“Pratchett cheerfully takes readers on an exuberant tale of mystery and invention. Along the way, he skewers everything from monarchy to fascism, as well as communism and capitalism, oil wealth and ethnic identities, Russian plays, immigration, condoms, and evangelical Christianity—in short, everything worth talking about.” —Publishers Weekly
Elephants, werewolves, and ruby tights (oh my!) collide in this clever Discworld tale rich in mystery, myth, intrigue, and a dollop of diplomacy from the legendary New York Times bestselling author Terry Pratchett.
Everyone knows that the world is flat, and supported on the backs of four elephants. But weren’t there supposed to be five? Indeed there were. So where is the fifth elephant?
Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork constabulary is the man to find out. A copper through and through, he’s been “invited” to attend a royal function as a diplomat, ambassador to the mysterious, fat-rich country of Uberwald—complete with ruby tights.
Of course where cops go, crime follows. An attempted assassination and a theft soon lead to a desperate chase from the low halls of Discworld royalty to the legendary fat mines of Uberwald, where lard is found in underground seams along with tusks and teeth and other precious ivory artifacts. It’s up to the dauntless Vimes to solve the puzzle of the missing pachyderm. After all, that’s what he does.
Only there are monsters on his trail—bright, fast, toothy werewolves. And they’re catching up.
The Discworld novels can be read in any order but The Fifth Elephant is the 5th book in the City Watch collection.
The City Watch series in order:
Le informazioni nella sezione "Riassunto" possono far riferimento a edizioni diverse di questo titolo.
Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) is the acclaimed creator of the globally revered Discworld series. In all, he authored more than fifty bestselling books, which have sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.
Everyone knows that the world is flat, and supported on the backs of four elephants. But weren't there supposed to be five? Indeed there were, and what happened to the fifth elephant is only one of the many perplexing mysteries solved in this new novel by today's most celebrated fantasy humorist.
Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent Discworld novels have been number one bestsellers in England for more than a decade, securing him a position in the pantheon of satire and parody alongside Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen. Pratchett's fame, like his imagination, is now going global--if such a term can be used in connection with an author whose creation is so uncompromisingly (though no longer quite so unfashionably) flat.
Which brings us back to the missing mythical pachyderm. The Fifth Elephant begins, like so many of Pratchett's satirical inventions, with an invitation. This one is both royal and engraved, requiring that Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork constabulary attend as both detective and diplomat. The one role he relishes; the other, well, requires ruby tights.
Where cops (even those clad in tights) go, crime of course, follows--and an attempted assassination and a theft soon lead to a desperate chase from the low halls of Discworld royalty to the legendary fat mines of Uberwald, where lard is found in underground seams along with tusks and teeth and other precious ivory artifacts.
Vimes's "elephant" adventure is as profound as it is hilarious, sending up every aspect of modern life from royalty (a British specialty) to bureaucrats (inescapable anywhere), from cops (especially those unusually dressed) to criminals (who, like fools, have their own guild), from fantasy literature to satire itself.
The world is busy discovering Terry Pratchett. Shouldn't you be doing your part?
Le informazioni nella sezione "Su questo libro" possono far riferimento a edizioni diverse di questo titolo.
EUR 7,58 per la spedizione da U.S.A. a Italia
Destinazione, tempi e costiEUR 25,66 per la spedizione da U.S.A. a Italia
Destinazione, tempi e costiDa: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condizione: Good. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.18. Codice articolo G0061051578I3N01
Quantità: 1 disponibili
Da: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condizione: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.18. Codice articolo G0061051578I3N10
Quantità: 1 disponibili
Da: Solibri, Epone, Francia
Condizione: very good. couverture cartonnée, moyen format , très bon état. . 3502952 - The Fifth Elephant, Pratchett, Terry, Harper, 2000. Codice articolo 3502952
Quantità: 1 disponibili
Da: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condizione: Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Codice articolo 228365-6
Quantità: 2 disponibili
Da: Barsoom Books, Torrance, CA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condizione: Near Fine. Condizione sovraccoperta: Fine. 1st Edition. 1st ed/1st pr. Square, solid, and unread with lovely dust jacket in protective archival cover. No price clippings. You'll feel as though you must have slipped the librarian a few scoops of ice cream to go with those particularly ripe bananas, to have been so lucky as to have scored a treasured tome of this quality ? you'll be climbing the shelves of the library with wild abandon! NOTE: Light traces of handling to the sides of the pages and a remainder mark to the bottoms. Codice articolo 039778
Quantità: 1 disponibili
Da: Barsoom Books, Torrance, CA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condizione: Near Fine. Condizione sovraccoperta: Fine. 1st Edition. 1st ed/1st pr. Square, solid, and unread with lovely dust jacket in protective archival cover. No price clippings, no remainder marks. You'll feel as though you must have slipped the librarian a few scoops of ice cream to go with those particularly ripe bananas, to have been so lucky as to have scored a treasured tome of this quality ? you'll be climbing the shelves of the library with wild abandon! NOTE: Light traces of handling to the sides of the pages. Codice articolo 039774
Quantità: 1 disponibili
Da: Washburn Books, Pateley Bridge, Regno Unito
Quarter Bound in Black Cloth. Condizione: Near Fine. Condizione sovraccoperta: Near Fine. First US Edition. First US Edition of the Discworld novel first published in the UK in 1999. Bound with black cloth spine over blue paper covered boards. Gilt lettering to spine, blue endpapers. 321pp Slight bumping to base of spine, otherwise near fine copy in near fine unclipped DJ. Size: 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Book. Codice articolo 015456
Quantità: 1 disponibili
Da: Glands of Destiny First Edition Books, Sedro Woolley, WA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condizione: Like New. Publisher: HarperCollins, NY, 1999. First Edition, First Printing. FINE- hardcover book in FINE dust-jacket. Remainder marked, otherwise, "As New, Unread". Not price-clipped. Not a book club edition. Not an ex-library copy. All of our books with dust-jackets are shipped in fresh, archival-safe mylar protective sleeves. Codice articolo SKU1026892
Quantità: 1 disponibili
Da: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condizione: Acceptable. Item in acceptable condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Codice articolo 00090618453
Quantità: 1 disponibili
Da: Mahler Books, PFLUGERVILLE, TX, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condizione: Very Good. Condizione sovraccoperta: Very Good. This book is in very good condition; no remainder marks. Dustjacket does have some shelfwear. Inside pages are clean. ; 336 pages. Codice articolo 02GW21-653-162
Quantità: 1 disponibili