Sometimes a review feels like nothing but an explanation for the star rating. With this one, I could simply say "The Carpet People was written by TERRY PRATCHETT" and leave it at that! This is one of the funniest books I've "read" for a very long time, and David Tennant's narration gave the book a lot of life and added to the humour. Simple story, simple characters, all with a Terry Pratchett twist that makes them far from simple. I absolutely loved it.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

Even this is not one of the best Pratchett's book it's always an extremely funny and well written story.
He was a master storyteller and I miss him as his books, even those I loved less, were highly entertaining and full of food for thoughts.
I already read the books but I wanted to know how it was listening to it being told by David Tennant (one of my favorite actors).
It was a great experience and I loved it as he was able to bring to life characters and setting.
An excellent experience, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Early work from the brilliant mind of Terry Pratchett, which gives an introduction to his signature humour and style of writing.

The story in itself is clearly an early work, you can tell the difference between this and his later works as he has honed his skills. Still the story is nice to read and perfect for all ages, with some disguised humour for adults.

Having listened to the audiobook version of this book, it was only proved by having the lovely voice of David Tennant narrating it.

I love the stories of Terry Pratchett, and I love David Tennant as an actor – so when I saw that an ARC of Pratchett’s The Carpet People” narrated by David Tennant was available on NetGalley, I just had to request it. It fully lived up to my expectations. David Tennant is a wonderful narrator – giving each character its own voice, often own accent to represent its tribe, position, class etc: King Brocando speaks with a posh English accent, and the evil Moul, Jornarileesh, just oozes with menace.
Glurk and Snibril are Mungrung brothers. Glurk, the tribal chief, is the brawn and Snibril the brains (Though, at one important point, Glurk’s ability to recognise intelligence in others, saves the Munrungs from certain death, and gains them vital allies). The Munrung’s peaceful existence is shattered – first by the arrival of the destructive phenomenon, Fray, and then – while they are all bewildered in the chaos – by the attack of the evil Mouls. The surviving Mungrungs set off to the capital city of the Dumii empire, Ware, to ask for protection (since they are imperial citizens). Along the way they meet the Deftmenes, with their petit king, Brocando; the Pones; the Vortorns; and the remarkable Wights.
The time-line of the trip to Ware is not linear – mainly due to incredible abilities of the Wights, who “remember the future as well as the past”. At one point, Glurk insists:
“But first we’ve got to go back to talk to Culaina (a Wight) … to tell her what we have seen. So she can remember what we tell her now and tell me two days ago. When I met her.”
This is a story of bravery, of never giving up, of fighting against overwhelming odds, of freedom, of self-determination, of history in the making, and of what sort of future you want for yourself and those you care about:
“A million times the wights lost, and were killed. But that was somewhere else, in a world that might have been. And now they were alive. And that’s known as History, which is written only by the living.”
“They were a strange people, the Dumii. They thought they were as level headed as a table, as practical as a shovel – and yet, in a great big world full of chaos and darkness, they acted as though they really believed in their little inventions, like ‘law’ and ‘justice’. And they didn’t have enough imagination to give in.”
“And the wights fought like mad things – worse, they fought like sane things, with the very best weapons they’d been able to make, cutting and cutting . Like surgeons … Or people who had found out that the best kind of future is one you make yourself.”
It is also a book that is full of humour, imagination and puns and everything that made Terry Pratchett the globally loved author that he was – and still is.
The one problem I had with the audio version, was that I could not keep all the names and tribes straight in my mind. I needed a visual link. So, I bought a paperback copy of the book, and read that along with the audio. This is NOT a fault with the audio version – which is top class – rather a fault with my brain, which relies on visual prompts: I need the shape of a word or a name (when it is not one I have met before) to understand (and remember) what I am hearing. The other advantage of my paperback copy, was the wonderful colour drawings that it had, as well as the ability to look back, and check on quotes. So, this is a review of both the audio (Penguin Random House 2021) and the paperback version (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2013). Most people would be very happy with just one version, I needed both to fully appreciate this fantastic (literally and figuratively) story.
So, whether you like listening to a book, reading a book – or both together – I would highly recommend “The Carpet People” – written and illustrated by Terry Pratchett, and narrated by David Tennant.
I received the audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I bought the paperback version myself. All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publishers.

