«¿Com era que, quan sentia remugar la Iaia sobre la bruixeria, es delia per la màgia intensa dels mags, però quan sentia parlar Treatle amb aquella veu tan aguda, lluitaria a mort per la bruixeria?»
Tots els mons tenen regles, fins i tot un de pla que s’aguanta al damunt de quatre elefants a la closca d’una tortuga gegant. És per això que un mag moribund busca el vuitè fill d’un vuitè fill, per cedir-li els seus poders màgics abans de la cita amb la Mort que té d’aquí a sis minuts.
Per desgràcia, aviat es descobreix –tot i que no pas prou aviat– que el bebè acabat de néixer i que el mag ungeix abans d’acomiadar-se del Discmón és de fet una nena! El que està fet no es pot desfer –malgrat els intents de la Iaia Ceravellarda de conduir la nena cap a les files de la cleda …
«¿Com era que, quan sentia remugar la Iaia sobre la bruixeria, es delia per la màgia intensa dels mags, però quan sentia parlar Treatle amb aquella veu tan aguda, lluitaria a mort per la bruixeria?»
Tots els mons tenen regles, fins i tot un de pla que s’aguanta al damunt de quatre elefants a la closca d’una tortuga gegant. És per això que un mag moribund busca el vuitè fill d’un vuitè fill, per cedir-li els seus poders màgics abans de la cita amb la Mort que té d’aquí a sis minuts.
Per desgràcia, aviat es descobreix –tot i que no pas prou aviat– que el bebè acabat de néixer i que el mag ungeix abans d’acomiadar-se del Discmón és de fet una nena! El que està fet no es pot desfer –malgrat els intents de la Iaia Ceravellarda de conduir la nena cap a les files de la cleda de les bruixes– i la petita Esk està destinada a portar el caos i la confusió a la facultat exclusivament masculina de la Universitat No Vista d’Ankh-Morpork… una colla de mags que ja són prou caòtics i confosos en circumstàncies normals.
Ara que ha passat el que ha passat, poca cosa s’hi pot fer!
After the two previous books were largely a parody of the state of the fantasy genre in the 1980s, I think this book is where Pratchett hits his own stride.
I think the book still isn't quite five stars because it ultimately feels slightly under-baked, not landing a great conclusion from its promising opening, but it's still a big step up on the previous two entries, and feels like the first true Discworld novel in many respects.
Fantastic - Sir Terry really finding his style. Finally we meet Granny Weatherwax!
5 stars
Fantastic. Loved this one.
I think it's the third one in the Discworld series, chronologically, but it's the first one where I feel Sir Terry's true style became apparent.
In this novel, we meet for the first time Granny Weatherwax - probably my favourite Discworld character. Yes, there are many fantastic characters, but Granny Weatherwax always occupies a soft spot for me.
We learn about Borrowing, and how Granny can't Borrow bees; we encounter Headology - how people will believe certain things and words can prod them in the right direction.
The story itself is great - about a young girl, supposed to have been the eighth son of an eighth son - and therefore a wizard - she was in fact born a girl. So she inherits wizard magic in her genes, yet her genes do not match her physical appearance nor the way society treats her as a …
Fantastic. Loved this one.
I think it's the third one in the Discworld series, chronologically, but it's the first one where I feel Sir Terry's true style became apparent.
In this novel, we meet for the first time Granny Weatherwax - probably my favourite Discworld character. Yes, there are many fantastic characters, but Granny Weatherwax always occupies a soft spot for me.
We learn about Borrowing, and how Granny can't Borrow bees; we encounter Headology - how people will believe certain things and words can prod them in the right direction.
The story itself is great - about a young girl, supposed to have been the eighth son of an eighth son - and therefore a wizard - she was in fact born a girl. So she inherits wizard magic in her genes, yet her genes do not match her physical appearance nor the way society treats her as a female. There's a strong element of equal rights between the genders (obviously, given the title), but I found it fascinating how Sir Terry seemed to touch on something deeper - that the bits we are born with between our legs do not define who are or what we are capable of.
I blasted through this in (for me) a very short space of time, every day I looked forward to reading it.
This is the first book in the Discworld series that really gives you a sense of what the series will become, because as well as being a hilarious adventure set in a bizarre fantasy world, it tackles real issues in our own world - namely, equal rights for women, and the arbitrary nature of gender roles. Consequently, it feels much more focused and satisfying than the previous two books. Good stuff.
This is the first book in the "witches" sub-series, and introduces the character Granny Weatherwax. Unfortunately I don't think we ever meet Esk again.
