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Discworld #18
Maskerade
'I thought: opera, how hard can it be? Songs. Pretty girls dancing. Nice scenery. Lots of people handing over cash. Got to be better than the cut-throat world of yoghurt, I thought. Now everwhere I go there's...'
Death, to be precise. And plenty of it. In unpleasant variations. This isn't real life – it’s worse. This is the Opera House, Ankh-Morpork...a huge, rambling building, where innocent young sopranos are lured to their destiny by a strangely-familiar evil mastermind in a mask and evening dress, with a penchant for lurking in shadows, occasional murder, and sending little notes full of maniacal laughter and exclamation marks. Opera can do that to a man.
But Granny Weatherwax, Discworld's most famous witch, is in the audience. And she doesn't hold with that sort of thing. So there's going to be trouble (but nevertheless a good evenin's entertainment with murders you can really hum...). And the show MUST go on.
Death, to be precise. And plenty of it. In unpleasant variations. This isn't real life – it’s worse. This is the Opera House, Ankh-Morpork...a huge, rambling building, where innocent young sopranos are lured to their destiny by a strangely-familiar evil mastermind in a mask and evening dress, with a penchant for lurking in shadows, occasional murder, and sending little notes full of maniacal laughter and exclamation marks. Opera can do that to a man.
But Granny Weatherwax, Discworld's most famous witch, is in the audience. And she doesn't hold with that sort of thing. So there's going to be trouble (but nevertheless a good evenin's entertainment with murders you can really hum...). And the show MUST go on.
384 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1995
1479 people are currently reading
21139 people want to read
About the author
Terry Pratchett
680 books46.2k followersSir Terence David John Pratchett was an English author, humorist, and satirist, best known for the Discworld series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983–2015, and for the apocalyptic comedy novel Good Omens (1990), which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,395 reviews
September 13, 2020
The Witches know how to get the opera started so that all take off their masks.
Pratchett´s satires of classics and their stereotypical tropes are always a bit weaker than his original works playing in the pure Discworld without outer inspirations. Possibly it´s because he can construct whole plots in his own universe and feels much more comfortable with the manifold options, maybe the originals aren´t just that good, who by the way reads that stuff, maybe he didn´t want to invest so much time in these ones than in the original series, who knows. Although, in this case, operas are already inherently ridiculous, so there isn´t so much left to make fun of the fat lady´s singing style.
The Phantom of the Opera fans, if they exist or dare to out themselves, might certainly find their pleasure with the new adaption of their favorite piece of, is it really?, art, but most readers might be more interested in what the witches are doing. What is missing is another plotline in the background, the meta topic area Pratchett is famous for including to spice it all up, with Vetinari, timeless topics, politics of power, economics, etc. That´s what makes this varieties of his books lacking the extra joy, because there is far less to discover and enjoy than in the far more complex, other Discworld novels.
Especially the witches, who are used to deal with far more complex, feministic, social criticism topics, being compared and contrasted with the outperformed Wizzards, fighting against entities and evil mighty fractions, are more dealing with personal topics, a crime thriller plot, and aren´t just in the right environment to live up to their full potential.
To not be unfair, the question should be asked if it would have even been possible to add these extra plotlines to the parodies and I would say, yes. He used his established characters or could have used them or more of them, so there would have been no problem to add the extra icing on the cake too, especially because most of the classics are already dealing with potent stuff. Why Pratchett didn´t do it is unclear, I will add some more speculations to the already opened mix: Respect for the original authors so that he didn´t want to modify it too much? Not writing too long novels because he used to reach a certain length? Publishers asking him to do one more parody of a well established name to boost the sales although he didn´t have a real interest in it? Being used to produce such a piece from time to time without engaging as much as in his original series?
The problem with these novels is that whoever reads them first doesn´t get the real Pratchett, just as the ones who read the first or last of his books, which limits the true, über Pratchett to 20 to 25 works. It could lead to people not continuing this amazing journey because they think that all of it might be quite nice, but not really as special as everybody says.
Some other elements: How creative work of artists can be exploited by dodgy rightsholders, how the witches deal with the tooth of time and how their social dynamic changes, why beauty can beat talent, ghosts, murders, and stuff.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This one is added to all Pratchettian reviews:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe...
The idea of the dissected motifs rocks, highlighting the main real world inspirational elements of fiction and satire is something usually done with so called higher literature, but a much more interesting field in readable literature, as it offers the joy of reading, subtle criticism, and feeling smart all together.
Pratchett´s satires of classics and their stereotypical tropes are always a bit weaker than his original works playing in the pure Discworld without outer inspirations. Possibly it´s because he can construct whole plots in his own universe and feels much more comfortable with the manifold options, maybe the originals aren´t just that good, who by the way reads that stuff, maybe he didn´t want to invest so much time in these ones than in the original series, who knows. Although, in this case, operas are already inherently ridiculous, so there isn´t so much left to make fun of the fat lady´s singing style.
The Phantom of the Opera fans, if they exist or dare to out themselves, might certainly find their pleasure with the new adaption of their favorite piece of, is it really?, art, but most readers might be more interested in what the witches are doing. What is missing is another plotline in the background, the meta topic area Pratchett is famous for including to spice it all up, with Vetinari, timeless topics, politics of power, economics, etc. That´s what makes this varieties of his books lacking the extra joy, because there is far less to discover and enjoy than in the far more complex, other Discworld novels.
Especially the witches, who are used to deal with far more complex, feministic, social criticism topics, being compared and contrasted with the outperformed Wizzards, fighting against entities and evil mighty fractions, are more dealing with personal topics, a crime thriller plot, and aren´t just in the right environment to live up to their full potential.
To not be unfair, the question should be asked if it would have even been possible to add these extra plotlines to the parodies and I would say, yes. He used his established characters or could have used them or more of them, so there would have been no problem to add the extra icing on the cake too, especially because most of the classics are already dealing with potent stuff. Why Pratchett didn´t do it is unclear, I will add some more speculations to the already opened mix: Respect for the original authors so that he didn´t want to modify it too much? Not writing too long novels because he used to reach a certain length? Publishers asking him to do one more parody of a well established name to boost the sales although he didn´t have a real interest in it? Being used to produce such a piece from time to time without engaging as much as in his original series?
The problem with these novels is that whoever reads them first doesn´t get the real Pratchett, just as the ones who read the first or last of his books, which limits the true, über Pratchett to 20 to 25 works. It could lead to people not continuing this amazing journey because they think that all of it might be quite nice, but not really as special as everybody says.
Some other elements: How creative work of artists can be exploited by dodgy rightsholders, how the witches deal with the tooth of time and how their social dynamic changes, why beauty can beat talent, ghosts, murders, and stuff.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This one is added to all Pratchettian reviews:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe...
The idea of the dissected motifs rocks, highlighting the main real world inspirational elements of fiction and satire is something usually done with so called higher literature, but a much more interesting field in readable literature, as it offers the joy of reading, subtle criticism, and feeling smart all together.
September 13, 2024
A story where a villain literally dies from being too dramatic.
