Nation - Terry Pratchett

[Patrick Mahon]

I finished reading Nation last night (well, early this morning, in fact, but I'd started on the last 100 pages at 11pm Sunday). I must say that I really enjoyed it. It's quite a departure for Pratchett, not being a Discworld novel. But I thought he explored this new storyworld brilliantly. The trademark wit was still there, but I found the humanity of the characters totally wonderful.

If you've not read Nation yet because you were unsure about it, not being set in Discworld, I'd recommend you get a copy - well worth the time.

 

[Ella]

I'm surprised there are no responses to your thread. Well, I loved Nation as did my daughter and a couple of friends. It was so different but still a fantastic page turner. It's now being staged at the National Theatre in London so we've bought tickets. Let's hope it's a good representation of the book.

 

[Steffi]

I read Nation, when I bought it I didn't realise that it was for children but being a big kid myself I loved it because it was different but still an excellent read

 

[Trafalgar]

I thoroughly enjoyed it - and it contains one of the best Pratchett lines ever -

'There are no gods. There is only hard work.'

Oh, how true!

 

[digs]

I'm so out of the Pratchett loop that I didn't even know about the existence of this book. Non-Discworld, you say? Does it still have that chaotic Discworld vibe? Adding it to my wishlist...now!

 

[Thadlerian]

I thought Nation was awesome for the first half or so. But then somewhere along the way it stopped being about Mau and started being about Daphne's father.

It does have some wonderful lines, though. The whole deal with the parrot -- at first it's just your average foul-beaked sailor parrot, rather amusing. But when you learn the context of "show us yer drawers!" and "Roberts is a dreadful boozer!" you're in for a nasty shock.

This is what makes the parrot's line "What about Darwin, then? Waark!" so wonderful. I think of it as Pratchett giving the reader a piece of homework: Did you understand this chapter?

 

[Brian G Turner]

I thought Nation was awesome for the first half or so. But then somewhere along the way it stopped being about Mau and started being about Daphne's father.

Much of Nation I found to be very enjoyable - but the story suffered in not being sure whether to be serious, or a comedy. Pratchett seemed to be confused about what message he was trying to convey.

Mau's scenes were deep and reflective and the tribes people were very well done. Daphne was simply over-the-top caricature. There were footnotes that broke any narrative mood. The last few chapters just came across as a jabbering jumble, and the story simply withered away.

The main theme of the book appeared to be reason and faith - as if Pratchett was trying to make a big statement about his own beliefs. He openly states that Man has made God, because Man must believe in something - that belief in Reason can replace belief in God. And yet Mau still experiences the spiritual and supernatural. IMO to tell the one but show the other is a contradiction.

The structure didn't make sense either - the opening scene was all about a global plague. Then, about two-thirds of the way through, Pratchett seemed to suddenly realise that he'd forgotten to write in Cox as an antagonist and rushed in some backstory ready for Cox's appearance in the next chapter. The plague subplot never amounted to anything. I don't understand why he didn't just write in the mutiny as the opening scene, and dispense with the plague idea completely.

I read Nation because Terry Pratchett said that of all the books he'd written, this was his favourite. I did find it interesting - but, ultimately, confused about what it wanted to be, what it wanted to say, and how it wanted to say it. Somewhere in here is a really great story, but its smothered in farce.

I'm minded to think that he did a better and clearer job addressing faith with Small Gods.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I found it much better than The Long Earth, but poorer than Strata, Bromeliads series, Carpet People, Johnny Maxwell series or any Discworld series book. I have all those.

Small Gods (also Monstrous Regiment and Carpe Jugulum) deal with faith much better. I think Nation too pretentious and self indulgent. About a month back I started cutting big chunks out of various stories of mine that I really liked but I decided did nothing at all for the overall story and was just self indulgent. Maybe some chunks might be re-written as shorts on my blog.

Even someone brilliant as Pratchett can't always be good or have perfect judgement. Nation I think is a jumbled mess. I've already re-read many Pratchett books and will read them again, but not the Long Earth or Nation.

I think for people actually knowledgeable about science that the Science of Discword books are perhaps a bit tedious. A few other authors have done the alternate sandwich of fiction and science. I think it doesn't really work. I'm seriously tempted to edit those "Science of Discworld" books with a sharp blade