Pyramids (Discworld)

I enjoy both the subtle and the in-your-face irony of Mr. Pratchett's writings. This one was not an exception! The "religion" aspect of the plot (how people respond to religious or "religious" concepts) was quite funny and a bit thought-provoking...

I saw the weird title "Pyramids (Discworld Novels (Audio)) [UNABRIDGED] [AUDIOBOOK] [ABRIDGED] [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio Cassette)" and had to find out whether it was abridged or not. I should have suspected from the low price: it's abridged. Only 2 tapes. I haven't listened to them yet, but it's Terry Pratchett! How bad could it be even shortened? I'm downgrading it a star for the misleading advertising, though.

I thoroughly enjoyed his assured narration and dialogue for the first half of the book – lovely wit underpinning everything, charming characters (despite the context), clever interplay with people talking at cross purposes. Here’s an example from a beautifully handled scene where our pampered heir is starting at his new (assassin school):
‘Boy’
Teppec looked up. There was a senior assassin standing beside him…The man was pleasant enough. You could imagine him making sausages.
‘Are you talking to me?’ he said.
‘You will stand up when you address a master,’ said the rosy face.
‘I will?’ Teppic was fascinated. He wondered how this could be achieved. Discipline had not hitherto been a major feature in his life….
‘I will sir,’ said the teacher. He consulted the list in his hand.
‘What is your name, boy?’ he continued.
‘Prince Pteppic of the Old Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Sun,’ said Teppic easily. ‘I appreciate you are ignorant of the etiquette, but you should not call me sir, and you should touch the ground with your forehead when you address me.’
‘Pateppic, is it?’ said the master.
‘No. Pteppic.’
‘Ah, Teppic,’ said the master….He then turned away and homed in on another cowering pupil.
‘He’s not such a bad sort,’ said a voice behind Teppic. ‘Anyway, all the stuff’s in the library. I’ll show you if you like. I’m Chidder.’
Teppic turned. He was being addressed by a boy of about his own age and height…The youth was holding out a hand. Teppic gave it a polite glance.
‘Yes?’ he said.
‘What’s your name, kiddo?’
Teppic drew himself up. He was getting fed up with this treatment. ‘Kiddo? I’ll have you know the blood of Pharaohs runs in my veins!’
The other boy looked at him unabashed, with his head on one side and a faint smile on his face.
‘Would you like it to stay there?’ he said.

I mean, this is fantastic stuff, and utterly worthy of the Wodehouse tradition. So many deft touches – like the casual racism of getting the name wrong, the delicious irony of, “I will?’, and bringing it home with that delightfully understated threat. Also the likeability of the characters, who realistically fit far more in a country house than among murderers in the cruel city – but realism is happily abandoned.

I felt, however, that the book lost its way when the plot, instead of being a vaguely ridiculous and largely ignored framework to paint such agreeable scenes, begins to start driving things. Previously we’d had a tacit agreement with the author that it was absurd, but more and more he seems to want us to take it – of all words – seriously. The action becomes much less engaging when it isn’t important to character and just an occasion intermission between (lovely) dialogue and rumination. And it just gets insulting when we’re supposed to be driven by suspense in a novel where rules of physics are constantly and casually broken.

Seventh in the Discworld fantasy series in which Pratchett pokes fun at whatever he can imagine. The focus in Pyramids is on the rigid adherence to religious worship and custom. Especially when one has forgotten why one follows it. If you want to make sense of the chronology of the whole series or the various subseries, there is a chronological listing of the Discworld books on my website.

In 1989, Pyramids won the British Science Fiction Association Award for Novel. It's original title was The Book of Going Forth.

My Take
This was my least favorite so far of Pratchett's Discworld. Oh, it's funny enough as it pokes fun at that attitude of "me granfa did it and his granfa before him, and if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me". Yet another old custom is that non-compulsory taking of the potion to follow the king into death. Hmmm, what a choice!?

It's an odd progression at the start, as Pratchett swings back and forth in time between Teppic's memories of childhood, his classes, back to his first day at school, and then slipping into his practical exam. Of course, Ptraci has her own schooling memories. Quite vivid ones too that she and the other handmaidens relive from the tattoos on Alonzo's body!
Writers may want to read Pratchett if only for the fabulously unique metaphors!

We get a peek in at Teppic's view of assassins' school. Oh, boy. No assassin apprentice ever takes the stairs. And it does make sense. You will LYAO when you read about the proper way to walk in Djelibeybi. "You turned your torso this way, then you turned your head this, and extended your arms at forty-five degrees…" Well, just imagine one of the pictures from a pyramid of those figures of people walking with their arms just so…

It took awhile before it was revealed (and I caught on to it) just exactly who was the "greatest mathematician in the history of Discworld". Yep, only in Discworld.

Pratchett pokes a lot of fun at business: "padding" the payroll; an ancient look-in at marketing — while all the profit is in those small things, you weren't anyone 'til you did a pyramid; palming products off; and, more.

There's all those little things Pratchett has fun with...the dolphins! Yep, I'll just betcha that's the real reason they save people, lol. Squishi chefs, Teppic channels Moses, the Tsorteans and the Ephebians go a bit nuts with that wooden horse concept, the priest commentator about the sports battle between the gods, reconsidering old clichés, used car salesmen, and, yep, more. Oh, mama! The mummies all get released from their pyramids and are not happy when they learn the truth about the after-life — those lying priests! "Show a bit of backbone. Everyone else is."

Teppicymon is an odd sort of father, and I suspect Pratchett used him as a model for the typical practice of raising up one's children among the nobility. That upbringing certainly didn't prepare Teppic for his godhood. Nor should they have sent Teppic out into the world where he learned them furrin' things about handshakes and choice. Talk about culture clash!? Maybe that is supposed to explain how Teppic spent his first twelve years at home and never picked up on that whole not-touching thing. Just as odd are Arthur's religious practices which require a goat. I get the impression, it's a nightly requirement. Talk about expensive. And messy.

Teppic's comment about "time…just piling up, like snow" was a nice bit of foreshadowing.

I sure would like to know why daddy took that leap off the palace wall. It might be that Dios! He certainly has a fit towards the end when the gods show up, and he insists "they will learn to do as they are instructed!" An attitude that makes much more sense at the end. You'll end up wanting to smack Dios up one side and down the other. I don't know why they've all let him get away with it. I mean, why bother showing up?

More religious questions crop up about daddy who is supposed to be a god, hence Teppic's curiosity about how essential his father was in making the sun come up every day. Makes you wonder why the schools don't teach logic anymore. And the truth about what a pyramid is good for comes out! It also serves to point up how much we forget over the centuries. The fear of change.

The Story
Father has sent young Teppic off to assassins' school to learn a profession and get an all-around education. Well, and the kingdom needs whatever money an assassin can earn. But his father's sudden death forces Teppic to return…and he hasn't a clue as to what a pharaoh should do.

It's tradition that wakes Teppic up to what's wrong in the kingdom — forcing the building of yet another money-sucking pyramid, mad priests, sacred crocodiles, a frustrated ghost, and marching mummies.

And to top it all off, the adolescent pharaoh discovers deceit, betrayal — not to mention a headstrong handmaiden — at the heart of his realm.