Terry Pratchett and David Tennant - there was no way this could go wrong!

David's narration is fantastic. the voices are great, the pauses are great, the excitement in his voice when something is exciting is, well, great!

I think its hard to review this as it is an older book which has been brought back to life for the 50th anniversary. It was originally written by Terry when he was 17, then rewritten when he was 43. Fans of Terry Pratchett will understand what I mean, its his older writing style and I much prefer his newer style. That said it doesn't make it bad, you just have to get your head around it being an older style. It still packs a punch with humour as you expect.

It also delivers a deeply meaningful message which has not changed over the years and is still as important now; people are people and all deserve respect.

Great listen for all ages. David brings it to life in a way no one else could.

Before Discworld, Terry Pratchett created a carpet planet. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this, a new audiobook version has been published.
It's narrated by the excellent David Tennant. I've said before that I love the range of voices he does when telling stories. This was no exception. We had everything here including his native Scots accent, his Tenth Doctor voice, Scrooge McDuck, West Country and I think I even heard him attempt a Yoda like voice. Truly brilliant!
David Tennant was the main reason I requested a copy from Netgalley so I went into The Carpet People without knowing much about it. It was such an engaging and enjoyable read. I found it so witty that I was smiling all the way through. I admire Terry Pratchett's imagination and creativity. It's very impressive considering that he wrote this book as a teenager and then returned to it years later. It will be perfect for readers who want an introduction to Terry Pratchett and also a great choice for Discworld fans. I will be recommending this to everyone because I loved it.

Terry Pratchett is such a good author. This books, for children, is just as good and entertaining for adults. His humour and deep plots keep everyone interested. I love the maddens of the characters and the little comments about human things which relate to the carpet world- burnt edge, wooden cliff, etc. It’s so clever.
David Tenant was amazing too. He’s such a good story teller, who wouldn’t want to listen to him read you a story? He used great voices for each character and he kept the stories pace, making it exciting, funny and entertaining.

Audio ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Loved David Tennent's narration. It's a shorter book and less complicated than some Pratchett novels but he brought plenty of verve to the performance, and allowed some of the implicit nastiness to shine through.

This is not going to find a place amongst my favourite Pratchett books but then again it is still Pratchett and therefore superior to pretty much everyone else with a similar message. It has less sub-plot and convolution than many of the Discworld books but it's charm lies in it's simple message: we are all people, no matter what we call ourselves. No one is an 'other'. And there are better ways to do things than hitting people over the head. It may not have given me the deep connection I feel for many of Pratchett's other characters but it was sweet, entertaining and the world was wonderfully creative. Thoroughly enjoyed.

“In the beginning, there was nothing but endless flatness. Then came the Carpet…”

The Carpet People is a story about different tribes and people living in a carpet. This story follows the uprising of the mouls, snargs and two brothers who go on an adventure.

The Carpet People is Terry Pratchett first novel and was published 50 years ago. Unfortunately, you can tell that this is Pratchett’s first work. The characterisation is lacking, and I lost interest in the plot pretty quickly. Furthermore, the pacing is rough, and the reader is often left wondering what is going on. However, reading The Carpet People makes the reader appreciate how much Pratchett writing evolved over his career

Moreover, I appreciate that this book feels like a Pratchett novel. The Carpet People is filled with humour, absurdity and fantastic themes. This book displays better ways to handle conflicts than just hitting, belittling or mocking other people’s ideas. Furthermore, The Carpet People emphasises respecting other people’s culture and that all humans have an intrinsic value.

