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Reading Wednesday
Jul. 3rd, 2019 07:10 amWyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
Having read Carpe Jugulum, which is either the last book of the Discworld witches sequence if you count the Tiffany Aching stories separately or the middle of the sequence if you don’t, I decided to go back to the beginning! (Or rather, to the second book, Wyrd Sisters, because I’ve already read Equal Rites, but details, schmetails.)
Magrat’s maturity and confidence, as compared to her first appearance in the series (Wyrd Sisters), was alluded to several times in Carpe Jugulum, but I hadn’t realized exactly how much growing up she’d had to do. I understand Nanny’s shock at Magrat cracking a dirty joke now! As much as I enjoyed the Queen Magrat of Carpe Jugulum - especially the mental image of her marching off with a baby on her hip and an overstuffed bag of baby toys and books and fantasy graham crackers or whatever, to save her husband and kingdom - I think I’m slightly fonder of her first-appearance Wyrd Sisters self. There’s just something about an insecure, overeager, book-smart but rather naive young witch, who desperately wants to be taken seriously and impress her mentors, growing a little bit more sure of herself over the course of the story, that appeals to me. I can’t possibly imagine why. //sarcasm
I have, admittedly, had Good Omens on the brain lately, but there were a number of lines/scenes/plot points in this book that gave me a distinct sense of deja vu. Even setting aside Pratchett’s tendency to reuse jokes (in this case, poking fun at occult jewelry, the rumor that witches work naked, etc.) there were a number of similarities, including:
• A witch arming herself with a bread knife rather than relying on charms/spells
• The wooden door that grew back into a tree (vs. the scene in GO where the Amazon rainforest grows back)
( Spoilers )
Women Talking by Miriam Toews
This is going to be a total mood switch, sorry— Women Talking is Toews’ self-described “fictional reaction” to a horrifying, real-life event, which I’m putting below the cut, because HUGE warning for discussion of sexual assault.
( Read more... )
Having read Carpe Jugulum, which is either the last book of the Discworld witches sequence if you count the Tiffany Aching stories separately or the middle of the sequence if you don’t, I decided to go back to the beginning! (Or rather, to the second book, Wyrd Sisters, because I’ve already read Equal Rites, but details, schmetails.)
Magrat’s maturity and confidence, as compared to her first appearance in the series (Wyrd Sisters), was alluded to several times in Carpe Jugulum, but I hadn’t realized exactly how much growing up she’d had to do. I understand Nanny’s shock at Magrat cracking a dirty joke now! As much as I enjoyed the Queen Magrat of Carpe Jugulum - especially the mental image of her marching off with a baby on her hip and an overstuffed bag of baby toys and books and fantasy graham crackers or whatever, to save her husband and kingdom - I think I’m slightly fonder of her first-appearance Wyrd Sisters self. There’s just something about an insecure, overeager, book-smart but rather naive young witch, who desperately wants to be taken seriously and impress her mentors, growing a little bit more sure of herself over the course of the story, that appeals to me. I can’t possibly imagine why. //sarcasm
I have, admittedly, had Good Omens on the brain lately, but there were a number of lines/scenes/plot points in this book that gave me a distinct sense of deja vu. Even setting aside Pratchett’s tendency to reuse jokes (in this case, poking fun at occult jewelry, the rumor that witches work naked, etc.) there were a number of similarities, including:
• A witch arming herself with a bread knife rather than relying on charms/spells
• The wooden door that grew back into a tree (vs. the scene in GO where the Amazon rainforest grows back)
( Spoilers )
Women Talking by Miriam Toews
This is going to be a total mood switch, sorry— Women Talking is Toews’ self-described “fictional reaction” to a horrifying, real-life event, which I’m putting below the cut, because HUGE warning for discussion of sexual assault.
( Read more... )
