Small Gods

By Terry Pratchett (1992)

A fun and witty novel that follows Brutha, a young acolyte in the Church of Om. Om is, of course, the all-powerful God that rules the world... and also a turtle that happens to meet Brutha. Small Gods is an easy read filled with satire on religion, philosophy, and society. 

I won't discuss the plot too much because I don't think it is necessarily important here. For me, the main draws of this book were Pratchett's genuinely funny writing and the occasional wise insights into the workings of the world today. On the first point, this is the first book where I found myself giggling throughout. I hadn't read something so comedic before, and it was super fun. The other point is related, as the satire on organized religion is also funny but less "ha-ha" funny and more clever insights and digs. Pratchett doesn't fall in love with any alternative, though, as he gets in a few knocks on philosophy and anything else whenever he can. If you want a short, fun read that is also somewhat intellectually stimulating, I highly suggest Small Gods. 

Also, if you have suggestions for other Terry Pratchett books please let me know!

(02/27/22)