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Equal Rites
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Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett - TT8 BOM (starts 22 May 2021)
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(last edited May 25, 2021 04:11AM)
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As we all know, or are about to discover, Sir Pterry is not a fan of chapters! We'll use start/end quotes. Page numbers are taken from this edition: Equal Rites. kindle %ages may get added in due course.
Date MPDQ Start/End quotes
22 May Lynne(Ridcully) end: You just had to learn to ignore them (p60)
23 May Jenny (Moist) start: Granny woke with bright sunshine
end: 'Oh,' said the dwarf. 'Right then.' (p118)
24 May Lexi (Oook) start: Gander the trail boss was a worried man
end: with murder in its heartwood (p179)
25 May Melinda (Vimes) start: The boy lay on a hard bed (p180)
Guidance for DQ setters
Aim for a reasonable number of questions: 4 - 5 is typical. Please don't post too many - any more than 7 gets unwieldy!
Use consecutive numbering of the DQs for your days. So, for example, if Day One is posted as questions 1-4, Day Two should start at number 5 etc.
Don't worry too much about your questions: you aren't being tested on how clever your questions are!
Hints and tips:
- Is there a quote that jumped out at you? Use that in a question.
- What about the characters - do they generate strong feelings? No feelings? - either way, we can explore that!
- What about that plot twist?!
- Explore the writing style: is there an unusual structure being used? what's the tone of voice like? or the point of view?
Want more information about how NBRC runs their Book of the Month discussions? Check out the information here
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(last edited May 10, 2021 07:20AM)
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Jenny (Moist)
Jammin Jenny (Rob backup)
Melinda (Vimes)
Sammy (Rince)
Tina (Carrot)
Aiswrya (Ogg) (Day 1)
Megan (Granny)
Lynne (Ridcully)
Cynthia (Tiff)
Lexi (Oook) (NOT 25 May)
Cat (Lord V)
Judy (Ogg backup)
Shannon (Sybil)
Erin PB (Sybil)
Nanci (DEATH)
Jessica (Cheery)
Snowtulip (Oook backup)
Audrey Jane (Rob)
Angie (Moist)
E (DEATH backup)
Note: whilst more than one team member can volunteer, each team will only get one slot (if the randomiser smiles on your team). The extra volunteers can be back up if the day allocated is not convenient.
(view spoiler)
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(last edited Apr 29, 2021 02:10AM)
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If it is not too early to volunteer, then I am in! Team Moist
Never read a Discworld book but willing to try for TT, reserved from the library
I am in for this BR, and will be a backup for TT Team Rob Anybody
I am also volunteering. :) Team Sam Vimes.
I suppose it would be rude not to! I'm in and volunteering :)Team Rincewind
I'm in and volunteering for team Carrot Ironfoundersson :P
Volunteering for DQs, has to be Day 1 though. Team Nanny Ogg
Volunteering from Team Granny Weatherwax!
I am in and volunteering for DQs! (Team Archchancellor Ridcully)
I'm in and volunteering for Team Tiffany Aching :)
Volunteering for DQs - Team Ook ( The Librarian)
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I'm in as backup for Team Nanny Ogg - not 100% sure I can get the book from the library on time
Im in and i volunteer for DQ (Lady Sybil)
I'm in and volunteer for DQ (Lady Sybil)
I volunteer to write DQ for Team Death. This will be my first Discworld book!
Volunteering for Team Cheery Littlebottom! Also my first Discworld book
Just adding I have my PhD defense on May 25 so can I not have that day.
I am in for reading and can be back up volunteer for Megan from Team Granny Weatherwax :)
Volunteering for DQ backup for Team The Library :)
I'm in and volunteer to write DQs for Team Rob Anybody.
I'll volunteer for DQs (Team Moist von Lipwig)
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And I need to figure out where my copy is...
I can be back-up for DEATH.
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Woohoo!My day works for me!
I am also happy about the 25th May, just as a member of Team Vimes should be. It's very fitting to commemorate the day of the Glorious Revolution by eating a boiled egg and writing DQs for a Discworld book.
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Who else is excited!? I'm going to try to start this tonight. Stupid job keeping me from starting now lol
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Also excited that one of my teamies is a new convert - Elena read The Light Fantastic and loved it! Hurrah for new Discworld fans.
I was so excited that i told GR I was reading it 2 days ago, even though I haven't actually started it yet. Just wanted to have it up on my 'currently reading' already, lol.
DQs - Day 11. If you are new or relatively new to Discworld, what do you think of Pratchett’s world and writing style so far? For more experienced Pratchett readers, what are your favorite things about his writing style or Discworld in general?
2. So we have our plucky heroine Esk and her witchy mentor Granny Weatherwax. What do you think of our two main characters and their relationship with each other?