I read this book through the audiobook performed by David Tennant. Although I didn’t enjoy this book, David Tennant’s performance was phenomenal. Tennant makes each character feel distinct, making the narration enjoyable to listen to. Tennant displays a range of different accents, tones and voices, making each character personality come to life. Tennant masterfully switches between the characters and does an impressive job narrating this book. If you want to read this book, then I would highly recommend the audiobook by David Tennant.

In conclusion, The Carpet People is a fun, quick read with some great themes. Unfortunately, the plot and characterisation are lacking, and therefore I would only recommend this book to avid Terry Pratchett fans. If you want to read this book, then I am recommending the audiobook by David Tennant.

The Carpet People 2/5

The audiobook performance 5/5

Overall rating 3 / 5

Thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for providing me with the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Carpet People is Sir Terry Pratchett's first published novel, written when he was just 17 and later revised by co-author Terry "Master Storyteller" Pratchett aged 43. It follows two brothers, Glurk - chief of the Munrungs (who consider themselves the first true humans) and Snibril - whose skills are grounded in observation (traditional Munrung skills are grounded in physical strength), as they journey to protect their tribe from Fray - a mysterious force causing destruction across the land of Carpet. To celebrate the book's 50th anniversary Penguin Random House is publishing a new audio edition, using the revised text, narrated by David Tennant.

Confession: Prior to this audiobook I had never read a Terry Pratchett novel. I’d certainly intended to, I just never gave myself the time to actually do it. In my early twenties I read (and loved) Good Omens which Pratchett co-wrote with fellow fantasy author Neil Gaiman, and immediately wanted more. I devoured Gaiman’s Anansi Boys and American Gods in quick succession. However when it came to Pratchett’s work I was overwhelmed. His Discworld series spans 41 novels alone and there are various recommended reading orders for ‘the best experience’. So when it was announced that my favourite Doctor (Nine is a *very* close second) had narrated Pratchett’s first book it felt the ideal place to start.

The Carpet People is a children’s story in the way The Hobbit is. Meaning it’s considerably shorter than the traditional ‘adult’ novel and delivers the action quick and often. The writing though concise is rich in detail. Pratchett builds a complex world in just a few minutes, complete with lore, politics and hints of danger around the corner, providing plenty for the adult reader to enjoy. It’s also incredibly funny. The surreal juxtaposition of the fantasy world of Carpet with the subtext that it’s literally a carpet is brilliant. I kept waiting for this to be explicitly revealed and honestly it’s satisfying that it isn’t. It keeps it vague enough to retain the magic, reminding me of why I loved fantasy so much as a child. That belief that there really is magic all around us. Even in your carpet.

As an audiobook editor myself I’m well aware that ‘celebrity’ castings do not work unless the actor is right for the role. The casting of David Tennant here is perfection. Tennant portrayed Crowley in the TV adaptation of Good Omens, where Neil Gaiman acted as showrunner to fulfill Pratchett’s last request that their book would be properly adapted. That existing connection to Pratchett’s work is a lovely touch. What really got me excited about this casting though is the fact that Tennant’s voicework is criminally underrepresented amongst his acting accolades. Tennant is an incredible voice actor. Whilst many are aware that he plays Scrooge McDuck in the latest Duck Tales cartoon, he’s also lent his voice to Final Space, How To Train Your Dragon and Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles amongst many other voice roles. His narration of The Carpet People is testament to his talent.

Tennant creates a clearly defined voice for every single character. The level of preparation he put into his performance is evident in the sheer range of accents, tones and dialects he displays. Each character’s voice wonderfully matches their personality, even those that only appear briefly. At times it’s hard to believe there’s just one narrator. I was convinced Gormaleesh (a cunning Moul) had to be voiced by Simon Farnaby as it sounded so much like him. Plus whenever Tennant switched from his natural Scottish accent to an English one it reiterated just how masterfully he is able to switch between the two. It’s such a treat to listen to a narrator whose honed their craft, showcase it to the best of their abilities as it truly heightens the strengths of the writing.

This edition of The Carpet People is a wonderful tribute to Terry Pratchett’s work and hopefully will inspire a whole new generation of fantasy lovers.