Nation by Terry Pratchett Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Nation
Book Review: Five stars for young adults
Summary: 4 Stars
There are plenty of thorough reviews here, so I'll just add my two cents' worth that I found "Nation" to be some of Pratchett's best craftsmanship as a writer and a very satisfying read. The only reason I did not give it five stars is that I'm a bit too far away from my teen years (quite a bit, actually) to buy into the some of the characterizations and situations that perhaps were a bit too idealized for my tastes. I think it should be a hit with teenagers; although here in the USA, if the religious right find out about it they'll probably want to boycott it, as it asks the hard questions about religion that no religion ever truly answers while it implies the possibility of non-Judeo/Christian gods and spritualities (or did the characters just imagine them?).Book Review: For Those in Peril on the Land
Summary: 5 Stars
Book Review: Forget the "Young Reader" tag - this is simply a brilliant book
Summary: 5 Stars
The title says it all. If this book doesn't make you think about duty, religion, friendship, loyalty, politics and much more - well you're just not paying attention. In the light of recent tsunamis, Catrina, and the current events in Haiti it seems particularly apropos.Book Review: Fun and thoughtful
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a well-crafted Pratchett book - both making you think and making you laugh. The story - of a shipwrecked English girl and a island boy on the cusp of manhood - is thoughtful and gentle. The plot is fast enough to keep things moving, the characters are alive and compelling, the world and alternate history lush, and the moral issues they wrestle with are compelling.
And perhaps most importantly, they're not resolved.
What about God, or the God(s)? What role does tradition have when civilization is ruined? Pratchett explores these through his characters, but there is no preachiness. They don't get easy answers at any point, and neither do we. What we do get, and skillfully so, is a chance to think about it. We get to see other people wrestling honestly with the most difficult questions of our lives. We may not agree with them - and that's okay. They don't exactly agree with each other, either. And that - along with Pratchett's signature humor - is what makes Nation a compelling read.
Book Review: Funny
Summary: 4 Stars
(Confession: This is the first book by Terry Pratchett that I've ever read!)
I love me some post-apocalyptic fiction. So I liked this book. It is extremely well-written. Actually, maybe it's a little too well-written because I felt Mau's desperation so vividly that every time I got a few minutes to read, I hesitated picking the book up. I didn't always feel like being completely and utterly transported to that world.
But I think what always kept me coming back is the humor. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but a-quiet-chuckle-and-sometimes-a-groan funny.
Here, some survivors from another island are trying to explain horses to Mau, who's never seen them before:
"...And the horses! Oh, everyone should see the horses!"
"What are horses?" [said Mau.]
"Well, they're...well, you know hogs?" said Pilu.
"Better than you can imagine."
"...Well, they are not like hogs. But if you took a hog and made it bigger and longer, with a longer nose and a tail, that's a horse. Oh, and much more handsome. And much longer legs."
"So a horse is not really like a pig at all?"
"Well, yes, I suppose so. But it's got the same number of legs."