Nation by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is Storytelling. Not just the weaving of a tale, but the construction of world, sweeping the reader/listener through lives and events and journeys. And going above and beyond the plot to fill the story to brimming with ideas, with thoughts.
I was initially hesitant to read this book. It has come up several times when I’ve been trying to decide which Terry Pratchett novel to read next, but I always shied away. The synopsis of the book warns that the main character is alone – everything and everyone he ever loved has been washed away by a storm. Still reeling from the loss of my brother, I could not fathom reading a book that must contain so much heartache and loss. At the same time, I couldn’t imagine any of Terry Pratchett’s books could be painful to read. I finally convinced myself to give it a shot, and am very grateful I did. There were moments that brought tears to my eyes, but never from a feeling of despair. And I am so glad “gave in” and read it.
Every moment of reading this book held the joint thrill of being completely engrossed in a tale and simultaneously buzzing with mental electricity.
I have rarely held a novel that so seamlessly, so invisibly layers such a simply and earnestly enjoyable story with such deep and thought provoking themes: Ideas of otherness and the construction thereof, of the liquid meanings of family and nation, of gender and etiquette, of perceptions of power and the meaning of magic, of age, gender, and belief.
[a:Karen Armstrong|2637|Karen Armstrong|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1234543612p2/2637.jpg] has written quite persuasively on the power of myth as a teaching tool that reaches us on a psychological and gut level. It is from this perspective that I see [a:Terry Pratchett|1654|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1235562205p2/1654.jpg] as a myth-maker for this age.
I cannot exaggerate the skill with which moral truths and philosophical questions are integrated into [b:Nation|2855034|Nation|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388351360s/2855034.jpg|34491] in a way that makes them at once blatantly apparent and completely invisible. They are laid out with such eloquent simplicity that no literature major is required to parse them apart and ruminate on their impact, and yet they are so much a part of the plot itself that one never has the feeling of switching from story to expostulation.
Along with so many of his works, ([b:The Wee Free Men|21330519|The Wee Free Men|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1394308789s/21330519.jpg|40639931] springs immediately to mind), I cannot wait to share this book with my children. And I think I will share it with each of them separately, if I have the chance, because I believe I could absorb this tale a dozen times and still find more to ponder and enjoy.
I’m glad to know it was another good one. Terry Pratchett is awesome.