Sometimes being a god is no fun at all…

The Characters
Djelibeybi is…
…a small kingdom that has existed for over 7,000 years and serves as a buffer between two much larger countries — Tsort and Ephebe where they know about geometry.
Pteppic "Teppic" is the son and heir of King Teppicymon XXVII, who is also a god. The deceased Artela is Teppic's mother. Ptraci is Teppicymon's favorite handmaiden, his daughter, and Teppic's half-sister. Khuft was the first ruler, a fleeing thief. Grandma Pooney is Queen Far-re-ptah. King Psam-nut-kha is extremely annoyed at Koomi's "foul shades" comment. Aunt Cleph-ptha-re firmly believes in flaying people. Vyrt is the pharaoh's brother-in-law and an assassin.

The religious aspect
Dios is the high priest and First Minister. The ambitious Hoot Koomi is the high priest of Khefin. The gods include the Supreme Gods — Net, Fon, Hast, Set, Bin, Sot, Io, Dhek, and Ptooie; Nesh. Herpetine Triskeles, Sycnope, Silur the Catfish-Headed God, and Orexis-Nupt rule the dead. Hat is the Vultured-Headed God of Unexpected Guests. Nept. Vut the Dog-Headed God of the Evening. And more.

The burial aspect
Master Dil is the master embalmer. Gern is the new apprentice who's in love with Glwenda, the garlic farmer's daughter. Ptaclusp is the architect and jobbing pyramid builder to the nobility; his twin sons, Ptaclusp IIa is obsessed with accounting and saving every little bit while Ptaclusp IIb is fascinated by cosmic engineering. Good thing, since Teppic asks for such a humongous pyramid. Grinjer makes exquisite models. Rthur is a fresco painter.

There's a bit of payroll padding going on in here — on both sides.
Lady Nooni has heard fearful things about the school. Lord Fhem-ptahem. Jahmet is a servant. You Bastard is the camel Teppic and Ptraci leap aboard. Rhumusphut and Ktoffle come for a judgement about an ox.

Tsort
Xeno, he's into the destruct testing of axioms, and Ibid, a known authority on everything but geometry, decorating, and basic logic, are experimenting with arrows and tortoises. Copolymer is the greatest storyteller in history while Iesope tells fables, and Antiphon writes comic plays. Pthagonal is brilliant with geometry. Endos the Listener gets paid for listening. Heme Krona owns Camels-R-Us stables. Young Autocue is the eager volunteer.

Ankh-Morpork is…
…an oozing, aromatic sort of city, and probably the biggest on Discworld.

The Assassin's Guild of Ankh-Morpok…
… trains assassins for legitimate work and where nobody fails the test.
"No killing without payment … and always give a receipt."
Teppic's classmates include Chidder who comes from a trading family and graduates into the family business as a pirate taking feather mattresses and such; Arthur, a Strict Authorized Ormit, is the son of Johan Ludorum, one of the greatest assassins in the history of the Guild; Cheesewright; and, Snoxall. Fliemoe is a fellow student of whom to be wary.

The tough Mericet teaches Strategy and Poison Theory; Grunworth Nivor loves his food, teaches Traps and Deadfalls, and is Teppic's housemaster in Viper House; Kompt de Yoyo teaches Modern Languages and Music; Lady T'malia teaches Political Expediency — if you want to live, do NOT have dinner with her; Dr. Cruces is the head tutor; and, Mrs. Collar took care of Teppic's sex life in the sixth form.

Alfonz is part of the Unnamed's crew. DEATH makes a couple of appearances and at least one time finds him discombobulated.

The Cover and Title
Ooh, the cover is a brilliant red violet with a fleet of black pyramids floating on those violet sands. The premier pyramid is capped with a golden metal and flaring off a fat, spiky lightning bolt. The left edge is bordered in black with some sort of golden scepters(?) sprinkled down it. The author's name and title are in turquoise.

The title is the focus of the story, the Pyramids Teppic would love to get rid of.

The seventh installment of Discworld finds Terry Pratchett giving the reader a glimpse into the Kingdom of Djelibeybi and it's Assassin Guild-trained new king, Teppic. The story revolves various themes such as tradition vs. innovation, belief vs. reality, three-dimensional thinking vs. four-dimensional thinking, and what's the deal with pyramids all with a humorous twist.

The two main characters are Teppic, first a prince training to be an assassin only to become king right after finishing his Guild-training, and his father King Teppicymon XXVII, first the god-king of the Old Kingdom then a ghost watching as his body is prepared for his eternal afterlife. The two face their new situations wanting to change things only to find the Chief Priest Dios standing in the way, only for young Teppic to outdo the Priest by ordering the biggest Pyramid ever for his father to catastrophic results when he along with everyone else learns what pyramids actually do.

Besides the father and son duo who dominate the majority of the point-of-view scenes, other secondary characters have several moments to themselves including the aforementioned Dios. However only Dil the chief embalmer really stood out compared to those who technically might be more "important." Unfortunately what was suppose to be the big joke that was foreshadowed throughout the first half of the book turned out to be a dud when it turned out a camel was the greatest mathematician on the Disc.

Overall the general story arc(s) and the humorous, yet catastrophic, events are a fun read even with less than enjoyable secondary characters and the dud "big joke. Pyramids might be a "one-off" in the Discworld series, but it's a fun book.

I divide this book into three major parts. The first, where Our Narrator takes on an unusual house-sitting job, almost had me giving up and walking off. It felt like nothing built, too much seemed too obvious, a story going nowhere.

Then Olivia showed up. All of a sudden things got interesting. Characters and conflicts emerged, plot moved forward, motivations were revealed and rebutted, a Quest was defined and pursued - you know, all the things that keep you turning the pages.

In the third movement, things seemed to fall apart. I don't mean just the universe, although that was creaking and settling like a house with termites in the foundation. I mean the story. One rabbit after another seemed to leap from the hat, creating a whirl of scenes and characters (or something like characters) that very nearly derailed the story once it had built up a head of steam.

Then, in the end, the good guys win (enough), the innocents are saved. Where needed, the punishment fits the crime amusingly well.

The exciting second movement and the page-long finale made for a better-than-fair yarn. It was the nothing-happens first segment and the anything-can-happen third that put me off.

-- wiredweird

In `Pyramids', master storyteller and satirist takes on the funeral industry, philosophy, and more. Teppic, heir to the throne of Djelibeybi (which bears more than a passing resemblance to ancient Egypt), has just passed his final exam to become a member of the assassin's guild in Ankh-Morpork when his father dies in a bit of madness. He returns home to take on his responsibility, for which he is totally unprepared. Even though he is king and considered a god, he finds he has no say in anything at all; because of the high priest, his is merely a ceremonial position. The story is no mere court intrigue, though; the Djelibeybian custom of building a bigger, more impressive pyramid for each kingly generation's resting spot creates havoc when the new pyramid proves to be so large that it creates a warp in space and time. Teppic, with the aid of a handmaid and Discworld's greatest mathematician (a camel named You Bastard) must put things to rights before Djelibeybi is destroyed by gods who have suddenly manifested on the physical realm and before war breaks out between the countries on either side of where Djelibeybi used to be.

While certainly amusing (the assassin's final exam is particularly good), this isn't one of Pratchett's stronger stories. It's disjointed and a lot of things happen that don't advance the story- the gods becoming physical and apparently witless being one of the worst. The characters aren't as vivid as in most Pratchett stories. Teppic and Ptraci are likable but not compelling. The best characters are the dead king and Dios, the power mad high priest who turns out to be motivated by good. But still, a not so great story by Terry Pratchett is better than a lot of some authors best stories, so it's certainly worth the read.

