"Jingo" is one of those words that I think most people in my generation and after have lost track of. It means "a vociferous supporter of policy favoring war, especially in the name of patriotism." It is derogatory and has a weird etymological derivation. Originally it appeared in that sort of street magician patois. As in, "By jingo, I conjure thee. Abracadabra! Bwahahaha." (I added the "bwahahaha" but I really feel it belongs there) So, all together there is a sense of the ridiculous contained in the word. It makes me picture puffed up men in uniforms with ridiculous sideburns and stinky cigars who bellow about the sorry state of foreign national interests, there ought to be a war to straighten it all out. It is also a kind of chilling word since most people don't seem to see this as ridiculous. Accordingly, Jingo is about a war in Discworld that began for no particular reason other than a bunch of puffed up idiots getting the idea in their heads. An island appears in the sea between Ankh-Morpork and the desert nation of Klatch. Conflict over whose island it is sparks political maneuvering and an assassination attempt. Of course, it really appears that the politicians involved were already looking for an excuse because that's just how these things work.
Commander Vimes, as commander of the watch, is immediately involved to investigate the assassination attempt which predictably and far too obviously leads back to the Klatchians. In the meantime, the city prepares for war.
I think I was just in the mood, but once I started Jingo I couldn't put it down. It's part of the Watchmen sub series and so it follows some of my favorite characters including Carrot and Angua. Also, and unusually, Lord Vetinari featured more prominently as a character which doesn't happen often. While, I figured out the sense of how things would have to wrap up, the specifics eluded me until the very end and there were some excellently twisty bits of intrigue involved.
No comments:
Post a Comment