Wyrd Sisters

Wyrd Sisters was the second Pratchett book I tackled after not picking up any of his Discworld novels for many years. I decided that I'd start reading these books again, starting with the Witches thread. And I'm happy to report that I'm enjoying them a lot..

Published back in 1988 it re-introduces Granny Weatherwax of Equal Rites fame. If you recall, Equal Rites was the first of the Witches books. With Granny we have Nanny Ogg, matriarch of a large tribe of Oggs and owner of the most evil cat in the world. Next is Magrat Garlick, the junior witch, who believes in occult jewellery, covens, and bubbling cauldrons, much to the annoyance of the other two.

Without going into details about the plot they get involved in royal intrigue. This leads to an attempt to get the rightful King back on the throne.

I've now worked out that even though Discworld is set in a fantastical world the eccentric characters tend to be are down-to-earth individuals who find themselves in ludicrous situations. Of course, this creates readable and amusing mayhem. This is especially the case for the three witches who are fleshed out as warm, relevant people. Of course they are strange but are immediately likeable, especially when they are together.

One of the prominent themes in Wyrd Sisters is how language, both written and spoken, can affect how individuals perceive reality:

... “the past is what people remember, and memories are words. Who knows how a king behaved a thousand years ago? There is only recollection, and stories.”

The book makes references to the works of Shakespeare and uses themes from Macbeth, Hamlet and King Lear. These are both ridiculed and paid tribute to; not an easy feat for an author. They are also weaved into the story so they don't seem to be out of place. I've also realised that Pratchett is good at using the text to discuss modern issues. For example, in Wyrd Sisters we question the applicability of the monarchy, a topic which is in the news almost daily.

So in summary, this is the best of the handful of Pratchett books I've read so far. I'm starting to “get” his peculiar sense of humour. While the book can be read as pure entertainment and a nice way to while away a few hours in a world of witches and Shakespearean plots, it contains deeper philosophical questions too. I can see how he became one of the world's most popular authors capturing the interest of people who are not generally attracted to fantasy fiction.