FAUST ERIC

Reviewed by Steven H Silver

Faust Eric has a special place in the pantheon of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. Originally written as a heavily illustrated book, it has mostly been reprinted without the Josh Kirby illustrations that accompanied the original text. The ninth Discworld book overall and the fourth to follow the misadventures of Pratchett's cowardly wizard Rincewind, as the original rendering of the title indicates, the novel is a retelling of the legend of Johann Georg Faust. While Faust made a deal with Mephistopheles in return for Faust's soul, Pratchett's version takes a different tack.

Eric Thursley is a thirteen year old demonologist living in Pseudopolis when he succeeds, or thinks he succeeds, in summoning a demon from the Dungeon Dimensions. In reality, he has summoned Rincewind, who has been trapped since the events of Sourcery. Despite Rincewind's pronouncements that he is not a demon, which Eric takes to be lies, Eric treats Rincewind as a genie, requiring him to grant Eric three wishes if he hopes to be released from the symbols Eric has inscribed to bind him. Even as Rincewind explains that he can't make Eric the ruler or the world, grant him the world's most beautiful woman, or eternal life, a snap of his fingers seems to indicate Rincewind has previously unknown powers in that area.

The novella traces the duo through three periods. In the forests of Klatch, Eric gets to experience what it is like to be the ruler of a world modeled on the ancient Aztecs. The Tezumans worship the god Quezovercoatl, sacrificing enemies and victims in his name until Eric shows up as a potential replacement for Quezovercoatl. The pair next travels to the Ephebian siege of the city of Tsort, a war sparked by the kidnapping of Elenor, reputed to be the most beautiful woman in history, and they get tangled up with the great general Lavaeolus. Eric's final wish, to live forever, provides him with a new understanding of them term.

One of the weaknesses of Eric is that Pratchett models the portions of the novella a little too closely on their historical and legendary precedents. The Tekuman are a little too like the Aztecs and the siege of Tsort it too closely aligned with the events of The Iliad (with pointers to The Odyssey). Pratchett does offer his typical deconstruction of myths, but they are missing the subtlety and bite that characterizes so much of his work, including the preceding books in the series.

The ultimate sequence of the novel allows Pratchett to explain the powers that Rincewind was able to command, as well as provide resolutions to the stories of Ponce da Quirm, who was introduced in the Tezuman section, and Lavaeolus. At the same time, Pratchett fleshes out the Discworld's Hell with its King Astfgl and the hierarchy of demons, such as Duke Vassenego. As with most of Pratchett's writings, his depiction of Hell is familiar, based as it is on popular lore, but the demons who live their and their interactions do not follow the traditions. This section of the book also shows the most promise and it is too bad that Pratchett didn't return for a more detailed exploration.

Return to