Tephlon, there have been days when I have felt a bit like "insert name here", like Sam! If I only knew, my computer has been feeling put upon at times, too.
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Originally Posted by Hsing
Hm, okay, seen in that light, the "Girls night out" fits somewhat better in the overall plot... Still, it had a different... flavour than the rest of the book.
Another point I'd like to hear your opinions on: I think PTerry did a fantastic job showing how followers of the same belief could come out as different as Ardent and Bashful, and under which circumstances.
And... did the description of how the orthodox dwarfs dress remind only me of some kind of Disc Ayatollahs?
The "recruitment" mechanisms of the orthodox dwafs was interesting, too.
And the twist at the end, the revealing of what Koom Valley had meant to be once... yes, that was... ... ... *sobs*
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I noticed that resemblance to ayatollahs in Fifth Elephant, too, though it was more pronounced in Thud. The idea that anyone who is not a dwarf, is just a "bad dream" fits the comparison, too. In one of the interviews, Terry said that the book was already written when bombings in England occurred, and it was all a coincidence. I believe him, since he's been coming at some of these ideas from different directions for years.
I was thinking about some of the charateristics we see in the orthodox dwarf religion. Any religion can take a major wrong turn when those characteristics take hold. Declare everyone else as evil, and be sure to not interact with them (or you may find out what they are really like!). Don't think, doubt, or worse yet, ask questions! "Recruit" using any means possible, and the ends justify the means.
So again, we run into the whole discussion of religion versus faith! (I know, it's one of my favorite topics!
) My family and I were discussing how this book is a good one to use as a warning to us Christians, too. We're to live by faith, not by religion!