April Book Study - Small Gods

Fenika · Apr 2, 2009

Hello, and welcome to the F/SF Book Study. This time, no fooling

This thread is for discussion of Small Gods by Terry Pratchett.

***Spoilers*** will be streaking through this thread unpredictably. You have been warned.

If anyone wants to compare to previous book studies:

Ender's Game (August)
Lies of Locke Lamora (September)
A Deepness in the Sky (October)
A Fire in the Deep (November)
Storm Front (December)
I Am Legend (January)
The Onion Girl (February)
Lord of Light (March)

Thank you to Broken Fingers for starting the book study!

Cheers

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Here is the list, compiled by Fingers, of possible discussion topics. Feel free to tackle something off the list or come up with your own points.

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First of all: Did you enjoy the book? Why or why not?
What was your impression of it?

And I’ll list some of the possible things we can discuss:

The Beginning:
- How effective was the opening hook?
- How effective was the first sentence? The first paragraph? The first page? The first chapter?
- When were you pulled into the author’s world? By the end of the first chapter?
- If not, when?
- How do you think this was accomplished? Or why do you think it wasn’t accomplished?
- What would you have done to change it/make it better?
- If you were an editor, what would your reaction be to the first chapter?
- Why do you think the average reader liked it so much?
And more…

The Protagonist:
- What did you like/dislike about the protagonist?
- How did the author introduce the protagonist?
- How did the author get you to become invested in the protagonist?
- What was different about the protagonist as opposed to other protagonists? What was the same? Did the author make the protag distinguishable? If so, how?
- What techniques did the author use to show the protagonist throughout the story?
- What were some of the characteristics the author gave the character and how did they work/not work?

The Characters:
- Did the author make the characters come alive for you?
- How did he/she do this?
- How were they described?
- How were they distinctive?
And more…

The Setting:
- Was the author’s world convincing?
- Did he/she make you feel you were there? How?
- What about the setting did you like? Not like?
- What would you have done differently?
And more….

The Plot/Story:
- Did you enjoy it? Why or why not?
- Was it different or similar to other plotlines in the genre? How?
- Was it believable? Predictable?
- Were there any twists, turns or surprises?
- Would you have thought of it? How does it compare to your own plotline of your WIP?
- Did it pull you through or did you have to wade through it?
- How was this done or how do you think it should’ve been done?
- If you were buying stories for a publisher, and this manuscript hit your desk (not knowing what you do now about its sales) would you have bought it or expected it to be successful?
- Why do you think the buying public enjoyed it so much?
- What variations, if any, would you have added to the storyline/plot?
And more…

The Style:
- What did you think of the author’s style of writing? Like it? Hate it?
- How much do you think this had to do with the success of the book, if any?
- What type of POV was used? How effective was it? Would the book have turned out different if the POV were done differently?
- How removed was the author from the story or how intrusive?
And more…

The Structure:
- How did the author unfold the story?
- Were the beginning, middle and end equally strong?
- How effective was the way the author gave you all the information?
Was it straightforward? Suspenseful? Predictable? Surprising?
- Could it have been done another way?
- Was it a linear structure or did the scenes jump around? How did this add/detract from the story or your enjoyment of it?
And more…..

The Theme:
- Was there any? What was it?
- Did you think it had an impact on your enjoyment of the story?
- Was it blatant or subtle?
- Do you think the average reader registered this?
- Do you think it may have affected him/her or contributed in any way to the success of the book?
And more…

Conflict:
- What was the main conflict?
- How was it handled?
- Was it a large part of the story or did the author keep it lying under the surface?
- What other conflicts did the author use in the story and when? (Internal and external.)
- What purpose did they serve?
- Would the story have been as enjoyable with less conflict? More?
- What types of conflict could’ve added to the story? Which conflicts subtracted from the story?
And more…

Dialogue:
- Was it realistic?
- Was it readable?
- How did the author handle ‘tags’?
- Was there a lot of dialogue or a little?
- Were there dialects? Slang? Profanity? Vulgarity?
And more…

The Ending:
- Was it satisfying? Why or why not?
- Did it come as a surprise or did you see it coming from page two?
- Would you have ended it the same?
- Was everything resolved?
- Would you be able to write a sequel?
- Would you buy another book from this author?
And more….
__________________

Dreir · Apr 2, 2009

I like it. I don't know why it got so much stick. One thing about Mr Pratchett, he really knows how to write climaxes. And I also like how the small-god-guy (forgot the name, been years since I read it) is transformed into a different 'person' in the end. Some books or even series promise really huge endings but only end up leaving you with an unpleasant taste in your mouth, but not so with the discworld novels. At least the ones I've read, anyway..

