Small Gods

Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best in the Discworld series
Review: I doubt that Pratchett is capable of "straight writing" of any length -- his ironic wit and off-balance turn of phrase likely infuse his every waking thought! Nevertheless, this novel has a definite dark side and the reader's laughter is apt to taper off into an uneasy awareness of just how nasty certain kinds of people can be. Especially the coldly fanatical religious types, about whom this is very much a cautionary tale. Om is the very small god of the title, once a great supernatural being with hundreds of thousands of believers keeping him stoked, but now reduced to the form of a two-pound desert tortoise and with only the steadfast belief of Brutha, a mere novice, keeping him alive. ("Alive" in the sense that gods, it seems, can die, just like everyone else.) The Omnian Church is doing well, though, ruling the populace through fear and torture and engendering no belief in the deity whatever. (The Omnians believe that the world is spherical and orbits the sun -- which on the Discworld is utter superstitious nonsense.) And at the top of that unpleasant heap is the dreaded Deacon Vorbis. Om can't read human minds but he can see their shapes, and Vorbis's mind has the shape of a steel ball. Nothing gets in and nothing gets out. Vorbis needs a new secretary -- the previous one having been used up -- and he takes Brutha out of his haven in the garden because of the young man's extraordinary memory. But being in close proximity to the Deacon is going to have an effect on Brutha's belief, and so is their diplomatic mission across the deep desert to Ephebe, home of happily contending philosophers and inventors. Some of the story's best characters appear in Ephebe, especially the Platonic-Aristotelian Didactylos and his apprentice, the proto-Archimedian Urn. An excellent book, humane, thoughtful, and not to be taken lightly at all.

Rating:
Summary: A pleasant surprise!
Review: "Small Gods" came to land on my window sill after fluttering in the wind for what appeared to be ages; even though I knew it would eventually flutter somewhere nearby, it came as a pleasant, somewhat unexpected surprise.

Being my first Terry Pratchett novel, I didn't really know what to expect other than a number of sardonic comments on religion and its place in society. Prior to reading it, I thought it would take on the tone of a polemic: unrelenting and pretentious at heart; so I didn't necessarily rush out greet it. The great thing that I discovered afterwards, however, is that Terry Pratchett novels are so lighthearted in tone that they will make even the biggest cynic crack a smile.

The inherent message of the story is simple: as ridiculous as everything associated with a particular god may be, there is certainly no doubt in the fact that we cannot live without them. The book makes a conscious effort to let us feel how faith draws out the best, and sometimes the worst, in us, and through the story's protagonist, Brutha, professes that the best way to believe is by what you know lies deep inside you.

If you're wary of being offended, don't fret. Pratchett treats the matter with the respect it deserves, as long as you're not too big on organized religion. Give it a try; it just might inspire you to think a little intrinsically as opposed to simply going along with the waves.

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the Best of the BEST?
Review: Having just finished "SMALL GODS", I am somewhat embarrassed. Having been a fan of Mr Pratchett, it's somewhat emabarrassing to be writing a review of one of his books. I mean, even thinking I'm going to tell a reader something they don't already know is like thinking about the smell of the color purple! Either you know it, or you don't!

SMALL GODS is the sort of inside joke rich people share at cocktail parties, sniggering at those who don't get it. They are also the sort of people Vorbis could have made use of.

Pratchett makes use of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, a dash of Catholicism, and a pinch of heresy in this incredibly brilliant novel. Even more, while making you enjoy a long, loud belly-laugh, he makes you think. Agnostics and athiests will enjoy this tale of God come to earth in the guise of a tortise <"There's good eating in one of those">, and God's subsequent adventures on earth--Oops, I meant DiscWorld--trying to get belief back in him-oops-Himself reinstated.

Because, you see, a god can't exist without the belief of his believers. . .it gets rather complicated. . .

It gets by turns, hilarious, hysterical, funny, howlingly funny, scary, funny, howlingly funny, howlingly hysterical, hysterically scary, terrifying, and above all, imminently readable. And oddly enough, whatever your religious persuasion, or antithesis thereof, ultimately thought provoking.

