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andrew_russell's review
3.0
This was definitely well written, pretty descriptive and evocative, rather funny and with not too bad a storyline. So, where did it all go wrong?
Well, for my personal tastes, it was simply too daft. To compound this, although I say the book was well written, it is written in the style of a children's fairy tale and more often than not, the humour is in the ridiculous style of writing rather than the story itself. Pratchett never uses one word when he can use fifty - again, particularly if he can write a la dafte. This is at times distracting and without any question, self indulgent tosh - it simply adds nothing to the story and slows it down too much.
There is no denying whether this is a good book, just whether it is a great one. I would be wary of expecting literary genius after picking up a Pratchett novel but they would undoubtedly make a top rate holiday time filler.
Well, for my personal tastes, it was simply too daft. To compound this, although I say the book was well written, it is written in the style of a children's fairy tale and more often than not, the humour is in the ridiculous style of writing rather than the story itself. Pratchett never uses one word when he can use fifty - again, particularly if he can write a la dafte. This is at times distracting and without any question, self indulgent tosh - it simply adds nothing to the story and slows it down too much.
There is no denying whether this is a good book, just whether it is a great one. I would be wary of expecting literary genius after picking up a Pratchett novel but they would undoubtedly make a top rate holiday time filler.
charlottehenleybabb's review
4.0
The phantom never encountered such a singer as the one who can sing duets with herself. This is lots of fun with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg at the opera.
verityw's review
5.0
I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Maskerade as it's been a while since I read it, but this reminded me. It's also a really clever adaptation that makes a fantasy novel work for a small cast and a small budget. Clever and fun.
charmaineclancy's review
5.0
The Discworld books just get better and better! Who'd have thought a novel focusing on two old broads would be so darn funny! This one delves into the world of opera and dabbles in publishing, Nanny Ogg has released a naughty cookbook - The Joy of Snacks - look out for the banana surprise!
notdamienb's review
4.0
"That's basically all of opera, reely."
"What? Either dyin' or drinkin' beer?"
"Basically, yes," said Nanny, contriving to suggest that this was the whole gamut of human experience.
"And that's opera?"
"We-ll . . . there might be some other stuff. But mostly it's stout or stabbin'."
I very much overall enjoyed this book and, as it was my first of the Witch focused books, I liked the accessible introduction I got to both Nanny and Granny. One thing that I consistently am grateful for in the Discworld novels is how Pratchett has written these so that anyone can jump in almost anywhere. I'm sure that there is a benefit to reading them in order, but why start now?
So, Maskerade - the Discworld's version of The Phantom of the Opera - is quite a good story. Maskerade is the perfect satire of Phantom and of musical theatre/opera in general. The very basic plot remains true-ish to Phantom, in that an "Opera Ghost" is haunting the Opera and trying to get a young singer named Christine to be the lead in the Opera's plays. Of course, being Discworld, the plot and characters take a lot of left turns away from the typical storyline and deeper into Pratchett's controlled chaos.
There are a few small details that I really loved and read over and over just because they made me so happy. One of these is Nanny's commentary on finding a manuscript of a musical about the lives of cats. She seems a bit unsure at first, but quickly decides that cats lives are just like opera. Another small detail was Death showing up dressed as the Red Death. There are lots of other little things but I don't want to spoil too much. Whether you're new to Discworld or trying to decide which one to read next, give Maskerade a shot.
nekokat's review
4.0
This one was better than I remembered. I think I didn't give the witch books enough credit the first time I read them. It's, like most of the witch ones, less laugh-out-loud funny and more a story about the power of stories -- with a heaping side dish of wisdom about humanity.
lukre's review
4.0
Ya know what, I ended up liking this one more than I thought I would. I don't know why. There's so much mess all through the book, but somehow it ends up warming your heart.
And of course there are the quotes:
"You need at least three witches for a coven. Two witches is just an argument."
"Five [exclamation marks]. A sure sign of someone who wears his underpants on his head."
"Opera happens because a large number of things amaizingly fail to go wrong."
"He could swagger while asleep. Greebo could, in fact, commit exual harassment simply by sitting very quietly in the next room."
"The IQ of a mob is the IQ of its most stupid member divided by the number of mobsters."
<3
And of course there are the quotes:
"You need at least three witches for a coven. Two witches is just an argument."
"Five [exclamation marks]. A sure sign of someone who wears his underpants on his head."
"Opera happens because a large number of things amaizingly fail to go wrong."
"He could swagger while asleep. Greebo could, in fact, commit exual harassment simply by sitting very quietly in the next room."
"The IQ of a mob is the IQ of its most stupid member divided by the number of mobsters."
<3
rhiannabeth's review
5.0
Turns out that this is a hell of a lot more interesting, not to mention fun, than the original it's based on! I am blessing the diversity and development of the characters, the much lower level of racism and sexism, and the critical commentary on the examples that do occur, and general all-round poking fun at the original. That said, it has a lot of merit all by itself. I read it years before The Phantom of the Opera, and I loved it then, as I love it now. The story is well-adapted, well-written and cleverly constructed, and a roller coaster of hilarity that had me turning the pages as if they were scalding my fingers. Witty, satirical, and classic Pratchett.