Witches Abroad (Discworld)

To me, all Discworld books are a little bemusing, and i usually have to read them twice before I really grasp the plot. They alternate between succinct and elaborate language, with quite a lot of humour thrown in.
In any case, this book was a lot clearer than the others. A lot of it is based on the generic ideas of fairy stories, along with some voodoo traditions, starting with Erzulie Gogol, the voodoo witch, and Baron Saturday, both of which are derived from the names of voodoo gods.
It is one of the 'witch books' in the series - featuring the dominant and austere Granny Weatherwax, amicable, crude Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick, who is really just a new-age airy-fairy witch with some latent sensibility.
The story goes that the three witches have to travel to Genua to stop a servant girl from marrying a prince - with some difficulty even though she doesn't want to marry him. Why? Because the city of Genua has been turned into a fairytale city, run by a woman with whom Granny Weatherwax is surprisingly familiar (quite a plot twist).
As in most Discworld books, the reader may be able to see a faint outline of what's going to happen, but some aspects could not have been anticipated (such as what Nanny Ogg's fierce and malodorous tomcat Greebo undergoes).
Whether or not the book is actually a good book is, as with many things, purely a matter of taste, but it was one of my favourites. I'd recommend it if you like fantasy.

How to Fight a Happy Ending (1/1 people found this helpful)

Terry Pratchett's first novel, "The Carpet People", appeared in 1971. "Witches Abroad" is the twelfth novel in his hugely popular Discworld series and was first published in 1991. It's also the third book (after "Equal Rites" and "Wyrd Sisters") to feature Granny Weatherwax, the Discworld's greatest witch.

As with "Wyrd Sisters", Granny Weatherwax is joined by the Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick. Nanny Ogg, is the raucous head of the Ogg clan based in Lancre town. (She also owns a fearsome, one-eyed tomcat with an unbridled libido called Greebo). The other is Magrat Garlick, who has a few fanciful ideas about magic that Granny doesn't altogether approve of. She's always been fond of dancing, occult jewellery and runes, but now Granny thinks Magrat's gone funny in the head : there's the self-defence classes (despite being a witch), the attempts to 'find herself' and her refusal to marry Lancre's new King. (Despite never having been one, she refuses to be a 'sex object').

One of the trio's neighbours is Desiderata Hollow, a witch who specialises in fairy-godmothering. Despite the fact that witches know exactly when they're going to die, Desiderata never quite managed to train up a replacement. Instead, she has her magic wand delivered to Magrat, with a couple of very strict instructions : she's to travel to Genua to STOP a god-daughter marrying a prince, and she's to keep Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg from going with her. (In fact, Desiderata is banking on the two older witches tagging along : she knows she can only guarantee their attendance by forbidding them from travelling).

This isn't going to be an easy mission. Godmothers travel in twos, and Desiderata's counterpart - Lilith - wished for Embers (the god-daughter) to have beauty and power and to marry a prince. Whether or not the young lady actually wanted any of that was irrelevant, and Desiderata has been trying to do what's best for Embers. Unfortuantely, it's going to be very difficult to stop a good story...

Much of the humour comes from poking fun at fairy tales, though there's a touch of the Wizard of Oz, and a quick cameo from Gollum. There's also the renowned dwarf lover, Casanunda, the attempts to master 'speaking foreign' and the terrible privies in foreign parts. However, it's Nanny Ogg - with her fondness for a double entendre and a vulgar song - who provides many of the best parts. Thoroughly recommended !

One of Pratchett's best (13/14 people found this helpful)

This is one of my all-time favourite Pratchett books. Everything that he's good at is exhibited here - adapting stories and fairy tales, "translating" real life culture to the Discworld, great characterisation and dialogue, a great plot - and, of course, it's hilariously funny.

If you're a fan of the Witches, it's even better. Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick each get a chance to shine, in their own particular ways (as does Greebo). Pratchett takes them far away from Lancre, and it's highly entertaining to see how they react to 'forn' cultures and people. Nanny's postcards home are particularly worth a mention for sheer comedy value!

It's amazing how many references to real life cultures, stories and events Pratchett manages to fit into this book, and yet none of them seem hurried, forced or superfluous - each event fits in perfectly to one fantastic story. It's one of those books where every single line is a classic and every bit of dialogue is completely perfect. Hard to imagine how it could get better than this.

Witches Abroad review. (1/3 people found this helpful)

Witches Abroad is a captivating read.In Witches Abroad Granny Weatherwax,Nanny Ogg,Magrat Garlick and Greebo the cat have to go to the city of Genua to stop a serving girl from marrying a handsome prince.If you like sci-fi,fantasy or fairy tales then read Witches Abroad.If you enjoy this book then read books 3,6,14,18 and 23.

A powerful story of a story's power (11/13 people found this helpful)

Terry Pratchett was recently awarded a well-deserved prize for "lifetime service to Booksellers". That's not surprising, although finding enough shelf space for two dozen Discworld books must be a challenge. Witches Abroad is one Discworld tome deserving a permanent niche on any shelf - especially yours. You'll return to it often.

The clash between established experience and youthful endeavor is caught here in Pratchett's matchless style. Granny Weatherwax, Lancre's predominate headologist, is severely challenged by the youngest member of the coven, Magrat Garlick. Magrat's heir to a powerful device and honour - a fairy godmother's wand. Magrat's life is further complicated by an identity crisis. She's not always comfortable in her role in life, and this new responsibility compounds the problem. Nevertheless, she's been given the wand and a charge to prevent a marriage. A formidable task, given that the marriage is to occur in "forn parts".

The witches' journey to Genua is one of the highlights of Pratchett's inventive mind. Esme's participation in a Cripple Mister Onion contest along the way would make the most ardent card player shudder in recognition. The innocent Granny exhibiting "beginner's luck" is priceless.

Pratchett introduces us to the power of the story in the universe. Stories "play themselves", shaping people's actions to their own ends. People who resist their roles in stories do so at their peril. This story, so classic and well established, should be irresistible, but then it hasn't dealt with Esme Weatherwax. The struggle is immense, with mighty powers brought to bear in seeking a resolution. Only time will tell which has the greater power.

Most of Pratchett's stories have the value of being timeless. Among the Discworld tales, this one has a particular ageless quality. It can be read at any time with many levels of pleasure and value. No other book in the witches' Discworld series quite matches this one for confirming the worth of Esme Weatherwax as one of Pratchett's finest character inventions. Yet, whatever you find on Discworld, you must remember its equivalent resides somewhere here on Roundworld. There's that lady just down the lane . . .
[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Terry Pratchett

Reader Reviews:

Couldn'tThinkOfAGoodEnoughTitle (2/3 people found this helpful)

How to Fight a Happy Ending (1/1 people found this helpful)

One of Pratchett's best (13/14 people found this helpful)

Witches Abroad review. (1/3 people found this helpful)

A powerful story of a story's power (11/13 people found this helpful)

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