But one night, Dodger helps a young woman flee two ruffians. Now, a street urchin dressed as a gentleman, he must discover the secret behind her escape.

Dodger - Penguin Books UK

all men are writers, journalists scribbling within their skulls the narrative of what they see and hear[...]” Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels, including his first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic, in 1983. In 1987, he turned to writing full time. I wasn't feeling the love. They just ...were. Also, (yes, they attempted to fix this at the end and her husband was trash) she was still married at the end. I was seriously impressed by the writing and to me it seemed as though Pratchett has been leading up to this book via the YA books, particularly Maurice, and the Watch novels. There are undertones of much of Nobby Nobbs, Vimes and others but they are nothing much more than ghosts which leave no trace in this interesting world. Flavourings, but nothing more. So, mostly in the spirit of experiment, the two of them started building a book together. It was a lark, really – a side project with nothing hingeing on it except their own diversion. According to Terry they were “two guys who didn’t have anything to lose by having fun”. They were also two guys who operated at different ends of the day. Neil, at this point in his life, was largely allergic to the morning and would wake around lunchtime to flurries of crisp answerphone messages from his collaborator, which were generally variations on the theme of “Get up, you lazy bastard”.Benjamin Disraeli, an up-and-coming young politician and friend of Charlie. He is introduced as a member of parliament and plays a supporting role in Dodger's scheme to fake Simplicity's death. It is impossible for me to read a new Terry Pratchett independently of the memory of the last 30 years of reading each eagerly awaited book, one by one, with utmost delight. In the novel Henry Mayhew is also very interested in improving the conditions for London’s poorest citizens. It is not long before Dodger realises that although his new friends are gentlemen, they are also “geezers”, and he admits to himself that they deserve respect for their acuity (and in Mister Charlie’s case, for his ingenuity, although to Dodger's mind he does have some annoying habits, like scribbling things down on bits of paper). Dodger admires Mister Charlie, and has the uncomfortable feeling that Mister Charlie can see everything, every little secret, that Dodger hoped was safely hidden in his mind. The whole of life was a game. But if it was a game, then were you the player or were you the pawn?” Mixing characters from fiction with real-life historical figures, DODGER is a captivating Victorian adventure that's sure to please both fans of Oliver Twist and casual readers. Author Terry Pratchett employs a narrative voice that's perfectly pitched to the material and which offers many sly pleasures. The plot is full of suspense and twists, but Dodger often works best in its smaller moments, when the characters stop their machinations and reveal their true selves.

Dodger by Terry Pratchett | Goodreads

Similar qualms on Terry’s part affected the price paid up front for Good Omens, his 1990 collaboration with Neil Gaiman. During 1985, Neil had shown Terry a file containing 5,282 words exploring a scenario in which Richmal Crompton’s William Brown had somehow become the Antichrist. Terry loved it, and the concept stayed in his mind. A couple of years later, he rang Neil to ask him if he had done any more work on it. Neil, who had been spending that time thinking about his series The Sandman, for DC Comics, said he hadn’t really given it another thought. Terry said: “Well, I know what happens next, so either you can sell me the idea or we can write it together.” Neil knew straight away which of those options he preferred. As he said: “It was like Michelangelo ringing up and saying, ‘Do you fancy doing a ceiling?’” It's hard not to compare to Terry Pratchett's non Discworld novels because I love them so much and in Dodger I feel like I am getting a Discworld novel in structure and flavour, but with a difference. There are some definite Discworld style characters, Onan, Dodger's dog has been illustrated in a manner, and with such personality, I expected him to be able to speak or turn out to be a Wizard of the Unseen University on an expedition from the next universe over, except disguised as a dog. Charlie suggests that Simplicity move into his rich friend Angela Burdett-Coutts’s house, as she is known for using her money to help those in need, especially women. While Simplicity tries to hide from the spotlight, Dodger uses it to devise a plan. With his new status, he can arrange meetings with top-tier politicians that might be able to save Simplicity. He meets with Benjamin Disraeli, a higher-up in Parliament, to arrange her protection. The government does not want to get involved, though, as knowingly harboring a fugitive from the German states might cause turmoil to their country-to-country politics. The book’s eponymous protagonist is an orphaned street urchin who lives in Victorian London and works as a “tosher”--that is, someone who goes into the sewers to find treasures in the trash. When he pops out of a sewer to be ”the knight in soaking armor” to a lady in distress, he suddenly finds that one small act of kindness will change his life in ways he could not have imagined.In Dec. of 2007, Pratchett disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. On 18 Feb, 2009, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close It is the character of Dodger that truly brings the book to life. We first get to meet Dodger after he emerges from a manhole to save a young lady’s life. We get to see him as a scoundrel, immediately going on the defensive when surrounded by citizens and police officers who just want to see what all the commotion is about. This was nicely shown by the dialogue that followed, which helped to again emphasize the early 1800’s setting. When this encounter hits the newspapers, Dodger finds himself having to deal with a completely different life. After this point you see his character taking a great developmental leap in terms of growing up, looking after the people he cares about, learning to see the good in people, but also becoming bolder when dealing with thugs. It is a “coming of age” story, and also a “rags to riches” story. Dodger’s philosophies were also a great enjoyment for me to read about. For example: From these ignominious beginnings, Dodger becomes enmeshed in a plot, developing his detective and acting skills, and inadvertently beginning to rise up the ladder of Victorian society “faster than a chimpanzee”.