Small Gods | Discworld | Stuff You Like 

"Terry Pratchett believed in us" is one of the most life affirming things I've ever heard. Thank you

One of my all time favourite Discworld novels. One of my favourite quotes (among many others): ‘Just because you can explain it doesn’t mean it’s not still a miracle.’

“What have I always believed? That on the whole, and by and large, if a man lived properly, not according to what any priests said, but according to what seemed decent and honest inside, then it would, at the end, more or less, turn out all right.”

"Yes, but I'm me" is one of Pterry's great lines, but then again, he's had hundreds of great lines.

“Them as can do has to do for them as can't. And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.” ~ Terry Pratchett, "The Wee Free Men."

I disagree that Brutha doesn't change over the course of the novel. I think he changes quite a lot. You could still call him fundamentally good at both the beginning and the end of the novel, but for very different reasons. In beginning he has perfect unquestioning faith in Om or more accurately Omnianism. But after learning that the Great and Powerful Om is just a person and that his superiors are not necessarily even good people, he learns to do good in spite of what people and his god tell him to do, rather because of it. In the end he challenges Om's authority and even, to Om's great annoyance, allows other gods to be worshiped in Omnia. He's still loyal to Om, but it's the loyalty you have to a friend and colleague rather than unquestioning faith in a God. He learns to value and put his faith in people rather than in authority, and that transition is one of my favorite things about this book.

Granny Weatherwax said that the only sin is treating people as things... this is my moral philosophy now...

"Thou shalt not expose thy God to market forces!" Om: "You want a *constitutional* religion?" Brutha: "Why not? The other sort hasn't worked." Most terrifying to me is Om's description of Vorbis' mind as a smooth steel ball -- nothing gets in or out, there's nothing to get ahold of. This world lost a true humanist in Terry Pratchett. A gentleman, and a gentle man. He understood our weaknesses, and he forgave us them.

Pratchett's affection for people as a whole is mirrored in his affection for Ankh-Morpork. He portrays Ankh-Morpork as corrupt, full of inefficiencies and a lot of stupidity built on faulty logic and bad tradition, polluted and unfair, constantly filled with mobs and constantly having to fix the terrible mistakes it has made. And he loves it. He loves and adores it and would never wish it gone. Because there is so much to love inside of it as well. Because DESPITE all of those troubles, there is goodness, and decency, and life, and humor and silliness and songs and adventures. Just like humanity. Pratchett embraced humanity with its flaws and loved it all the more. He taught us to accept those things and keep going because sometimes, we get the opportunity to change them for the better. Not always, but sometimes. If you keep your head up. And if everyone would live for those chances, the world would get better bit by bit. Never perfect for sure, but better.

I still can’t get over the fact that there will never ever be a new Terry Pratchett book... I feel this little empty corner in my soul every time I enter a bookshop

Aww, every time I see something about Terry Pratchett I get a little wistful. The only celebrity passing where I truly felt I'd lost a friend. Up there with Bowie for great people of our time imo

Then Granny said: "It's no good you trying to make me believe in Om, though." "Om forbid that I should try, Mistress Weatherwax. I haven't even given you a pamphlet, have I?" "No, but you're trying to make me think, 'Oo, what a nice young man, his god must be something special if nice young men like him helps old ladies like me,' aren't you." "No." "Really? Well, it's not working. People you can believe in, sometimes, but not gods. And I'll tell you this, Mister Oats..." He sighed. "Yes?" She turned and to face him, suddenly alive. "It'd be as well for you if I didn't believe," she said, prodding him with a sharp finger. "This Om ... anyone seen him?" "It is said that three thousand people witnessed his manifestation at the Great Temple when he made the Covenant with the prophet Brutha and saved him from death by torture on the iron turtle --" "But I bet that now they're arguing about what they actually saw, eh?" "Well, indeed, yes, there are many opinions --" "Right. Right. That's people for you. Now if I'd seen him, really there, really alive, it'd be in me like a fever. If I thought there was some god who really did care two hoots about people, who watched 'em like a father and cared for 'em like a mother ... well, you wouldn't catch me sayin' things like 'there are two sides to every question' and 'we must respect other people's beliefs.' You wouldn't find me just being gen'rally nice in the hope that it'd all turn out right in the end, not if that flame was burning in me like an unforgivin' sword. And I did say burnin', Mister Oats, 'cos that's what it'd be. You say that you people don't burn folk and sacrifice people anymore, but that's what true faith would mean, y'see? Sacrificin' your own life, one day at a time, to the flame, declarin' the truth of it, working' for it, breathin' the soul of it. That's religion. Anything else is just ... is just bein' nice. And a way of keepin' in touch with the neighbors."

