Reviews - Pyramids | The StoryGraph

1.92k reviews for:

Pyramids

Terry Pratchett

3.81 AVERAGE

dpj's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

streetmuseums's review against another edition

4.0

funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

robotswithpersonality's review against another edition

3.0

A reread that happened mostly because I couldn't remember much of what happened, and it's no longer a mystery as to why it was forgettable. There's some commentary, primarily the danger of being confined to tradition for systems of government and culture and religion. There's an interesting journey with the high priest, but it's odd upon reflection to realize the more intriguing story might have been the side character/pseudo-villain, and the reveal leaves me wanting to read a book that doesn't exist. It's probably my Ankh-Morkpork bias, but I believe the story is strongest in the first third, with Pteppic's youth in the big city, an insight into the Assassin school and his classmates. I can't tell if Pratchett is just more fluent in writing in that corner of his Discworld or my affection for the urban sprawl and all its particular characters makes me want to stay with a narrative there, instead of retiring to an Egypt equivalent. I've got nothing but love for Pratchett's turn-of-phrase-into-word-pun pipeline, but it does feel like his earlier books show a disproportionate focus on setting up the puns versus moving the plot or characterization forward.
The character of Ptraci feels indicative of the wobbly feminist takes happening in the late 80s, objectified and empowered by turns.
There's one remark that might have been simply leaning on stereotypes at one time, but comes off as casually racist in 2025, if it was supposed to draw attention to an unfair generalization, it did not pull it off.
I'm happy the ancestors got some say in their destinies, but it left me obscurely sad about all those who live and die in cultures without recognizing their lack of choice, or perhaps really living.
You Bastard is an interesting concept/plot device, but again, as much as I can sympathize with a misanthropic creature (if not it's mathematical ability), the casual cruelty that seems showcased in how the life of camels was described was more upsetting than dryly cynical to me.
For the many things that must have gone into shifting Pratchett's writing from a story like this to what produced my all time faves in the Discworld universe, I am grateful.

mynameisstu's review against another edition

5.0

Really cool to go back to the early days of Discworld and see Sir Terry playing with ideas that he went on to explore in much greater depth in future books. Two examples: the power of belief & changing the flow of time.