Plot: When the Great God Om appears to lowly temple novice Brutha as a turtle, it takes a while to convince the rather slow Brutha that it's really Him. After all, Om has only ever appeared as a huge bull, or a swan - impressive, god-like forms. But Om is reluctant to tell Brutha that He, the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient Om, is in fact stuck in turtle-form. So He strings Brutha along on a dangerous journey, but little does he expect that obedient god-fearing Brutha is beginning to think for himself.
Comments: When I began reading Small Gods, I expected another of Terry Pratchett's hilariously witty, light-hearted fantasy novels. So I was completely thrown off balance when it turned out to be a lot deeper and more philosophical than any Pratchett story I've ever read. Small Gods isn't just the story of Om and Brutha; it's also a powerful message about morality, religion, and what is truly right. The story started very slowly, and even once the physical journey began the plot pace was rather sluggish. But I was interested, and once I shook off any remaining expectations, I really got into the book.
I love the way Brutha changed in this story. It started when he began to hesitate before obeying orders, and to question the judgement of his superiors. By the end of the book, Brutha openly defies Om several times - but by now, Om has been influenced by His experiences with Brutha, and He changes too. Instead of his original goal of obtaining as many followers as possible, Om's newly grown conscience causes him to shift paths. His big decision towards the end of the book made me smile, and it was inspiring, too. This is definitely a great story showing the enormous changes in two different characters based on each other.
The politics and long philosophical/scientific debates and explanations were a bit tedious for me. Perhaps that component depends on your personal taste, but it was slightly dry in my opinion. As always, I love the way Death was portrayed in this book as a character, and though his part wasn't all that large in this particular story, it had a poetic ring to it. It's nice to feel like you know Death. The desert with black sand was a great image, and I like the idea that judgement lies at the end of the desert.
Rating: I rate this book a seven out of ten.
Comments: When I began reading Small Gods, I expected another of Terry Pratchett's hilariously witty, light-hearted fantasy novels. So I was completely thrown off balance when it turned out to be a lot deeper and more philosophical than any Pratchett story I've ever read. Small Gods isn't just the story of Om and Brutha; it's also a powerful message about morality, religion, and what is truly right. The story started very slowly, and even once the physical journey began the plot pace was rather sluggish. But I was interested, and once I shook off any remaining expectations, I really got into the book.
I love the way Brutha changed in this story. It started when he began to hesitate before obeying orders, and to question the judgement of his superiors. By the end of the book, Brutha openly defies Om several times - but by now, Om has been influenced by His experiences with Brutha, and He changes too. Instead of his original goal of obtaining as many followers as possible, Om's newly grown conscience causes him to shift paths. His big decision towards the end of the book made me smile, and it was inspiring, too. This is definitely a great story showing the enormous changes in two different characters based on each other.
The politics and long philosophical/scientific debates and explanations were a bit tedious for me. Perhaps that component depends on your personal taste, but it was slightly dry in my opinion. As always, I love the way Death was portrayed in this book as a character, and though his part wasn't all that large in this particular story, it had a poetic ring to it. It's nice to feel like you know Death. The desert with black sand was a great image, and I like the idea that judgement lies at the end of the desert.
Rating: I rate this book a seven out of ten.
Must be an enjoyable read Small Gods by Terry Pratchett. loved the way you wrote it. I find your review very genuine and orignal, this book is going in by "to read" list.
ReplyDelete