"Terry Pratchett believed in us" well now I'm crying. And reaching for my still-unfinished copy of Maskerade.

Absolutely my favourite Discworld novel and probably my one of the best explorations of faith I have ever read. GNU Terry Pratchett.

"But... I'm me." This book, more than any other, has helped to shape the way I think about myself, other people, how we grow as people (or don't, as the case may be), and what it means to be "good". It helped me come to terms with the tyranny and hypocrisy of the religion that shaped my childhood. What we do, how we treat other people, and who we choose to be. Those are the things that matter. Those are the things that last. These are how we make our own reason for existence.

I just finished binging all 41 books as audiobooks in the span of a few weeks. Damn I wish the world still had Terry Pratchett in it.

This book, and Mightily Oats' arc in Carpe Jugulum, may have legitimately saved my life.

I'm pretty sure "Brutha" is pronounced like "Brother" based on the joke from the book where Vorbis says he will need to promote Brutha because calling him "Brother Brutha" would be confusing.

Every time I see my favorite author shown like this, it makes me smile. i dont quite get why there is not more about him on the net. He was the second best selling writer from the UK, after all.

"What's that?" "It's a spanner." "What's it for?" "It's for twisting nuts."

I felt like Twoflower when I read my first Pratchett. As with all the other books, many pages in 'Small Gods' made my hair stand on end and there was certainly some watering of the brain area which tended to overflow a bit, in spite of the smile as I read the last page. Thank you, Jill!

Terry's books are my go to read when I'm having a bad day, a couple of pages in & the grin spreads from ear to ear. I love how his characters are developed over the course of various series of books - my favourite character being Corporal Cedric Wormsborough St. John "Nobby" Nobbs, who seems to be Fred Colon's conscience. I love how he won't do certain things because "Vimes would go spare". He's a coward & a thief but his heart's in the right place - almost Baldrick at times.

A Discworld review video? Finally something good in 2020.

Great review, Pratchett is easily my favorite author and Discworld is my favorite escape to fantasy! GNU Terry Pratchett

Well now I’m gonna stop crying and re-read this book. Again.

"betortoised"

"Let there be lettuce! Let there be slices of melon!" One of the few authors where I've re-read the books. May Sir Terry rest in peace.

I like how they satire religion while recognising how important religion to believer. It shows how religion affects culture, art, and morality. It also shows how believers have an important relationship with God. How it brings them hope, order their world view, and how it makes people act.

Still one of my favorite Discworld novels.

One of my favourite things are the omnians. In this book, Pratchett creates a church just to be corrupt and inflexible. But, he never falls into the trap of lumping the religion and the religious together. By this, I mean that most of the omnian characters in the other books are good people. A good example of this is the witch book 'A Hat Full of Sky'. here, a young witch learns that her mentor, Granny Weatherwax, is bringing an omnian priest to meet her. She is horrified! How can a witch even talk to a witch-burner? And so she learns that who people are is more important that what people are. Without even knowing that she needed to learn this.

“Evil begins when you begin to treat people as things.” from I Shall Wear Midnight. Its one of the main themes running through the entire Discworld series, and something that sank into my brain like a lead plumb bob into jelly while growing up being read these books by my parents, and listening to them over and over again on audiobook, from a young age. As a 30 something adult, I still find it a pretty solid foundation for morality

What I love about Discworld is how, if you look at it from a distance, there's no way a truly good man could survive, let alone get ahead, especially in Ankh-Morpork. But the people who actually THRIVE, are some of the best human beings. Carrot Ironfoundersson, Brotha, Vimes, and more. Even Vetinari might be a corrupt human, but one who aims his corruption at improving the lives of the city he serves (and he honestly sees himself as SERVING Ankh-Morpork, not the other way around). Even cowardly Rincewind overcomes his fear to do the right thing, even if "the right thing" is slipping half a brick into a sock to take out a Sourcerer preparing to bring about the Apocralypse.

Just finished reading Small Gods to my husband, and found your channel via this video being recommended. Lovely summary, and some perfectly accurate insights.

I’m enormously grateful that this wonderful video came up on my YT recommendations. I’ve been a subscriber to your channel for months and have been working through the older videos. I’ll be working faster - after I’ve watched this a few more times.

I recently got recommended your channel by a friend for the brilliant stage-fight analysis, and I've been loving those. I'm really glad that youtube suggested this video to me just now though. I haven't read this book in an age, but I love it and other Pratchett books for exactly the kind of cynical hopefullness you express so well here. Been some rough times for a while, and this has genuinely helped me feel a bit less anxious, and a bit more hopeful. Thank you, it means a lot.