First off, it's well known that Sir Terry is quite incapable of writing a bad book. This one, however, falls right in the middle of the pack: Perfectly readable, very funny in places, and with some pointed points to make regarding the anti-progressive nature of religion (a recurrent theme of Pratchett's), . . . but still, on the whole, and not to put too fine a point on it, not nearly as engaging as his stories about the Witches or the City Watch.

The setting this time is the long, narrow river-following desert country of Djelibeybi whose principal function is to act as a buffer between two other nations, once minor but now major indeed. Moreover, it's littered with 7,000 years worth of pyramids, all of them flaring off their stored-up energy every night. Teppic is the son and heir of the current pharaoh and, since his father thinks he ought to see something of the world before being locked into the stultifying job of king for the rest of his life, he's spent the past seven years at the Assassin's School in Ankh-Morpork. (Well, it does provide the best education available.) And he does surprisingly well there, but then, just as he has passed his final exam -- and you can imagine what that's like -- his father dies and Teppic is yanked back home. Being an earnest young man and inexperienced, Teppic decides he ought to be a man of the people -- only to discover that that's not what the people want at all. And he discovers that Dios, the High Priest of Djelibeybi, actually runs things to suit himself and will not be denied. There's his late father's pyramid, for instance. Even though he doesn't really approve, and doesn't think his father would have, either (too right he didn't -- and doesn't), Teppic finds himself ordering a pyramid to be built twice as large as the standard model. Ptaclusp, the contractor whose family has been constructing tombs for royals for many centuries and not being paid for it, has his own problems, with one twin son who is an accountant and another who is an innovative architectural engineer. "Innovative" is not an attitude that's well thought of in Djelibeybi. But that huge pyramid is going to be a problem for the entire river valley, because the reason the country has gone on and on for thousands of years without ever changing is that "pyramids are dams in the stream of time." That way, a dying king tucked inside will live forever -- more or less. And what the pyramid releases at night is the time it has accumulated during the day -- provided it isn't too big.

The author's characters, as usual are droll and a lot of fun, especially Ptraci, the luscious handmaiden. "Ptraci didn't just derail the train of thought, she ripped up the rails, burned the stations, and melted the bridges for scrap." And then there's You Bastard, one of the greatest mathematicians on Discworld and deadly with a wad of half-digested cud. Pratchett is also, as always, adroit with the language, dropping original metaphors and similes on almost every page. One old lady is "as tough as a hippo's instep," while another is "as self-centered as a gyroscope." And Teppic's encounter with the Sphinx is almost Monty Python-ish. Still, the narrative seems forced at times -- not something one usually encounters in a Discworld novel. And the first part of the story, about Teppic's experiences with training as a black-clothed assassin, while quite good in itself, has nothing really to do with the rest of the book.

Young Prince Teppic is sent forth by his father, the ruler of the desert kingdom of Djelibeybi, who sends him to Ankh-Morpork to join the Assassin's Guild. Teppic is successful in his studies there, but, seven years later, the death of his father sees him recalled to take up the mantle of pharoah.

Unfortunately for all concerned, Teppic comes home with some strange notions about plumbing and the benefits of feather mattresses, which is not good news to the head priest, Dios, who prides himself on how things are run in the kingdom precisely as they were seven thousand years ago. New ideas are not welcome in the Old Kingdom...

Pyramids (subtitled 'The Book of Going Forth'), the seventh Discworld book, is one of several 'sleeper' hits in the series. Much more attention is lavished on the book preceding it, Wyrd Sisters, for introducing the popular characters of the Witches, whilst the succeeding volume, Guards! Guards!, gets a lot of props for introducing the City Watch and also for being one of the best books in the series. Pyramids by contrast tends to slip beneath the radar, which is a shame as it is a very good book indeed.

It's a stand-alone with not too many continuing story elements, but it works well for that. Rather than simply doing a story about someone with new, radical ideas turning up that the priesthood gets annoyed by, Pratchett throws in some excellent mickey-taking of philosophers and also some nice commentary about SF. Around the time Pyramids came out a lot of 'approachable' SF had been discarded in favour of brain-expanding stories about time travel and non-linear space or something, and Pratchett's constant use of "It's probably quantum!" to explain every single possible plot hole in the novel is a nice bit of satire.

Teppic makes for an engaging protagonist, although he's one of Pratchett's more familiar archetypes (a general do-gooder whose attempts to do good go wrong but he sorts it all out in the end). Dios is one of the series' more interesting protagonists, and the various pyramid-builders and embalmers make for an amusing secondary cast as well. On the minus side, the book's humour is a little bit too obvious in places (there's a few obvious Cleopatra jokes and the employment of mummies for comedic purposes), but there's still a few good belly-laughs in there as well. The theme of the book also seems a bit vague, except that ossification should be avoided by embracing new ideas, which is a bit of a no-brainer.

Pyramids (****) is a solid entry to the Discworld series, funny and entertaining throughout. The book is available now in the UK and USA.

Terry Pratchett's first novel, "The Carpet People", appeared in 1971. "Pyramids" is the seventh novel in his hugely popular Discworld series and was first published in 1989. It's the first - and, to date, only - book to feature Teppic, and is largely set in his home country of Djelibeybi.

As the book opens, Teppic (or Pteppic) is approaching the end of his education at Ankh-Morpork's Guild of Assassins. (The final exam, if failed, tends to be very...<ahem>...final). However, there is more to Teppic than dressing very stylishly and inhuming only for vast amounts of money. With the very recent death of his father, he has also become King Pteppicymon XXVIII of Djelibeybi. Teppic's home country is very obviously based on Egypt : it's two miles wide, one hundred and fifty miles long and runs along the river Djel. It has driven itself bankrupt, having spent seven thousand years building pyramids for its monarchs - invariably on the country's most fertile soil. Having become the first Pharoh to be educated outside Djelibeybi, Teppic finds it difficult to re-adapt to the traditions of his home country. He is technically a God and although he is officially Head of State, it's Dios - the very aged High Priest - who actually runs the country. Teppic isn't entirely impressed about this - he wants to introduce proper plumbing and pillows, for example. However, in spite of the country's debt, he does agree to building a massive pyramid for his late father. (This isn't something his late father - still pottering around as a ghost - isn't too impressed with). The final straw comes when Dios decides to feed Ptraci - the late King's favourite handmaiden - to the crocodiles. Teppic decides to become a little more politically active - and, luckily, he has a helpful education to fall back on.

Like everything else I've read by Pratchett, this is an excellent book. It's easily read, features plenty of likeable characters and there are plenty of laughs. As it's one of Pratchett's stand-alone books, it's a good starting point if you've never read any of the Discworld books before. (In a way, I find that a pity : I'd love to have known what became of Teppic and Ptraci). Definitely recommended !

Teppic is the son of King Teppicymon XXVII, the pharaoh of the ancient Klatch kingdom of Djelibeybi. Young Teppic is sent away to Ankh-Morpork to go to Assassin's School. He is called back to the kingdom immediately after graduation because of the death of his father. He must now ascend the throne, wear the ceremonial gold mask, and commission master architect Ptaclusp to build the massive mother of all pyramids for his father's earthly remains. Being the pharaoh of the dusty old tradition-steeped Kingdom of the Sun is no fun, however. Teppic misses the modern excitement, not to mention the modern plumbing, of Ankh-Morpork. When the pyramid under construction begins to generate enough energy to warp the fabric of time and space, the entire kingdom is displaced from Discworld into an alternate dimension. Teppic, accompanied by his headstrong handmaiden Ptraci and a mathematically inclined camel, is catapulted out of the kingdom. The threesome must find their way back to the kingdom to return it to its place within the dimensions of Discworld, rescuing it from beliefs turned to hellish reality.

