Selected Book
Equal Rites
- Mass Market Paperback
- Edition: Reissue
- Author: Terry Pratchett
- Publisher: HarperTorch
- Release Date: March 2000
- ISBN-10: 0061020699
- ISBN-13: 9780061020698
- List Price: $7.99
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Summaries and Customer Reviews provided by Amazon
SummaryTerry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels, consistent number one bestsellers in England, have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody along with Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen. In Equal Rites, 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... |
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Another great Discworld book
Rating:
This is the third book in Terry Pratchett's series on the Discworld - a flat world, supported on the backs of four massive elephants riding on the back of a planet-sized turtle. Anything hilarious can happen here, and eventually does.
When a dying wizard comes to a smithy in a small town in the Ramtop Mountains, to pass on his great powers to the smith's eighth son he little realizes the affect he will have on the life of that baby...er, girl. Men become wizards, and women become witches, everybody knows that. But, Eskarina Smith now has a wizard's staff and a wizard's powers. A real shakeup is coming to the Discworld, and Granny Weatherwax, witch extraordinaire is right in the middle of it!
This is another great Discworld book, being the one that actually introduces Granny Weatherwax to Terry Pratchett's fans. It has all that great, rather skewed humor that you expect from the great man. (I have always said that his mind works like no other human I have ever heard of!) Terry Pratchett is the king of fantasy-comedy, read this book and find out why!
BEING A NEW PRATCHETT READER - I ENJOYED THIS ONE
Rating:
Being rather new to the work of Terry Pratchett, perhaps I had and advantage over some of the more jaded Pratchett fans here. I personally loved this work; thought it hilarious, and simply set back and enjoyed it as a stand alone read. As with most authors, his one has works in print which are simply not as good as others. No one can bat a thousand, and continually living up to all their reader's expectations. Perhaps my ignorance of his other work got in the way of my not enjoying this one. His, the author's, unique brand of wisdom holds many truths...if you just stretch things a bit.
It would seem that on Disc World there are no female wizards, never have been, and if all concerned have their way, there never will be. Wizardry is simply not "female work," because as the whole world, in this case Disc World, knows, females simply are not up to the task; they are different than men, and should remain in their "place" and if they must indulge in magic, then they should stick to being witches which is something fitting only for females. The female mind just is not up to the task and they think differently then men. Women cannot be wizards and men cannot be witches, although, at times, men can become warlocks.
This entire premise of gender roles is suddenly challenged by Eskarina, a precocious young girl of eight, who was born at exactly the wrong time in the right place, or the right time in the wrong place and several combinations of the two. Esk is born a wizard and nothing or anyone is going to stop her. This is her story. She is helped along the way primarily by Granny Weatherwax, a rather unique and loveable, at times, witch. I understand that Granny is introduced in this story and appears later in others.
As usually, as with his other work, Pratchett has filled his world with a wonderful assortment of characters, quirky, different, non-logical, but all delightful in their own other world, magical way. One of this author's many talents is word play, and we get plenty of that in this offering. I found myself constantly reading a line or two and asking myself "did I really read just what I think I read!" This poking fun at things; the world in general most of the time, either gently, or at times not so gentle, works quite well with his perchance for word play and the reader needs to take close note as she or he reads. There are plenty of chuckles in this work, even if you have to dig a bit deeper than is some of the author's other works.
Another aspect of this author's work I like is the fact that I can recognize characters. I have yet to run into one of them that I have not met here on mundane earth. Pratchett simply has and odd ball way of portraying so many of my friends and acquaintances. I can even spot bits and pieces of myself now and then.
For hardcore Pratchett fans this may not be their favorite work. For someone just starting his wonderfully imaginative work, it will certainly do. I would gently suggest though that if this work throws you into a complete snit because the author does not write his story the way you want, that you either skip the book completely; or better yet, write your own.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
Why Gandalf Never Married
Rating:
A few weeks ago, I was in my school library looking for a good book. I'd just finished The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy for the fourth or fifth time (all five books), and I was in an odd mood. I wanted Douglas Adams, but at the same time I was sick to death of his books. Sure I'd heard of Terry Pratchett before, but I'd never taken the initiative to read his novels before. Our school has a fairly large selection of his books, so I figured I'd pick the most attractive looking one. Of course I chose the one with the purple cover. It just happened to make me a Pratchett addict.
I guess what the most incredible thing about this book (and indeed all of Pratchett's writing) is the balance between humor and storytelling. He could very well be a comedian if he wants to, or he could be a melodramatic fantasy writer. He is neither. Is it comedic fantasy, or fantastical comedy? In this novel, he dealt with a very serious issue (gender), and somehow makes it hilarious without offending the party that usually has a problem with is (i.e. not men *coughcough*).
His characters are very rich, and he even manages to create some romantic tension between two of the odder characters which ends up being incredibly funny. All I know is that I can't wait to read the other Discworld novels (starting hopefully with The Colour Of Magic).
bought as a gift
Rating:
I bought this book as a gift. As far as I know, it was exactly what was wanted and the person is very happy that received it.
Third in the Series
Rating:
Terry Pratchett has become one of the most popular authors alive today and his popularity is richly deserved. But not even with his fertile mind could he ever have envisaged the heights to which his Discworld series would rise. This book first published in 1987 is the third of the Discworld novels and the author is really getting into his stride in the series that broke all records and continues to do so with new books being regularly published.
Pratchett's wit and imagination are second to none. Who else would have or could have thought of the Discworld, a world of mystery and magic sitting on the back of four elephants, who in turn are standing on the back of the great turtle A'tuin the whole lot journeying through an eternal void. Are you with the plot so far?
Wizard's have the uncanny knack of being able to predict their own death, or so thinks Drum Billet. Having seen his own demise rapidly approaching he sets out to pass his power and his staff on to his predicted successor, who as tradition would have it, has to be the eighth son of an eight son. The only problem with this is that the eighth son just happens to be a daughter and whoever heard of a woman becoming a wizard. But it's too late Drum Billet has gone to wherever dead wizards go and Eskarina has inherited a wizard's staff and is under the doubtful tutelage of Granny Weatherwax, who reckons this being a wizard is as easy as falling off a broomstick . . .
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