3. A major theme is witch magic vs. wizard magic (and women vs. men), and I can’t wait to learn more about these different magical theories and world views. What do you think of this dynamic, and which type of magic are you more drawn to?
4. Oh dear. Esk went a bit too far with the borrowing. What do you think is going to happen next? And what will Granny say or do?
Bonus: I am really enjoying Pratchett’s wit so far. What is your favorite quote from this first bit? Mine is:
“What’s an elephant?”
“A kind of badger,” said Granny. She hadn’t maintained forest-credibility for forty years by ever admitting ignorance.
DQs - Day 11. If you are new or relatively new to Discworld, what do you think of Pratchett’s world and writing style so far? For more experienced Pratchett readers, what are your favorite things about his writing style or Discworld in general?
I love the world. I can't wrap my brain around the size of it though. 10.000 miles across the disc was mentioned, and I keep picturing it being so much smaller. Turtles are big. Turtles are big. Turtles are big. I will get there.
I love the fact that every few lines I am cracking up.
2. So we have our plucky heroine Esk and her witchy mentor Granny Weatherwax. What do you think of our two main characters and their relationship with each other?
The Witch and the witch. Esk has a great attitude. Question everything, don't take no for an answer. I love what Granny teaches Esk, and how she does it.
3. A major theme is witch magic vs. wizard magic (and women vs. men), and I can’t wait to learn more about these different magical theories and world views. What do you think of this dynamic, and which type of magic are you more drawn to?
If I could choose a magic power to be given, I would probably choose wizard power. However, witch power is more practical, and more, you know, real.
The gender politics in this story are interesting and likely to get even more so. Girls rule!
4. Oh dear. Esk went a bit too far with the borrowing. What do you think is going to happen next? And what will Granny say or do?
Yeah, not surprised that she thought she could do it. Since Granny is not teaching her about wizard magic, she doesn't know how to handle her power, and she is too young to understand consequences.
Bonus: I am really enjoying Pratchett’s wit so far. What is your favorite quote from this first bit? Mine is:
“What’s an elephant?”
“A kind of badger,” said Granny. She hadn’t maintained forest-credibility for forty years by ever admitting ignorance.
Too many to choose from!
"Anyway, I've got things to do, wizards to bury, you know how it is."
Mod
DQs - Day 11. If you are new or relatively new to Discworld, what do you think of Pratchett’s world and writing style so far? For more experienced Pratchett readers, what are your favorite things about his writing style or Discworld in general?
Newbie here...this is my 1st. It’s in the bizarre category for me...jury is still out.
2. So we have our plucky heroine Esk and her witchy mentor Granny Weatherwax. What do you think of our two main characters and their relationship with each other?
I think they make a perfect pair. Granny is super patient and Esk seems to be the typical child wizard.
3. A major theme is witch magic vs. wizard magic (and women vs. men), and I can’t wait to learn more about these different magical theories and world views. What do you think of this dynamic, and which type of magic are you more drawn to?
Well I’m surprised you have to ask...wizards all the way! Go Esk!
4. Oh dear. Esk went a bit too far with the borrowing. What do you think is going to happen next? And what will Granny say or do?
I’m thinking Granny will have the patience to get Esk on the straight wizard highway
Bonus: I am really enjoying Pratchett’s wit so far. What is your favorite quote from this first bit? Mine is:
“What’s an elephant?”
“A kind of badger,” said Granny. She hadn’t maintained forest-credibility for forty years by ever admitting ignorance.
“What is the name of this place, sir?” said the wizard. The blacksmith shrugged. “Bad Ass,” he said. “Bad—?” “Ass,” repeated the blacksmith, his tone defying anyone to make something of it.
“If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly,”
“Mnph.”
Okay - venturing into the discussion (is the 22nd here in Oz)1. If you are new or relatively new to Discworld, what do you think of Pratchett’s world and writing style so far? For more experienced Pratchett readers, what are your favourite things about his writing style or Discworld in general?
In Discworld there ARE no rules - time has no meaning and magic does its own thing. The whole place is absolutely bonkers. And there are so much of our world in Discworld, slightly twisted of course. Because there are no rules, and rules can be changed then Pratchett can go wild with his mind.
I do like chapters - places I can stop and return to - Pratchett said he never got into the habit of it.
2. So we have our plucky heroine Esk and her witchy mentor Granny Weatherwax. What do you think of our two main characters and their relationship with each other?
I have been a Discworld witches fan for years - Granny Weatherwax is quite contrary in that if she doesn’t want to do something she won’t, but she does what she has to when she has to, her way, and hang the consequences because they are for later. She is very open minded - anything is ok as long as it is her doing it.
