Equal Rites
So, it’s another Disworld novel: this time Equal Rites. I think I liked this better than Witches Abroad even though it was lacking Nanny Ogg. Granny Weatherwax improved on me I have to say. And Esk, though only a child is a memorable little character with a strong heart. I found myself rooting for her in her attempts to secure a place as the first female wizard in the Unseen University.
Pratchett’s humour is such that I find it difficult to describe at times. I have attempted to explain certain discworld characters or events to other people but it is always lost on them. You just have to read a Discworld novel to understand it. It’s like watching wacky comedy where the actions and expressions are the key to creating a laugh. Pratchett gives us just enough information to create the characters for ourselves in our minds. You can practically hear the accents and see the events unfold but each reader must experience this for themselves. Yet Pratchett’s characters are so distinct and well written that I think everybody’s images must be somewhat similar…in fact any cartoons or sketches I have come across of Discworld characters usually resemble the pictures I have in my head.
With Equal Rites, as with the other novels, Pratchett has commented on familiar issues which plague society and our daily lives. This time around, it is the place of women and their right to equality. The Discworld is rather old fashioned so naturally women are second fiddle to men a lot of the time. This doesn’t stop them making themselves heard of course! Both Esk and Granny have a knack for making the men feel stupid and inferior…and they’re right too! You’d never know I was a girl would you? Go Esk!
Witches Abroad
Last night I finished ‘Witches Abroad’ by Terry Pratchett himself. I don’t know why I say ‘himself’ but it seems to be a common occurrence when people mention TP, as if he’s going to disappear one day and return as a Discworld wizard or something. This is only the third Discworld novel I’ve read and only the fourth TP book (I read ‘The Carpet People’ some years ago). This was possibly the lightest reading that the Discworld series has offered me, not that you need to be a rocket scientist to enjoy these books…but anyone who’s read ‘Pyramids’ will know that all that bending of time and space gets a tad confusing. ‘Witches Abroad’ offered the comfort of being centred around traditional fairytales making it all the more enjoyable when these tales are twisted and turned by the characters within.
The main characters in question here are three witches by the names of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg (my favourite) and Magrat Garlick. Together they complement each other nicely with Weatherwax being the most conventional and also the most powerful of the tree, Ogg being the round loveable one with a penchant for banana based alcohol and Garlick the young impressionable witch or the ‘wet hen’ by her own admission. There are plenty other characters to boot but I won’t ramble on about them, even if Greebo the cat deserves an honourable mention.
As is usual with a TP book, this story could be peeled apart and viewed as either a straight out fantasy, a fairytale, a comedy or perhaps a satirical look at society…which perhaps explains TP’s overall popularity. I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of the fantasy genre. I’ve tried to become enthusiastic about a number of fantasy novels but it all seems a bit samey after a while, for want of a better word. If I see another book cover in Waterstones with three rings on the cover and the word ‘Lord’ in the title, I’ll go mad. With ‘Witches Abroad’ however, as with the other Discworld novels, the fantasy element is simply a base for the dozens of memorable characters which TP creates and the humorous aspects of each one.
It’s so nice, in a world where adult reading largely consists of depressingly adult issues, to pick up a Discworld novel and forget about our worries for a while.
