I'm surprise no ones mentioned this book, it's one of Pratchetts best - it's so satirical and serious at the same time, the characters are great and who can resist a tortoise as a god
Hi Anubis, we only recently moved here and a lot of the book forums are still a little empty. They shall fill as time goes by! I remember a lot of board members mentioning Small Gods as one of their favourites, so you're not alone with your opinion. Although I have an uncurable weakness for the Watch Series as a whole, Small Gods is definitely one of the best stand-alones! Its definitely on my re-read-list.
We had a "Best Discworld Novel" deathmatch on the old boards, and [i:401e5ed501]Small Gods[/i:401e5ed501] triumphed as the community's overall favourite book. It is bloody good.
Small Gods is awsome. The character development of brutha is one of the best of the series. We've never seen a character grow so much in a novel. It's so effortless too. I think that is what makes the book brillant.
Small Gods ranks up there, together with Pyramids. I think what attracted me to it is the philosophical part of it and the way you can discuss it. A Great read.
I found it really hard to get into though. It took me three run-ups, trying to read that book. The beginning is [i:4ebd4b7249]very[/i:4ebd4b7249] slow. But it's all worth it in the end.
[i:45791a0ae0]Small Gods[/i:45791a0ae0] is right up there with [i:45791a0ae0]Jingo[/i:45791a0ae0] and [i:45791a0ae0]Interesting Times[/i:45791a0ae0] in the list of books I believe should be taught in every school. Too many a time has the flock been more afraid of the institution of a religion rather than God/dess him/herself. Oh, and I love the way Ephebeans were portrayed. Practically everything in there has its foundations on ancient Greeks and the modern ones are not really that far off.
I liked the Tyrant, I also likd the 'fish have no word for water' line. I loved that this book can convay such big ideas in such a simple way.
I am currently reading ERIC and Small gods is the next one on my list to read, so after all of these promising coments I am very much looking forward to reading it!
Small Gods is one of the first DW books I read and I have to admit I don't remember an awful lot about it. But listening to everyones view points i'll deffo have to put it top of my 'next to read' list.
[quote:ca8d835716="Rincewind"]Have you only read it the once?[/quote:ca8d835716] Yep. It was one of the first I read, probably about 8 years ago now and for some reason i've never wanted to read it since. I'm definatly going to read it next, after Jingo maybe.
I was also thinking I should re-read it, after seeing all these enthusiastic comments. Only read it once, a few years back, and it really didn't speak to me, but maybe it was just the mood I was in. It hasn't made it into my collection yet because I tend to buy the books with my favorite characters (and the newer ones), but based on the opinions above, I may be missing something great. Or at least something better than most of my current reading material.
I am half way through this book now and Just wanted to post that so far I think it is amazing, I am flying through it and cant seem to put it down. Could well be the best one I have read yet. ( I am reading them in order ). Brutha and OM are amazing.
I think Small Gods was a bit tricky to start off with, It dosen't seem to hav a point in the begining but after about 70 plus pages it turns for the better. I also read the books in written order, it just makes more sense that way, i mean if you read the fifth elephant before you read gaurds; gaurds you'd propabley be so confused. I think this is the best series I hav ever read.
I agree that it is a but tricksy to begin with as it took about wo or three run ups to get in to it. But the story unfolds amazingly. Vorbis is a scary dude. I have just got to the part where Didactylos throws a lantern at him! Great stuff. No spoilers please as I am really enjoying this!
I agree, Vorbis is scary. You must hurry up and finish the book so we can talk about it. The book rocks
Who knows you might get addicted and then you wont put it down. you migh spend all your waking moments reading it, you wont fall asleap, you'll just read, and read, and read. or you might not you never know
Humm... I read it in french, and although the translator is really very good, I still think I must have missed loads... must get this in english... Ok, first things first, I must buy a new bookcase... :lol:
Small Gods really helped to give form to my Agnosticism. Now I just have to hope Pterry was wrong about the 'Now see what we do to wiseasses' bit of agnosticism. It also gives shape to many of my griviances with religion. Such as the 'we're better than them, so kill them off!' aspects. I also enjoyed the bit in Jingo about the war over a bit of fly crap. So ironic that there be so little difference between man and god....
