52 Books: #3 - Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett
Book: Feet of Clay
Author: Terry Pratchett
Page count: 432
Date started: 09/01/18
Date finished: 24/01/18
Well, I'm falling behind a little bit.
Book #3 is another Terry Pratchett story, and I think I'll be taking a break from him for the time being, so that my first few books aren't dominated by his work.
Feet of Clay is the 19th book of the Discworld series, and a "sort of" sequel to Men at Arms (itself a sort-of sequel to Guards! Guards!). It follows Commander Sam Vimes's attempts to deal with both being a newly-minted nobleman and having to control a city under threat from the menace of autonomous Golems.
As per usual, Pratchett mingles high fantasy tropes with real-world satire to craft a story that feels a lot more modern than it should be. Though perhaps not as funny in a laugh-out-loud way, Feet of Clay is a more mature, nuanced story that really brings the best out of its characters.
This goes doubly-so for Vimes, who retains his position as my favourite character in all fiction. An ordinary man thrust into extraordinary circumstances, Pratchett captures the identity of the good-at-heart copper perfectly.