Review of Nation by Terry Pratchett

Mythopoeic if there ever was, Terrry Pratchett’s 2008 novel Nation is an Tarzan clash of native and western values.  A tsunami wave carries the native Mau and the colonial Daphne to the same beach.  Slowly the survivors of Mau’s tribe and Daphne’s shipwreck begin appearing onshore, and slowly the two sides' differences are fleshed ot as they are forced to compromise—yes, as only Pratchett can write.  

It should be stated that Nation is not a Discworld novel.  Pratchett sticks to the real world, but given he does nothing to change his style of writing, it nevertheless feels very much like a Discworld offering.  Mau, Daphne, or any of the other characters could quite easily appear on the streets of Ankh-Morpork.  Thus for anyone concerned that non-Discworld = non-Pratchett, fear not: Nation could not be mistaken for anything but a Pratchett offering.

At the thematic level, Pratchett uses the Tarzan scenario—wild man with civilized woman—to take a fresh look at society and how it is organized, the value of religion and science, and gender relations.  Essentially a tackling of the leading pain points among contemporary culture wars, Pratchett applies the club of logical practicality that transcends extremes to focus on humanism.  He also applies the club of humor, which indirectly serves to point out how foolish a lot of the banter and ‘discussion’ currently ongoing in these arenas is.  For example, Pratchett cuts to the heart of male-female relations with the knife of practicality.  Where much of the contemporary gender scene gets bogged down (to put it lightly) in minutae, Pratchett sticks to the salinet points, yet does so in a perennial and progressive manner, understanding and adaptation the cornerstones from which he builds the novel’s gender ideals.

In the end, Nation is for me not as strong a novel as some of Pratchett’s other books simply because I have read so much of him.  For the uninitiated, it’s likely the more overt presentation of Pratchett’s socio-political ideals that will make a strong impression.  That being said, Nation remains imminently readable.  Pratchett is in great form humor-wise, with many laugh out loud moments, and as always, his observations on human behavior are astute.   Thus the novel comes recommended, only that more experienced fans of Pratchett may not find the spice of Discworld they seek.