It's generally a good parody on The Phantom of the Opera, but the ending was as confusing and rushed as those operas Pratchett made fun of. Seems like he adapted an "opera madness" 😅
Anyway, not the best or wittiest book about the witches and sort of sad compered to others.
It's generally a good parody on The Phantom of the Opera, but the ending was as confusing and rushed as those operas Pratchett made fun of. Seems like he adapted an "opera madness" 😅
Anyway, not the best or wittiest book about the witches and sort of sad compered to others.
June 30, 2020
So the fat lady sang and all was (almost) right with the world.
More tomorrow 😬🎶
Every time I read a Discworld novel, I think "oh these characters have got to be my favourite" ( at this point you can insert DEATH, Rincewind, The City Watch, The Wizards, The Witches), the annoying thing is that at the time of reading they are/were my favourite, until I read the next novel.
This novel, focussing on the witches, is based mainly in the opera house of Ankh-Morpork, although there is a wonderful chapter dealing with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg's journey from the mountains of Lancre which had me sniggering for a good 15 minutes much to my wife's amusement.
Agnet Nitt a potential trainee witch from Lancre has decided to run away to the opera in Ankh-Morpork and with Magrat occupied as Queen, Granny and Nanny decide to head off to Ankh-Morpork to persuade Anges to return and be the third witch.
Already hired as a singer Agnes, now Perdita, has decided the opera is the life for her despite not getting the true recognition her singing deserves. Cue Esme and Gythia, add in a pseudo foreign male opera singer, but really Henry Slugg, add a dollop of Greebo and of course an operatic ghost, and mayhem ensues, orchestrated as ever by Granny Weatherwax, probably the smartest and most magical of witches ever, according to herself.
This book had me sniggering and even laughing out loud every 20 pages or so, it truly was an excellent novel, and for the time being, my favourite characters ? Well it has to be the Witches.
More tomorrow 😬🎶
Every time I read a Discworld novel, I think "oh these characters have got to be my favourite" ( at this point you can insert DEATH, Rincewind, The City Watch, The Wizards, The Witches), the annoying thing is that at the time of reading they are/were my favourite, until I read the next novel.
This novel, focussing on the witches, is based mainly in the opera house of Ankh-Morpork, although there is a wonderful chapter dealing with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg's journey from the mountains of Lancre which had me sniggering for a good 15 minutes much to my wife's amusement.
Agnet Nitt a potential trainee witch from Lancre has decided to run away to the opera in Ankh-Morpork and with Magrat occupied as Queen, Granny and Nanny decide to head off to Ankh-Morpork to persuade Anges to return and be the third witch.
Already hired as a singer Agnes, now Perdita, has decided the opera is the life for her despite not getting the true recognition her singing deserves. Cue Esme and Gythia, add in a pseudo foreign male opera singer, but really Henry Slugg, add a dollop of Greebo and of course an operatic ghost, and mayhem ensues, orchestrated as ever by Granny Weatherwax, probably the smartest and most magical of witches ever, according to herself.
This book had me sniggering and even laughing out loud every 20 pages or so, it truly was an excellent novel, and for the time being, my favourite characters ? Well it has to be the Witches.
April 4, 2022
2.5 stars. I love me some Terry Pratchett, but these "witches" books just don't do it for me
While Terry Pratchett remains one of my all-time favorite authors, I just can't connect with the witches series and end up only reading them because I want to be a completionist who reads every one of his Discworld books.
This one I think is my least favorite of the witches line, as it's really just a parody of The Phantom of the Opera -- and that's not a subject I'm very interested in. My favorite Pratchett books are ones that have a unique story, not these parody books.
If you like the witches series, and you have an appreciation for Phantom of the Opera, you will likely love this book. I unfortunately fit neither of those categories.
Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.
While Terry Pratchett remains one of my all-time favorite authors, I just can't connect with the witches series and end up only reading them because I want to be a completionist who reads every one of his Discworld books.
This one I think is my least favorite of the witches line, as it's really just a parody of The Phantom of the Opera -- and that's not a subject I'm very interested in. My favorite Pratchett books are ones that have a unique story, not these parody books.
If you like the witches series, and you have an appreciation for Phantom of the Opera, you will likely love this book. I unfortunately fit neither of those categories.
Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.
September 14, 2016
I always love Pratchett's witches books and this one was as usual laugh out loud funny. Granny Weatherwax is a wonderful character and then Death made several cameo appearances too which is always good. Pratchett was a master of parody and some of his allusions to opera and to musicals were brilliant.
I think the Discworld will always remain one of my most favourite series and my number one "go to" books when I want to read something light, well written, smart and funny.
I think the Discworld will always remain one of my most favourite series and my number one "go to" books when I want to read something light, well written, smart and funny.
July 19, 2024
The Phantom of the Opera on the Discworld.
With witches!
All of Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books are good but having an adventure with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Og makes it all the better.
Here we find Lancre’s two most famous witches traveling to Ankh-Morpork to find Agnes Nitt who has taken up in the chorus of the Ankh-Morpork Opera house. And of course they happen upon a Scooby-Doolicious murder mystery surrounding the legend of the opera ghost.
As in all of the Discworld books, Pratchett tells the fun surface story and then also delves into satirical observations about so much more. Here we explore themes of jealousy, greed, art and … the opera. Pratchett’s rapier wit comes through in full force in this extraordinarily humorous parody.
*** 2024 reread -
I think I just need to have a Discworld book going all the time.
I liked this the first time and really liked it this time. Discworld aficionados, help me out, how many other books have the witches, the watch and unseen university? Seems like a crossover event and it was fun.
Agnes Nitt was a joy to follow, representing as she does a ubiquitous protagonist in Pratchett’s canon: the common sense commoner amongst colorful but worthless elites.
The Pratchett smile-o-meter was in the red frequently on this visit. Good times.
Spoiler alert! The fat lady sings.
With witches!
All of Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books are good but having an adventure with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Og makes it all the better.
Here we find Lancre’s two most famous witches traveling to Ankh-Morpork to find Agnes Nitt who has taken up in the chorus of the Ankh-Morpork Opera house. And of course they happen upon a Scooby-Doolicious murder mystery surrounding the legend of the opera ghost.
As in all of the Discworld books, Pratchett tells the fun surface story and then also delves into satirical observations about so much more. Here we explore themes of jealousy, greed, art and … the opera. Pratchett’s rapier wit comes through in full force in this extraordinarily humorous parody.
*** 2024 reread -
I think I just need to have a Discworld book going all the time.
I liked this the first time and really liked it this time. Discworld aficionados, help me out, how many other books have the witches, the watch and unseen university? Seems like a crossover event and it was fun.
Agnes Nitt was a joy to follow, representing as she does a ubiquitous protagonist in Pratchett’s canon: the common sense commoner amongst colorful but worthless elites.
The Pratchett smile-o-meter was in the red frequently on this visit. Good times.
Spoiler alert! The fat lady sings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2024
" '... anyway, you said you were at your wits' end with thinking what you'd do with the money.'
'Yes, but I'd have quite liked to have been at my wits' end on a big comfy chase longyou somewhere with lots of big, strong men buyin' me chocolates and pressin' their favors on me.'
