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Going Postal
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Plot Summary of Going Postal
"

HarperCollins, Oct 2004, 24.95, 384 pp.
ISBN: 0060013133

Moist von Lipwig is a thief, a con-man, and an embezzler and the law finally catches up to Moist von Lipwig when is arrested. He refuses to tell anyone where he hid the $150,000 in ill-gotten gains. He is hung, but awakens in the Patrician Lord Vetinari's office. The despot had the hangman cut off the criminal's air supply so that everyone would think he died and now he has a proposition for Moist. The postal system in Ankh Morpark does not work; if Moist wants to live, he will make the post office a viable enterprise.

His parole officer, Pump the golem, makes sure that Moist works at the post office. The post office is a mess with decades of undelivered mail. Then there is the successful rival, the almost instantaneous communication service clacks run by Mr. Gilt, who has let the system deteriorate with many delays while prices have astronomically inflated. Mr. Gilt tries to drive Moist out of business, but the felon has become a hero to the common folks. Moist challenges his opponent to a delivery duel to see who can bring the mail faster to a specific spot. Of course this is Moist's game but the antagonist is no ignorant fool when it comes to illegal activity.

Harriet Klausner

"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Going Postal
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Parody Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - thief/con artist
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
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Bleeding Through Kingdoms: Cinderella's Rebellion by Riley LaShea
Currant Events by Piers Anthony
The Rats, Bats & the Ugly by Eric Flint and Dave Freer


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