It is time once again for
a string of Discworld novels to
lighten our mood. Sir Terry left behind a substantial number of books to get
through, and I’ve only gone and reviewed another three: Small Gods, Lords and Ladies and
Men at Arms. Fifteen down, only
twenty-six to go.
13.
Small Gods
Honestly, one of the best
of all – and proof of the power that Discworld
has to engage with real-world issues. By setting a story around the characters
of a fallen god, a naïve
young prophet and a diabolical Church-leader, Pratchett is able to challenge
and critique the entire nature of religion and belief. I'm sincere about this. Small Gods is entertainment that has the guts to ask some pertinent questions.
Funny? Yes, it is. Most of the quips taken are taken at the
expense of old-world thinking, religious hardliners and the world from a
tortoise’s-eye view, but at the same time the subject matter of the entire
story is especially serious. The effect and extent of compliance, the nature of
religion, and the actual motives of gods and prophets are all key features of
this story, but it all comes together through the big questions asked here. What is
it that you actually worship? The god, or the edifice of religion itself? Do
you believe out of love, or fear, or just blind ignorance? Do the worshippers
need their god, or is it the other way round? And if He really is up there, does
he actually deserve to be treated in this manner? These are just some of the
questions this book prompts, and maybe its power is in the fact that it is, in
fact, another Discworld book. This
isn’t high-brow stuff; Small Gods is
simple and entertaining, and it can be
read by anyone.
At the heart and centre of this book are the three
characters of Brutha, Om and Vorbis; the idiot disciple, the dethroned god, and
the power-mad priest. Both Brutha and Vorbis are exquisitely crafted elements
to the story while Om, who provides a
great deal of the humour as a Fire-and-Brimstone god trapped in the body of a
tortoise, is both a McGuffin as well as a humility-parable. In many ways the
partnership between Brutha and Om is that staple relationship in Pratchett’s
stories; the reluctant alliance of the naïve
and the cynical, much like the original pairing between Rincewind and
Twoflower. The relationship has been redressed here for a new purpose, and is an effective
core to the tale. Vorbis meanwhile is one of the most unsettling villains in
the Discworld canon, a man who does
not question his right to dictate what people should and should not believe, and
who has no doubt that he is carrying out the will of his god – despite the fact
that he hears nothing but his own thoughts echoing in his head. He cannot be
argued with. He cannot be reasoned with. And he will deal mercilessly with
anybody who defies him.
Small Gods has an
absolute recommendation. It is a memorable story, deals with a most relevent subject
matter, and can be appreciated in isolation from the rest of the series. It is
devoid of many of the usual frippery of Discworld,
whilst at the same time being fundamentally Discworld
in its style, outlook and humour. It easily joins Mort, Reaper Man and Pyramids amongst my top Discworld novels, and whether you’re
looking for a new way into the series, or are already a fan, I cannot recommend
it highly enough.
14.
Lords and Ladies
The next instalment of the
Granny Weatherwax saga, Lords and Ladies makes
it clear just how much Discworld has
become a platform for multiple and divergent character series’. Picking up
where Witches Abroad left off, the
three witches Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick return to their
homeland of Lancre after nearly a year of absence. Much has changed since they
left. The former court Fool Verence (now King Verence II, since he ended up as
king of Lancre at the end of Wyrd Sisters)
has been making a benign if naïve effort to modernize his tiny little
mountain kingdom, while a new coven of younger, more gothic ‘witches’ has
emerged during Granny Weatherwax’s absence. Whilst Magrat finds herself
unexpectedly and a little unwillingly engaged to King Verence, with the wedding
set to take place on Midsummer’s Eve, the return of the beautiful but evil Queen
of the Elves threatens to bring about a dark and terrible age for all of
humanity.
It must be mentioned that the Faculty of the
Unseen University make an appearance. Archchancellor Ridcully, his nerdy
underling Ponder Stibbons, the deranged pill-gulping Bursar, and the Orangutan
Librarian have received an invitation to the wedding, and they leave their
comfortable urban environment to take a trip to Lancre town. As always the
presence of Ridcully and his University crowd makes the book a worthwhile read
on its own, and to see them interacting with the witches of Lancre is a unique
crossover treat. Of other nice elements, the Lancre Morris Men are good for a
laugh, Casanunda the Dwarf who advertises himself as the world’s
second-greatest lover provides many humorous moments, and Shaun Ogg (Nanny
Ogg’s youngest son) is excellent for his purpose as Lancre’s only soldier.
Just
as with Witches Abroad, this is a
good and consistent Discworld book
for fans of the witches. There is very little else I can really say about it.
The characters are good, the story is engaging, and the Elves are a
dramatic and unpleasant new group of villains. For those who have no interest
in the Lancre stories, you will not be missing much by avoiding this one; yet
Pratchett’s writing is very much on form, the humour and the story are good,
and I have to say I rather enjoyed it.
15.
Men at Arms
The Discworld series stands at around forty books in total, and so it
is little wonder to see groups of characters being reused time and again. We’ve
already seen this with Rincewind, and again with the witches of Lancre, and now
we find a sequel to Guards! Guards! demonstrating
that the Night Watch are here to stay. Since saving the city of Ankh-Morpork
from a gigantic dragon, the Night Watch have nearly doubled in size by taking
on three new recruits – a Troll, a Dwarf, and a Werewolf. Captain Vimes is soon
to marry Lady Sybil Ramkin, retiring from a lifetime of policing, but a string of
murders in the city and the theft of a terrifying weapon from the Assassins’
Guild force him to put the new watchmen straight on the job.
Sam Vimes is one of the most effective protagonists in the
entire Discworld canon, taking what
could have been just a clichéd cynical old alcoholic captain and giving him
true life in his bones. By falling in love with one of the wealthiest women in
the city, Vimes has ended up in unfamiliar territory, amongst a society he
detests, while his inbuilt policing instincts keep him firmly on the ground and
desperate to keep doing the job he’s always done. Corporal Carrot meanwhile is
the genuine Knight In Shining Armour – even though he’s just a watchman in
watchman’s armour – and his completely un-cynical drive to do his duty seems
too good to be true. Except it is true! Carrot is essentially a superhuman, and
while in Guards! Guards! he was still
a relatively minor character, it is in Men
at Arms that his personality really shines through.
The story itself is rather good, drawing you on in the way
that Discworld books do so
deceptively. The typical murder-mystery shtick is livened up by Pratchett’s
witty writing-style and the growing complexity of the world of Ankh-Morpork –
crowded as it is with Guild-politics and the Patrician’s machinations. But
though Men at Arms is a comedy book,
this does not detract from the unpleasant and serious nature of the murders, and the
almost supernatural but vividly believable reasons behind them. If there’s one
thing that this series does most adequately explore, then it’s human nature –
and despite the fact that some of the characters are trolls and dwarfs and
dogs, Men at Arms serves as a good
example of how this is done. I would comfortably recommend this one, even if
you haven’t done Guards! Guards! yet.
Biblioworld 4
Pratchett, Terry. Small Gods. Corgi. (1993 [1992])
Pratchett, Terry. Lords and Ladies. Corgi. (1993 [1992])
Pratchett, Terry. Men at Arms. Corgi. (1994 [1993])
