tastes.

It's murder in Discworld!—which ordinarily is no big deal. But what bothers Watch Commander Sir Sam Vimes is that the unusual deaths of three elderly Ankh-Morporkians do not bear the clean, efficient marks of the Assassins' Guild. An apparent lack of any motive is also quite troubling. All Vimes has are some tracks of white clay and more of those bothersome "clue" things that only serve to muck up an investigation. The anger of a fearful populace is already being dangerously channeled toward the city's small community of golems—the mindless, absurdly industrious creatures of baked clay, who can occasionally be found toiling in the city's factories. And certain highly placed personages are using the unrest as an excuse to resurrect a monarchy—which would be bad enough even if the "king" they were grooming wasn't as empty-headed as your typical animated pottery.

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A killer is stalking Ankh-Morpork. Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Guard is determined to stop the assassin with the help of a Dwarf name Cheery Littlebottom. Discworld Series.

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It's murder in Discworld! -- which ordinarily is no big deal. But what bothers Watch Commander Sir Sam Vimes is that the unusual deaths of three elderly Ankh-Morporkians do not bear the clean, efficient marks of the Assassins' Guild. An apparent lack of any motive is also quite troubling. All Vimes has are some tracks of white clay and more of those bothersome "clue" things that only serve to muck up an investigation. The anger of a fearful populace is already being dangerously channeled toward the city's small community of golems -- the mindless, absurdly industrious creatures of baked clay who can occasionally be found toiling in the city's factories. And certain highly placed personages are using the unrest as an excuse to resurrect a monarchy -- which would be bad enough even if the "king" they were grooming wasn't as empty-headed as your typical animated pottery.