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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
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 :/)
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It took me a while to get to that one, my first read - several years ago - didnt fully convince me, but then again i wasnt fully baked myself, i suspect. (It was in 2016, and to think I was ever that young is starting to feel surreal)
So of course it's a great one, with opera and tons of drama and flamboyant costumes, and people disguised with silly masks and cats who are thugs and thugs who are cats, and singing, and death, and everything else.
So of course it's a great one, with opera and tons of drama and flamboyant costumes, and people disguised with silly masks and cats who are thugs and thugs who are cats, and singing, and death, and everything else.
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Despite starting under the broad skies of Lancre, Pratchett cunningly condenses the rest of the book to a single location (give or take). It works well as Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg head to the Opera to recruit a new third witch and stumble into some intrigue along the way. While not as deep as some of his novels, the execution is tight and it's filled with the usual great humour, fantastic characters and a lot of charm. As a thriller it stands up to the more traditional Watch books.
I dearly love the Witches and it was nice to see the deeper interplay between the two old gals as they play off of and admire each others strengths while still managing to irritate each other in the process. Opera is held up for some loving ridicule and it creates an atmospheric adventure. Excellent stuff.
I dearly love the Witches and it was nice to see the deeper interplay between the two old gals as they play off of and admire each others strengths while still managing to irritate each other in the process. Opera is held up for some loving ridicule and it creates an atmospheric adventure. Excellent stuff.
Originally I was quite hesitant of this book and it’s lack of Magrat(my favourite discworld character) but PTerry immediately reassured me this book was incredible, as a theatre kid it was so delightful and at several points i had to put the book down because i was laughlin so hard!