The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (Discworld) (2001 original; edició 2008)

The best children’s books are not full of sweetness and light and lollipops; they’re full of fear and death and monsters. So it is with The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. This is set in the Discword universe. Yes, there are talking animals; the titular Maurice the cat and a mischief of rats, victims/beneficiaries of a magical accident that left them sentient and intelligent. They setup a scam to make themselves rich enough to escape to a place where rats can live in peace – but their best laid plans go astray, and they’re confronted with fear and death (in this case, Death) and monsters. A particular part I liked is the older rats are portrayed as conservative and stodgy and authoritarian – rat Tories or rat Republicans - and it would have been an easy, cheap shot to turn them into villains. But, instead, when things go down they display traditional virtues; loyalty, bravery, and self-sacrifice. Recommended, even if you’re not a child. Especially if you’re not a child. ( )

Talking rats uncover a conspiracy.

3/4 (Good)

The characters are fun, and the sense of humor is good. The story is badly constructed and overstuffed.

(Nov. 2021) ( )

Wel aardig boek, maar ik werd er een beetje onrustig van, zeker in het begin. Toen dacht ik echt: 'Wil ik dit wel lezen?'. Maar het is voor een challenge dus ik heb het netjes uitgelezen. Het ritme stoorde me te veel. Er zitten wel een aantal aardige karakters in onder de ratten, onder andere Perzik, Voedzaam en Onveilige Bonen. ( )

Had to happen sooner or later. This is the first (sort of) Discworld book that disappointed me. I just simply could not get into it. I don't mind the odd talking animal, and Pratchett's made good use of them in the past with only one or two in the story. But when it's the majority of the cast? No.

And when he's very obviously dumbed down the humour for the YA crowd? Even more no.

I say sort of Discworld because Pratchett does make passing mention to Discworld things. The Death of Rats, the Watch, etc. But honestly, he could have just as easily left out those nods and made this a standalone, non-Discworld novel (or maybe I'm just thinking, if it hadn't been a Discworld entry, I likely wouldn't have read it, and remained fully happy with the run).

Being completely honest here, almost any other author would have been awarded a single star for this, but Pratchett, over the course of the previous 27 amazing books, has built up a bunch of goodwill with me. That being said, I know I'm going to have an automatic flinch reaction when I come across the next YA Discworld book due to my dislike of this one.

And that bums me out. ( )

Okay. This is the first of the Discworld books for children (which are also read by everyone else who reads Discworld books, because you just can’t not read a Discworld book just because it’s for children). Although set in the Discworld, it has no characters in common with Discworld books, other than a short cameo appearance from Death (and the Grim Squeaker, the Death of Rats), which makes it unusual, as the stories usually have more characters that appear in multiple books.
However, it’s a lovely variation on the Pied Piper of Hamelin, skilfully told (as usual), with plenty of human soul and wisdom, and some humour (not as much as many of the other books).
Great! ( )