Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

This Discworld novel was not quite what I expected from my (admittedly limited) previous experience with Terry Pratchett. It is much more satirical and serious and much less wacky fun than the others by Pratchett I have read. Of course, satire is humorous in a way, but it's the kind of humor that inspires wry grins rather than the audible chuckles which result from witty one-liners and outrageous escapades.

The subject matter here is serious stuff indeed: the perils of religious zealism when combined with political actions. It's all too easy to point to the Catholic Church during the time of the Inquisitions as the inspiration for Pratchett's plot, but good satire is based on common human patterns of behavior rather than on specific situations. Not to mention any names here from current events, but rhetoric about "the Axis of Evil" and "the Great Satan" would both fit into this novel quite well.

The plot concerns the Great God Om, who has been reduced to manifesting himself as a tortoise, because, as it turns out, he has only one true believer left, although a whole country professes belief, whether from fear or habit or for political reasons. Brutha, the true believer, thus becomes the Chosen One, and that is an uncomfortable job, particularly when the chief Inquisitor takes an interest in him.

Small Gods may not be as laugh-out-loud funny as the usual Pratchett fare, but it provides more food for thought.


Just after I finished this, I heard that Terry Pratchett had died. His loss will be deeply felt by many.



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