robotswithpersonality's review against another edition
This might come across as fairly standard Discworld fare were it not for the villains of the piece: No LOTR Legolas here, these elves are scary fuckers. Though I appreciate the suitable, somewhat humourous extended analogy that elves = cats. Relatedly, Greebo is a viscious treasure.
I'm not as familiar with Midsummer Night's Dream, so there may be cheeky tidbits I didn't catch.
It's always a bit frustrating reading books focusing on the witches in the Discworld because they seem to be set up to almost-but-not-quite learn and grow from their experiences and perils.
Any other story might confirm how damaging it can be to try to think for another adult, act in what you perceive is their best interest without consulting them, and not communicate effectively but there seems to be a not-so-charming unwillingness to acknowledge why things went wrong, even if they all worked out in the end, with even more bossing around.
I enjoy a world where elderly women are respected for the knowledge and wisdom learning things the hard way provides, but there's something intractable about Weatherwax that I don't always find endearing.
There's a bit of a send up of the more trendy aspects of modern day Wicca/paganism/witchcraft/goths shown in the pursuits of the teens who want to be witches, which may offend IRL practicioners.
As always, I'm happy to see The Librarian feature more prominently.
I'm not as familiar with Midsummer Night's Dream, so there may be cheeky tidbits I didn't catch.
It's always a bit frustrating reading books focusing on the witches in the Discworld because they seem to be set up to almost-but-not-quite learn and grow from their experiences and perils.
Any other story might confirm how damaging it can be to try to think for another adult, act in what you perceive is their best interest without consulting them, and not communicate effectively but there seems to be a not-so-charming unwillingness to acknowledge why things went wrong, even if they all worked out in the end, with even more bossing around.
I enjoy a world where elderly women are respected for the knowledge and wisdom learning things the hard way provides, but there's something intractable about Weatherwax that I don't always find endearing.
There's a bit of a send up of the more trendy aspects of modern day Wicca/paganism/witchcraft/goths shown in the pursuits of the teens who want to be witches, which may offend IRL practicioners.
As always, I'm happy to see The Librarian feature more prominently.
beevimes's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hstapp's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Do I not like the witches as well as I did guards guards because I'm not a Shakespeare fan? Hmm.
I did enjoy the story. Tis good.
I did enjoy the story. Tis good.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs
erclark13's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
katiers01's review against another edition
5.0
i’ve said it once and i will say it again - i love terry pratchett from the bottom of my heart and this was no exception <3
hgoravec's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
cr0wley25's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
theaceofpages's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
"Humans are always lost. It’s a basic characteristic. It explains a lot about them."
This was a reread and I remember enjoying it more the first time round. I wasn't a huge fan of the start (I even considered putting this down - not a usual occurrence with Pratchett for me) but I'm glad I stuck it out because it got more enjoyable when the plot got properly started. I loved reading about Magrat her struggles around adjusting to a royal life and loved that we got to see more of her strength when the other witches weren't constantly putting her down (although their treatment of her still frustrates me having dealt with similarly cruel people). I found the elves interesting and would love to learn more about their world. There is a rather emotional moment towards the end and I'm a little surprised at how hard it managed to hit given I had read this before (albeit a few years back).
Overall this was a fun read with some great moments, but it isn't my favourite Discworld book. Maybe it was just a matter of the wrong book at the wrong time in my case, but I know others will absolutely love this one
This was a reread and I remember enjoying it more the first time round. I wasn't a huge fan of the start (I even considered putting this down - not a usual occurrence with Pratchett for me) but I'm glad I stuck it out because it got more enjoyable when the plot got properly started. I loved reading about Magrat her struggles around adjusting to a royal life and loved that we got to see more of her strength when the other witches weren't constantly putting her down (although their treatment of her still frustrates me having dealt with similarly cruel people). I found the elves interesting and would love to learn more about their world. There is a rather emotional moment towards the end and I'm a little surprised at how hard it managed to hit given I had read this before (albeit a few years back).
Overall this was a fun read with some great moments, but it isn't my favourite Discworld book. Maybe it was just a matter of the wrong book at the wrong time in my case, but I know others will absolutely love this one
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Misogyny
Minor: Death
bramboomen's review against another edition
4.0
I think most of my Discworld reviews will be more or less the same, so this one will be short. I am probably enjoying the "Witches" series the most right now, which has a lot to do with Nigel Planer who masterfully translates the characters from the page into my ear. I can heartily recommend listening to the audiobooks!