'Carpe Jugulum' – Terry Pratchett (Corgi)

Welcome back to another entry in that 'very occasional' series where I revisit 'Discworld' books, often after a number of years since I last read them. Back when I was a lot younger, I made it a point of, well... being a very geeky twenty something to read every single 'Discworld' book as soon as it appeared in paperback. Many a Christmas game of Monopoly was deliberately thrown by me so that I could get back to reading whatever 'Discworld' book was published that year (and I don't regret it). As time went on though, I fell out of love with the series (it had to move away from its fantasy roots but that didn't mean that I had to like it) and I eventually stopped reading... And then a few years ago, I started reading 'Discworld' books again. I was having a particularly shitty time and needed some comfort reading, 'Discworld' was there and I've been slowly catching up ever since.

All of which brings me to 'Carpe Jugulum', a book that I bought (again) back in January but only got round to reading a few days ago. What? That's pretty good for me and books at the moment ;o) I've always been more of a Vimes fan but 'Lords and Ladies' ended up being such a good read that I thought I'd have some more of the Witches and give 'Carpe Jugulum' a go. And so I did...

In this life there are givers and takers. It's safe to say that vampires are very much in the latter camp. They don’t have much time for the givers of this world – except perhaps at mealtimes . . .

Welcome to Lancre, where the newest residents are a thoroughly modern, sophisticated vampire family. They've got style and fancy waistcoats. They're out of the casket and want a bite of the future.
Everyone knows you don't invite vampires into your house – unless you want permanent guests – nonetheless the King of Lancre has invited them to stay and celebrate the birth of his daughter. Now, these vampires have no intention of leaving . . . ever.
But they haven’t met the neighbours yet.
Between the vampires and their next meal stand the witches of Lancre: Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Magrat and young Agnes. As the residents of Lancre living are about to discover, it will take more than garlic and crucifixes to take back their home.

You know what? I don't think I laughed once during my journey through 'Carpe Jugulum'. Maybe a wry smile here and there, possibly even a chuckle but no laughter. That's not a bad thing (more on that in a bit) but it's a sign that...? I re-read these books far too many times when I was a kid? Some jokes just don't age well? I reckon it's somewhere in the middle. I feel a little bit jealous of my younger self as I reckon he couldn't stop laughing with 'Carpe Jugulum' (adjust for poetic licence) but as obvious as it is, you really can only experience something for the first time just the once. And that's how it is here, you can go back but it's never quite the same as the first time you read it.

But that's okay though, even though Pratchett is basically doing what he did with 'Lords and Ladies'. Yep, not only are the jokes a little old now but Pratchett is doing for vampires what he did for elves. Creatures of legend are legendary for a reason, mostly because they were nasty bastards and dangerous to be around. Legends are often romanticized though and what you need on your side, is someone(s) who know the real deal. It's a good message and it works in terms of the story (I think it's the first time that Uberwald is mentioned so a good introduction to a new country if so), don't get me wrong, I'm just wondering if we needed it again? I don't know.

What saved it for me wasn't so much the plot then (a good one but possibly overused) but the storytelling and characters. Pratchett just seemed to get that characters don't just hang around and stay the same, life moves on for people in books just as much as it does for those who aren't. It may be a similar problem they're facing then but now they're bringing new experiences (and more) to the fight. Magrat has a child and husband to fight for, Granny Weatherwax has a doubt in her abilities (her battle against time is a constant running theme) to fight against. Having said that... I may not have laughed but I'm not ashamed to say that I gasped in awe when Granny Weatherwax's ploy became clear, turning vampires against themselves (at the most fundamental level) is just awe-inspiring, both in Granny Weatherwax for doing it and in Pratchett for thinking it. that stunt ranks pretty near the top.

'Carpe Jugulum' is a little too similar to 'Lords and Ladies' for my liking but, thanks to Pratchett's gift for storytelling, remains a read that I couldn't put down and I suspect, a read that I won't be able to put down the next time I pick it up. Revisiting the 'Discworld' books is doing me the world of good, I'm going to have to read more :o)