The fifth elephant: a novel of Discworld

It is well known that Pratchett's Discworld is supported by four elephants standing on the back of a giant tortoise. Once there was a fifth elephant, which fell off the tortoise's back and crashed onto Discworld with a mighty impact, leaving behind rich deposits of minerals and fat. Now \x86 berwald, the country that has most of the deposits, faces a succession crisis among the dwarfs, because the Scone of Stone, their emblem of kingship, has been stolen. With a motley but effective team of aides, Chief Constable Vimes and his wife arrive as ambassadors from Ankh-Morporkh to solve the mystery and prevent civil war among the dwarfs, werewolves, and vampires of \x86 berwald. Vimes needs all the help he can get, as the werewolves, led by one Wolfgang, who would have been at home in the Waffen SS, are busily trying to take over \x86 berwald by throwing the other races into chaos. As usual, Pratchett satirizes everything in sight and a few things buried in the subtext, always with a great knowledge of and fondness for his fellow primates, even in their more foolish moments. He never lets a proper tone flag; thus, in the midst of all the satire, Vimes' death struggle with the werewolves is as grim as any thriller's climax, and the growing love between Captain Carrot and Corporal Angua the werewolf is handled straight. Pratchett is now inviting comparison with Kurt Vonnegut, but if he ends up with a reputation equivalent only to that of P. G. Wodehouse, the world will be the better for his having written. --Roland Green

Acclaimed British author Pratchett continues to distinguish himself from his colleagues with clever plot lines and genuinely likable characters in this first-rate addition to his long-running Discworld fantasy series (Carpe Jugulum, etc.). This time around, the inhabitants of Discworld's Ankh-Morpork have turned their attentions in the direction of Uberwald--a country rich in valuable minerals and high-quality fat deposits. (The fifth elephant, it seems, left all these when he or she crashed and burned in Uberwald at the beginning of time.) Ankh-Morpork's policeman Sam Vimes has been sent there to represent his people at a coronation--and to find the recently stolen, rock-hard and symbolically important (at least to the Dwarf population) Scone of Stone. As he tells Vimes's story (and surrounding ones), Pratchett cheerfully takes readers on an exuberant tale of mystery and invention, including the efforts of a clique of neo-Nazi werewolves to destabilize Uberwald. Along the way, he skewers everything from monarchy to fascism, as well as communism and capitalism, oil wealth and ethnic identities, Russian plays, immigration, condoms and evangelical Christianity--in short, most everything worth talking about. Not as perfect as Pratchett's Hogfather but in the same class, this novel is a heavyweight of lightness. 200,000 ad/promo; 7-city author tour. (Apr.) FYI: At the end of The Fifth Elephant is appended a "handy travel guide" to the "World of Terry Pratchett," including a character guide to the Discworld novels and a Discworld crossword puzzle. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

YA-A book that's part mystery, part action-adventure, and all funny. Someone has stolen the original Scone of Stone from a dwarf vault in šberwald and its replica. The new Low King of the dwarves cannot be crowned without it, and the current candidate for the throne is more moderate than certain factions would like. The fifth elephant of the title is the mythical beast responsible for providing the mountains of šberwald with their rich deposits of gold, silver, iron and fat-the real reason that dwarven politics matter in Ankh-Morpork. While this is not the best story to begin an exploration of the "Discworld" (HarperCollins), fans of the series will enjoy it. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

More gloriously uproarious doings from Discworld (Carpe Jugulum, 1999, etc.). This time, dwarfs are rioting on the noisome streets of Ankh-Morpork. Why? Well, it's just politics as usual: they're about to choose a new Low King. So the city's Lord Vetinari must send a representative to the coronation ceremony at Uberwalde (where he might also nail down the rights to develop Uberwalde's vast, untouched natural resources). Reluctantly, City Watch Commissioner Vimes accepts the job; he has no talent for diplomacy whatsoever, and his assistants are a werewolf, a troll, and a dwarf. Among the complications Vimes must grapple with: the theft of the coronation Scone of Stone; vampires; werewolves; food (``noggi: buckwheat dumplings stuffed with stuff''); and Death (``'Are you Death?''' / IT'S THE SCYTHE, ISN'T IT. PEOPLE ALWAYS NOTICE THE SCYTHE'''). Pratchett's humor is international, satirical, devious, knowing, irreverent, unsparing and, above all, funny. ($200,000 ad/promo; author tour)

