Monstrous Regment by Terry Pratchett // Funny Fantasy

Okay, gonna keep this nice and short, because I'm rather swamped with schoolwork and other responsibilities.

I read Monstrous Regiment in two days while on vacation. I'd almost forgotten how good it felt to read a book in less than a week. The past few months have been filled with squeezing in reading time in between schoolwork, and it was good to just - read. (Though I have a sad feeling that I'm about to go back to that limited-reading-time sort of life now.)

Anyway, you may remember that my introduction to Pratchett occurred some months ago, and I really enjoyed it. Monstrous Regiment was equally spectacular.

It's really hard not to give spoilers, but I really enjoyed how the story kept giving me more and more surprises as it went along. Just marvelous.

Pratchett's worldbuilding is also marvelous. It's a fantasy world - with overtones of the real world. Somehow, there are a thousand comments on our society and rules. Consider Nuggan's Abominations in Monstrous Regiment. Nuggan is a god who is just a creation to suppress the people. Rocks are an Abomination unto Nuggan? Now, I am a Christian, and I believe in God (and don't think God is at all like Nuggan), but it is an interesting view in religion in general, and how religion can be used to oppress and suppress the people. It makes me think of the Church in the Middle Ages.

It also makes me wonder if Pratchett was at all religious. 

Update: If anyone else was wondering, after some slight research I have discovered that Pratchett is an atheist.

Continuing on, Pratchett is always astounding me with his amazing insights into life. His little comments on life veiled in humor prove that Pratchett spends a lot of time watching people. Everyone talks about how George R. R. Martin is so excellent at writing female characters. Personally, I don't completely agree. But Pratchett? His women are pretty spot-on, I'd say. Monstrous Regiment is a fantastic example of that, and there are a variety of different female characters portrayed.

This is getting to be a longer post that I thought it would! I'd like to end it with this note:

Lifeline Theater (my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE theater company) is doing an adaptation of Monstrous Regiment. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the book is going to transfer to the stage. Shows are in June and July, so I'll have to wait a bit, but it's worth waiting for!

Have you read Monstrous Regiment or any other Terry Pratchett? Did you like it? If you've read Pratchett before - which of his books do you recommend I read next?

~Sophia