Snuff (Pratchett novel)

Snuff is the 39th novel in the Discworld series, written by Terry Pratchett. It was published on 11 October 2011 in the United States, and 13 October 2011 in the United Kingdom.^[1][2] The book is the third fastest selling novel in the United Kingdom since records began, having sold over 55,000 copies in the first 3 days.^[3]

In July 2010, Pratchett announced in a post to Paul Kidby's website that Snuff is 'the next adult Discworld book' and will be 'based largely around Vimes'.^[4]

Pratchett also emphasized that the word snuff has "at least two meanings".

Synopsis

Commander Sam Vimes is forced by his wife, Lady Sybil, to take a vacation with their son, Young Sam, at her family's mansion Crundells. After a short time of enjoying his vacation, he discovers that the rural community has a dark past with the resident goblins, humanoid lifeforms that live in caves nearby. Vimes finds out that the son of Lord Rust has been enslaving goblins to force them to work on his tobacco plantations in Howondaland, allowing him to manufacture cigars cheaply that are then smuggled to Ankh-Morpork. After teaming up with the local constable, a young man called Upshot, Vimes manages to arrest those responsible for the crime. In the end, thanks to his wife's organizational skills and powers of persuasion, goblins are recognized as citizens by all major nations and rulers. While Rust's son flees abroad, Vetinari considers having him removed.

Reception

In a review for The Guardian, A. S. Byatt noted that the book connected two different meanings of Snuff ("an old-fashioned stimulant to be kept in elegant boxes and snorted gracefully in society" and "arbitrary and unpleasant deaths"). Byatt also noted the "great deal of interest in bodily fluids, excretions and excrement" in the book. At the end of the review, Byatt called Pratchett a master storyteller, and said he was endlessly inventive.^[5]

References

External links