Esk is a typical child and her character grows as the story progresses. She is the eighth child of an eighth son - interesting that the staff led the dying wizard to her - only every one presumed she was a he. The staff didn’t seem to care and passed its loyalty to Esk. Esk doesn’t get why girls can’t be wizards - she thinks she is at the least equal to wizards - hence the title. She has magic - but needs to learn how to control it.
3. A major theme is witch magic vs. wizard magic (and women vs. men), and I can’t wait to learn more about these different magical theories and world views. What do you think of this dynamic, and which type of magic are you more drawn to?
As far as Discworld is concerned only women can be witches and men wizards - that is the way of the world. Granny insists that Esk didn’t have the brains to be a wizard as it was too complicated. Wizards assumed they were more intelligent than witches, witches had their uses with women’s issues but real magic needed brains. In reality though witch magic is more useful to society than wizard magic they are herbalists and wise women. They can do magic they just don’t choose to unless push comes to shove. Wizard magic serves wizards.
I would want witch power - less flashy more practical
4. Oh dear. Esk went a bit too far with the borrowing. What do you think is going to happen next? And what will Granny say or do?
Granny will rescue Esk and then explain how it is done properly and why
Bonus: I am really enjoying Pratchett’s wit so far. What is your favorite quote from this first bit?
“Do you know how wizards like to be buried,
Yes
Well how
Reluctantly.
DQ Day 11. If you are new or relatively new to Discworld, what do you think of Pratchett’s world and writing style so far? For more experienced Pratchett readers, what are your favorite things about his writing style or Discworld in general?
This is my first Discworld book, and I am wondering how and why I have never read these before. I am finding this world bizarrely fascinating and I really like the writing style. It’s smart and witty. The description of ‘indescribable’ things and Granny’s stares are hilarious. I couldn’t stop reading.
2. So we have our plucky heroine Esk and her witchy mentor Granny Weatherwax. What do you think of our two main characters and their relationship with each other?
I kept forgetting Esk was just a child of 9 very often. She seemed very matured in so many places. I loved Granny Weatherwax. Initially I was a bit apprehensive about the character’s ‘too set in her ways’ style, but she turned out to amazing – wise, confident and ‘bad-ass’. Esk and Granny are really complimentary to each other in nearly every way, be it their age or wisdom or curiosity. While Granny mentors Esk to embrace her powers, Esk also pushes her out of her comfort zone and that in my opinion brings out the better sides of her character.
3. A major theme is witch magic vs. wizard magic (and women vs. men), and I can’t wait to learn more about these different magical theories and world views. What do you think of this dynamic, and which type of magic are you more drawn to?
Up until the first part, there wasn’t much of wizard magic being discussed, other than Granny’s opinion of it, which is hardly unbiased. Whereas we got to see a lot more of witch magic. It seems in this world wizard magic is more flashy, therotical and ‘brainy’ whereas witch magic is more grounded and useful for daily purposes. The dynamic is representative of traditional men and women nature, how they perceive each other and believe it must be different. I doubt if the magic itself is that different at all, rather than the way wizard and witches approach it.
4. Oh dear. Esk went a bit too far with the borrowing. What do you think is going to happen next? And what will Granny say or do?
Well, I’ve already finished so I know what happens next. But I wasn’t worried for Esk even for a moment, no with Granny looking after her. But it was quite a natural thing for a kid like Esk to take to a bit too far.
Bonus: I am really enjoying Pratchett’s wit so far. What is your favorite quote from this first bit? Mine is:
“What’s an elephant?”
“A kind of badger,” said Granny. She hadn’t maintained forest-credibility for forty years by ever admitting ignorance.
“If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly”
Mod
Or not.. there was a cock-up somewhere down the line.
So I'll get it some time next week. Will thus be joining late.
Mod
Or not.. there was a cock-up somewhere down the line.
So I'll get it some time n..."
Curses postal system!
Where is MOIST when we need him?!
Mod
Delivering through glom of nit!
DQs - Day 11. If you are new or relatively new to Discworld, what do you think of Pratchett’s world and writing style so far? For more experienced Pratchett readers, what are your favorite things about his writing style or Discworld in general?
I confess that I had/am having a hard time getting into this! I should like it, I want to like it, but I'm having a hard time! That being said, I've found myself laughing out loud several times, so maybe it'll grow on me!
2. So we have our plucky heroine Esk and her witchy mentor Granny Weatherwax. What do you think of our two main characters and their relationship with each other?
I like both of them. Granny is kind of tongue in cheek & Esk is a force of nature!
3. A major theme is witch magic vs. wizard magic (and women vs. men), and I can’t wait to learn more about these different magical theories and world views. What do you think of this dynamic, and which type of magic are you more drawn to?
