The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett

Published by Corgi Books/Random House Children's Books: London, 2011 (2001).

Surprisingly, this is only the second Terry Pratchett novel I have ever reviewed on this blog. I say surprising because I have enjoyed Pratchett's works, particularly his the novels set in the satirical fantasy world of Discworld for years. This book is the first one written by Pratchett to be aimed at a slightly younger audience than the 'main' Discworld books, and bases the plot around a parody of the Pied Piper story.

Maurice is a talking cat, given the power of speech (and intelligence) around the same time and in the same location as a group of rats he now works with. The rats received their intelligence after eating rubbish left outside the Unseen University (a wizarding school). How Maurice received his intelligence is left a mystery for much of the book - but will be fairly obvious if you think about it. Now Maurice and the rats, with the help of a 'stupid-looking kid' who plays a pipe, run a scam where the rats will 'infest' the town and have the kid play the pipe for money in order to drive them away. The end goal is raising enough money to find a nice safe island where the intelligent creatures can live out the rest of their lives in peace.

Near the start of the book, Maurice and the rats arrive at the town of Bad Blintz, soon realising that there is some sort of conspiracy going on... there are no other rats in the town despite the townsfolk believing that they are already infested by the vermin. Now Maurice, the rats, the 'stupid-looking kid' and the mayor's novel-obsessed daughter Malicia must try to solve the mystery, save the day, and find a way for the rats to come out on top.

Like the main Discworld series, The Amazing Maurice is cleverly and humorously written, with a large amount of satire hidden under the surface. This particular installment has a lot to say about religion, particularly how certain beliefs may be developed even without having as much basis in reality as the followers think. Coming from a religious perspective myself, I can see what the book is going for, and how it could indeed be true in a number of instances. I also think it could be taken too far. However, as a children's book, it is quirky and fun. The book also incorporates various rat-adjacent mythological elements, in a similar fashion to how the main Discworld books find mythological and fantastical explanations for many of their plots.

Another fun, odd, thought-provoking, silly, strangely serious book by a master story-teller.

Completed 28 August 2022.

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