The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett

The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Paperback, 192 pages
Published April 22nd 1993 by Corgi Childrens
First published November 15th 1971
Source: Purchased retail a loooong time ago


This is Pratchett's very first book published when he was 17 years old. It sold slowly but it did sell. Twenty years later when he had become famous there was a call for a reprinting and in 1992 he re-read the book and decided it needed some revision before being reprinted. In his author's note at the beginning, he describes the book as being co-authored by his young self and the older man he is now. I've wanted to read this for ages and enjoyed it though it is not exactly a page-turner. I had lots of giggles at Pratchett's signature humour and was entertained by the story even if it fell short. One can definitely see that this book was his spark for greater things in the Bromeliad Trilogy. It features the same kind of gnomish tiny people but here they live in the carpet. There is a whole Empire which is based on the Roman one with two other distinct societies, one which has a King over his small kingdom and the other a nomadic tribe. This is a book for young people and certainly worth reading by Pratchett's fans.