This Discworld novel has a different feel from ones that precede it. Once Teppic leaves Ankh-Morpork, almost all traces of Discworld slip away. The reader is immersed in an amalgam of ancient Egypt and Greece, complete with mythology, high priests, deserts, hieroglyphics, and lots of pyramids and mummies. There are no wizards or witches here, and the magic is of an entirely different nature. There are almost no familiar characters, although Death does make a minor appearance. Pratchett uses this unusual setting to explore ideas about religious beliefs and traditions, and the nature of time, space, and reality. This is some pretty heady stuff, but it is given the magic Pratchett touch that entertains the reader while providing a lot of serious food for thought.

Pratchett is in top form as he satirizes Greek philosophy, Zeno's paradox, quantum physics, mythology, pyramid power, and the Trojan wars. His parody of the Riddle of the Sphinx is hilarious, as is an introduction to the questionably honorable ideals of the Assassin's Guild. Although Pratchett avoids chapter breaks, at least this book is divided into four sections to provide you with a few logical stopping points. This will give you several places to catch your breath in a funny and thought-provoking story that is a royal jewel in the scepter of Discworld.

Eileen Rieback

Teppic, prince of a country that closely resembles Ancient Egypt has been sent to Ankh-Morpork to be trained as an assassin. This is a practical education for someone who will one day reign as Pharaoh in the desert kingdom of Djelibeybi.

News of the old Pharaoh's death arrives in Ankh-Morpork via magical phenomena such as vegetation sprouting wherever Teppic steps. He makes his way back to Djelibeybi, filled with new-fangled ideas on how to move his country out of the Millennium of the Pyramid and into the Century of the Fruit Bat.

But the pyramids themselves are formidable enemies to progress. They trap time. Prince Teppic's father is dead, but he is still sentient and horribly aware that he is being turned into a mummy. He has high hopes that his son will end all of this death-worshiping nonsense, but Teppic is guilt-tripped by the high priest into building his father the biggest pyramid of all.

When the young king finally realizes that the mad, old high priest is the real ruler of Djelibeybi, he dons his black assassin's outfit and sets about rescuing beautiful handmaidens, thwarting the sacred crocodiles and their priests, and confronting Djelibeybi's ancient animal-headed gods.

Not bad for a kid who started out by letting the grass grow under his feet.

"Pyramids" is not part of a Discworld miniseries, but stands alone as a satire on religion, ancestor worship, ancient Greek philosophers, mathematicians, piratical merchants (another great career opportunity for a graduate of the Assassins Guild) and anything else Pratchett felt like taking a swing at.

This is ancient Egypt and Classical Greece as seen through the eyes of a mathematical genius who happens to be a camel, a young assassin who happens to be a king, and a mummy who would rather not spend the rest of his afterlife in Discworld's biggest pyramid.

Teppic, prince of a country that closely resembles Ancient Egypt has been sent to Ankh-Morpork to be trained as an assassin. This is a practical education for someone who will one day reign as Pharaoh in the desert kingdom of Djelibeybi.

News of the old Pharaoh's death arrives in Ankh-Morpork via magical phenomena such as vegetation sprouting wherever Teppic steps. He makes his way back to Djelibeybi, filled with new-fangled ideas on how to move his country out of the Millennium of the Pyramid and into the Century of the Fruit Bat.

But the pyramids themselves are formidable enemies to progress. They trap time. Prince Teppic's father is dead, but he is still sentient and horribly aware that he is being turned into a mummy. He has high hopes that his son will end all of this death-worshiping nonsense, but Teppic is guilt-tripped by the high priest into building his father the biggest pyramid of all.

When the young king finally realizes that the mad, old high priest is the real ruler of Djelibeybi, he dons his black assassin's outfit and sets about rescuing beautiful handmaidens, thwarting the sacred crocodiles and their priests, and confronting Djelibeybi's ancient animal-headed gods.

Not bad for a kid who started out by letting the grass grow under his feet.

"Pyramids" is not part of a Discworld miniseries, but stands alone as a satire on religion, ancestor worship, ancient Greek philosophers, mathematicians, piratical merchants (another great career opportunity for a graduate of the Assassins Guild) and anything else Pratchett felt like taking a swing at.

This is ancient Egypt and Classical Greece as seen through the eyes of a mathematical genius who happens to be a camel, a young assassin who happens to be a king, and a mummy who would rather not spend the rest of his afterlife in Discworld's biggest pyramid.

Time to turn a sacred cow into hamburger--Terry Pratchett, having established wizards, witches, and cranky policemen in his famed, kooky "Discworld," turns his attention to ancient Egyptianesque surroudings, here the city of Djelibeybi (say it out loud) and its unfortunate pharaoh.
Teppic is an unusually educated young pharaoh-to-be, the crown prince of Djelibeybi ("Child of the Djel") whose father has a few seagulls in the attic, and overall is a harmless little guy. Teppic heads off to Ankh-Morpork to train to be an Assassin, but comes back home when his dad unexpectedly dies (it's unexpected because the poor guy thought he was a seagull and leaped off). Teppic is a relatively enlightening young man, who doesn't like feeding people to crocodiles, doesn't want to build a pyramid for his dad, isn't comfortable with being a living god, and doesn't relish the idea of marrying a close female relative.
Unfortunately, the high priest (who is clearly insane) is holding the reins and doesn't intend to give them up to an upstart pharaoh. Teppic isn't entirely sure what to do about Dios, but he's sure that Dios's age-old ways are not the best ways. It's the century of the fruitbat, and Djelibeybi should live it that way!
Among Dios's proclaimations is that the old pharaoh (who is hanging around with Death, and who wanted to be sent out to sea rather than sealed in a pyramid) be built a pyramid to end all pyramids. Enter some slightly deranged architects, who do their darndest to make it so. The problem is, the bigger the pyramid, the more likely it is to distort space-time � and this one proceeds to mess up the fabric of all Djelibeybi. Soon Dios is siccing the guards on Teppic and rebellious handmaiden Ptraci, the gods have come to life and refuse to behave � and over a thousand mummies are lurching out into Djelibeybi from their pyramids.
Terry Pratchett is at his best when he takes accepted history/events/fantasy and twists them into hilarity. He takes the most absurd aspects of Egyptian culture and makes them into the bizarre land of Djelibeybi. Not even the Egyptian gods are free from Pratchett's spoofery, running around creating havoc--not to mention the enormous dung beetle carrying the sun.
The teenage hero Teppic is an innocent bystander who just happens to be the sole legitimate heir of the old king, and his bewilderment at the various customs and traditions (which all date back centuries) is perfectly done. Ptraci is a typical Pratchett gal -- strong, independent, intelligent, and takes no guff from anyone, revealing handmaiden costume or none. The old king is also an enjoyable character, harmlessly nuts when he was alive, and when he died he ended up on a guided tour watching his own embalming (the poor guy has to watch his own organs being extracted, when all he wanted was to be sent out to sea), thus proving that Death is very willing to be nice. Accompanying them are Dios, the insane high priest who spends centuries controlling pharaohs, a bunch of freaked-out architects, a super-intelligent camel called "You B*******", and a lot of deceased pharaohs (whose dialogue is priceless).
This book, like many of Pratchett's, is acceptable for kids as there is minimal profanity, no sex, and not really any violence. Teens may identify with Teppic and Ptraci, but they are excellent characters to be read about for any age group.
One of Pratchett's best novels. Also recommended are "Jingo," "The Truth," and so forth...

