starring three witches, also kings, daggers, crowns ... Discworld, #6
Inbunden, 251 sidor
På English
Publicerades 9 augusti 1988 av V. Gollancz.
Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Maigrat have fairy godmother-dom thrust upon them.
My favourite so far in my re-read. Always loved the witches. The witches reminded me so much of certain relatives of mine - guess I never really appreciated that when I first read it growing up. So many genuinely laugh out loud moments.
There's something to be said about Pratchett: No matter when or where you read one of his good ones, it seems like something in it was written specifically for you specifically at this point. So in Wyrd Sisters he tackles Macbeth and Shakespearean theatre in general, set against the backdrop of a murderous coup in a small mountain kingdom that leads to a complete nothing of a ruler; a man (and his obligatory scheming wife) with no ambition whatsoever beyond just being the respected ruler, a man with such brittle self-worth that he simply cannot bear the idea of anyone doubting him, who's happy to turn the people against visible minorities to maintain his power, and who one day discovers that simply saying this is all true can make it true... with the right script and the right spokesperson. Because people will want to believe a beautiful lie, will want …
There's something to be said about Pratchett: No matter when or where you read one of his good ones, it seems like something in it was written specifically for you specifically at this point. So in Wyrd Sisters he tackles Macbeth and Shakespearean theatre in general, set against the backdrop of a murderous coup in a small mountain kingdom that leads to a complete nothing of a ruler; a man (and his obligatory scheming wife) with no ambition whatsoever beyond just being the respected ruler, a man with such brittle self-worth that he simply cannot bear the idea of anyone doubting him, who's happy to turn the people against visible minorities to maintain his power, and who one day discovers that simply saying this is all true can make it true... with the right script and the right spokesperson. Because people will want to believe a beautiful lie, will want to trust that their rulers are still basically good people.
Huh.
I love how easily Pratchett interweaves a bunch of stories - both Shakespeare and later - here, including how this was exactly how Macbeth came to be in Roundworld as well. Yes, including James' persecution of witches. And yet it's so easily a Discworld novel.
...spoilery quote...
Granny’s jaw sagged. “What?” she said. “But—but I showed you your true self…”
“I’m supposed to be upset by that, am I?” As the soldiers sheepishly grabbed Granny’s arms the duchess pressed her face close to Granny’s, her tremendous eyebrows a V of triumphant hatred. “I’m supposed to grovel on the floor, is that it? Well, old woman, I’ve seen exactly what I am, do you understand, and I’m proud of it! I’d do it all again, only hotter and longer! I enjoyed it, and I did it because I wanted to!”
She thumped the vast expanse of her chest.
“You gawping idiots!” she said. “You’re so weak. You really think that people are basically decent underneath, don’t you?”
The crowd on the stage backed away from the sheer force of her exultation.
“Well, I’ve looked underneath,” said the duchess. “I know what drives people. It’s fear. Sheer, deep-down fear. There’s not one of you who doesn’t fear me, I can make you widdle your drawers out of terror, and now I’m going to take—”
At this point Nanny Ogg hit her on the back of the head with the cauldron.
“She does go on, doesn’t she?” she said conversationally, as the duchess collapsed. “She was a bit eccentric, if you ask me.”
These people are so wyrd.