'Money don't buy happiness, Gytha.'
'i only wanted to rent it for a few weeks.' "
" 'Well, you are a witch!!! Can't you do that thing with the cards and glasses?'
'Well, yes ... we could have a poker game, ' said Nanny. 'Good idea.' "
Maskerade is Discworld's / Terry Pratchett's answer to The Phantom of the Opera (which is the winner of my category: the most boring and pointless book ever).
And what an answer it is: it's fun's and boisterousness' answer to boredom and staleness. It almost makes me forgive Gaston Leroux for writing the original.
Letting the witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg on to the stages and behind the scenes of the Opera is just the ticket the story needed and Bob's your uncle, or maybe - in this case - Andy (Lloyd-Webber).
I need to re-read the Witches-books of Discworld to give a final verdict, but this is certainly among my favourites.
“Well, basically there are two sorts of opera," said Nanny, who also had the true witch's ability to be confidently expert on the basis of no experience whatsoever. "There's your heavy opera, where basically people sing foreign and it goes like "Oh oh oh, I am dyin', oh I am dyin', oh oh oh, that's what I'm doin'", and there's your light opera, where they sing in foreign and it basically goes "Beer! Beer! Beer! Beer! I like to drink lots of beer!", although sometimes they drink champagne instead. That's basically all of opera, reely.”
'Yes, but I'd have quite liked to have been at my wits' end on a big comfy chase longyou somewhere with lots of big, strong men buyin' me chocolates and pressin' their favors on me.'
'Money don't buy happiness, Gytha.'
'i only wanted to rent it for a few weeks.' "
" 'Well, you are a witch!!! Can't you do that thing with the cards and glasses?'
'Well, yes ... we could have a poker game, ' said Nanny. 'Good idea.' "
Maskerade is Discworld's / Terry Pratchett's answer to The Phantom of the Opera (which is the winner of my category: the most boring and pointless book ever).
And what an answer it is: it's fun's and boisterousness' answer to boredom and staleness. It almost makes me forgive Gaston Leroux for writing the original.
Letting the witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg on to the stages and behind the scenes of the Opera is just the ticket the story needed and Bob's your uncle, or maybe - in this case - Andy (Lloyd-Webber).
I need to re-read the Witches-books of Discworld to give a final verdict, but this is certainly among my favourites.
“Well, basically there are two sorts of opera," said Nanny, who also had the true witch's ability to be confidently expert on the basis of no experience whatsoever. "There's your heavy opera, where basically people sing foreign and it goes like "Oh oh oh, I am dyin', oh I am dyin', oh oh oh, that's what I'm doin'", and there's your light opera, where they sing in foreign and it basically goes "Beer! Beer! Beer! Beer! I like to drink lots of beer!", although sometimes they drink champagne instead. That's basically all of opera, reely.”
September 22, 2024
Re-Read 9/22/24:
Poor Agnes. Such a sweat soul with a sweet voice, smashed to pieces by the inclusion of WITCHES. Well, straight lines and headology and all are all extremely dangerous tools. Agnes should feel a bit honored to be included, but she has DREAMS. DREAMS, I say!
Totally delightful read. Again. Indeed, by this multiple re-read, I think the fat opera singer is protesting just a bit too much. So, I gave this an extra star.
Original Review:
Phantom of the Opera!
With the Witches!
WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
Well, obviously, anything. This is Opera and the Show Must Go On! With or without Greebo in the mix. :)
Quite fun because I love the Phantom of the Opera and I love the Witches, but am I a fan of Anges?
Nah. Not really. I keep wanting a certain Tiffany to join the stage. Patience, patience.
Poor Agnes. Such a sweat soul with a sweet voice, smashed to pieces by the inclusion of WITCHES. Well, straight lines and headology and all are all extremely dangerous tools. Agnes should feel a bit honored to be included, but she has DREAMS. DREAMS, I say!
Totally delightful read. Again. Indeed, by this multiple re-read, I think the fat opera singer is protesting just a bit too much. So, I gave this an extra star.
Original Review:
Phantom of the Opera!
With the Witches!
WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
Well, obviously, anything. This is Opera and the Show Must Go On! With or without Greebo in the mix. :)
Quite fun because I love the Phantom of the Opera and I love the Witches, but am I a fan of Anges?
Nah. Not really. I keep wanting a certain Tiffany to join the stage. Patience, patience.
July 28, 2015
Granny looked out at the dull gray sky and the dying leaves and felt, amazingly enough, her sap rising. A day ago the future had looked aching and desolate, and now it looked full of surprises and terror and bad things happening to people...
If she had anything to do with it, anyway.
Agnes Nitt and her alter ego, Perdita X. Dream, have joined the opera. Agnes has a remarkable singing voice (she can even sing harmony with...herself...), but unfortunately, she is a "traditionally built woman." So, she gets to sing in the background while the skinny, attractive star "uses" her voice and gets all the acclaim. No one ever said life is fair, even in Discworld.
But strange things are happening at the opera house. There are reports of a phantom hanging about, instruments have been smashed, and now, bodies are dropping from the rafters.
I guess it's lucky that Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are in town. Since Magrat's absence, they've discovered that three witches are needed for a coven, AND to keep them from driving each other batty, so they've come to vet Agnes for the job. And while they're there, they might as well clear up all this phantom nonsense to boot.
Maybe it was the predominantly female cast, but I enjoyed the stuffing out of this one.
Granny gets to find out "What's Opera, Doc?" and Nanny provides possibly the best explanation of its charms that I've ever heard:
"Well, it's quite simple reely," she said. "A lot of people are in love with one another, there's considerable dressing up as other people and general confusion, there's a cheeky servant, no one really knows who anyone is, a couple of ole dukes go mad, chorus of gypsies, etc. Your basic opera. Someone's prob'ly going to turn out to be someone else's long-lost son or daughter or wife or something."
I also learned that opera would be a whole lot better if they sold peanuts and beer.
Nanny and Granny are a great comedy duo. Normally, I'm a diehard Weatherwax fan, but I must say Nanny really stole the show in this one. She gets to utter my favorite line from the book as she elbows her way through a crowd to check out what all the fuss is about - "Let me through. I'm a nosy person."
I think, Granny Weatherwax is the woman I'd like to be - a thin, wise, knows-when-to-keep-her-mouth-shut, Katherine Hepburn-type of woman.
Nanny Ogg is the woman I am - a short, blowsy, doesn't-know-when-to-shut-up, Bette Midler-type of gal.
Oh, well. She may be a bit sloppy and unkempt, but she gets the job done. Just what you'd expect from a nosy person. (Like me.)
If she had anything to do with it, anyway.
Agnes Nitt and her alter ego, Perdita X. Dream, have joined the opera. Agnes has a remarkable singing voice (she can even sing harmony with...herself...), but unfortunately, she is a "traditionally built woman." So, she gets to sing in the background while the skinny, attractive star "uses" her voice and gets all the acclaim. No one ever said life is fair, even in Discworld.