READ THIS BOOK. IF NOT, I'LL ASK YOU WHY YOU DIDN'T.

(Oh dear, all caps. . . Read this book, children. It will keep HIM who speaks only in all CAPS away. You'll enjoy it. You might as well, because sooner or later HE is going to find you anyway, so have a good laugh before hand.)

ARE YOU DONE NOW?

Er, yes. I think so.

YOU DIDN'T MENTION ME IN YOUR REVIEW.

Right. . .

Must go, that slip could cost me my life. But if not, read SMALL GODS, and do yourself a favor.

Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best in the Discworld series
Review: I doubt that Pratchett is capable of "straight writing" of any length -- his ironic wit and off-balance turn of phrase likely infuse his every waking thought! Nevertheless, this novel has a definite dark side and the reader's laughter is apt to taper off into an uneasy awareness of just how nasty certain kinds of people can be. Especially the coldly fanatical religious types, about whom this is very much a cautionary tale. Om is the very small god of the title, once a great supernatural being with hundreds of thousands of believers keeping him stoked, but now reduced to the form of a two-pound desert tortoise and with only the steadfast belief of Brutha, a mere novice, keeping him alive. ("Alive" in the sense that gods, it seems, can die, just like everyone else.) The Omnian Church is doing well, though, ruling the populace through fear and torture and engendering no belief in the deity whatever. (The Omnians believe that the world is spherical and orbits the sun -- which on the Discworld is utter superstitious nonsense.) And at the top of that unpleasant heap is the dreaded Deacon Vorbis. Om can't read human minds but he can see their shapes, and Vorbis's mind has the shape of a steel ball. Nothing gets in and nothing gets out. Vorbis needs a new secretary -- the previous one having been used up -- and he takes Brutha out of his haven in the garden because of the young man's extraordinary memory. But being in close proximity to the Deacon is going to have an effect on Brutha's belief, and so is their diplomatic mission across the deep desert to Ephebe, home of happily contending philosophers and inventors. Some of the story's best characters appear in Ephebe, especially the Platonic-Aristotelian Didactylos and his apprentice, the proto-Archimedian Urn. An excellent book, humane, thoughtful, and not to be taken lightly at all.

Rating:
Summary: A pleasant surprise!
Review: "Small Gods" came to land on my window sill after fluttering in the wind for what appeared to be ages; even though I knew it would eventually flutter somewhere nearby, it came as a pleasant, somewhat unexpected surprise.

Being my first Terry Pratchett novel, I didn't really know what to expect other than a number of sardonic comments on religion and its place in society. Prior to reading it, I thought it would take on the tone of a polemic: unrelenting and pretentious at heart; so I didn't necessarily rush out greet it. The great thing that I discovered afterwards, however, is that Terry Pratchett novels are so lighthearted in tone that they will make even the biggest cynic crack a smile.

The inherent message of the story is simple: as ridiculous as everything associated with a particular god may be, there is certainly no doubt in the fact that we cannot live without them. The book makes a conscious effort to let us feel how faith draws out the best, and sometimes the worst, in us, and through the story's protagonist, Brutha, professes that the best way to believe is by what you know lies deep inside you.

If you're wary of being offended, don't fret. Pratchett treats the matter with the respect it deserves, as long as you're not too big on organized religion. Give it a try; it just might inspire you to think a little intrinsically as opposed to simply going along with the waves.

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the Best of the BEST?
Review: Having just finished "SMALL GODS", I am somewhat embarrassed. Having been a fan of Mr Pratchett, it's somewhat emabarrassing to be writing a review of one of his books. I mean, even thinking I'm going to tell a reader something they don't already know is like thinking about the smell of the color purple! Either you know it, or you don't!

SMALL GODS is the sort of inside joke rich people share at cocktail parties, sniggering at those who don't get it. They are also the sort of people Vorbis could have made use of.

