Pyramids was such a pleasant surprise. As I continue my first ever Discworld read through in publication order, I arrived at this seventh entry with the general sense that it was an overlooked stand alone adventure, sandwiched between Wyrd Sisters and Guards! Guards!, both of which are commonly cited as top tier Discworld entry points. I would argue that Pyramids is as good a place to start as any.
It shares a lot of thematic DNA with its predecessors. In many of these early Discworld books (Equal Rites, Mort, Sourcery, Wyrd Sisters), Pratchett seems interested in exploring young protagonists upending a rigid status quo embodied by aged, incompetent bureaucrats and politicians. The young pharaoh Teppic and the controlling priest Dios are the best embodiments of that dynamic yet.
Pratchett’s commentary on the ways religions, philosophies, and political systems can calcify is sharp and deeply reflective of contemporary dynamics, where elder statesmen cling to power and uphold the status quo to the point of utter absurdity. Through the kingdom of Djelibeybi, its tradition of pyramid construction, and Dios’s entire being, Pratchett illustrates how doing the same thing over and over can lead to literal insanity. There are many clever zingers on this theme throughout the book, but my personal favorite is: “People needed to believe in gods, if only because it was so hard to believe in people.”
Pyramids is also incredibly funny. I laughed out loud more while reading this book than with any other so far, except perhaps Mort. Everything about You Bastard the camel is pure comedy gold, and the footnotes are incredible, especially those summarizing the founding myths of Ankh Morpork that riff on the tales of Romulus and Remus and Noah’s Ark.
The book’s biggest flaw is its plot and pacing. I cared very little for the storyline about the pyramids warping dimensions and time, and Pratchett’s books tend to lose my attention when the characters, cultural commentary, and world building take a back seat to generic world ending threats. This one was not as flat as some others, but after The Light Fantastic, Equal Rites, Mort, and Sourcery, I am ready for a change. My understanding is that dimensional shenanigans should be minimal going forward.
Pyramids is by no means a perfect book, but it is charming, very funny, and undeniably clever. It is commonly said among Discworld fans that there is at least one book in the series for everyone, and Pyramids felt like the first one that fully catered to my interests in history, mythology, and politics. It is not my favorite necessarily, but I would absolutely recommend it as a great entry point.
Long live You Bastard.
The Once and Future Lit 