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 it?
When duty calls, Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork constabulary answers--even if he doesn't want to. Now, he's been invited to attend a royal function as both detective and diplomat. The one role he relishes; the other requires, well, ruby tights. Of course, where cops (even those clad in tights) go, alas, 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--bothered as usual by a familiar cast of Discworld inhabitants (you know, trolls, dwarfs, werewolves, vampires, and such)--to solve the puzzle of the missing pachyderm. Which, of course, he will . . . after all, solving mysteries is his job.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Pratchett is always at his best when the comedy is mixed with a real sense of jeopardy that even favourite characters might be hurt if there was a good joke in it. As always the most unlikely things crop up as the subjects of gags--Chekhov, grand opera, the Caine Mutiny--and as always there are remorselessly funny gags about the inevitability of story:
"They say that the fifth elephant came screaming and trumpeting through the atmosphere of the young world all those years ago and landed hard enough to split continents and raise mountains.All this, the usual guest appearances and Gaspode the Wonder Dog... -- Roz KaveneyNo one actually saw it land, which raised the interesting philosophical question: when millions of tons of angry elephant come spinning through the sky, and there is no one to hear it, does it--philosophically speaking--make a noise?
As for the dwarfs, whose legend it is, and who mine a lot deeper than other people, they say that there is a grain of truth in it".
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. "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 (starred review)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 and the 24th Discworld book.The City Watch series in order: Guards! Guards!Men at ArmsFeet of ClayJingoThe Fifth ElephantNight WatchThud!Snuff Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780062280138