Pratchett makes use of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, a dash of Catholicism, and a pinch of heresy in this incredibly brilliant novel. Even more, while making you enjoy a long, loud belly-laugh, he makes you think. Agnostics and athiests will enjoy this tale of God come to earth in the guise of a tortise <"There's good eating in one of those">, and God's subsequent adventures on earth--Oops, I meant DiscWorld--trying to get belief back in him-oops-Himself reinstated.

Because, you see, a god can't exist without the belief of his believers. . .it gets rather complicated. . .

It gets by turns, hilarious, hysterical, funny, howlingly funny, scary, funny, howlingly funny, howlingly hysterical, hysterically scary, terrifying, and above all, imminently readable. And oddly enough, whatever your religious persuasion, or antithesis thereof, ultimately thought provoking.

READ THIS BOOK. IF NOT, I'LL ASK YOU WHY YOU DIDN'T.

(Oh dear, all caps. . . Read this book, children. It will keep HIM who speaks only in all CAPS away. You'll enjoy it. You might as well, because sooner or later HE is going to find you anyway, so have a good laugh before hand.)

ARE YOU DONE NOW?

Er, yes. I think so.

YOU DIDN'T MENTION ME IN YOUR REVIEW.

Right. . .

Must go, that slip could cost me my life. But if not, read SMALL GODS, and do yourself a favor.

Rating:
Summary: And You Thought Religious Fundamentalism Wasn't Funny
Review: I would say that this book makes a satirical strike against Organized Religion as an institution, but it pretty much goes after the disorganized ones as well, and takes a potshot or two at atheism and general philosophy along the way. The book is set in Pratchett's Discworld series, but you don't really need any background in Discworld other than to know the concept. There is no continuity to worry about and recognizing the cameos by recurring characters (Dibbler as Dblah, for example, or the orangutan librarian) is not necessary to enjoying the book. I'd only read a couple other Discworld books, and I got along fine. This is a different set of characters, a different part of the world, and a different kind of story from the typical Discworld fare.

The mechanics of divinity presented here are not new. The story relies on the idea that a god's power derives from strength of belief - the more believers, the more powerful the god. Every so often, a god returns to the Discworld to appoint a new prophet and renew his faith among the masses, maybe make a few updates to his holy writings. Om is a god with millions of worshippers, so when he comes to the Discworld to choose a prophet, he is surprised to find himself incarnated into the form of a small one-eyed tortoise. That's because while he has millions of people dedicated to the worship of Om, he only has one true believer. That believer, a young man named Brutha, is a simple novice with a unique talent - perfect memory - so that while he can't read or write, he has all the books of the church of Om committed to memory.

The division is drawn between the belief in a god and the following of a religion. While Om once had millions of believers, which made him strong among gods, and his people conquered nations in his name, they have since forgotten what their belief was for and instead came to believe in the symbols of the church, and the mundane trappings and figures of authority have supplanted the connection to the divine. This is the world that Brutha exists in. An oppressive theocracy dedicated to the worship of Om dominates the hearts and minds of the people. The ruthless Quisition exists to enforce the proper methods of worship, and to ferret out and remove any traces of heresy from the populace. The dreaded Deacon Vorbis leads the Quisition, and intends to set himself up as the next prophet of Om. Although Vorbis doesn't actually hear the voice of his god, he finds that declaring himself the prophet will make such a step irrelevant. And nobody but Brutha knows that the god Om has returned, albeit as a small reptile, and that Brutha hears his voice. And Brutha thinks the turtle might be lying.

The story is told in a witty, ironic, wry narrative style that never fails to elicit a smile or a chuckle from the reader. There may be occasional laugh-out-loud funny moments, their presence and frequency depending on your own inclination to laugh out loud. But there are also a great many moments of deeper examination, where the author examines the nature of belief, worship, and truth itself. This is the boldest move for Pratchett in this book. Pratchett examines several aspects of religion, and it's clear that when he's talking about human nature and religion in his fantasy world, he's really talking about our world. And he doesn't shy away from holding unpleasant aspects of these topics under scrutiny. He manages to be critical without being judgmental, and such a critical eye might make some readers uncomfortable, but I can see just as well how it could help others reaffirm their own faith in what they believe.