But strange things are happening at the opera house. There are reports of a phantom hanging about, instruments have been smashed, and now, bodies are dropping from the rafters.
I guess it's lucky that Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are in town. Since Magrat's absence, they've discovered that three witches are needed for a coven, AND to keep them from driving each other batty, so they've come to vet Agnes for the job. And while they're there, they might as well clear up all this phantom nonsense to boot.
Maybe it was the predominantly female cast, but I enjoyed the stuffing out of this one.
Granny gets to find out "What's Opera, Doc?" and Nanny provides possibly the best explanation of its charms that I've ever heard:
"Well, it's quite simple reely," she said. "A lot of people are in love with one another, there's considerable dressing up as other people and general confusion, there's a cheeky servant, no one really knows who anyone is, a couple of ole dukes go mad, chorus of gypsies, etc. Your basic opera. Someone's prob'ly going to turn out to be someone else's long-lost son or daughter or wife or something."
I also learned that opera would be a whole lot better if they sold peanuts and beer.
Nanny and Granny are a great comedy duo. Normally, I'm a diehard Weatherwax fan, but I must say Nanny really stole the show in this one. She gets to utter my favorite line from the book as she elbows her way through a crowd to check out what all the fuss is about - "Let me through. I'm a nosy person."
I think, Granny Weatherwax is the woman I'd like to be - a thin, wise, knows-when-to-keep-her-mouth-shut, Katherine Hepburn-type of woman.
Nanny Ogg is the woman I am - a short, blowsy, doesn't-know-when-to-shut-up, Bette Midler-type of gal.
Oh, well. She may be a bit sloppy and unkempt, but she gets the job done. Just what you'd expect from a nosy person. (Like me.)
April 28, 2025
„Даваш всичко от себе си и рано или късно настъпва мигът, когато няма как да не продължиш, защото е немислимо да спреш. Театърмайсторът можеше да им удържи по два-три долара от надниците, но те щяха да продължат и си го знаеха. Затова продължаваха.“
„Маскарад“ е страшно приятна и смислена книга! Чрез тази история за поредните вълнуващи приключения на своите забележителни вещици, Пратчет по изключително забавен и реалистичен начин е представил проблемите в света на оперното изкуство. Баба Вихронрав и Леля Ог отиват в Анкх-Морпорк, за да привлекат Агнес за трета вещица, която пък иска да бъде оперна певица...
„… Непременно трябваше пак да станат три. Наставаха всякакви вълнения, когато бяха три. Имаше скандали, приключения и поводи Баба да се вбесява, а тя можеше да бъде щастлива само когато е разярена. Всъщност на Леля ѝ се струваше, че Баба наистина е Баба единствено когато се гневи.“
„И наскоро ми донесоха ей туй — според мене чудничко са го изработили, направо да се шашнеш колко равно подреждат буквите…
— Измъдрила си книга — установи Баба.
— Да, ама е готварска — смирено промълви Леля като престъпник, който твърди, че това му е първото нарушение на закона.“
„— Кривата на катастрофите, господин Ведър, е начинът на живот във всяка опера. Представленията се случват, защото огромен брой дреболии изумително не успяват да ги провалят. Справяме се благодарение на омраза, любов и изопнати нерви. И то през цялото време. Това не е сирене, а опера. Ако сте искал мирно занимание, господин Ведър, не биваше да купувате Операта. Трябваше да се захванете с нещо по-безопасно. Например да поправяте зъбите на алигатори.“
„И понеже коефициентът за интелигентност на разгневената тълпа е равен на коефициента на най-тъпия в гъмжилото, разделен на броя участници, те не успяха да схванат какво се е случило. Нямаше спор, че са връхлетели Призрака, комуто не са оставили възможност да се измъкне. Накрая им останаха една маска и няколко парцалчета от дрехи. Значи е свършил в реката, предположи тълпата. Така му се пада.
Щастливи от увереността в добре свършената работа, те се отправиха към най-близката кръчма.“
„Маскарад“ е страшно приятна и смислена книга! Чрез тази история за поредните вълнуващи приключения на своите забележителни вещици, Пратчет по изключително забавен и реалистичен начин е представил проблемите в света на оперното изкуство. Баба Вихронрав и Леля Ог отиват в Анкх-Морпорк, за да привлекат Агнес за трета вещица, която пък иска да бъде оперна певица...
„… Непременно трябваше пак да станат три. Наставаха всякакви вълнения, когато бяха три. Имаше скандали, приключения и поводи Баба да се вбесява, а тя можеше да бъде щастлива само когато е разярена. Всъщност на Леля ѝ се струваше, че Баба наистина е Баба единствено когато се гневи.“
„И наскоро ми донесоха ей туй — според мене чудничко са го изработили, направо да се шашнеш колко равно подреждат буквите…
— Измъдрила си книга — установи Баба.
— Да, ама е готварска — смирено промълви Леля като престъпник, който твърди, че това му е първото нарушение на закона.“
„— Кривата на катастрофите, господин Ведър, е начинът на живот във всяка опера. Представленията се случват, защото огромен брой дреболии изумително не успяват да ги провалят. Справяме се благодарение на омраза, любов и изопнати нерви. И то през цялото време. Това не е сирене, а опера. Ако сте искал мирно занимание, господин Ведър, не биваше да купувате Операта. Трябваше да се захванете с нещо по-безопасно. Например да поправяте зъбите на алигатори.“
„И понеже коефициентът за интелигентност на разгневената тълпа е равен на коефициента на най-тъпия в гъмжилото, разделен на броя участници, те не успяха да схванат какво се е случило. Нямаше спор, че са връхлетели Призрака, комуто не са оставили възможност да се измъкне. Накрая им останаха една маска и няколко парцалчета от дрехи. Значи е свършил в реката, предположи тълпата. Така му се пада.
Щастливи от увереността в добре свършената работа, те се отправиха към най-близката кръчма.“
June 28, 2021
I love the wittiness that Pratchett brings to a variety of topics on the Discworld.
But when it comes to parodies there's always going to be an element of how familiar you are with the subject matter having some impact in your overall enjoyment.
I've generally liked the Witches subseries so far even though I'm not overall familiar with Shakespeare...
Having loved going to West End shows in London and it being impossible to pick between Les Mis and Phantom as my favourite, Prachett's fun fantasy twist on one of my favourite musicals.
Reading Goosebumps The Phantom of the Auditorium as a kid probably also goes someway in it explaining why this is a firm favourite.
Strange accidents are having at the Ankh-Morpork Oprea House as Agnes Nitt is chosen to be part of the chours line.
Another reason why I enjoyed this so much was due to the murder mystery plot (with being a big Christie fan).
Many of the novels in the series have the high 'End of the World' stakes, so it was nice to read a more low key but compelling tale concerning just those in the opera house.
Prachett's genius is including a character named Walter Plinge - both a neat little reference to the theatre whilst a fun homage to Michael Crawford.
But when it comes to parodies there's always going to be an element of how familiar you are with the subject matter having some impact in your overall enjoyment.
I've generally liked the Witches subseries so far even though I'm not overall familiar with Shakespeare...