I liked it...there was something surreal about the whole story, more so than usual. Probably because it's a stand-alone and he didn't have one of the usual 'anchor' characters - Sam and Granny and so on. I liked how Om is obviously the Nameless One, parody form. Well, I know he's not really nameless, he's just too good to tell us his name.... But anyway, Pterry pulled elements from the three major monotheistic cults. (Ossory is Mohammed, etc...) Nice to be able to pick and choose. Of course, when the Omnian church appears again in Carpe Jugulum, it's obviously gone Protestant. Weaker, but also less scary. Heh. Wow, sorry, rambling. Please, nobody take offense.
I think if you read it at a certain age it can shape your views on religion... Like Sir G, it spurred my agnostism. But what I really liked about the book was, that it wasn't just about how 'religion is bad' but about how faith and belief is good.
I am also an agnostic and I did read Small Gods around the time that my views on religion started to take a clear form, but I like to think it was more Pratchett's writing in general that was an influence. His portrayal of the gods has always struck me as multi-layered. On the one hand, there is a gentle ridicule of every aspect of human faith. On the other hand, there is also always an element of providence or fate playing a role.
Oh, but that's not gods, it's.... Er, something. :? History, possibly. Stories. Something. Not gods. They don't think about things enough. Although Fate did make an appearance in The Colour of Magic, and there it really was gods setting everything up. Do see what you mean, though.
Hehe, yeah that is certainly true for gods like Offler. But gods do even interfer directly in Discworld, like in Interesting Times. Or just the Lady in... TCOM or TLF. One of the two. But yeah that does seem to be part of a larger force, along with narrative force, luck, etc., rather than a distinct religious power.
Haven't read The Light Fantastic, but I know Fate and the Lady were playing each other in The Colour of Magic, and the Lady was playing Rincewind, so she got him out of scrapes. Have to say the Disc came on quite a lot since then...
Small Gods is a wonderful book. i think that terry shows that the religion is becoming only a institutional understanding while the real meaning is more and more lost
Rather the nature of a collective intellect over a span of several centuries. Take any group with a set purpose or ideal, grind it through the meat-grinder of history, and presto!
True that. But usually nothing but religion and monarchy holds together that long, except some philosophies, but those are generally confined to small groups of intellectuals. That's why we have revolutions, regicides, reformations, and reform movements!
Small gods is awsome it just takes the idea of organised religion and breaks it down to fear and unwavering following but never actual belief. A great example of the worlds religions boiled down to a simple truth. We believe because we are told to not because we actually do.!!!!!
Well, some do, and that was one aspect of the story. I thought it is more about people believing in the church, not the actual God, which is a more complex matter - it happens to intelligent people, whereas just believeing because you are told so requires a form of collective dumbness. It would all be very simple if it were so. Have to give it a re-read; it is amongst the favourites of many here.
I agree with most of the readers of this topic, i like the book very much. I cant really discuss about my favorite sentences becose i read it in finnish, but i will try to translate finnish to english. I liked the idea of how the religions get more and more to its diagrams, most "beliviers" dont worship the religion of great Om. They have to "worship" him becose of the inquisition. Even the clerics of great Om worshipped only statues and the wrong prophets. it has had to be really uncomfortable to a big god, to notice you have only one true belivier. (sorry for my bad english...)
Values I have a collection of Terry Pratchett books Uk and US and was wanting to know where I could find out their worth. Thanks Small Gods 1st edition UK in like new condition for example.
Is this really the place? This is a discussion about the deeper meaning of one of Pratchett's most poignant novels, and you come here to sell stuff. Also, why would you want to get rid of any book written by Terry Pratchett?
Just a suggestion, but try checking the date before responding to posts... The guy posted one pointless post and never came back.