The parts of the book that focus on the minor characters of Simony and Urn are a little dull, and probably unnecessary. Pratchett almost gets sidetracked with this subplot consisting mostly of commentary on war and the arms race. Since this plot seems to spring out of nowhere fairly late in the story, it serves to distract from the characters that the reader has become attached to. I recommend the reader skim lightly over these parts and return to the main story as soon as possible. If Pratchett felt like making another commentary about war in addition to the one about religion, he probably ought to have made it in a separate book, rather than bundle it into this one.

Fortunately, the book's flaws are relatively minor, and easily overlooked. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone who enjoys a little wit and humor, and can see the funny side of religious fundamentalism.

Rating:
Summary: Small Gods
Review: In "Small Gods", Terry Pratchett tackles religion and philosophy. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Our character offerings this time are an evil inquisitor named Vorbis, a meek apprentice named Brutha, and their almighty God Om, here incarnated as a powerless tortoise. Religion is the subject of the first half of the book, as we get lots of jokes about the evils of oppressive theocracy of medieval mindsets. I don't mind humor on this topic; the problem lies more in Pratchett's lack of originality. The jokes are mostly old ones, with a distinctly dreary feel. Pratchett's humor works better in the conversations between Brutha and Om, where the 'logic' of religion clashes with the oddness of having a god who's a small tortoise to produce some bizarre results.

Brutha: That's Blasphemy!
Om: I can't blaspheme, I'm a God.

or

Om: Somebody up there likes me. It's me, of course.

Luckily, the boring religious passages flow by fast enough that they don't really weigh the book down, and things pick up once we move to the city of Ephebe, where robed philosophers clash over metaphysics and Om tries to earn a living via geometric skill. The ending is everything we've come to expect from a Pratchett ending. So while "Small Gods" may not be Discworld's high watermark, it's still well worth checking out.

Rating:
Summary: Best of the Best
Review: I've read nearly all of the Disc World series and have thoroughly enjoyed most of the ones I've read. SMALL GODS holds a special place in my heart. The characters are engaging. Om as a little turtle won me over completely. Brutha, the naive is one I could relate to. What a villian Vorbis! Pratchett is at his best with his usual terrific humor, but in addion -- and upon rereading I keep discovering this -- there is much much more to this story. It invites us to think and to question. If you only want to read one Terry Pratchett story I recommend SMALL GODS.

Rating:
Summary: The Turtle Moves!
Review: On Terry Pratchett's Discworld, belief is a force. But belief is not the same thing as worship. "Small Gods" is built around these two premises. And it is a pretty wonderful adventure.

Brutha is an illiterate novice in the service of the great god Om. He is unlikely to be much more than a gardener, but he does truly believe in Om, and because he does, he can hear Om when the god speaks to him. In fact, Om is on hard times, with an entire nation that worships him but only one believer. And if a god has no believers, it becomes a small god. And Om has become so weak he can only manifest as a turtle.

Through the course of their adventures, Brutha an Om wander through the wilderness, confront heretics and madmen, learn to recognize the perils of tyranny and theocracy, and generally tour the highlights of the Old Testament. Brutha visits classical Greece, in the form of Omnia's neighbor, Ephebe, and learns what true evil can be. It sounds like philosophy, and in some measure it is, but under Pratchett's masterful touch the story is so well done that it is only afterwards, when you are through with the tale, that the message hits you. At speed, right between the eyes.

Pratchett recast his ideas about belief later, and in quite a different way, in "Hogfather." But "Small Gods" makes important points, as well as being a glorious romp through the apocrypha.

This book is not for anyone whose sense of righteousness gets in the way of their sense of humor. This is a satire of religious excesses and pokes fun at worship when it gets separated from belief. For some, it may cut to close to the bone. But for the rest of it, this is a terrific book.