Review: Small Gods
Daniel Orner
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_Small Gods_ is a departure for Terry Pratchett. The result is probably
his most significant and certainly one of his most philosophical novels,
and a true masterpiece.
Brutha is a novice in the byzantine religious hierarchy of Omnia, a
rather extreme pastiche of 15th-century Christianity. One day, he hears
the voice of his God, Om. However, rather than the huge horned figure he
was expecting, it's coming from a lowly tortoise. Om is apparently stuck
in that form, and enlists Brutha's help to try and get him back to
normal. The book doesn't fall into any "thread", so don't expect to see
any familiar characters here (at least none that are familiar yet).
Unusually for any book, the villain is introduced almost immediately,
and spends nearly the entire book in close proximity with the hero.
Deacon Vorbis is a chillingly evil person, because all of his evil deeds
are protected by the armour of righteousness. As the head of the
Quisition, he has the power to instantly cause the death of practically
anyone, or, more often, cause them to wish they were dead. Rather than
abuse this power for personal gain, though, he lives an ascetic life,
dedicated to the service of Om. The irony of this is, of course, not
lost on Om himself.
The book is much less comedic than most of Pratchett's offerings. That
isn't to say it isn't witty or clever (there are plenty of moments that
will make you smile) but there is no slapstick or Pythonesque absurdity.
In fact, there is an undercurrent of fear that pervades the entire
narrative. Much of this stems from Vorbis, but it's more than the fact
that Brutha is afraid of what Vorbis will do to him. Brutha has lived
his entire life in rock-hard certainty of his religion, and the doubts
that begin to assail him are worse than any physical torture.
Terry has many unusual insights into the nature of religion and gods in
general here, and some are important to think about even for those who
are fervent in their religion. On the Discworld, gods gain power from
belief; the more believers, the stronger the god. Of course there's no
way to find out whether it works the same way here on Roundworld, but
it's an intriguing notion. Even if God himself doesn't need believers,
one can argue that it's the believers that interpret and execute the
"will of God", and how well do we really know what it is that God wants?
Even more important is the notion that someone can start off believing
in God, but end up believing in the ritual, organization, or singsong
that surrounds it. As an Orthodox Jew, there are some things I do that
no longer give me the feeling of connection to God. I still see the
merit in doing them, but it's all too easy to fall into the trap of
believing in people and things rather than in God.
_Small Gods_ is a triumph of storytelling; a strong narrative, likeable
protagonists, full of philosophy and interesting thoughts, and with a
final twenty pages that's sure to send chills up anyone's spine. The
book is not anti-religion as such; it's just anti-mindless religion, and
demands that we pay attention to what we do and not value form over
substance. It's a must read for anyone, and because it's a standalone
rather than part of a story "thread", it's a great starting place for
any newcomer to Discworld.
--
http://roleplayingjew.blogspot.com/ - An Orthodox Jew who plays Japanese
role-playing games? Strange but true!