The Carpet People

September 30, 2013
“In the beginning... there was nothing but endless flatness. Then came the Carpet.” Thus, in 1971, began one of the most celebrated careers in the history of fantasy literature. Later, in 1992, Pratchett revised his first novel, but neither version received an American edition until now. The Munrung live on a carpet with hairs as tall as trees, mining metal from a dropped penny and wood from matchsticks. Occasionally the godlike Fray strikes, a near-apocalyptic event that might correspond to the carpet being cleaned. When the Munrung are attacked by the evil “mouls” (“Creatures. From the Unswept Regions”), Snibril, the ingenious younger brother of Munrung chieftain Glurk, leads his people on a dangerous trek across the carpet to what they hope will be the safety of the rather boring Dumii Empire. Even as revised, this is minor Pratchett, but even minor work by the author of the Discworld series is well worth readers’ time. The story is inventive in its carefully worked-out central conceit, often very funny, and dotted with some genuinely scary bits, as well as Pratchett’s wiry 1971 spot illustrations. Ages 8–up.

January 6, 2014
The Carpet was once a relatively peaceful world, but when the Fray strike and wreak havoc, a misfit band of survivors led by two brothers must find a way to save the Carpet and its people. This revised edition of Pratchett’s first published novel gains new life thanks to the skillful narration of Briggs. His straight-faced delivery of the often-absurd material makes this production fun and amusing. His English accent, coupled with strong projection, generates a regal tone that contrasts with the less-refined accents the narrator uses for dialogue. And Briggs’s character voices are consistent and appropriate, though some of the voices he lends to minor characters are too similar. Ages 8-up. A Clarion hardcover.