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| Mass market paperback, 470 pages Published 2013 (originally 2011) Borrowed from my wife Read March 2020 |
This didn't do much for me; Snuff is the weakest of the eight City Watch novels by a clear margin. Part of my objection is a little unfair: I don't know if Pratchett meant for this to be the last one, but it doesn't feel satisfying for the final one to mostly take place outside of the city and largely not involve the majority of the Watch. Aside from a few scenes, it's all Vimes all the time meaning we don't get closure on long-running subplots, especially Carrot and Angua.
But even on its own terms, this didn't work for me. Both Willikins and Sybil felt out of character, and the book was full of elements that didn't seem to go anywhere. The opening has a big focus on what Lord Vetinari is up to that as far as I could tell turned out to be irrelevant, and a subplot about a Jane Austen spoof just gets forgotten. The big climax is good, but then the book just keeps on going.
But even a weak Pratchett is filled with strong moments. The rehabilitation of the goblins is great, and I love any scene where Vimes punctures others' pretensions and/or argues his way into being in authority. So, a frustrating way to go out: glimpses of greatness, but no one wants a series's last installment to be its weakest.
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