Going PostalGoing Postal
Score Modern
What it's about
Moist von Lipwig, a gifted con man, is hanged for his crimes and wakes up alive in the office of Lord Vetinari, the ruler of Ankh-Morpork, who offers him a choice: run the city's derelict post office or step through a door to certain death. The building is stuffed with undelivered letters that whisper, the staff are strange, and the rival telegraph company, run by a smoother crook than Moist, wants the post office dead.
Why it's worth reading
It's one of the most popular Discworld novels and was a Nebula Award finalist. Pratchett is very funny and very wise, and here he takes on greed, business and how to do an honest job.
You'll love it if you liked
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Guards! Guards!
The Sirens of TitanGood to know
It's the 33rd Discworld book but a perfect place to start; you need nothing from the earlier ones.
By the numbers
- Readers96 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #8 of the 35 humor books we rank
- #69 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #275 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #546 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Funny, Uplifting
More by Terry Pratchett
Night Watch
Men at ArmsGuards! Guards!
The TruthIf you like this, read next
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Good Omens
We Are Legion
Redshirts
Spoonbenders
Starter VillainExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Going Postal worth reading?
Yes. It's one of the most popular Discworld novels and was a Nebula Award finalist. It ranks #546 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Going Postal about?
Moist von Lipwig, a gifted con man, is hanged for his crimes and wakes up alive in the office of Lord Vetinari, the ruler of Ankh-Morpork, who offers him a choice: run the city's derelict post office or step through a door to certain death. The building is stuffed with undelivered letters that whisper, the staff are strange, and the rival telegraph company, run by a smoother crook than Moist, wants the post office dead.
How long does it take to read Going Postal?
About 11 hours (448 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Going Postal?
If you liked it, try The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett or The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut.