Wyrd Sisters: Discworld, Book 6

In 'Wyrd Sisters', the kingdom of Lancre -- a tiny mountainous realm near the magical Hub of the Discworld -- is in danger. Its previous king has been murdered, and while that alone isn't much of a problem (being one of the usual ways for kings to exit the world), the kingdom itself isn't taking to the new ruler. It can sense that he doesn't care for it. Unfortunately, he's being pushed along by his highly ambitious wife -- who pretty soon realises that the presence of three witches nearby could pose a significant challenge to her reign. She's also concerned about the missing son of the dead king -- who the witches have packed off with a traveling theatre troupe.And who are these three witches? Well, there's Granny Weatherwax (Esme), a curmudgeon of the highest degree famed for headology, indomintable will, and impenetrable boots. There's Nanny Ogg (Gytha), matriarch of a clan that would put anyone in the Ozarks to shame, who had an adventurous girlhood and doesn't much appear to have let up even in her advanced time of life. And then there's Magrat, junior member of the group, a soppy young thing who firmly believes in . I've always enjoyed the contrast between Magrat and the others, as Magrat is such a delightfully accurate parody of the New-Age-y types, whereas Esme and Gytha know that the intent and focus of the witch matters a lot more than the type of crystal she's using or the precise incantation she utters. This leads to a really excellent scene where they summon a demon (despite Esme's misgivings that demons shouldn't be pandered to) to try and get some answers out of him -- using a washboard for an octagram and a copper stick for a sword of art. They also demonstrate a degree of irreverence for spirits which I thoroughly appreciate.In 'Wyrd Sisters', the trio begins their practice of interfering in as precise a way as possible. They're not supposed to, you see, and in this plot, it's particularly complicated, because a kingdom ruled by witchcraft just doesn't work (and they don't want to have to be solving everyone's problems all the time anyway). So they have to find a way to fix things without fixing them. It's the sort of thing they explore even more throughout the rest of the Witches series.As for that theatre troupe, they're balanced precariously on the edge of time between when actors were just wandering vagrants in search of an innyard and when they started becoming just a little bit more, building their own spaces, settling down, making the crowds come to them. During the course of the book, they start construction on the Dysk. The troupe is led by Vitoller, an excellent Burbage analog. Their chief playwright is a dwarf, Hwel (a hilarious pun if you know much about the pronunciation of consonants in 16th-century English), through whom Pratchett exercises a great many of his Shakespearean illusions. And then there's Tomjon, the missing prince that the witches convince Vitoller and his wife to adopt. Suspecting that they've fulfilled a traditional fairy-godmother-type role (though not so much as they will in 'Witches Abroad'), all three witches give the baby blessings -- though certainly not your traditional kind. No, they give him far more sensible gifts: that he will always make friends, that he'll always know all the words, and that he'll always be whoever he thinks he is. These gifts have the side effect of turning Tomjon into a staggeringly successful actor, who declaims his first words in iambic pentameter, and who can halt a tavern brawl just by standing on top of a table and starting to talk.I love the witches, and there's so much delightful about them, but my real glee in this book is with the theatre troupe. There are the obvious Macbeth references, but Pratchett clearly knows his Shakespeare, because he slips in a ton of other allusions as well -- Julius Caesar, Henry V, Hamlet, Richard III, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream, even Henry IV, Part 2. (And lspace.org has a really excellent annotation if you're interested in sussing them all out). There's also a lot of heart and psychological truth (or, as Granny would call it, headology) in the book. I've seen it described a lot as Monty Python meets Macbeth, but I think that's selling the story really short. Take, for instance, the dreams of Hwel. It doesn't matter that he's a dwarf who doesn't like mining and who has rejected the dwarvish lifestyle in favour of taking up acting. It doesn't matter that he gets called a lawn ornament when he goes out drinking in Ankh-Morpork. It doesn't matter that he's a parody of the greatest English scrivener of all time. What matters is that he's a writer, always trying to make his work match the beauty of the vision in his head. I think anyone of a creative inclination knows that feeling. That kind of incisive poignancy cuts through so many of Pratchett's works. These are humour books, they're parodies, but there's still something so real about them. Pratchett uses humour in the absolute best way -- to reveal humanity's soul.Overall, this is the start of one of my favourite series of all time. 'Wyrd Sisters' is a really entertaining story, and very cleverly crafted. It's one of my go-to books when someone asks me to recommend them something. Pratchett's writing is super-accessible without being in any way dumbed down or juvenile. It's just wonderful, which is why these are some of my favourite comfort books. I can pick them up any time and be happy.