Despite not featuring Unseen University or the witches of the Ramtop Mountains, this is my favorite Discworld book.
After hinting at it in "Wyrd Sisters," Pratchett paints an engaging portrait of life in the Ankh-Morporkk Assassin's Guild. The suave, stylish, chic and, well, murderous life as an apprentice assassin is, against all logic, made sort of appealing and cool, like an academy for future James Bonds.
Then our protagonist, Teppic, is cruelly jerked back to his reality -- he's the son of the pharoah in the Kingdom of the Sun, and his father has just died. The cosmopolitan Teppic has to face what are, to him, backwards and outdated customs the rest of the world has left behind centuries ago. He's right, of course, and the mystery as to what's really happening in his kingdom spins out at Teppic tries to adapt himself to life as pharoah, and try to drag the kingdom into modern times.
Along the way, there is the ghost of his father, who mournfully watches his own body being prepared for the afterworld, a sassy handmaiden, and a mysterious and forbidding high priest. Toss in the greatest mathematician on Discworld -- not a biped, though -- a parody of Ancient Greece, and a graduate assassin turned pirate, and you've got a rollicking cast plunging towards a very local sort of doomsday.
The ending is a touch ambiguous for my tastes -- Pratchett was trying to use a light touch and went a touch TOO light for my tastes -- but overall, this is an engaging, amusing and even somewhat thoughtful Discworld novel, and one that stands alone even better than most.
By the order of the pharoah, this is strongly recommended.

I've decided he's too good and too prolific for me to write a brand new review every single time I read one of his books. Discworld currently has 34 titles and every one of them will probably knock your socks off. His mind bubbles and flashes like a boiling pot of electric eels, and I simply can't get enough of his writing.

A reviewer has compared him to Geoffrey Chaucer. He reminds me more of Douglas Adams, or perhaps S Morgenstern. Great company, isn't it? He's an extremely skillful and imaginative writer, damn funny, clever and observant to boot. He's also very easy to read. A master of characterization, and if there's anything else you like about reading that I didn't mention here, assume I simply forgot. He's awesome.

Another reviewer mentioned Jonathan Swift and PG Wodehouse. Why such hallowed company? Because Pratchett belongs there! Truly, I'm enjoying my quest to read every book in the series. You should do the same, and begin your quest at the library because he's got to be there. He's awesome!

Yet another reviewer said Jerome K Jerome meets Lord of the Rings. Yeah, that works too.

Why do we, as reviewers, compare authors to other authors? Because it's easier than thinking. In the case of Terry Pratchett, it's probably because we'd otherwise wind up quoting the guy. He's so unique that we just don't know how else to cope with his greatness. Even this paragraph sounds like foamy drool raving, doesn't it? That's how all readers react to Pratchett. Reviewers simply don't have the good sense to keep it to themselves.

I could call his writing fantasy, but I could likewise call what Douglas Adams wrote science fiction. In both cases, I wouldn't be wrong, but I'd be neglecting so much and just totally missing the point. A rare few authors transcend a genre to such a degree that you know they're shouting out, loud and proud, a big fat "Bite me!"

I love Terry Pratchett's writing, and I completely understand why some folks refer to him as their favorite author. Or favourite, I should say, since we're being British. He's one of those authors that makes you want to grab whoever's in hearing range and start reading passages aloud. I'm simply thrilled that there's such an extremely talented and prolific author who's been working for years without me being aware of him. Now I have much catching up to do, and I will love it.

It is obvious from reading other reviews that readers of Terry Pratchett each have their own particular favourites, and these can vary wildly. `Pyramids' was the first of his books that I read and even though I have now read most of them it remains, in my opinion, one of the best. What did I like about it? Well, the concept of a king who was actually trained to be an assassin (rather than one who took on the role to get there) was a good start. A kingdom called Djelibeybi (you have to say it aloud) that remarkably resembles Egypt, but skewed in the way that only Pratchett's Discworld series can, was also clever. Add to that swipes at pyramidology, the way some of religions followers abuse the power they get from it, and a teenage hero concerned about all the normal things that teenagers are concerned about, and you get a funny book. Perhaps my favourite bit is that camels are the smartest creatures on the disc (maybe you have to have met some camels to really understand that). If you are a fan of Terry Pratchett, there is a fair chance you will like this book. If you've never read him before, buy `Pyramids' and prepare to laugh.

You never know for sure how you are going to respond to a book before you actually read it. I recently read two more books in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, WYRD SISTERS and PYRAMIDS. (I had previously read about a third of the Discworld books, but I'm currently reading all of them in order of publication.) I had imagined that I was going to love WYRD SISTERS, knowing that it was filled with Shakespearean references, and imagined that I was going to dislike PYRAMIDS, since I am pretty uninterested in Egyptian mythology and religion. And given that the novel was set in an area of the Discworld in which we were not likely to encounter any of I was wrong. I enjoyed WYRD SISTERS well enough, but I didn't love it like I expected. But I absolutely adored PYRAMIDS. The novel is nothing short of absolutely hysterical, with Pratchett's inventiveness hitting on all cylinders, with one deliciously absurd character after another. The scenes where Dios exerts complete control over the actions of Teppic are among the finest Pratchett has produced, while the delightful beast known as You Bastard are among my favorite creatures in the entire Disc. The scenes in which Teppeic and Dios exchange words are unfailingly delightful. But I may prefer ever more the moments in which we learn that camels are the most brilliant creatures on the Disc and that they are oblivious to others because they are perpetually engaged in working out problems in higher mathematics. The book also has a brilliant encounter between Teppic and the Sphinx, with some typical Pratchettian twists on the tale.

I didn't actually dislike WYRD SISTERS. The problem was more that I have never really been drawn to the witches to begin with. Just a matter of taste. I did enjoy the references to Shakespeare. Have the joy of Pratchett is getting his various cultural allusions. For instance, any Gene Wolfe fan will love the title of Part Three of PYRAMIDS, "The Book of the New Son." But it isn't enough merely to have references to Shakespeare; the allusions must stand up on their own, and my own feeling was that the Shakespearean elements in the book were the weakest part of the book.

So here is the paradox: I thought I was going to love WYRD SISTERS and dislike PYRAMIDS, whereas PYRAMIDS is my favorite of the first seven books in the series while WYRD SISTERS is my least favorite. Just shows to go that you need to read books before knowing whether or not you will like them.

First of all, I loved this novel. Teppic is a great guy who grows up as we read. The very name of Teppic's country, Djelibeybi, made me giggle, and the final exam in the Assassins' School had me at the edge of my chair until Teppic -- whew! -- makes the right decision. It's fun to look for the sources of Pratchett's plots (and satires). Did anyone else notice the similarities between this one and the first two of the Gormenghast trilogy? Not just Daddy's becoming a bird, but the dark ambience, Teppic's strange rivals and relatives, and the liberating finale. This book isn't my absolute favorite of Pratchett's (those accolades are reserved for the Watch novels and REAPER MAN), but it's a far cut above the Rincewind tales -- and better than the Gormenghast novels, since it examines all problems, including the hilarious ones, that trouble the inheritor of vast inbred territories.

and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

On earth this passage from Genesis describes the Tower of Babel. But on Discworld it just may describe the proud towers (pyramids actually) built by the people (slaves actually) of Djelibeybi in Terry Pratchett's seventh Discworld book, Pyramids. Pyramids is an excellent addition to the Discworld series and, like just about every other volume in the series is both hilariously funny and thought provoking.

