Jingo - Politics is dumb, also maybe not

I haven't fallen off the wagon, just a little distracted. With the IPL having a stranglehold over my attention span, a Zelda and Star Wars game, there have been too many distractions. On top of that, my books weren't delivered on time and I started working on side projects as well.

Maybe I had fallen off the wagon. And reading is not one of those hobbies where I can mindlessly fall into a rhythm. I can pick up gaming after a decade of not playing and still while away countless hours. I can go back to obsessing over movies as easily as turning on a light switch. But reading is something I struggle to pick up if I hit a lull.

Terry's name on a book never fails to fuel my desire to get back into reading. But to follow through, I needed the material to be light, and Jingo was just that book.

About previous books first

Discworld novels are designed to function as stand-alone stories. While each book in the City Watch series can be enjoyed on their own, I do believe they need to be experienced in order.

There is a sense of vertical shifts in themes, scope and character arcs presented as the series progressed to this point. In Guards! Guards!, Sir Terry examined the themes of monarchy and the watch then consisted of 4 members. It was high fantasy, and it felt very vertical. In the next book, Men at Arms, he examines Goone (Gun), in turn how power corrupts a man. Compared to the previous book, it is more grounded, more characters are introduced, their relationships are allowed to grow and more importantly, he gives characters enough space to breathe and come into their own.

In the next book, Feet of Clay, he examines more themes than ever - the free will, bigotry, prejudice, feminism, identity. Here is when I started to realize how the writing itself has changed and is more free flowing than at the start of the series. Maybe I've gotten more used to the characters. It could be I have gotten used to writing. Or it could be both, better understanding on both reader's and author's part.

And with the latest book, the pattern holds. The plot, the characters are all more horizontal. The satire is more biting and in your face compared to the previous books and given the subject, it lands beautifully.

Politics and Patriotism

There is no subtlety here, Terry does take a hammer on the head approach with this book. When the tensions are high between neighboring countries, people in power use it to fuel their own interests. That's basically the through line of the story. And it does hit a little close to home.

There are conspiracies, plots and politics at play.  The Ankh-Morpork police force gets wrapped in the middle of this, and it plays out like a spy movie. Klatch (the other country) is a stand in for the Middle East. There are submarines, naval chase, chase on a camel and more. It's all about the chase.  

Samuel Vimes gets his moments. Man, he is one of the most well written characters ever. And there is a dirty trick to how Pratchett manages to do this. By simply contrasting him with one of the other well written characters ever - Carrot Ironfoundersson. Both of them have their moments, maybe less compared to the previous books, but they do shine.

Vetinari Havelock gets more screen time (page time?) here than in the previous books. This is the biggest test of the Patrician ever faced, and it is fascinating how manages to deal with the issues that present itself.  

The whole cast get their share of moments, but here, the plot takes center stage. It is the setting, the public, the background characters, their ignorance and lack of compassion towards other cultures in the name of patriotism, the mindlessness of the mob. It is these things that elevate the book. I was never once let down, the story kept me amused but at the same time, it makes me wince at how real the satire gets.

Patriotism and even unparalleled jingoism is always portrayed as the right thing to do. In recent times, people in power conflate questioning them as an unpatriotic act. Yes, politics makes people seem dumb, but the ones who play the game rarely are ever are. Maybe in relation to one and other. Terry examines all these themes, and he does with passion and anger.

Conclusion

The book is good. Please read it. There is good humor, the themes will always be relatable and relevant, and what more can I say. I enjoyed reading it. It was not as good as, ⁣ Men At Arms, but I don't think anything is.

I will be picking up The Fifth Elephant as my next book to read. If you have any suggestions, feel free to reach out to me, or please comment down here. If it's your first time, feel free to subscribe.