As always in this series this is just a fun time to have. Hamlet as told by Terry Pratchett with so much wit and humor that you don't know what to do with all of it.

I love love love Terry Pratchett's books. I'd read this one before, but it was about 18 years ago and I binged the entirety of Discworld at that time so obviously many of the details had escaped me. It was so much fun going into it with fresh eyes and rediscovering 1) how much I adore Terry Pratchett's writing style and 2) how much went over my head when I was a teenager reading it for the first time.I also read it for book club and it was wonderful to discuss it and hear others' views on it. It made me like the story even more and made it feel richer. With Terry Pratchett, you're going to miss a lot of things while reading, so having more people to notice and point out more references and details was great.The humor in these novels hits exactly right for me. It's frequently (literally) laugh-out-loud funny, it's clever and witty, and for the most part it doesn't punch down as a lot of humor tends to do. And it's used to underscore a sense of anger at the (many) injustices of the world and draw attention to the flaws of society.I also hadn't read Macbeth when I read this for the first time, but after taking a couple of Shakespeare classes in college I really appreciated what he did with the story and the references to other plays as well.We will be reading the rest of the Witches series and I plan to continue the rest of the novels too now that I've been given the push to start. I'd been thinking I should reread for years but just never got around to it. So many books, so little time, alas.

As always Terry Pratchett always creates a wonderful story. This is one of my favorites. You will not be disappointed reading this or any of his other books for that matter

This book is printed on genuine paper of enough pages to hold the covers apart. A classic!!

The king is murdered, his brother takes the throne, and he must be avenged by his son. Wait, that sounds like Hamlet, doesn't it? Shakespere is not safe here. Terry Pratchett's mastery of humor and human foibles shines through as ever in "Wyrd Sisters", where here he tackles Shakespeare and, somewhat insestually, fiction itself as a whole.Some may find this novel a bit of a drag, as the Shakespearean wordplay and satire may not be for all tastes, and while not the author's weakest showing it can be somewhat run of the mill and formulaic. Those who enjoy the Bard's works, however, will find themselves giggling uncontrollably at some bits ("Is this a dagger I see before me?" "No, sir, it's a handkerchief. You can tell by the lack of sharp edges."). And it's clear that he is playing with our expectations of formula, and twists and subverts the story in ways that become essential elements in his later Lancre Witch stories. But further, Sir Pratchett ruminates on our peculiar nature at empathizing with fiction, the swaying and twisting way words can force us to feel differently about things we would think we have immovable opinions on.We also get a fine introduction to some of the Discworld's finest characters: forward and cunning Nanny Ogg, amiable but soppy Verance, and well-meaning wet hen Magrat Garlick, all of whom become treasured fixtures in later stories.All in all, fun to read, good fun for later continuity, but a skippable novel if it doesn't strike your fancy.

Good writer, good story and very funny

Pratchett en el comienzo de su (golden age) de aquí hasta a "Jingo" caen los mejores libros de la serie fantástica que es el "Discworld".

Terry Pratchett books are funny, clever and quite sarcastic but always amusing. He seems to have insights into much beyond just what is on the surface (in my opinion). My favourites are the ones about The Watch and the Witch ones but I have read many of his other books and always enjoyed them. Definitely worth reading if you've not experienced a TP book before.

Fue, junto con dos más libros de Prattchet, regalo de cumpleaños para mi hijo. Le encanta el humor amargo del autor en esa fantasía interminable del Discworld.

An absolutely fun read with such references to Shakespeare. Wonderfully irreverent and witty. The three witches get the best parts