Teppic is the heir to the throne of Djelibeybi. For each generation going back as far as anyone can remember the new king, upon the death of his father, builds a pyramid that will serve both as his tomb and an eternal monument. This would be fine but for the fact that each succeeding generation is expected to build a monument that is greater than the last. This keep Djelibeybi locked in a perpetual financial crisis and has caused each succeeding ruler (Pharaoh) to lead a life that is overly regimented to the point of insanity, or at the very least officious inanity.

Teppic's father, Teppicymon XXVII, seems to want a bit more from his son then a life of idleness sitting on the throne and when the story opens we find Teppic going off to `college' in this instance the famed school run by the Guild of Assasins on Ankh-Morpork. No sooneer does Teppic pass his Assasin's exit examination (a typical Pratchett tour de `farce') then his father dies and Teppic is called back to assume the throne.

Teppic chafes at the constraints put upon him and his life by Dios, the nation's chief holy man and enforcement officer. Dios is the type of horrifically evil bureaucrat who, smitten with a bit of power, tends to be the person you must deal with at the Department of Motor Vehicles or at the bank or at the office who's biggest skill is the ability to say `NO!!!' in an infinite number of ways. The rest of the story follows Teppic's adventures as the power of the new pyramid built to honor his father causes havoc with the time-space continuum and which in turn threatens to engulf the region in a disastrous war.

Pyramids is the 7th in the Discworld series. It is far enough along in the series for the reader to see Pratchett really hitting his stride. You can see the beginning of themes that he develops with great success in later volumes, particularly in his masterful Small Gods. Pratchett's treatment of the Ephebian philosophers is hilarious. As portrated by Pratchett these neo-Athenian philosophers would fit in perfectly with those Australian philosophers named Bruce made famous by Monty Python. The presence of mathematically inclined, nasty-tempered camels was also drawn to great effect. I'll never see another camel again without wondering whether it is performing advanced calculus.

Devoted fans of Terry Pratchett are likely to have read Pyramids already. However, for newcomers to Pratchett this is probably not the best place to start. I think in order to appreciate Pyramids to the fullest it is probably advisable to read at least one or two earlier Discworld stories (Color of Magic or Light Fantastic would probably be best) before getting to Pyramids. Needless to say, as someone who was made his way through about two thirds of the Discworld books, it is well worth the time and effort to get invested in the entire series.

As a relatively new fan of Terry Pratchett and his Discworld series, I was so impressed by what he wrote so far I started to believe that everything from the series will be brilliant and excellent. Therefore, despite the fact other books sounded better, I picked "Pyramids" at random. And also because
... All I can say is, even the best writers can make mistakes now and then - and that I will be more careful next time.

About the book: Pyramids is set in Djelibeibey, which is the Discworld equivalent of Ancient Egypt. The main character is Teppic, the son of the Pharaoh who gets sent to Assassin's school in Ankh-Morpork for a few years, only to come back exactly when his father dies and he becomes the new Pharoah of the kingdom. The plot gets complicated by the building of a pyramid which is bigger than any pyramid which has ever been built in the kingdom. This pyramid somehow twists the rules of space, time and belief to create a big mess.

Does this sound a big vague? To me it does - and the story feels confused and vague to the end. Many plot lines aren't fully explored, many characters aren't fully developed.. the plot is very thin, it feels as if it leads nowhere. Even the jokes in the book weren't as witty as the other Discworld novels I have read. It's a pity since the premise has a lot of potential, and Teppic is cool as the main character.

What can I say, I guess Pratchett is human after all, even great authors can do less than perfect every now and then. Was I disappointed? Yes. Will I continue to read more Pratchett novels? You bet! I guess I would recommend this book only to people who are absolutely die hard fans of Discworld.. for anybody else I would say, Skip this one.

Teppic, who has just finished his training at the Assasins' Guild in Ankh-Morpork is called back to his home kingdom, because he is the only heir to the throne of his late father. Waiting for him back at home are numerous problems -- building a pyramid bigger than any other for his father, dealing with a high priest that just doesn't seem to listen to him, etc. The cast is very, very interesting, and is what pretty much makes the book. There's your 1000-year old high priest, a camel that's also the greatest mathematician on Earth, a sea trader whose business is about 30% legal, a handmaiden (what does that mean, anyway?), a whole lot of architects, and of course the new pharaoh, Teppic. This is the book's first release in the United States, so I've been waiting for it for a long time, and I'm not disappointed. I'm sure you won't be, either.

I'm late to the party, but have finally read and finished a book that is totally by Terry Pratchett. It was enjoyable--sort of a Douglas Adams lite. I think one of the reasons it feels toned down is that everything in DiscWorld seems to be an analogue for something in our world. (I'm not entirely certain why the Egypt analogue was named after a Jelly Baby.) That gives things a little distance. With the HitchHiker books, Arthur was very firmly rooted in the banality of our own familiar world, and served as a more effective foil for the wacky folks he met.

I mean it, Pteppic is one of the best (and that is saying a lot). For Discworld readers, it gives a new inside view to the Assassassassin's guild (never could figure out how to stop spelling that), along with an introduction to the land of Djel. Death is in here, for all the fans, and a new cast of characters comes into the scene. The only bad part about this book is the fact that, so far, Prattchet hasn't re-used any of these characters in other books. For newbies to the land of Discworld, it isn't the best starter book; it has a lot of jokes that you wouldn't understand and references to other books. Still, it is my favorite book in the Discworld series.

Pyramids
A funny story set up in discworld Egypt, where the king is also god for real, and traditions has rule everything, some funny moments.

Spoilers

I kind of suspected the priest called dios was up to something with him ruling the kingdom and having the kings being puppets. Liked how at the end the Ptraci becomes King and we don’t know if at the end she managed to keep Teppic

Got halfway through it before I put it down...yes, it was that annoying.

Here Pratchett was satirizing Egypt and religion, especially ritual magic and the cult of personality. It got too over-the-top and predictable...same ol' gags as always.

Only for discworld fanboys.

1 out of 5 stars.

Teppic, only legitimate son of the king of an impoverished kingdom, is sent to an assassins' school for his training. Students who fail disappear. When called back to take the throne, he finds himself contending with the chief priest. Mysterious pyramids, a runaway handmaiden, an educated camel, and a friend from school all add to the complications leading to an interesting climax. There are some digressions in the story, easy to skim over, and it skips from character to character and is written with some flashbacks necessary to explain the plot. Overall, it is an interesting story.

Pyramids revolves within Prachett's representation of a very British, albeit magical, Egypt. Pratchett has some fun playing with classes, and the expectations and confinements imposed on all classes (especially royals, in this case). He also takes many amusing pokes at polytheism. A camel, going by the name of You Bastard, provides the rest of the hilarity expected (and delivered) with Pratchett's Discworld books.

Unfortunately, the final sections of Pyramids are disappointing, failing to make much sense or be very funny. Of the nine Discworld books I've read (the first 8--Pyramids being the 7th--plus Going Postal), Pyramids is on par with Sourcery as being the least of the lot. Not that this is hugely negative, as Pratchett's least is still very good. But with 30-some Discworld books available, this one's recommended only for the most serious of Pratchett fans.

