This year I joined a Book Club, and our first pick is Nation by Terry Pratchett. I didn’t suggest the book but I did vote towards reading it. I’ve not read any Pratchett before. Much like Stephen King, I’ve always been quite overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choice of titles and not known where to start. Incidentally, part of the reason Nation was chosen is because it is a standalone outside of the huge Discworld series.

Fortunately, I happened to be petsitting at a house full of Pratchett books! After perusing the shelves I found a hardback copy of Nation! I then kicked myself into gear to get it read before my time at the house came to an end. So, I’ve been a particularly good student and cracked right on with my homework way ahead of schedule.

Nation by Terry Pratchett

Nation is set in a parallel universe during the days of Empire. Mau is an indigenous native boy on the verge of manhood. He returns to his south Pelagic island home after a deadly tidal wave has wiped out the entire population. Daphne, a white British girl of similar age, has been shipwrecked on the island. The shipwrecking is quite spectacular and strangely comedic once you learn about Captain Roberts!

Daphne and Mau don’t speak each other’s language – cue some more comedy, sketches, acting and misinterpretations. Together they must begin to rebuild The Nation, as much of the island lies in ruins. There is much chatter from the spirit world, of angry gods and annoying, grumpy ancestors, and as more survivors begin to arrive it is up to Mau to learn how to lead them.

My First Terry Pratchett

I enjoyed Nation! Not knowing what to expect, it had a delightful, slightly chaotic vibe to it, and plenty of comedy and witty observations about class and colonialism. It felt like the story was tumbling out onto the page, with constant discovery and learning and wondering what might happen next. I kept thinking about the Swiss Family Robinson, and it was very entertaining with its quest-like qualities. There is a lot of mirth, humour and satirical observations about colonialism and empire. It also has plenty of touching moments, of connection and community. Terry Pratchett strikes me as quite the feminist in his depiction of Daphne. The will-they won’t-they romance between Daphne and Mau is written with light inference, and beautifully handled in its conclusion.

If I were to read more of Terry Pratchett, I think I would continue to stick with the standalone novels for now. By nature, I am not a series reader – I’ve barely read any trilogies, never completed Harry Potter and so on. Faced with the enormity of the Discworld series feels incredibly overwhelming right now! It also just doesn’t reflect my general reading habits – but never say never.

For now, I’m looking forward to our book club meeting and seeing what everyone else thought about it. I think it will be a fun discussion!