Never seen anyone do a video about my all time favourite Pratchett book before. You have my respect and subscription ;)

I'm glad you liked Small Gods, after seeing your face in the thumbnail I was worried you might not be so keen. I'll bear that in mind for future thumbnails.

Wonderful video, and I can't believe I didn't locate your channel sooner. I've been a Sir Terry Pratchett fan, ever since I received Equal Rites from the Science Fiction Book Club, because I forgot to send back the bingo card. I enjoyed the book so much I ordered The Colour of Magic, and The Light Fantastic right away. And have purchased every Discworld book published after the first three. I was very saddened by his passing, and purchased The Shepherd's Crown, published shortly after his death. And my sister has promised to return it soon. Looking forward to the rest of your work. Thanks for bringing his amazing work out to new, and old, fans. Cheers, Ralph

I just discovered this channel because of your boob armor video's and I've been a huge fan of Terry Pratchett for two decades. I absolutely love this review of Small Gods, very touching ❤️

"Vetinari if Vetinari had no conscience" Wait, Vetinari has a conscience?

Great review, love your sence of humor. Keep up the wonderful work

This book was my introduction to Discworld. My friend, a long time fan of Pratchett, recommended it because I'm an atheist who loves to mock religion but also someone who deeply appreciates the importance of religion to culture and humanity as a whole. She wasn't wrong; I absolutely adore everything about this book.

You are delightful, and, yes pTerry believed in us. I met him a few times. Such a smart and funny man.

Loved this video! We read Small Gods in series 1 of the podcast and really enjoyed it!

This is my very favorite of the Discworld books. It inspired a major arc of my D&D campaign, which was a blast.

This book is like an onion, plenty of layers. Stands up to reread to view things from the prism of where the reader is then versus before. Nicely reviewed.

Brutha is one of three Discworld characters that I want to grow up to be; others are Sam Vimes and Nanny Ogg. Met Terry Pratchett twice; he was one of the best people I've ever known. kerk

I loved the book. And i loved this review.

Brutha = carrots long lost brother for sho. Thanks for the review of one of my fave Pratchett books. (Second after Pyramids)

I don't know how the algorithm realized I wanted to watch your video from almost four years ago, but I really wanted to watch this and I'll admit I got a bit weepy.

1:25 is a life lesson I'm about a third way through your older vids (since I recently discovered you). I'm read a lot, but mostly non-fiction (all that pesky science). I read my first novels in decades this year. A song of ice and fire. Would just love to see and hear your special perspective on those! (disclaimer: not talking about the show which became nothing but hollywood's "boobs and dragons").

With the present pandemic sweeping the world, it's a great pleasure to escape into the fantasy world of Terry Pratchett. May the Great A'tiun take care of him in some other disc world.

Quite possibly the best intro to the Disc.

Easily one of my favourite Pratchett books.

I've not read Pratchett in too long!

On my shortlist of favorite disc world books.

I miss him so much.

My favourite Discworld book to introduce people to the series. That and Wee Free Men.

Birtha? Bertha? Brutha! Everything else was fabulous.

The Turtle Moves!

Kunal Nayyar as Brutha [think specifically Raj] Ben Kingsley as Vorbis Christopher Lloyd as the void of Om Sir Anthony Hopkins as Didactylos Arthur Darvill as Urn

You made me cry.

Small Gods was my first Discworld book.

I've just finished the Small Gods novel 3:43 for the umpteenth time. I also have the Mort novel somewhere as well. I'm now reading Nanny Ogg's Cookbook, it's surprisingly better than I thought it was going to be.

whispers, "(De Chelonian Mobile)."

The most profound thing ever written : “There’s no grays, only white that’s got grubby. I’m surprised you don’t know that. And sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including yourself. That’s what sin is. “It’s a lot more complicated than that . . .” “No. It ain’t. When people say things are a lot more complicated than that, they means they’re getting worried that they won’t like the truth. People as things, that’s where it starts.” “Oh, I’m sure there are worse crimes . . .” “But they starts with thinking about people as things . . . ”

Met Mr Pratchett at a book signing once he seemd to be a very nice guy.