Having loved going to West End shows in London and it being impossible to pick between Les Mis and Phantom as my favourite, Prachett's fun fantasy twist on one of my favourite musicals.
Reading Goosebumps The Phantom of the Auditorium as a kid probably also goes someway in it explaining why this is a firm favourite.
Strange accidents are having at the Ankh-Morpork Oprea House as Agnes Nitt is chosen to be part of the chours line.
Another reason why I enjoyed this so much was due to the murder mystery plot (with being a big Christie fan).
Many of the novels in the series have the high 'End of the World' stakes, so it was nice to read a more low key but compelling tale concerning just those in the opera house.
Prachett's genius is including a character named Walter Plinge - both a neat little reference to the theatre whilst a fun homage to Michael Crawford.
October 8, 2019
Terry Pratchetts version of Phantom of the Opera. Highly amusing.
-----------------------------------
Das Phantom der Oper in Ankh Morpork unter intensiver Beteiligung von Nanny Ogg und Oma Wetterwachs.
Die Hexengeschichten von Terry Pratchett sind zwar nicht meine Lieblingsgeschichten, aber immer noch sehr, sehr gut.
-----------------------------------
Das Phantom der Oper in Ankh Morpork unter intensiver Beteiligung von Nanny Ogg und Oma Wetterwachs.
Die Hexengeschichten von Terry Pratchett sind zwar nicht meine Lieblingsgeschichten, aber immer noch sehr, sehr gut.
November 21, 2015
The last time we saw the Witches, they were ushering off their third member into the perils of marriage, and to a King, no less. Anyway, Magrat's gone now, and things are going funny without a third to balance things out. Nanny Ogg in particular is worried about Granny Weatherwax, who is terrifying under the best of circumstances. They take a trip to Ankh-Morpork after Granny learns that Nanny wrote a book that is a bestseller, but has gotten no royalties from the swindling publisher. And hey, while they're there, they might as well drop in on Agnes Nitt, a girl from home who's trying to make it as an opera singer, calling herself Perdita X. They know she's a witch in the making, but Agnes is determined to resist her fate, even if it does mean everyone thinks the one singing all those beautiful arias is the skinny beautiful blonde girl who faints like a pro. Meanwhile, the legendary opera ghost who has been such good luck has all of a sudden started killing people right and left.
Of course Nanny and Granny (and sensible Agnes, with the great hair and the lovely personality) get involved, and do as only the Witches can do, making sense out of a whole mess of nonsense in every possible form.
This is my eighteenth Discworld book, and I feel like I'm at the point in this series where Pratchett had just nailed his own style so hard that even the halfhearted books are pretty amazing. My least favorite Discworld books have always been the straight parodies of things, so I was a bit surprised that I ended up enjoying this one so much (although I do love Phantom of the Opera). It was also a bit more lightweight than my favorites, but the thing he does with masks was pretty great, and I really love Granny and Nanny, as well as reluctant Agnes.
Also, I waited the whole damn book for , and it never did! Terry Pratchett, you dear departed tricky little man.
[3.5 stars, rounded up]
Of course Nanny and Granny (and sensible Agnes, with the great hair and the lovely personality) get involved, and do as only the Witches can do, making sense out of a whole mess of nonsense in every possible form.
This is my eighteenth Discworld book, and I feel like I'm at the point in this series where Pratchett had just nailed his own style so hard that even the halfhearted books are pretty amazing. My least favorite Discworld books have always been the straight parodies of things, so I was a bit surprised that I ended up enjoying this one so much (although I do love Phantom of the Opera). It was also a bit more lightweight than my favorites, but the thing he does with masks was pretty great, and I really love Granny and Nanny, as well as reluctant Agnes.
Also, I waited the whole damn book for , and it never did! Terry Pratchett, you dear departed tricky little man.
[3.5 stars, rounded up]
November 26, 2018
Oh, how I love the witches! I just can't help myself.
In this 18th installment of the Discworld series, which is the 5th involving Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, there is only the two of them since Magrat became queen. So they are trying to recruit a witch called Anges but she is more than reluctant since she wants to become an Opera singer.
Thus, Granny and Nanny travel to Ankh-Morpork and get "cultured". *sniggers*
The problem is that when they arrive, the opera house is haunted by a ghost and there has even been some fateful incidents. But never fear: Granny and Nanny and even Greebo are on the case so it'll all turn out ... to their meddling satisfaction whether you want that or not. *lol*
In between they save people, are kind to others, kick those that deserve it and cook very interesting meals indeed.
By the way, I happen to own Nanny Ogg's Cookbook and it really IS funny so it surprised me and made me chuckle to read about the havoc she causes with it here.
Moreover, we get great side-stabs at operas in general, some musicals in particular, much hilarity ensues when the two witches go undercover,
there are some epic scenes like when Granny plays a game of cards against Death in order to save a baby, and this book contains some of the best Pratchett quotes ever regarding all sorts of topics from people in power, money and fate to general human nature. Or maybe not some of the best ... considering how high he set the bar, it's hard to tell sometimes. The situational comedy was just that good in my opinion. Also thanks to my beloved Greebo, of course.
(both when interacting with Nanny and when trying to avoid interacting with Granny).
Let's just say that I was chuckling and even bursting out laughing most of the time and when I wasn't, I was fully committed to the hunt for the ghost and killer. Not to mention Granny's fantastic way of handling magic and interpreting certain rules. Always a delight.
One last thought: the main witches are certainly Granny and Nanny but the one they choose as the third in the coven is kinda important, too, as is actually explained here. While I definitely wasn't a fan of hippie Magrat, I adore Agnes. I might not want her sticking around for too long but at least in this novel she was almost perfect.
So we get two very nuanced girls representing a very serious plight in society that is as old as the man in the moon and quite complex. But I thought it was handled brilliantly. And by a male author, showing how serious Pratchett took his characters and representation and that he truly was a master!
In this 18th installment of the Discworld series, which is the 5th involving Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, there is only the two of them since Magrat became queen. So they are trying to recruit a witch called Anges but she is more than reluctant since she wants to become an Opera singer.
Thus, Granny and Nanny travel to Ankh-Morpork and get "cultured". *sniggers*
The problem is that when they arrive, the opera house is haunted by a ghost and there has even been some fateful incidents. But never fear: Granny and Nanny and even Greebo are on the case so it'll all turn out ... to their meddling satisfaction whether you want that or not. *lol*
In between they save people, are kind to others, kick those that deserve it and cook very interesting meals indeed.
By the way, I happen to own Nanny Ogg's Cookbook and it really IS funny so it surprised me and made me chuckle to read about the havoc she causes with it here.
Moreover, we get great side-stabs at operas in general, some musicals in particular, much hilarity ensues when the two witches go undercover,
there are some epic scenes like when Granny plays a game of cards against Death in order to save a baby, and this book contains some of the best Pratchett quotes ever regarding all sorts of topics from people in power, money and fate to general human nature. Or maybe not some of the best ... considering how high he set the bar, it's hard to tell sometimes. The situational comedy was just that good in my opinion. Also thanks to my beloved Greebo, of course.
