Making Money

So, it didn't take as long as I expected to get to my next Discworld novel. It didn't hurt that a reader pointed me toward a good reading guide for the series, or that I found the one that followed the last one I read while browsing the library this weekend. And hey, while we're on the topic of things that helped me get back around to the series, let's just say that it's not often that I get to read books in a series back-to-back (-ish). So all the points convened on what became a foregone conclusion.

Anyway, Making Money follows right after Going Postal, and follows Moist von Lipwick's journey from con man to postmaster to director of the Ankh-Morpork mint. Like the previous story, Moist's adventures become more perilous than he would have expected, as he butts heads with those who gain to profit from the banks. And like Going Postal, he has to match wits with a variety of shady individuals in public and private, and still manages to stay charismatic through it all.

The story follows some of the same themes as Going Postal, this time focusing on banks and the industry of money. Pratchett seems to have a clear opinion of banks and the government, and deconstructs the idea of a national economy over the course of the story. And like Going Postal, Moist himself comes up with the main idea that manages to keep the business running, which is of course the same idea that we use to run our country today. It's a fun conceit, and makes the reader think about how these ideas came to be in the real world. And there's a hint at the end of the novel that Moist's next adventure will involve tax collection, so I imagine there will be a grand simplification of that idea in his next novel.

Making Money is a wild romp and a fun ride, even if it isn't quite as good as Going Postal. Maybe it's because I've already seen Moist dodge all the challenges thrown his way, or maybe it's because the ending was a little too forced and a little too pat, but it just didn't resonate quite as well as Going Postal (though that didn't stop me from reading the entire book in one day; Pratchett still tells a wonderful story that's just plain fun to read). But that's not going to stop me from picking up more of his books along the way. Anyone care to recommend the next place to start?