Wyrd Sisters
by Terry Pratchett
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Book Summary Information
Author: Terry PratchettEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-02-06
ISBN: 0061020664
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: HarperTorch
Book Reviews of Wyrd Sisters
Book Review: "When shall we three meet again?"
Summary: 5 Stars
No subject is too sacred for Terry Pratchett's lampooning pen, as even the sublime plays of Bard Billy become fodder for his stinging hilarity in `Wyrd Sisters'. Three witches gather on a blasted moor; the ghost of a king, foully murdered, seeking vengeance against his usurper; the murderer vainly trying to wash the blood and guilt from his hands; these are but a few of the elements Pratchett commandeers as he cannibalizes Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III, Henry IV, Romeo and Juliet, and other great works of Shakespeare in this madcap novel.
When King Verence of Lancre is murdered by a usurping kinsman, the whole kingdom is dangerously unbalanced. The usurper despises his new kingdom, and as Lancre lies in the magic rich Ramtop Mountains, even the trees, stones, and animal can sense this, causing a dangerous build up of negative magic power. It falls to the kingdom's three witches to rescue the young heir and find a way to return him to his father's throne before the kingdom is irretrievably ruined.
`Wyrd Sisters' is overwhelmingly character driven, as the paper thin plot is little more than an excuse to allow three amazing witches to romp across its pages. Elder witches Granny Weatherwax - no nonsense, stern, and stubborn, and Nanny Ogg - bawdy sot, and matriarch to a huge tribe, bicker and banter across the pages with junior witch Magrat Garlick , who seems to have learned her witchcraft from a new age bookstore. All three are wonderfully drawn characters, and as they play off of each other they range anywhere between three oracles and the Three Stooges. With characters this strong, Pratchett could almost have dispensed with plot altogether.
As he has developed Discworld over the years, Pratchett has become something of a Voltaire - making us laugh as he makes us think. In `Wyrd Sisters', there are hints of this, but it is not yet clearly focused, and we see far more parody than we do philosophy. Still, he has here some nice riffs on the meaning of destiny, and some hilarious bits about the power of words, double speak, and political propaganda. And his savage and constant lampooning of new age witchcraft is right on the money, and left me howling with laughter.
On the strength of its wonderful witches, `Wyrd Sisters' is one of Pratchett's best efforts, and a must read for any fan of Discworld. I highly recommend it.
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