This is the 7th in Pratchett's Discworld series. Essentially, it stands on its own (like "Equal Rites," "Pyramids," "Moving Pictures," "Small Gods," "The Truth," and "Monstrous Regiment"). Outside of a general knowledge of the Discworld, you don't need to have read any of the earlier books and, since none of the characters or events are ever referenced in any other Discworld books, you won't miss anything if you skip it. However, since it's such a good book, I wouldn't recommend that. It's not one of the greats of the Discworld series. But, it's still very enjoyable and entertaining to read. I rate it at 4 stars out of 5.

A young prince from the kingdom of Djelibeybi is sent off to Ankh-Morpork for training at the guild of Assassins. His final exam is vividly imagined and well-told. But just after graduation his father the eccentric pharaoh of the realm, considered a god, dies, and young Teppic must return to ascend to the throne. His father's ghost gets to hang around and watch himself get mummified, and Djelibeybi begins building its biggest pyramid yet. In this book Pratchett throws in an awful lot of funny detail in: we get a send-up of Zeno and his paradox, a mockery of the whole notion of "pyramid power" (subject of many silly pseudo-science books that I remember from my childhood), and a nasty but mathematically inclined camel... in other words, a whole lot of bits and pieces with "Laugh! This is funny!" stamped on them... but they aren't, and I didn't. Teppic is never developed further as a character; although as the new pharaoh himself, he finds his orders constantly reinterpreted by his high priest. This makes for good satire of Egyptian government but results in a situation where nothing Teppic says or does really seems to matter. Teppic's love interest, Ptraci, is even less interesting; she is described as a voluptuous handmaiden schooled in the exotic arts of love, and scented with intoxicating perfumes. But rather than give her anything interesting to say or do, Pratchett simply takes her off-stage for most of the book, and focuses instead on nerdy quantum instabilities, reanimated mummies, a parody of the Trojan Wars, the Sphinx, the internal squabbles of the high priests, a bevy of bizarre gods, and a mishmash of other distracting details. Erotica is not Pratchett's style, and I wasn't expecting a real X-rated Kama Sutra send-up, but we don't get even a budding romance or a love-hate relationship; instead, we get a disappointing plot twist that effectively neuters the characters. Although I admire some of Pratchett's big ideas in this book about Egyptian culture's obsession with death and time, and found the story of Teppic's assassin's guild examination to be fun reading, the book ultimately becomes quite dull and hard to finish. This is a shame, because there is a the seed of a very good Discworld novel about Teppic the Reluctant Assassin buried in here, and that would have been much more fun to read. For a far better Discworld standalone read _The Truth_ instead.

The first part of this book revolves around the idea of an "assassin's guild". This is undoubtedly the wittiest and most original part, unfortunately it is also the briefest. Pratchett is unable, or unwilling, to continue in this vein and instead tacks a great wad of stodge on to this promising introduction. Whilst this manages to pad it out to a reasonable length to be published, it also makes it profoundly wearisome. Obviously however it is this tripe, more concerned with its own twisted logic than with being amusing, which Pratchett considers to be the most important part. This is evident from the reworking he gives most of these ideas in "Small Gods", and by inflating the size of this book he manages to make the same old themes more turgid than ever before. If you value your sanity then stop at p68, progress beyond this point at your own peril.

Having had a big interest in ancient egyptian mythology and religion, I found this to be a wonderful laugh at it all.
I was disappointed to find that Teppic doesn't show up in any other novels as he really is a hoot to read about and You Bastard was an unexpected character I just had to love, despite his math-thinking ways.

A hiliarious tale of a young man trying to rule his desert kingdom after his father's death. It's tough to describe it better than that: this is a book in a TRUE Pratchett style of taking a general plot and filling it with absolutely wacky humor. Sort of the same way you can only describe A Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy as "The story of the sole survivor of Earth's destruction as he travels about the universe...."
Simple summary: BUY IT.

Pyramids revolves within Prachett's representation of a very British, albeit magical, Egypt. Pratchett has some fun playing with classes, and the expectations and confinements imposed on all classes (especially royals, in this case). He also takes many amusing pokes at polytheism. A camel, going by the name of You Bastard, provides the rest of the hilarity expected (and delivered) with Pratchett's Discworld books.

Unfortunately, the final sections of Pyramids are disappointing, failing to make much sense or be very funny. Of the nine Discworld books I've read (the first 8--Pyramids being the 7th--plus Going Postal), Pyramids is on par with Sourcery as being the least of the lot. Not that this is hugely negative, as Pratchett's least is still very good. But with 30-some Discworld books available, this one's recommended only for the most serious of Pratchett fans.

This is the 7th in Pratchett's Discworld series. Essentially, it stands on its own (like "Equal Rites," "Pyramids," "Moving Pictures," "Small Gods," "The Truth," and "Monstrous Regiment"). Outside of a general knowledge of the Discworld, you don't need to have read any of the earlier books and, since none of the characters or events are ever referenced in any other Discworld books, you won't miss anything if you skip it. However, since it's such a good book, I wouldn't recommend that. It's not one of the greats of the Discworld series. But, it's still very enjoyable and entertaining to read. I rate it at 4 stars out of 5.

A young prince from the kingdom of Djelibeybi is sent off to Ankh-Morpork for training at the guild of Assassins. His final exam is vividly imagined and well-told. But just after graduation his father the eccentric pharaoh of the realm, considered a god, dies, and young Teppic must return to ascend to the throne. His father's ghost gets to hang around and watch himself get mummified, and Djelibeybi begins building its biggest pyramid yet. In this book Pratchett throws in an awful lot of funny detail in: we get a send-up of Zeno and his paradox, a mockery of the whole notion of "pyramid power" (subject of many silly pseudo-science books that I remember from my childhood), and a nasty but mathematically inclined camel... in other words, a whole lot of bits and pieces with "Laugh! This is funny!" stamped on them... but they aren't, and I didn't. Teppic is never developed further as a character; although as the new pharaoh himself, he finds his orders constantly reinterpreted by his high priest. This makes for good satire of Egyptian government but results in a situation where nothing Teppic says or does really seems to matter. Teppic's love interest, Ptraci, is even less interesting; she is described as a voluptuous handmaiden schooled in the exotic arts of love, and scented with intoxicating perfumes. But rather than give her anything interesting to say or do, Pratchett simply takes her off-stage for most of the book, and focuses instead on nerdy quantum instabilities, reanimated mummies, a parody of the Trojan Wars, the Sphinx, the internal squabbles of the high priests, a bevy of bizarre gods, and a mishmash of other distracting details. Erotica is not Pratchett's style, and I wasn't expecting a real X-rated Kama Sutra send-up, but we don't get even a budding romance or a love-hate relationship; instead, we get a disappointing plot twist that effectively neuters the characters. Although I admire some of Pratchett's big ideas in this book about Egyptian culture's obsession with death and time, and found the story of Teppic's assassin's guild examination to be fun reading, the book ultimately becomes quite dull and hard to finish. This is a shame, because there is a the seed of a very good Discworld novel about Teppic the Reluctant Assassin buried in here, and that would have been much more fun to read. For a far better Discworld standalone read _The Truth_ instead.

