Clara’s Verdict
Going Postal is where the later Discworld found a brilliant new engine in Moist von Lipwig, a con man so charming that you forgive him rather faster than the city does. The premise is pure Pratchett: give a swindler the choice between the gallows and the most thankless job in Ankh-Morpork, then watch him talk his way into actually caring about it. This is the thirty third Discworld novel, and it is one of the most purely entertaining of them all.
The pleasure of the book is watching a bad man discover, almost against his own will, that doing good is the greatest confidence trick of all. Moist’s schemes to revive the Post Office are gloriously inventive, the romance with the fierce Adora Belle Dearheart is prickly and real, and the villainy of the clacks company gives the whole thing a satisfying modern edge. I could listen to Moist von Lipwig talk his way out of trouble all day long.
It also works beautifully as a story about second chances. Moist is handed the opportunity to become something better than he was, and the joy of the book is watching him take it almost by accident, discovering a talent for honest work he never suspected he had. Few of Pratchett’s novels are quite so satisfying to arrive at the end of.
About the Audiobook
Imprisoned in Ankh-Morpork, the con artist Moist von Lipwig is offered a choice: to be executed, or to take on the job of the city’s Postmaster General. Having already survived one hanging, he is not remotely keen to try another, and so he accepts. The trouble is that the Post Office is a wreck, buried under mountains of undelivered mail, staffed by eccentrics, and haunted by a dangerous secret order.
To save his own skin, Moist must restore the postal service to its former glory, with the help of the tough talking activist Adora Belle Dearheart, who happens to be very attractive in an entire womanful of anger sort of way. He also has new technology to compete against and a ruthless chairman who will stop at nothing to keep Ankh-Morpork’s post delayed for good. This is the thirty third Discworld novel, and because it introduces Moist entirely from scratch, it makes an excellent starting point.
The revival of the Post Office gives Pratchett a wonderful engine for comedy and invention, from the mountains of undelivered mail to the golem set to keep Moist in line and the eccentrics who staff the place. Set against the cold efficiency of the clacks, Moist’s ramshackle enterprise becomes an unlikely underdog well worth cheering for.
For many listeners this is the perfect gateway to the Discworld, a self contained triumph that needs no homework and sends you straight on to the next Moist adventure the moment it finally ends.
The Narration
Richard Coyle narrates across thirteen hours and thirty six minutes, and he comes to the part with an unusual advantage, having played Moist von Lipwig in the television adaptation of the book. That familiarity shows: his Moist is quick, plausible and just a little dangerous, exactly the voice the character wants.
The production carries the full Penguin Audio company around him. Bill Nighy reads the footnotes, Peter Serafinowicz voices Death, and James Hannigan’s theme sets the scene. Across more than thirteen hours Coyle keeps the con moving and the large supporting cast distinct, and he handles the sharper, more romantic exchanges with real and welcome charm.
Over thirteen and a half hours Richard Coyle keeps the energy high and the many voices cleanly distinct, and his obvious relish for the character carries the whole production happily along.
What Readers Say
Going Postal holds an average of 4.8 stars from 8 ratings, and readers clearly relish it. One praised the way the story shows how opportunities, once taken, can change the world, calling it a funny and on point sideways look at things. Another kept it simple, insisting that you cannot go wrong with a Pratchett book.
A more detailed review celebrated Moist as a terrific anti hero, a con man hanged to within half an inch of his life and then set to restoring the Post Office under the watchful eye of a golem, gradually turning from a bad man into a bad man trying his best to be good. A fifth reviewer called it Pratchett at his best, with fresh characters and one of their favourite Discworlders at the centre. Even the four star note, from a listener still working through it, marks it down simply as a good read.
Who Should Listen?
This is ideal for anyone who loves a charming rogue, a clever caper, or a story about tired old institutions brought roaring back to life. Because Moist arrives fully formed with no prior reading required, it is one of the best possible places to begin the Discworld, and it makes irresistible company on a long commute.
If a con artist with a whole city to save sounds like your idea of fun, you can Listen to Going Postal on Audible and watch Moist deliver.