Night Watch remains my favorite, Small Gods is next. I rather think it was his most understated book,

A solid review of a great book. Lots of people see Terry Pratchett books and think "Fantasy! That's for children." and tragically for them, they miss the essential truth that novels - good novels - are about people and the setting is less relevant than how the people are written. Pratchett wrote them as fantasy, but many of them could have easily been written as modern day novels, or historical fiction novels and been just as good, more widely read but less fun. I hate labelling people but Pratchett was a compassionate humanist and almost all of his major characters are about becoming better people (except maybe Rincewind, who's too terrified to change). Even Vetinari improves as a person throughout the Watch series (but maybe he was always a better person and was more able to show it through the foil of Vimes). Look at comments by people who knew him (Neil Gaiman for one) and you may see an anger driving him, but that was always at the structures we surround ourselves with, not the people we are and can be. Small Gods is a book I've read many times. I'll read it again soon. It's from an author I was lucky enough to come across during my formative years, and my belief in the essential nature of people is all the better for that. Terry Pratchett was a lovely man and I was lucky enough to meet him once in Tasmania, back in '90? (on his Good Omens book tour) and his patience with irritating uni students like me was, on reflection, astounding. Thanks for the review Ms. Bearup, I really enjoyed it and you've reminded me that I've neglected some re-reading.

As I've gotten older I've appreciated Small Gods more and more, especially end ending in the afterlife, just the perfect way to end

That was very pleasant. Thanks.

The first Pratchett book I read, still one of my favorites, not only of his work but novels in general. His work is not well suited to adaption generally, it works so well as a book, but I'd love for a short series about this novel ending with Brutha reaching out to help Vorbis up only to pause for Death to remind him of who Vorbis was in life... only to have Brutha acknowledge it and still try to help the man who ordered him tortured and killed while the music swells and a black cloaked figure leaning on his scythe watches them recede into the desert...

I think the scary thing about this novel is how it acknowledges Vorbis's great ability to change people.

Brutha is pretty much goodness personified. If a god can be loving and humane, they need a few people with Brutha's qualities.

Just finished listening to it

Nice plot summary

I would kindof disagree a bit that Brutha doesn't change at all. His character arc is that he was raised to be completely obedient in a society that values obedience, because Om was clearly in charge and it was right that everyone do what he wanted. Nothing done in the service of Om could be wrong. Brutha was happy to be an obedient servant to the greater good. But when he sees the harm that his obedience does/would cause he sees a certain cowardice in the obedience - an abdication of responsibility. This is when he steps up to not just try and prevent any more harm but to take responsibility for the damage he has already caused.

lovely bit

Your analysis made me misty eyed. GNU STP

The turtle moves!!!

Chills

Great video :)

One interpretation I've read is that Brutha is pronounced "brotha," similar to slang for brother. So he's Brother Brutha. ... Well, I thought it was funny...

"Oh me" is still one of the funnest things I have ever read

Gotta disagree with you on parts of what you've said in this video: Brutha does change over the course of the book, significantly at that. He goes from a well-intentioned abuse victim, believing innocently to a man who manages to not only reform the bloodiest religious organisation known to the Disc into a more peaceful one (still killing folks, but by boring them with perpetual pamphlets and invitations to sermons), but also pacifies a lot of people who'd previously been intent on eradicating Omnia. He goes from not knowing anything to carrying a large section of the library of Ephebe in his mind, by memorizing every page as an image. FTR, he never learns to write as we do, but simply draws the words in his correspondence. His belief shifts to one where he trusts Om despite the latter's many faults and holds him accountable. Sadly enough Pratchett only later brought Om back and basically futzed the character then due to either his alzheimers, or due to the hidden understudy. Or both.

Thank you

Several times now I've watched your videos and concluded I pronounce names in books in my head far differently to you. Brutha in my head is pronounced Brother...probably incorrectly but it's an interesting realisation.

I love you

Vorbis and Bertha in the desert of the afterlife is like the reverse of the scorpion and the frog.

Brutha not changing is, as you said, important. The should have remembered that for Luke Skywalker when doing the sequel trilogy.

Terry Pratchett the Jedi to Alan Moore's sith.

I am convinced that Small Gods is the best entryway into Discworld .

it's not Bertha, it's Brotha'... Brother Brother, more or less.

Please tell me you read Monsterous Regiment? ❤

LOL, I always thought that picture was the god turtle from Stephen King's "It"

A like just for 1:44 ! Finished listening to the whole vid, kinda wish I could give 2 likes.

Bridging the gap between “the fallen angel and the rising ape.”

Regarding the pronunciation of the name "Brutha": when I read _Small_Gods_ (which I think is one of the best Discworld novels along with _Wyrd_Sisters_, _Reaper_Man_, _Hogfather_, and _Snuff_), I assumed the name was pronounced with a buzzy th sound, like "the", with the u being a schwa just like "brother." Basically, the pronunciation given to "brother" in Black Vernacular. I thought that pronunciation made the wittiness of the name more pronounced. richard -- "Them as can do has to do for them as can't. And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.” -- Granny Aching - Terry Pratchett. The Wee Free Men

Best word ever: betortoised

I would still like Brutha's eidetic memory!