(both when interacting with Nanny and when trying to avoid interacting with Granny).
Let's just say that I was chuckling and even bursting out laughing most of the time and when I wasn't, I was fully committed to the hunt for the ghost and killer. Not to mention Granny's fantastic way of handling magic and interpreting certain rules. Always a delight.
One last thought: the main witches are certainly Granny and Nanny but the one they choose as the third in the coven is kinda important, too, as is actually explained here. While I definitely wasn't a fan of hippie Magrat, I adore Agnes. I might not want her sticking around for too long but at least in this novel she was almost perfect.
So we get two very nuanced girls representing a very serious plight in society that is as old as the man in the moon and quite complex. But I thought it was handled brilliantly. And by a male author, showing how serious Pratchett took his characters and representation and that he truly was a master!
August 22, 2025
Six years later...... I am rereading with my daughter. Oh how we laughed!
One observation, or perhaps a truism, is that Nanny Ogg thinks that the ability to cook should be prized over looks, "as kisses eventually lost their fire but cooking tended to get even better over the years."
The quote, "We had to share a drain with two other families," reminds me of how older folk tell younger ones, in a Monty Pythonesque way, about how they struggled in their youth by having to walk to school uphill both ways and/or they lived in a cardboard box on the motorway (or worse!)
August 15th, 2025 - Re-reading with Simon. It's his birthday and this was his choice.
One observation, or perhaps a truism, is that Nanny Ogg thinks that the ability to cook should be prized over looks, "as kisses eventually lost their fire but cooking tended to get even better over the years."
The quote, "We had to share a drain with two other families," reminds me of how older folk tell younger ones, in a Monty Pythonesque way, about how they struggled in their youth by having to walk to school uphill both ways and/or they lived in a cardboard box on the motorway (or worse!)
August 15th, 2025 - Re-reading with Simon. It's his birthday and this was his choice.
April 15, 2021
"The huge, be-columned, gargoyle-haunted face of Ankh-Morpork's Opera House was there, in front of Agnes Nitt. She stopped. At least, most of Agnes stopped. There was a lot of Agnes." pg 9, ebook.
The usually charming wit of Terry Pratchett falls flat in this entry of The Witches, a sub-series of Discworld.
Having already lampooned the general idea of 'theater' in Wyrd Sisters, Pratchett takes a crack at 'musical theater', specifically The Phantom of the Opera. Besides the addition of the witches to the mix, the main gag is that Agnes Nitt is fat.
It's not a story that has aged well.
"Agnes was, Nanny considered, quite good-looking in an expansive kind of way; she was a fine figure of typical young Lancre womanhood. This meant she was approximately two womanhoods from anywhere else." pg 21
Agnes is not the only person in the story with weight concerns, the other being one of the lead singers in the opera, a male. But Agnes, despite her obvious talents, is forced to sing in the chorus, providing the voice for a willowy female who looks the part.
All of this is just a backdrop for the larger story which is basically that Granny Weatherwax is bored and Nanny Ogg is afraid if they don't find another member for their coven, then Granny will turn to the dark side.
Which no one wants, obviously. Because Granny Weatherwax is one of the greatest of her age in headology and general witchy works, which vary greatly depending upon the circumstances.
And it brings the readers back around to the concern that I addressed in earlier books about Magrat (the witch they're looking to replace) being bullied by the other older witches in the coven. In Maskerade, they're just looking for a new punching bag.
The one bright spot in the story was Greebo, slinking around in his predatory human form. I love how he talks to people, elongating his R's and adopting a general attitude of slightly aggressive insouciance, something which I imagine cats would do, if forced to speak English.
But beyond that, for whatever reason, this entry in the series didn't hit the spot for me.
Here's hoping the next is better.
The usually charming wit of Terry Pratchett falls flat in this entry of The Witches, a sub-series of Discworld.
Having already lampooned the general idea of 'theater' in Wyrd Sisters, Pratchett takes a crack at 'musical theater', specifically The Phantom of the Opera. Besides the addition of the witches to the mix, the main gag is that Agnes Nitt is fat.
It's not a story that has aged well.
"Agnes was, Nanny considered, quite good-looking in an expansive kind of way; she was a fine figure of typical young Lancre womanhood. This meant she was approximately two womanhoods from anywhere else." pg 21
Agnes is not the only person in the story with weight concerns, the other being one of the lead singers in the opera, a male. But Agnes, despite her obvious talents, is forced to sing in the chorus, providing the voice for a willowy female who looks the part.
All of this is just a backdrop for the larger story which is basically that Granny Weatherwax is bored and Nanny Ogg is afraid if they don't find another member for their coven, then Granny will turn to the dark side.
Which no one wants, obviously. Because Granny Weatherwax is one of the greatest of her age in headology and general witchy works, which vary greatly depending upon the circumstances.
And it brings the readers back around to the concern that I addressed in earlier books about Magrat (the witch they're looking to replace) being bullied by the other older witches in the coven. In Maskerade, they're just looking for a new punching bag.
The one bright spot in the story was Greebo, slinking around in his predatory human form. I love how he talks to people, elongating his R's and adopting a general attitude of slightly aggressive insouciance, something which I imagine cats would do, if forced to speak English.
But beyond that, for whatever reason, this entry in the series didn't hit the spot for me.
Here's hoping the next is better.
February 22, 2025
як же я люблю цю серію
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May 2, 2024
More Granny, what more do you want?
Alright; murder, ghosts, mystery, ghastly opera
Small though the stage may be
Knowing that the Disc outside is safe (for once for now)
Elevates the theatrics
Requiring scrutiny of every character
Attention to detail is second to none.
Decidedly a romp of fun and jollity
Equating to expert dramatics, darling
[First read: Jaunary, 2010. 4 stars.
Second read: 22nd February, 2024. 5 stars.]
Alright; murder, ghosts, mystery, ghastly opera
Small though the stage may be
Knowing that the Disc outside is safe (for once for now)
Elevates the theatrics
Requiring scrutiny of every character
Attention to detail is second to none.
Decidedly a romp of fun and jollity
Equating to expert dramatics, darling
[First read: Jaunary, 2010. 4 stars.
Second read: 22nd February, 2024. 5 stars.]
June 28, 2024
Later stories are less entertaining than many previous versions.
January 6, 2022
“Well, basically there are two sorts of opera," said Nanny, who also had the true witch's ability to be confidently expert on the basis of no experience whatsoever. "There's your heavy opera, where basically people sing foreign and it goes like "Oh oh oh, I am dyin', oh I am dyin', oh oh oh, that's what I'm doin'", and there's your light opera, where they sing in foreign and it basically goes "Beer! Beer! Beer! Beer! I like to drink lots of beer!", although sometimes they drink champagne instead. That's basically all of opera, reely.”
The witches go to the opera! Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are in pursuit of Perdita X. (nee Agnes):
“You needed at least three witches for a coven. Two witches was just an argument.”
