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Wyrd Sisters

Wyrd Sisters

List Price: $69.95
Your Price: $69.95
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A coven of wyrd sisters...
Review: Terry Pratchett has always excelled at barbecuing sacred cows. Here, he takes on Shakespeare and some of the trappings of fairy tales and fantasy novels, with a coven of odd witches, a bell-covered Fool who's no idiot, and a king who is, technically, dead.

King Verence of Lancre has been murdered by his cousin Felmet and Felmet's wife. The frustrated king is left haunting the castle as a ghost, and wondering what has happened to his infant son, the heir to the throne. The baby has, in fact, been dropped with a crown into the laps of three witches: Formidable Granny Weatherwax, mildly drunken and very maternal Nanny Ogg, and naive flowery Magrat. The witches decide to get the baby out of the country to keep him safe, and see him off safely with a troupe of kindly actors.

But things are still awry. Felmet, now acting as king of Lancre, is pretty obviously going insane, and his unhappy Fool is the one who keeps giving him tidbits of advice. Felmet and his iron-willed wife decide to stamp out the witches through malicious lies and rumors. But the witches have a few tricks (and spells) up their sleeves, and with they intend to deal with Felmet with the help of the Fool, the dead king, and a lot of furry little animals...

This book has it all: sweet stammering romance, Shakespearean quotes and jokes (Felmet's repeated questions about "Is this a dagger I see before me?"), time travel, ghosts, political strife, and twists on such themes as the long lost heir of a kingdom. There is a Shakespearean dwarf who pens brilliant plays all the time, who will amuse Shakespeare enthusiasts. Pratchett even manages a mild lesson that won't make readers grit their teeth, about how easily opinions can be shaped by false information from movies/books/magazines, or in this case, plays.

Granny Weatherwax of "Equal Rites" is more appealing here, with Magrat and Nanny Ogg to serve as counterpoints. (After all, Samuel Vimes of the "Watch" novels wouldn't be as appealing without Carrot, Nobby, Colon, and the others) Granny is tough, indomitable, but not without her flaws and weaknesses. Nanny Ogg serves as a sillier witch, with her instant attraction to alcohol and tendency to sing obscene songs (something parents will want to edit out). Magrat is a much younger witch, with dreamy ideas about occult jewelry, good witch godmothers, candles, runes, and no romantic experience whatsoever. Felmet is entertainingly crazy, but Pratchett doesn't let readers forget that he is a bad guy; his wife, on the other hand, is both evil and frighteningly sane. The Fool is also a refreshing character, a jester with a brain who hates his job. Tomjon (the prince) is unusually endearing for a Long Lost Heir; he seems like a real person. King Verence, despite being dead, is very vital and great to read about. And, of course, Death has his part to play, despite his inability to remember his lines.

Though not the best of Pratchett's novels, "Wyrd Sisters" is amusing and witty, wry and fun. A great read for teens and adults who love a good story.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not the best...
Review: Well, frankly I didn't like it very much. It had some great moments in it but everything was kind a slowish... altrough there are some extremly very funny moments the story is kind a weak. The crazy duke, and the controlling duckess were the only two gems in the whole story (and maybe the dwarf writer... he was kind of cool.) But maybe I just didn't like the whole withc thing (altrough Equal Rites was superb.)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the Best Books Ever Written, Anywhere
Review: Take the essence of Macbeth, give it a twist, sprinkle it with hilarious characters, dialog, and situations, and then throw in several parallel structures. Shake well. You've got one of the best books ever written by anyone, anywhere (this book). It's a tough book to read because my eyes are repeatedly filling with tears from laughing so much.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Funny satire
Review: If you've ready any of Pratchett's books you don't need anyone telling you to read another -- they are funny, witty -- not always the same thing -- and cheerful. If you've never read Pratchett, get ready for a zany adventure with oddball witches and an entire planet that might have been designed by the Monty Python troupe except it's less slapstick than Python and the characters -- while strange -- seem real rather than cardboard.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Kind of misleading, but still great Discworld.
Review: I bought Wyrd Sisters expecting little. Equal Rites, for lack of better definition, [wasn't good]. I saw great potential in the characters, but I remember laughing only once or twice throughout the whole book. Thank God Pratchett lived up to the character's potentials this time.

The back cover of the book says the main plot is about royal trouble, while it really is a parody of theatrical plays. Some of the scenes are laugh-out-loud funny.

The book is pretty slow in the beggining, but it speeds up gradually. If you ever chuckled at one of the previous discworld novels, you will love this one. Yes, the improvement is that huge.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Those meddling witches!
Review: Granny Weatherwax is back, and this time, she's got.. allies? Wyrd Sisters parodies witches quite well, explaining where the fairy tales have been misperceived and misrepresented. Conspiring again the unrightful ruler, it's funny to see the way these ladies get around and get things done. A funny love story also spans this novel adding to the hilarity.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A parody of Shakespeare that makes you laugh out loud
Review: This book is the second in the "witches" subset of the Discworld series. The first was "Equal Rites" which pales in comparison to this one. "Wyrd Sisters" is clearly a parody of Macbeth and other Shakespearan ideas. This is the story of three witches who set out to see justice done by restoring the rightful heir of Lancre to the throne. This is easier said than done, and they have to use not only some very powerful magic (Granny Weatherwax makes fifteen years pass in an instant!) but also some very practical skills ("headology"). As usual, Pratchett's satire is great. There are many interesting characters (DEATH is back and wants to act on stage, Magrat the witch with New Age ideas, the official Fool who hates being one, King Verence's ghost who misses having a good meal etc.). My favorite character in this book is Hwel the dwarf playwright who has the makings of Shakespeare himself. Pratchett's descriptions of the Theater and of life in the city of Ankh-Morpork make good reading. So why did I rate this four stars? I personally prefer the Death and Rincewind stories to the Witches'. That said, this book has greater depth in plot than the earlier ones, and is a very good read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Buy all of these now...
Review: ...so we can create incredible demand so I don't have to pay 16.95 for some of the ones that Harper hasn't bothered to publish yet! This is one of the best -- anytime Granny (Esme to her friends -- er, I mean friend) shows up, it is bound to be entertaining. This one has everything, including flat chested women (you will recognize her sort from your local looney NuAhge store) and fools who would be kings, apparently. Buy this now. Terry Pratchet's sanity can't hold out for much longer, and even the paperback's will be worth something when he finally cracks. Highly, highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: One of Pratchett's best. This hilarious parody of MacBeth kept me laughing from cover to cover. Wyrd Sisters has all of the absurd humor that fans of the Discworld novels have come to love, and Pratchett's deadpan turns of phrases are good for at least one smile per page.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Rollickingly Brilliant Fantasy/Parody
Review: I discovered the writing of Terry Pratchett when I happened to read a short story called 'The Sea and Little Fishes,' which was included in the Legends compilation series. That short story featured one 'Granny Weatherwax' and her companion Gytha Ogg, and the deadpan brilliance of the writing and imagination hooked me immediately. Since then, I have purchased and read every book in Pratchett's 'Granny Weatherwax' cycle (except Witches Abroad) and I have enjoyed each one of them immensely. Pratchett is sly, witty, fiendishly nonsensical when he has to be, masterful in his plotting when he has to be, and above all else, entertaining. Wyrd Sisters was an absolute hoot of a book, laced with memorable scenes, lines of cracklingly funny dialogue and fresh imagination. Pratchett knows how to walk the fine line between camp and clever, and he never misses a beat in his Granny books. Read and become hooked at your own peril.


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