I expect you’re very keen to know all about me,’ said Malicia. ‘I expect you’re just too polite to ask.’ Hamnpork – the aging leader of the Clan, leftover from before they could think. Hamnpork resists the idea of "thinking" and leads the Clan through the brute force and cunning that traditional kee kee leaders use. That is true. But he was also a short man with a very high collar. And he was the chief tax-gatherer from Mintz. I’m still getting official letters about it! Tax-gatherers do not as a rule like young ladies dropping on them out of trees! Well, most of the chores,’ said Malicia, as if revealing an unfortunate fact. ‘Some of them, definitely. I have to clean up my own room, you know! And it’s extremely untidy!’

The Amazing Maurice review – perky Terry Pratchett adaptation

An avid fan of TV, he is an expert on both Doctor Who and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, with the latter the study of his University dissertation, and when not glued to his laptop, he loves to spend time out for a drink with friends or watching his beloved Liverpool Football Club in his hometown of Bath. Re-Read this recently while traveling. It's interesting to see Pratchett's first run at writing something officially YA.

‘Tiffany Aching’s Guide to Being a Witch’ announced

One thing I loved as a kid, and which I still love now, is when children’s books have darker edges to them. Kids live in this world same as adults. They worry about death and violence and hunger. Like, kids are people, too, and their literature shouldn’t ignore or sugarcoat those aspects of humanity. The best kids and young adult books are always the ones that know this. I guessed going in Pratchett would be that kind of author, and I was right. It’s just like crop circles. No matter how many aliens own up to making them, there are always a few diehards who believe that humans go out with garden rollers in the middle of the night—’ All the rats' names derive from the words they have seen written on tins before they knew what the words meant, and they have called themselves whatever they thought sounded interesting. Pratchett puns on this, such as the doubting rat, who was called "Tomato" (as in Doubting Thomas). Maurice and his savvy, talking rodents arrive in town, ready once again to pull the old "Pied Piper" scheme. They scare the bejeezus out of the townsfolk, nibble on the comestibles and widdle everywhere. The citizens waste no time hiring Keith to play his magic flute, rats follow him out of the village, everybody splits the money and VOILA! - it's on to the next little hamlet. An animated film adaptation of Pratchett's novel was announced in June 2019, with Rossio writing the screenplay. Most of the lead cast members were hired in November 2020, with additional cast being added in May 2021. Animation was provided by Studio Rakete and Red Star 3D. [ citation needed]

Maurice Movie Review | Common Sense Media The Amazing Maurice Movie Review | Common Sense Media

Peaches – a small female rat who acts as Dangerous Beans' assistant and the Clan's scribe. She is the unofficial carrier (dragger would be the more appropriate term) of the Thoughts, and Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. The Amazing Maurice’ is the first animated feature film to be based on a Terry Pratchett novel – ‘ The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents’. The novel was the 28th in the Discworld® series and the first primarily written for a younger audience, winning the Carnegie Medal in 2001. My daughter cried herself to sleep, poor love. I think if she was a year older, she would have been fine. While I regret taking her and distressing her, it remains a good and quirky film.The Amazing Maurice had its premiere at the Manchester Animation Festival on 13 November 2022, and was released in United Kingdom on 16 December, by Sky Cinema. It is set to be released in the United States by Viva Pictures on 3 February 2023, after being delayed from a 13 January 2023 release. [13] [14] It had its American premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. [15] Home media [ edit ]

Maurice and His Educated Rodents Audiobook The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Audiobook

When it gets it right, which is 95% of the time, it is 120% right. I was blown away by the depth of the themes in this "children's" book; philosophical musing on the meaning of sentience and existence, with some bits about leadership, stories, nature vs. nurture, some other stuff. (I'm not great on themes.) A movie based on this book was released last year; I can't imagine they got those parts right, but maybe? 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. The book opens with Amazing Maurice (a sentient cat), a group of talking rats (the Clan), and the human boy Keith travelling in a mail coach to a small town called Bad Blintz. The group plans to enact a scheme they have used many times before, where in the rats pretend to infest the town and Keith poses as a rat piper to lead the "vermin" away for a small sum of cash. Although Maurice sees nothing wrong with this hustling business, the rats find it immoral, and convince Maurice that this town will be the last one they rob. Upon arriving in town, the group discovers that the people are convinced of a massive rat infestation, and have spent much of their savings on two rat catchers. Despite their efforts, food continues to disappear from the town. As the rats move into the town's underground, they discover an overwhelmingly large number of rat traps, but no live keekees (rats who cannot talk or think). Aboveground, Maurice makes similar observations, including that many of the rat tails the rat catchers display as proof of their successful hunting are in fact shoelaces. Maurice and Keith meet the mayor's daughter Malicia and introduce her to the talking rats. But something is not quite right towards the middle. I think things went all pear-shaped with the introduction of the disembodied voice that turns out to be a Rat King, a phenomenon I would have much preferred to remain ignorant of. The whole rat-king business doesn’t seem to quite fit, or maybe I’m just to squeamish to handle the idea of a bunch of live rats with their tails fused together. Ew. In any case, the disembodied voice business just didn’t jive with me and felt out of place in this story.The important thing about adventures, thought Mr Bunnsy, was that they shouldn't be so long as to make you miss mealtimes."

Maurice and his Educated Rodents: Discworld The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents: Discworld

My father shouted a lot and sent for Blunkett and Spears, too,’ said Malicia. ‘They’re the rat-catchers! And you know what that means, don’t you?’ The rodents in Terry Prachett's Maurice and his Educated Rodents are - D'oh! Sorry, Maurice! The AMAZING Maurice and his Educated Rodents- anthropomorphized. But they are not slaves to the morality of man. They've got, as Richard Adams would say, dignity and animality all their own. They were seeking understanding of themselves and each other. I never cared much for definitions such as "allegory" or "fables". I care about "ring of truth" (if I think too much about types of stories I get confused and start labelling everything). Same goes for satire. Pratchett's satire would still be good if the things he was satirizing didn't exist. I wish all who wrote that would use that as their bench mark of success... Would it matter if you didn't know who it was? What they did? I don't really care that they are rats. Pratchett sure didn't. It was probably that that made their society and feeling of bonds (man, rat, whatever) feel... well, feel. No stupid Lugini tried to force rules on them. Reread. Love the way the rats develop their civilization: thinking, writing, teaching, learning, religion, protecting their future, and that of those weaker than themselves. Even hints of suffrage for females. Best of all is Darktan (and others) learning the responsibilities of leadership. As always with Pratchett, simple and fun--but deep down so very very wise.Talk to the paw, because the whiskers aren't listening. Overdrive has informed me that I listened to the entirety of this. I say, it's debatable. The group plans to enact a scheme they have used many times before, where in the rats pretend to infest the town and Keith poses as a rat piper to lead the "vermin" away for a small sum of cash.