- Dreir -

Sarpedon · Apr 3, 2009

I wasn't aware that it did get any stick. Its one of my favorite pratchetts. Who gave it stick? (And by "stick" I assume you mean 'grief' or 'disparagement')

I knew it would be good from the opening lines:
"And the Great God Om spake unto His Prophet Brutha"
"Psssst!"

Dreir · Apr 3, 2009

I can't remember - it's such a long time ago (and I'm talking more than 10 years here

). It just seemed that the few reviews I read about it all had negative things to say. Maybe I was just unlucky and happened only on the incompetent ones. Fortunately, I read them after I read the book.

- Dreir -

Mr Flibble · Apr 3, 2009

All the reviews I read said it was fantastic

And they were right

I love the idea that the more faith a god has the more powerful he gets and vice versa. ( and which I have, like, totally stolen

)I loved how Brutha grew through the book and began to think for himself, and ended up ordering the god around. It's one of my favourite Pratchetts

Dreir · Apr 3, 2009

That's great news. For years now I thought I was the only person who liked it, lol..

Well, I don't think the idea of gods growing more powerful as more people believe in them was new even at that time. But Pratchett was probably the first person who made us take that journey towards omnipotence along with one of them. It really made us care about the little guy's success or failure.

To answer one of the last questions on the list: yes, the ending was very satisfying.

- Dreir -

jensoko · Apr 3, 2009

I loved Small Gods and have recommended it as required reading for theology majors to the teachers I know.

Brutha's character really evoked the idea of the purity and innocence of a kind of "humble pilgrim" that is lauded by a lot of religions--the placid and content worker who does his job, knows his place, and waits patiently for a heaven-based reward, showing his faith for an eventual payoff without a guarantee, and without disrupting either the status quo or the societal framework in place.

Brutha is a character whose qualities make him impressionable enough to buy wholly into all the Omnian church's edicts...yet those very same qualities make him exceedingly hard to manipulate by the church elders...but at the same time those qualities end up molding the god Om himself to a standard he previously didn't hold.

NicoleMD · Apr 3, 2009

I guess this book just wasn't my thing. I made it three-fourths of the way through this time. I liked the concept, and the narrative had some brilliantly hilarious moments, but the characterization for me fell short, so much so that I ceased to care about any of the characters and stopped reading.

I think what was missing for me was the sense of deep interpersonal relationships, which I think is one of Pratchett's strengths, judging from the other books I've read of his. Also, I didn't like the way the author seemed to bash all of the characters, picking at their shortcomings time and time again. Maybe this was supposed to be funny, but it felt more like bullying to me.

Nicole

ELMontague · Apr 3, 2009

I loved this book. It actually got me thinking about the nature of God in a different way, which is either brilliant for him or sad for me. I found the writing insightful and Brutha's journey one worth mulling over. I found lots to like about this book. I've recommended it to several people.

SarahMacManus · Apr 12, 2009

I loved Small Gods, have read it a number of times.

I really love Brutha and Om is hilarious, with the kind of low-minded petty self-interest that some of us less religious suspect gods to have. I think it's brilliant that it was Brutha who was holier than his god, at least more moral.

The end left me a little confused, or at least the part where Brutha dies, but I did love him finding Vorbis in the desert and taking him "home". Just the sort of thing you'd expect of Brutha.

Terry has a lot of weird inconsistancies in his work, but that's to be expected with more than 35 Discworld novels. You don't really notice them as such, because his writing is so real and engaging.