I've never read or seen The Phantom of the Opera - if I had I may have gotten even more out of this, but it doesn't really matter because I loved it, even without that reference point. I adore the witches, and it was fun to them trying to recruit a new member. I was also impressed with Terry Pratchett for making Agnes' stubborn objections to becoming the third witch make sense; her reasoning against it made sense, even if she was ultimately wrong.
There are also some amazing Greebo moments, which I won't spoil, but they were brilliant.
Some quotes:
“Granny Weatherwax was firmly against fiction. Life was hard enough without lies floating around and changing the way people thought. And because the theater was fiction made flesh, she hated the theater most of all. But that was it—hate was exactly the right word. Hate is a force of attraction. Hate is just love with its back turned.”
*******
“The human mind was a deep and abiding mystery and the Librarian was glad he didn't have one anymore.”
*******
“His progress through life was hampered by his tremendous sense of his own ignorance, a disability which affects all too few.”
The witches go to the opera! Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are in pursuit of Perdita X. (nee Agnes):
“You needed at least three witches for a coven. Two witches was just an argument.”
I've never read or seen The Phantom of the Opera - if I had I may have gotten even more out of this, but it doesn't really matter because I loved it, even without that reference point. I adore the witches, and it was fun to them trying to recruit a new member. I was also impressed with Terry Pratchett for making Agnes' stubborn objections to becoming the third witch make sense; her reasoning against it made sense, even if she was ultimately wrong.
There are also some amazing Greebo moments, which I won't spoil, but they were brilliant.
Some quotes:
“Granny Weatherwax was firmly against fiction. Life was hard enough without lies floating around and changing the way people thought. And because the theater was fiction made flesh, she hated the theater most of all. But that was it—hate was exactly the right word. Hate is a force of attraction. Hate is just love with its back turned.”
*******
“The human mind was a deep and abiding mystery and the Librarian was glad he didn't have one anymore.”
*******
“His progress through life was hampered by his tremendous sense of his own ignorance, a disability which affects all too few.”
November 21, 2017
Right! Let’s do some good!’ she said, to the universe at large.
Need I say anything more about the Granny Weatherwax, the speaker of this line? She is still one of the best characters in fiction. In Maskerade, Granny and Nanny are faced with the difficulty of being a coven of only two witches. They need a third. Because, as we know, two witches is not a coven, it's an argument. There has to be a third to settle the argument - or act as a buffer.
Unfortunately, Agnes, the hopeful addition to Granny and Nanny, has set her mind on pursuing a musical career, and not on becoming a witch. So, Agnes joins the opera where she is cast as the vocal lead. but as she is blessed with a good personality and nice hair rather than, erm, "looks", her choice may not be all that she hoped for.
Also, there is the slight matter of unexplained deaths occurring at the opera.
In a twist of previous books in the series, Granny turns into a quasi Miss Marple in Maskerade, and Nanny is at hand to explain Granny's use of headology to perplexed by-standers.
What's not to like?
Need I say anything more about the Granny Weatherwax, the speaker of this line? She is still one of the best characters in fiction. In Maskerade, Granny and Nanny are faced with the difficulty of being a coven of only two witches. They need a third. Because, as we know, two witches is not a coven, it's an argument. There has to be a third to settle the argument - or act as a buffer.
Unfortunately, Agnes, the hopeful addition to Granny and Nanny, has set her mind on pursuing a musical career, and not on becoming a witch. So, Agnes joins the opera where she is cast as the vocal lead. but as she is blessed with a good personality and nice hair rather than, erm, "looks", her choice may not be all that she hoped for.
Also, there is the slight matter of unexplained deaths occurring at the opera.
In a twist of previous books in the series, Granny turns into a quasi Miss Marple in Maskerade, and Nanny is at hand to explain Granny's use of headology to perplexed by-standers.
What's not to like?
July 29, 2024
Ich bin ein simpler Mensch: Ich lese einen starken Pratchett, also gebe ich 5 Sterne.
Dieser Roman folgt den Hexen, explizit Oma Wetterwachs und Nanny Ogg. Ihnen fehlt die dritte Hexe im Bunde (es müssen immer drei sein), außerdem hat Nanny versehentlich einen obszönen Bestseller geschrieben und wurde um ihre Tantiemen geprellt, also brechen die beiden nach Ankh-Morpork, in die Großstadt, auf.
In Ankh-Morporks Opernhaus geschehen myseriöse Morde, jetzt wo Herr Eimer den Betrieb übernommen hat. Es gibt einen Operngeist, der früher einmal Glück gebracht haben soll.
Dort will die talentierte Agnes Nitt ihren Traum vom Rampenlicht erfüllen, doch sie wird wegen ihrer Dickleibigkeit andauernd unterschätzt und ins Abseits gedrängt.
Diese Figuren geraten natürlich alle aneinander und die Situation eskaliert - etwas anderes würde man auch gar nicht haben wollen.
Die Oper ist eine merkwürdige Instanz, in der bei allen Beteiligten die Nerven bis zum Zerreißen gespannt sind. Doch obwohl sich niemand leiden kann und alle kurz vor dem Wahnsinn stehen, gibt es eine Sache, die alle eint: die völlige Hingabe an die Illusion. Sie stehen Don Quijote in nichts nach.
Dieser Roman folgt den Hexen, explizit Oma Wetterwachs und Nanny Ogg. Ihnen fehlt die dritte Hexe im Bunde (es müssen immer drei sein), außerdem hat Nanny versehentlich einen obszönen Bestseller geschrieben und wurde um ihre Tantiemen geprellt, also brechen die beiden nach Ankh-Morpork, in die Großstadt, auf.
In Ankh-Morporks Opernhaus geschehen myseriöse Morde, jetzt wo Herr Eimer den Betrieb übernommen hat. Es gibt einen Operngeist, der früher einmal Glück gebracht haben soll.
Dort will die talentierte Agnes Nitt ihren Traum vom Rampenlicht erfüllen, doch sie wird wegen ihrer Dickleibigkeit andauernd unterschätzt und ins Abseits gedrängt.
Diese Figuren geraten natürlich alle aneinander und die Situation eskaliert - etwas anderes würde man auch gar nicht haben wollen.
Die Oper ist eine merkwürdige Instanz, in der bei allen Beteiligten die Nerven bis zum Zerreißen gespannt sind. Doch obwohl sich niemand leiden kann und alle kurz vor dem Wahnsinn stehen, gibt es eine Sache, die alle eint: die völlige Hingabe an die Illusion. Sie stehen Don Quijote in nichts nach.
June 17, 2021
An unexpected favorite from the series so far, I loved every page.
December 3, 2010
The musical "Phantom of the Opera" used to drive me crazy. All that foppish flopping around with Christine being the sad weepy and yet easily manipulated girl who would run off and do whatever the creep with the dinnerware stuck to his face told him. I always figured if I were in the opera house and saw what was going on, I'd try to make Christine see the light.
Now, thanks to Agnes Nitt, I know that wouldn't have worked. But thank heaven for Terry Pratchett and Agness Nitt for taking Gaston Leroux' story and setting it in Ankh-Morpork, where the best satirist of the 20th century could have fun with it.
