Review - Jingo by Terry Pratchett (Corgi)

Jingo by Terry Pratchett
Published by Corgi
Hardback - 288 pages
Published November 1998
Personal copy of book


Jingo is the twenty-first Discworld novel, and the fourth that centers around the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork. The fabled continent of Leshp rises from the sea, exactly half way between Ankh-Morpork and sand-ridden Al-Khali, capital of Klatch. As dignitaries from Al-Khali arrive in Ankh-Morpork to negotiate an agreement regarding the new continent, unrest and ill feeling towards the foreigners runs rife. After the attempted assassination of a Klatchian prince, both nations are on the brink of war. Only Samuel Vimes and the Ankh-Morpork City Watch can unravel the mystery and stop the war, which puts them deep into the heart of enemy territory.


One thing can be said about Pratchett, and that is that the man knows funny. Jingo takes apart social idiosyncrasies and turns them in a way that makes you giggle like an idiot as well as ponder the deeper meaning. His satirical take on territorial disputes and xenophobia is just the topping of a well layered look at racism and immigration, which were big problems in the UK at the time of writing (and still kind of relevant today). It's astounding how he is able to blend the ridiculous with such serious issues so well.

The pacing of Jingo is a little slow in places, particularly at the beginning of the book, but it fits in well with the murder mystery/crime thriller style that the City Watch books are written in. Usually the story picks up again before any kind of lag begins, and the final third of the book turns into a full action adventure. The great thing is that at no point is there a boring moment, even in the slower paced parts of the story. Pratchett's humour never lets off, so it's very difficult to read in public without getting funny looks from people on the bus.

The characters in this are less developed than in previous City Watch books. The bulk of the character development was achieved in the other novels, so the focus here is more on the world in which the already established characters live. This isn't a problem for seasoned readers of Pratchett, but first time readers would probably need to read the other City Watch novels to get a decent understanding of the characters.
The contrasting characters of Vimes and his two subordinates, Nobby Nobbs and Fred Colon, show the two sides of Pratchett's character well; from silly, almost slapstick humour and British wit, to a darker tone that touches on the deeper issues.
Jingo is a recommended read that, while not the best of the city watch titles thus far, will still have you giggling loudly in public as well as thinking about the deeper issues presented in the story. Pratchett is a master of his craft and Jingo is a great example of this. First time readers should read up on the City Watch before tackling this one for maximum laughs, but nonetheless it is a great read.