Dodger

by Terry Pratchett

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

Dodger isn't a hero, but sometimes a young man finds himself in a circumstance where he must act heroically.  This is case when he comes across a young woman being beaten in the streets of London.  Chasing off the villains with a trusty crowbar, Dodger not only saves the young lady's life, but becomes entangled in a rescue and plot to protect this nameless noblewoman from her evil husband and avoid starting a war.  He is joined by a cast of characters (both historical and fiction), including Charles Dickens, or "Charlie".


To be honest?  I was a bit bored with this book.  Dodger takes everything easily, with a grain of salt, and thus nothing seems very exciting.  He's the sort of person you'd really like in a tough situation, but as a protagonist, things seemed to dawdle on.  I think his strongest moment was near the end of the book in the sewers while he was preparing the cover-up.

As for the supporting characters, they're hit-or-miss.  I find Charlie and Simplicity boring as well, but Solomon was an interesting character.  I do believe it is worth mentioning that Solomon is Jewish, but not the best practitioner.  He is a kind person, and a strict negotiator... which is not an insult, but it is a stereotype.  I was a bit disappointed that Pratchett decided to use this character trait for him.

Terry Pratchett is known for his Discworld novels (which are loads of fun) and his stand-alones don't get a lot of attention.  Dodger is historical fiction, and as such, is not as funny, remarkable, or magical as some of her other books.  I found that this particular novel was reminiscent of the Night's Watch line of his Discworld novels.

The beginning of the book is written in a similar way to a collection of related short stories as we follow Dodger around the city.  There is a scene with Sweeney Todd in the middle of the book, which I thought was a really good interpretation of the character.  Pratchett takes a good twist on the character's murderous instincts, one which has nothing to do with meat pies.  I won't spoil it!  It ends up being a turning point in the story and in Dodger as a character, not to mention a fun tidbit.

While I will still read Pratchett's books, Dodger wasn't for me, even though I like historical fiction.  I felt like it was very flat.  His writing style can feel a bit flat in the Discworld novels as well, except there is a lot more humor in those and I remember them more fondly.  That said, I do think that most fans of Pratchett would really enjoy this book, because it is another piece of his work, and he was extremely well-loved.

I also have to confess I've read very little of Dickens, but the storytelling style was reminiscent of The Chimes or A Christmas Carol.  That, I'm sure, was intentional, and should be commended.

Pratchett does a very good job of tying up a story.  He leaves questions, but not anxiety, and I like it.

Find this review and others at The Literary Phoenix.