Wise women have long been respected in every culture. They've also been reviled in our own culture. The cow's milk has dried up? There's a famine? Must be that weird old lady down the road. Let's kill her! It's a very comforting thought to be able to wield power over nature and other people. I often imagined becoming a witch...
4. Oh dear. Esk went a bit too far with the borrowing. What do you think is going to happen next? And what will Granny say or do?
The eagle borrowing was very disconcerting! She was lucky Granny was able to bring her back. Esk is very young and headstrong. Add the staff into the mix & who knows what could happen? Granny is right to get her somewhere where she can learn control. Granny is a bit of a loose cannon.
Bonus: I am really enjoying Pratchett’s wit so far. What is your favorite quote from this first bit? Mine is:
“What’s an elephant?”
“A kind of badger,” said Granny. She hadn’t maintained forest-credibility for forty years by ever admitting ignorance.
I like that one too, but I think my favorite was the bit about brothers being noise in trousers....
1. If you are new or relatively new to Discworld, what do you think of Pratchett’s world and writing style so far? For more experienced Pratchett readers, what are your favorite things about his writing style or Discworld in general?I'm a long-time Pratchett fan, and what I like most of all is the subtlety and layers that he builds into his books. That and his sense of humour! There aren't many funny fantasy books where you find yourself reading about Newton's third law of motion or the law of Conservation of Mass before page 20 in a way that's not only easy for anyone to understand, but that is amusing too.
and it's not just physics he builds into his books. They're packed with social, political and religious commentary, and I fully believe it's impossible to get everything there is to get from his books on a single read.
It's why it drives me nuts when people try to pass them off as kids books. no child, no matter how smart they are, would be able to "get" these books beyond the surface tale. Most adults don't even get them fully. Unless you have a good amount of life experience and general knowledge to build on, there's always going to be stuff you missed, which is where re-reading a few years down the line comes in :)
2. So we have our plucky heroine Esk and her witchy mentor Granny Weatherwax. What do you think of our two main characters and their relationship with each other?
Keeping in mind the fact that Esk has always seemed a little older to me than the 8 she is (I'm going to go with the magic has matured her early), this relationship has always seemed like a pretty typical teenager vs mentor/parent/educator one to me. The young person knows best, and the old biddy obviously doesn't understand. Never mind that the old biddy knows exactly what is going on and why, the voice of experience counts for very little when one is young and excited to discover new things. ;)
3. A major theme is witch magic vs. wizard magic (and women vs. men), and I can’t wait to learn more about these different magical theories and world views. What do you think of this dynamic, and which type of magic are you more drawn to?
As a parallel between the debate over 'women's work' vs 'men's work' (which was considerably more of an issue in the 80s, but still relevant today), I think it's effective and a fun way to get people thinking about the issue. When put in terms of 'A woman can't be a wizard because she can't grown a long white beard', it shows the absurdity of the situation.
On a more surface level, I enjoy both kinds of magic here, as both are thought out well and have a 'system', complete with consequences. (much as I love the world of Harry Potter, it has the worst magic system ever. Just wave a wand and say a few words and you get a result. No price to pay, no source of magic, no principles of Conservation of Energy, lol)
4. Oh dear. Esk went a bit too far with the borrowing. What do you think is going to happen next? And what will Granny say or do?
Re-read for me, so i know already but won't spoil it for anyone ;)
Bonus: I am really enjoying Pratchett’s wit so far. What is your favorite quote from this first bit? Mine is:
“What’s an elephant?”
“A kind of badger,” said Granny. She hadn’t maintained forest-credibility for forty years by ever admitting ignorance.
'She understood babies. You put milk in one end and kept the other end as clean as possible. Adults were even easier, because they did the feeding and cleaning themselves. But in between was a world of experience that she had never really enquired about. As far as she was aware, you just tried to stop them catching anything fatal and hoped that it would turn out alright.'
Parenting in a nutshell! lol.
Eldarwen wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "My book arrived just in time haha. Going to go pick it up at the post office in a few minutes :-)"Or not.. there was a cock-up somewhere down the line.
So I'll get it some time n..."
Nooooooo!!! It's a disgrace. Moist would never have allowed it!
Nothing But Reading Challenges
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Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
On Discworld, a dying wizard tries to pass on his powers to an eighth son of an eighth son, who is just at that moment being born. The fact that the son is actually a daughter is discovered just a little too late. The town witch insists on turning the baby into a perfectly normal witch, thus mending the magical damage of the wizard's mistake. But now the young girl will be forced to penetrate the inner sanctum of the Unseen University--and attempt to save the world with one well-placed kick in some enchanted shins!