Hey there, everyone! Welcome to another installment of Reading with Robin! As a librarian who loves to read, I also love to talk about books and connect other readers with books they can fall in love with. In these posts, I’m going to talk about what I’ve been reading, what I liked about the book, and who I’d recommend the book to next.
This entry’s book is: The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Sir Terry Pratchett!
If I had to point to one author who has influenced me the most as a writer and a human being, it would have to be Sir Terry Pratchett. If you’ve never read his work, remedy that gap immediately. I very much believe that there is a Terry Pratchett book for everyone.
For this edition of “Reading with Robin”, I decided to highlight the first YA novel of Pratchett’s that I’ve ever read, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. We all know the story of the Pied Piper. This is the story of the rats behind the man – and the cat behind the rats. In a world filled with magic and mystery, one clever cat is just trying to make his way in a society that has all these ‘rules’; ‘rules’ that he knows how to exploit. The town of Bad Blintz has a rat problem, but no rats to be found. And there’s a voice in everyone’s head… whispering…
I think what I liked best about this book was the balance of darkness and light in the story. Pratchett is never afraid to deal with serious topics, and just because this book is YA doesn’t mean he’s about to shy away from themes like where does evil come from, the cruelty of human beings, and the price of knowledge. In the end the story comes to a satisfying and happy end, but you travel through the dark underground for a good long while before you get to bask in the sunshine.
Fans of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series will definitely want to pick up this book and give it a read, but it’s appeal is far wider. If you enjoy reading writers like Neil Gaiman, Douglas Adams, or Ursula K. Le Guin, this might be the perfect book for you. If you enjoy watching television or films like Hellboy, Avatar: The Last Airbender, or Lord of the Rings, give this book a spin – it could be right up your alley!