ELMontague · Apr 12, 2009

We've been talking about world building in a number of places around the SFF board. I think Prachett did a marvelous job of it here. He introduces us to his world without explaining himself or apologizing for our ignorance. There a few places where the tells us what's going on, but he doesn't really shove it down our throat, more like throws out a little anecdote that fills us in. For instance, the fact that the librarians save every book in a burning library before it actually goes up. Or maybe a better example is the stories about the edge of the world that flit around through out the story. Or even the fact that when someone denies the existence of the gods they are struck with a bolt of lightning. All of that is world building, not directly relevant to the plot, but wonderful.

Binc · Apr 16, 2009

For years, I have been avoiding the Discworld series. Why? I really have no coherent idea. Possibly cuz I knew Pratchett would be completely entertaining and I would then be FORCED to commit the time to read all 2,893 discworld stories.

Having recently read TP's collaboration with Neil Gaiman "Good Omens" along with a few other "god" books by NG, I was pleased to see some crossover of ideas and themes make an appearance in "Small Gods". The concept of Godly Power being tied to number of true believers, for example. Yet I have a nagging suspicion that there are other linkages, perhaps more elegant and subtle, that exist between these two authors work that I haven't yet picked up on.

As outlined in a previous post, I was also hooked early with the first meeting of Om and Brutha. This scene provided the humor and general tone of what was to come. Irreverant treatment of historically solemn, auspicious events are an excellent hook for readers looking to be presented with an alternate viewpoint on storytelling. Pratchett has apparently made a career out of delivering this, but perhaps I should read more than two of his works before making such a pronouncement.

Is it just me, or are footnotes one of the funniest mechanisms for humorous observational asides known to man, or are they just a cheap trick? Doesn't matter. I occasionally have to put down the book for a bit to regain my composure, enjoying a good belly laugh, before continuing.

Checking the front pages of the book, we see "Small Gods" is right in the middle of the Discworld series, yet it doesn't appear that any of us were thrown by world-building that took place prior to this installment of the series. As pointed out in previous posts, this is impressive. There is a richness here, a sense of the multitude of stories taking place in and around Brutha's journey that provide depth to the proceedings without getting in the way of the plot.

I found the ending surprisingly satisfying. Justice and compassion served in equal doses, with our beloved Brutha doing what he does best, and fulfilling his character arc. As I read the final lines, I apparently had a visible and audible reaction, noticed by my wife, who commented: "Ok. So Pratchett must've done something right!".

Straka · Apr 16, 2009

IdiotsRUs said:
I love the idea that the more faith a god has the more powerful he gets and vice versa. ( and which I have, like, totally stolen )

And here I thought I came up with that myself years ago. Well as they say... nothing new under sun.

jensoko · Apr 29, 2009

SarahMacManus said:
I loved Small Gods, have read it a number of times.

I really love Brutha and Om is hilarious, with the kind of low-minded petty self-interest that some of us less religious suspect gods to have. I think it's brilliant that it was Brutha who was holier than his god, at least more moral.

I've seen Pratchett refer elsewhere in Discworld about "good and bad" being irrelevant to "right and wrong." It's a well-placed observation, and one well-suited to the kind of socio-political satire Pratchett is best known for.

Terry has a lot of weird inconsistancies in his work, but that's to be expected with more than 35 Discworld novels. You don't really notice them as such, because his writing is so real and engaging.

I look at them from the perspective of being satirical social commentary--hence...there are a lot of weird inconsistencies in the world he's satirizing, too.

maxmordon · Apr 29, 2009

One of my favorites as well, indeed you can see and feel pretty much alot of things good and bad about religion here, Pratchett himself has commented this is the book with more wide ranging opinions from "It's a very Christian book" to "It really pulls the great beard in the sky"; something which I find fascinating and shows the mastery of writing that Sir Terry has.

Kudos, Mr. Pratchett!

April Book Study - Small Gods

Fenika

Dreir

Rogue

Sarpedon

Dreir

Rogue

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Dreir

Rogue

jensoko

NicoleMD

Onomatopotamus

ELMontague

SarahMacManus

ELMontague

Binc

Straka

Bored Fanatic

jensoko

maxmordon

Penúltimo