It is well known that Pratchett's Discworld is supported by four elephants standing on the back of a giant tortoise. Once there was a fifth elephant, which fell off the tortoise's back and crashed onto Discworld with a mighty impact, leaving behind rich deposits of minerals and fat. Now x86 berwald, the country that has most of the deposits, faces a succession crisis among the dwarfs, because the Scone of Stone, their emblem of kingship, has been stolen. With a motley but effective team of aides, Chief Constable Vimes and his wife arrive as ambassadors from Ankh-Morporkh to solve the mystery and prevent civil war among the dwarfs, werewolves, and vampires of x86 berwald. Vimes needs all the help he can get, as the werewolves, led by one Wolfgang, who would have been at home in the Waffen SS, are busily trying to take over x86 berwald by throwing the other races into chaos. As usual, Pratchett satirizes everything in sight and a few things buried in the subtext, always with a great knowledge of and fondness for his fellow primates, even in their more foolish moments. He never lets a proper tone flag; thus, in the midst of all the satire, Vimes' death struggle with the werewolves is as grim as any thriller's climax, and the growing love between Captain Carrot and Corporal Angua the werewolf is handled straight. Pratchett is now inviting comparison with Kurt Vonnegut, but if he ends up with a reputation equivalent only to that of P. G. Wodehouse, the world will be the better for his having written. ((Reviewed January 1 & 15, 2000)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

When news of a dispute over the dwarven succession reaches the city of Ankh-Morpork, Lord Vetinari dispatches an unlikely group of ambassadors including a dwarf, a werewolf, a troll, and the intrepid Watch Commander Vines to address the problem. The latest installment in Pratchett's popular "Discworld" series features send-ups of politics and communications technology, along with a hearty dose of cosmic comedy and genuine slapstick humor. Suitable for newcomers to the series as well as regular series followers, this belongs in most libraries. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Acclaimed British author Pratchett continues to distinguish himself from his colleagues with clever plot lines and genuinely likable characters in this first-rate addition to his long-running Discworld fantasy series (Carpe Jugulum, etc.). This time around, the inhabitants of Discworld's Ankh-Morpork have turned their attentions in the direction of Uberwald a country rich in valuable minerals and high-quality fat deposits. (The fifth elephant, it seems, left all these when he or she crashed and burned in Uberwald at the beginning of time.) Ankh-Morpork's policeman Sam Vimes has been sent there to represent his people at a coronation and to find the recently stolen, rock-hard and symbolically important (at least to the Dwarf population) Scone of Stone. As he tells Vimes's story (and surrounding ones), Pratchett cheerfully takes readers on an exuberant tale of mystery and invention, including the efforts of a clique of neo-Nazi werewolves to destabilize Uberwald. Along the way, he skewers everything from monarchy to fascism, as well as communism and capitalism, oil wealth and ethnic identities, Russian plays, immigration, condoms and evangelical Christianity in short, most everything worth talking about. Not as perfect as Pratchett's Hogfather but in the same class, this novel is a heavyweight of lightness. 200,000 ad/promo; 7-city author tour. (Apr.) FYI: At the end of The Fifth Elephant is appended a "handy travel guide" to the "World of Terry Pratchett," including a character guide to the Discworld novels and a Discworld crossword puzzle. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

YA-A book that's part mystery, part action-adventure, and all funny. Someone has stolen the original Scone of Stone from a dwarf vault in Überwald and its replica. The new Low King of the dwarves cannot be crowned without it, and the current candidate for the throne is more moderate than certain factions would like. The fifth elephant of the title is the mythical beast responsible for providing the mountains of Überwald with their rich deposits of gold, silver, iron and fat-the real reason that dwarven politics matter in Ankh-Morpork. While this is not the best story to begin an exploration of the "Discworld" (HarperCollins), fans of the series will enjoy it. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.