The first part of this book revolves around the idea of an "assassin's guild". This is undoubtedly the wittiest and most original part, unfortunately it is also the briefest. Pratchett is unable, or unwilling, to continue in this vein and instead tacks a great wad of stodge on to this promising introduction. Whilst this manages to pad it out to a reasonable length to be published, it also makes it profoundly wearisome. Obviously however it is this tripe, more concerned with its own twisted logic than with being amusing, which Pratchett considers to be the most important part. This is evident from the reworking he gives most of these ideas in "Small Gods", and by inflating the size of this book he manages to make the same old themes more turgid than ever before. If you value your sanity then stop at p68, progress beyond this point at your own peril.

Having had a big interest in ancient egyptian mythology and religion, I found this to be a wonderful laugh at it all.
I was disappointed to find that Teppic doesn't show up in any other novels as he really is a hoot to read about and You Bastard was an unexpected character I just had to love, despite his math-thinking ways.

Fact; if you know nothing about Egypt, the pyramids, Pharoahs and Mummies this book will disappoint you.

Fact; if you are a fan of TP then the more you now about the afore mentioned subjects the better this book will be for you.

This may be one of the books that TP had to do the most research for as every page is a delight, there are twists, commentaries, and ironies aplenty, and the beauty is that everything is based upon theories, facts and history that make all of these things even funnier, and more thought provoking.

Recommendation; dig out a book on the seven wonders of the world, read up on the pyramids, and then read this book; it will seem all the better for doing the initial research.

A hiliarious tale of a young man trying to rule his desert kingdom after his father's death. It's tough to describe it better than that: this is a book in a TRUE Pratchett style of taking a general plot and filling it with absolutely wacky humor. Sort of the same way you can only describe A Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy as "The story of the sole survivor of Earth's destruction as he travels about the universe...."
Simple summary: BUY IT.

I don't claim that this one is the rollicking, laughter filled ride of most of the previous books (particularly WYRD SISTERS) but, for sheer inventiveness and looney logic, this has claimed its current spot in my head and heart as King of the Hill as far as Discworld novels are concerned. However, I am reading or re-reading the series in order published, so it will likely change. Camels. Who would've thought? Highest recommendations.

I just finished the seventh Discworld and I realized the best thing about immersing yourself in the funny world of Terry Pratchett's is that it lets you escape the problems of the real world for awhile. Go ahead, sail away.

I really like all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld (fantasy) books, including this one. You will best enjoy reading them in the order published, but they're good on their own. They have a unique, fey humor: I expect you will like all or none, so if they're new to you, get just one to begin with.

Pyramids has become my favorite Discworld book to date. The references to real world ancient Egypt and Greece paired with Pratchett's signature British humour literally made me laugh out loud. I almost drove off the road during the sphinx scene.

I listened to the audio version and Nigel Planer is amazing as always. I can't imagine reading the books without him.

This is another great one by Terry Pratchett. With a different set of characters, but still set in DiscWorld he spins up an intriguing tale of assassination, mythology, and occult religion with his own satirical spin on the role of a political advisor. Terry Pratchett is the sci-fi/poli sci cheap paperback writer of the 20th century. If you want a cheap, easy read that will make you laugh out loud because of how preposterous and similar to the real world his stories are, this is a great place to start.

Every once in a while there appears a book in Pratchett's generally excellent series that really doesn't quite fit in; a book that, through setting or plot, just doesn't possess the quality usually found in the series. Pyramids is one of those outliers. This book has the weakest of connections to Discworld as a whole. Taking place in Discworld's version of Egypt, this one is populated by characters you're unlikely to meet again in the series and if the hero, Teppic, hadn't been educated at the Assassin's Guild, this could have been a separate fantasy novel for all it had to do with Discworld. The nature of the Egyptian belief in the pharaoh as god, is examined here; I'm really not sure for what purpose. It seems with this one, the idea and the execution both came up short. Although there are silly bits about the nature of the afterlife, with mummies staggering around, and the power of pyramids makes for an equally funny commentary on some new age beliefs, the overall effect of this one is fleeting, making it one of the weaker Discworld books.

This book was my introduction to the Discworld and I'm now very scared. If camels are the greatest mathematicians in the world and grown men chase turtles with arrows, how is it that 2b or not 2b is the question? I'd much rather ask: What's that handmaiden's phone number?
'Pyramids' is an exercise in humour and fantasy that will leave you and your imagination reeling.

Teppic has become pharaoh, but doesn?t know what he has to do. So for his dead father, he builds the biggest pyramid that he can make. But the power of the pyramids are errupting and choas and gods shall be let loose. A story full of crocodiles, gods, philosophers, knifes and mummies.

One of my least favorite. It was way to flat. It felt like it was written in a day really fast so another book could be made. It was also a little boring in some parts.

But I still loved the Teppic, he is fun and cool. I loved the philosophers and the crazy political guards. The book was hilariouse. So I guess it really should be a 3 and a HALF. I also loved the ideas.

If Terry Pratchett had only put a little bit more depth into the book, it could have been one of the best.

One of his better parodies. I guess I find the math humor phunny too, what with the sons of the pyramid builder having to develop calculus so that he could pay the wages in more than three dimensions.... And I will never look at a camel in the same way again. My boys and husband just split a gut laughing over the plot of this one.

OK, so Pterry Pratchett can even make Egyptology and the mystery of the pyramids hilarious. Loved the bit where Teppic and Ptracy and the algebraic camel get caught in the crack between dimensions. Who knew camels could be so deep?

- C.A. Wulff, author of Born Without a Tail

This was the first of the Discworld series that I read, it was recommended to me by a friend and was her favorite of the series. I did like the book, but I found it a little hard to understand, but I think that if I would have read the Discworld books in order, I would understand it more. So when I get the time, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books!!!

Pyramids is almost a complete standalone discworld book, with just small references here and there to the occasional other person.

This is his take on the whole Egypt and pyramid worship and the whole thing about the shape and construction of pyramids doing weird things with preservation and time.

I was introduced to the Pratchett books while on a tour of Wales in 2006 and told to begin with "Pyramids." I bought it, loved it, and subsequently bought the audio version -- again enchanting. My favorite character is the mathematical-genius camel.

Pyramids has become my favorite Discworld book to date. The references to real world ancient Egypt and Greece paired with Pratchett's signature British humour literally made me laugh out loud. I almost drove off the road during the sphinx scene.

I listened to the audio version and Nigel Planer is amazing as always. I can't imagine reading the books without him.

I enjoy both the subtle and the in-your-face irony of Mr. Pratchett's writings. This one was not an exception! The "religion" aspect of the plot (how people respond to religious or "religious" concepts) was quite funny and a bit thought-provoking...

This is a very funny diskworld novel, and if you're a fan of Terry Pratchett like I am, you don't want to miss it. It has a new main character who "matures" in the story. It takes place initially in Ankh-Morpork, but then moves to Diskworld's equivalent of Egypt. The scenes with the "World's Greatest Mathematician", a camel with a hilarious name, had me laughing out loud.

Fact; if you know nothing about Egypt, the pyramids, Pharoahs and Mummies this book will disappoint you.

Fact; if you are a fan of TP then the more you now about the afore mentioned subjects the better this book will be for you.

This may be one of the books that TP had to do the most research for as every page is a delight, there are twists, commentaries, and ironies aplenty, and the beauty is that everything is based upon theories, facts and history that make all of these things even funnier, and more thought provoking.

Recommendation; dig out a book on the seven wonders of the world, read up on the pyramids, and then read this book; it will seem all the better for doing the initial research.