Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
This was a lot of fun, particularly if you have any familiarity with opera. I could have done without all the fat jokes though.
This was, as always, so much fun! Not his best work in my opinion, but still very enjoyable. The witches kept me company on my work commute
So much to love with this book. I can remember reading this at 16 and thinking Terry Pratchett had written about me. a sensible girl with a nice personality and good hair. It touched me quite deeply that there was a character who looked like me and I instantly took Agnes/Perdita to my heart.
Also human Greebo <3
Also human Greebo <3
This proved to be one of my favourite Discworld books to date - greatly enjoyed it (and also greatly enjoyed being back on the audiobook wagon!)
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think Pratchett has one the most amazing, imaginative brains in the entire universe. His writing is stellar without missing a beat, filled with clever nuances, smart humor, and the occasion expected pun that somehow still reels you in completely.
I adore him and this series.
I adore him and this series.
I think this book is why I became interested in opera? Someone asked me "why opera" recently and I mostly just talked about all the unusual stagings I love (Rat Pack Rigoletto! Prospero's sleeve tattoos in The Tempest! The sword swallower in the Coney Island Cosi Fan Tuti! Literally everything about Kate Lindsey's Nerone!) and how sticky the music of certain composers is (Verdi and Puccini primarily, I am easy to please). I'm here for the spectacle, the repeating musical themes I can't stop won't stop whistling, and the echoes of sonic vibrations in my heart bones. But I think it was reading this book in middle school, which then led me to The Phantom of the Opera, which then made me think, huh, if this musical is so great, maybe I should try the source? And I still have moments where I think "oh gawd, I forgot that this aria was gorgeous to hear but very boring to read" or "wait, how can there be any confusion about this character, it's very clearly the wife in a tiny mask", both points which Pratchett gently mocks. So uh, read this book, then listen to The Phantom of the Opera, and consider checking out a strange staging of an Italian opera for funsies I guess!
Terry Pratchett la emprende con el fantasma de la Opera. y como armas utiliza a Yaya Ceravieja y Tata Ogg. Menos logrado que sus antecesores en cuanto a carga simbólica, pero igual de divertido que siempre; asistimos a la demolición de la mitología de la Opera, el Musical y el Folletín decimonónico en las peligrosas calles de Ank-Morpork.
I liked the previous Witches books very much, and I quite liked this one too. Unfortunately, I do think by taking our cast out of Lancre (and having no appearances of Magrat!) it missed a little bit of the same charm, although that may also be down to the fact that I don't know the plot of the original Phantom of the Opera so I'm missing out in being able to fully enjoy the parody. That being said, it's still an excellent read. I liked the contrast in Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherewax's witchy powers, and Granny always pulls something off that you can't quite believe at the end until it all makes sense. The murder mystery had me engrossed and I guessed about 50% right what was going on, the perfect amount. Just enough to feel satisfied, but with some good twists and turns at the end. Agnes Nitt is a good character too, I just wish there'd been less of a focus on her being fat and how it's tragic all the time. I get that it's parody, and she's still an interesting character in a number of other ways, but it still feels like that was treated as her defining trait which was very much a shame. Her witchy powers of insight prevent her from getting fully immersed in the weird magic of Opera, and I'd have liked a bit more of a focus on that. All in all, it's a lot of fun and I especially liked the reappearances of Mr Bucket as well as Greebo's human-shaped issue (he turns into a human sometimes when stressed). Plus, the end of the book leaves me excited for this next one where they have a full coven again (please still have Magrat in it though!! I liked her a lot). I think I was just left wishing for something more (no criticisms of capitalism in this one lads :/)