Every bit of the story is comic, from Nanny Ogg's obscene recipes to the transformation of Greebo the cat into Lord Gribeaux. Esme Weatherwax is just as wise and cranky as ever as well.
I remember my first read-through of this book, and how distressed I felt that Pratchett wasn't writing about his wizards. Now I look over my Pratchett collection and have to say my favorite books don't involve the wizards at all.
Now, thanks to Agnes Nitt, I know that wouldn't have worked. But thank heaven for Terry Pratchett and Agness Nitt for taking Gaston Leroux' story and setting it in Ankh-Morpork, where the best satirist of the 20th century could have fun with it.
Every bit of the story is comic, from Nanny Ogg's obscene recipes to the transformation of Greebo the cat into Lord Gribeaux. Esme Weatherwax is just as wise and cranky as ever as well.
I remember my first read-through of this book, and how distressed I felt that Pratchett wasn't writing about his wizards. Now I look over my Pratchett collection and have to say my favorite books don't involve the wizards at all.
October 26, 2016
Maskerade is the fifth book in the Witches subseries of Discworld. I usually enjoy the Witches books a little more than the others. I didn’t think this one was as uproariously funny as Wyrd Sisters or Witches Abroad, but I did enjoy it.
The story centers on some goings-on at an opera house. The opera house has always had a mysterious ghost with certain demands, but lately this ghost seems to have gone off the deep end. It's murdering people and leaving crazy notes with lots of exclamation points. As anybody who has read a few Pratchett books probably knows, multiple exclamation points are a sure sign of insanity!!!!!
I’ve had very little exposure to the opera, so I’m sure there were some jokes that went over my head, but I felt like most of it was pretty accessible to me. As expected, there are a lot of Phantom of the Opera references as well as some fun-poking at opera in general. The story itself was entertaining, with a bit of a mystery feel to it, but the solutions to the mystery were predictable to the point where I suspect they weren’t really intended to be a surprise.
Character-wise, Magrat is only spoken about and doesn’t show up personally. I was actually happy about that since I think she can be annoying. Granny and Nanny are there though, and they’re as much fun as always. Another character who we had met briefly in a previous Witches book took a major role in this story, and I liked her quite a bit. I definitely liked her more than Magrat.
I was surprised to look ahead on the reading list and realize there’s only one more Witches book to go. I hope that won’t be the last of Granny and Nanny because they’re so much fun. The Tiffany Aching series seems to be a young adult offshoot of the Witches series, so hopefully they’ll show up at least a little bit here and there.
The story centers on some goings-on at an opera house. The opera house has always had a mysterious ghost with certain demands, but lately this ghost seems to have gone off the deep end. It's murdering people and leaving crazy notes with lots of exclamation points. As anybody who has read a few Pratchett books probably knows, multiple exclamation points are a sure sign of insanity!!!!!
I’ve had very little exposure to the opera, so I’m sure there were some jokes that went over my head, but I felt like most of it was pretty accessible to me. As expected, there are a lot of Phantom of the Opera references as well as some fun-poking at opera in general. The story itself was entertaining, with a bit of a mystery feel to it, but the solutions to the mystery were predictable to the point where I suspect they weren’t really intended to be a surprise.
Character-wise, Magrat is only spoken about and doesn’t show up personally. I was actually happy about that since I think she can be annoying. Granny and Nanny are there though, and they’re as much fun as always. Another character who we had met briefly in a previous Witches book took a major role in this story, and I liked her quite a bit. I definitely liked her more than Magrat.
I was surprised to look ahead on the reading list and realize there’s only one more Witches book to go. I hope that won’t be the last of Granny and Nanny because they’re so much fun. The Tiffany Aching series seems to be a young adult offshoot of the Witches series, so hopefully they’ll show up at least a little bit here and there.
January 23, 2021
I love Discworld and I'm especially fond of the witches. Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg will always have a special place in my heart. Therefore, Maskerade I couldn't really rate Maskerde lower than 4 stars - I love it!
Granny and Nanny follow the young Agnes (Perdita) Nitt to Ankh-Morpork. Out of necessity - two witches aren't enough, you need three so you can order one around. Agnes, however, wants nothing to do with witchcraft and starts her opera career at the Ankh-Morpork Opera House. Not everything is as it should be. Apparently the opera house is haunted by a ghost! Things get dangerous when people start dying ...
The two witches in Ankh-Morpork are hilarious. I can't think of a better combination / setting! Cheeky comments their very own views on thievery, lying and spending money and their general attitude. It's perfect and incredibly funny.
Agnes struggles to be accepted and respected in the world of opera, the identity of the ghost is a mystery and even Greebo makes an appearance.
As always Pratchett touched upon deeper complicated issues and wrapped them into an exciting story - which also happens to be incredibly funny.
As with every Discworld book, I'd highly recommend it. Although in this case it might be necessary to read the other books in the Witches-series before you start!
Granny and Nanny follow the young Agnes (Perdita) Nitt to Ankh-Morpork. Out of necessity - two witches aren't enough, you need three so you can order one around. Agnes, however, wants nothing to do with witchcraft and starts her opera career at the Ankh-Morpork Opera House. Not everything is as it should be. Apparently the opera house is haunted by a ghost! Things get dangerous when people start dying ...
The two witches in Ankh-Morpork are hilarious. I can't think of a better combination / setting! Cheeky comments their very own views on thievery, lying and spending money and their general attitude. It's perfect and incredibly funny.
Agnes struggles to be accepted and respected in the world of opera, the identity of the ghost is a mystery and even Greebo makes an appearance.
As always Pratchett touched upon deeper complicated issues and wrapped them into an exciting story - which also happens to be incredibly funny.
As with every Discworld book, I'd highly recommend it. Although in this case it might be necessary to read the other books in the Witches-series before you start!
September 7, 2017
Perdóneme Señor Pratchett porque al empezar el libro pensaba que no me iba a gustar mucho. La serie de las brujas no es mi favorita y una historia ambientada en el mundo de la ópera no era lo que me llamaba más la atención.
Pero lo que he descubierto ha sido una de las mejores novelas del Mundodisco. Una parodia del teatro y la ópera con acción constante, gente entrando y saliendo entre bambalinas, decenas de personajes, misterios que resolver y un simio tocando el órgano.
Y todo perfectamente hilado para no perdernos entre tanto caos.
Ya no volveré a dudar más de usted.
Pero lo que he descubierto ha sido una de las mejores novelas del Mundodisco. Una parodia del teatro y la ópera con acción constante, gente entrando y saliendo entre bambalinas, decenas de personajes, misterios que resolver y un simio tocando el órgano.
Y todo perfectamente hilado para no perdernos entre tanto caos.
Ya no volveré a dudar más de usted.
February 24, 2023
Не дарма це один з моїх улюблених романів Дискосвіту. Опера, мюзикли, Аґнес, як завжди неперевершені Бабуня і Тітуня (Тітуня написала сороміцьку книгу рецептів за яку їй не заплатили, я й забула), привиди, маски, підземелля. Шкода лишень люстра не гепнулась, а так треба було.
September 24, 2021
Истинска наслада за душата! И много, мноого смях!
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