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Small Gods

Small Gods

List Price: $6.99
Your Price: $6.29
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of Pratchett's Best
Review: If the Discworld books can be said to come in "flavors", this one would be sandalwood and mint. No, really, this is one of Pratchett's more philosphical books and therefore is not, say... grape. Small Gods stands out among the rest because it boasts a different set of characters than the usual Granny Weatherwax, Rincewind, or Samuel Vimes. I consider this book a leap forward in the tone of the Discworld series, because it is similarly philosophical and thought-provoking in comparison Pratchett's more recent works, despite having been written in the midst of his more rollicking, irreverant novels.

I enjoyed this book so much I wrote a term paper about it for my high school British and American Literature class, analyzing the metaphors and symbols within. Overall, an excellent book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of his best...
Review: As an adoring Pratchett fan, I'd like to say that this book is one of the best books in the Discworld series. Highly recommended for other fanatics... and also a great first Discworld x-perience.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic! Thoroughly Enjoyable
Review: This book is excellent. It's thoroughly enjoyable, well written, witty, and very engaging. This is my third Discworld book. I was disappointed by Color of Magic. The Light Fantastic was better, but not quite perfect. Small Gods is perfect. The characters are well developed and the ideas about gods and belief are brilliant. I fully recommend this book.

There's been discussion about which book to start with. This one is as good as any, better than the first few, actually. "The Turtle Moves!"

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Funny, worthwhile, but a little message-heavy
Review: When Temple Novice Brutha hears a small turtle talking to him, he is certain it is a demon--until the turtle persuades Brutha that he (the turtle) is, in fact, the Great God Om. Brutha's entire civilization is built around the worship of Om, but worship and belief are two very different things. In Discworld, a god's power comes from the prayers of his believers and Om, it turns out, has exactly one believer--Brutha. Brutha is not especially bright, but he has a perfect memory and he is tasked to come on a journey with the Exquisitioner of Om--a man who has made a career of routing evil out of the theocracy. On the journey, Brutha discovers philosophy, books, and strange ideas about coexistance.

The idea of a world swarming with small gods, each desparately seeking for believers and each concerned primarily with their own self-interest (it is the amount rather than the content of the prayer tha matters) is funny and author Terry Pratchett milks it to the max. The once-great and now diminished Om is a charming character, full of himself and of practical advice that Brutha mostly ignores. Pratchett presents SMALL GODS in a fairy-tale style, tying the story together with other Discworld novels through the device of the time monks and the omni-present Death.

Occasionally, Pratchett gets a little carried away with his message and certainly SMALL GODS doesn't deliver the kind of complex and evolving character that Pratchett develops in his wonderful Night Watch sub-series (NIGHT WATCH was BooksForABuck.com's #1 pick for 2002), but the novel is well written and interesting nevertheless.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: pratchett's best
Review: screw the bible, this is better. In his best work, pratchett's humour is second only to his wisdom, and this is so far the best of his work that i have read. i've probably read this book ten times now and i still find things that i'd missed before. this book is funny no doubt, but there is some real hard thought buried between the laughs, and the symbolism is just brilliant.
probably my favorite part of the book is the 'sacrifice' scene, at the end-this book takes heroism to whole new heights. and you've got to admire a tale where God learns to be a better person. further, the opening parable of the eagle and the tortoise is, well just read the book already, it could very well help you find god.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best of the discworld books
Review: Even though Small Gods doesn't fit particularly well into the chronology of the Discworld books, nor are any of its main characters used in any of the other books, I feel it is the finest in the series. I began reading this series in the early 80's, when Colour of Magic was available as a Science Fiction book club purchase. Since then, I have eagerly awaited each new book in the series, and have loved them all. Small Gods biggest strength is that it makes you look inside yourself. I understand that personal philosphy and religion are often difficult issues to talk about, and Small Gods is probably uncomfortable to some people as it makes them question their own philosphies and/or religion. I find that is what makes the book the most important in the series to read as "the unexamined life is not worth living". Throughout the book there are many issues raised that make you consider your own feelings, and I think that is what makes this the most valuable of the series to read. Without this book all the other Discworld books are still excellent, but this is the only one that makes you question what life is really all about. And that makes it more valuable than the rest in the series, as they are mostly just entertainment (although an absolutely excellent entertainment value, including the 2 DVDs that were released of Wyrd Sisters and Soul Music).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Best Book Ever
Review: Terry Pratchett makes a funny and yet serious critic to the instituon of the church. But he goes further, he also makes a critic to the persons who are draged into it, sometimes unwillingly. And he continues by critiking the gods themselves, who at least aparently don't give a damn to us, his worshipers.

P.S.:I worship the almighty god OM!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Evangelists and Philosophers
Review: This book is quite unique among Pratchett's works. It is not really part of any sub-series, although it might help the reader understand the mind of Constable Visit, Mightily Oats, and other future Omnians better in later books.

This book obvious parodies organized religion, in particular religion that is so entrenched that its practitioners have forgotten the spirit of their laws. We saw this in Pratchett's 7th book "Pyramids" with the high priest Dios. But this book is much, much better. Vorbis is certainly a match for Dios, maybe even more so' he reminds me a little of a religios "Patrician." Who would want to cross him? Brutha is a great character, not so much likeable as interesting: so upright and calm yet willing to tell the "god" Om the way he should behave toward people. And they way he and Vorbis meet at the end is great!

This book is not perfect - it seems to drag a bit. I could almost feel the despair (of having to wait so long: just like crossing a real desert) as Brutha gets tossed from danger to danger. But that is only a minor problem. The satire of ancient Greece through the Ephebians was good, and the philosophers were as funny as the wizards in Ankh-Morporkh ever were. Even the way Om deals with Vorbis is a play on the real life of a famous Greek playwright.

So if you like religion and philosophy twisted in a strange way, this is the book for you. One of the best Discworld books before "Men at Arms."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What can I say...
Review: What can I say that hasn't already been said? This book is a masterpiece; it is well written, creative, original, hilarious and thought-provoking. From the first page I was mesmerized, and it has long since become my favorite book. I have written more than my fair share of essays about this amazing story. Terry Pratchett has perfected the art of making you laugh and making you think. I would recommend this book to anyone with an open mind and a love of laughter.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Laughing Satire
Review: Terry Pratchet is very rare today. He actually writes satire that is very funny. Small Gods is about the rise of a new religion through simple belief. He satires the idea of church, but not faith. If you do not have a sense of humor when it comes to religion, this book is not for you. His story unfolds that every religion starts out with good intentions, but ends up mired in dogma. You can't but help to love the turtle god and his half-wit follower. The scene with the god and an eagle is a true classic of modern writing. This book is part of the famous discworld series, but stands alone and apart. This is a good book for a new reader to Pratchett to start. If you liked Douglass Adams or satire, then you will love Terry Pratchett. You will spend most of the time laughing along with the story.


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