Equal Rites

Like most Terry Pratchett stories this one is well-plotted and very strange. Equal Rites addresses the issue of the very first female wizard on Discworld. (Q: You mean “witch”, not “wizard”. Right? A: Nope, wizard.) That’s the gist of it – females could be witches, but NEVER wizards; it is “against the lore”. The story is fun to read, but I found myself plowing through more long passages of Discworldian (is that a word?) magic theory and philosophy than are in other Discworld tales. It struck me that possibly Mr. Pratchett wrote the story, discovered that it was too short for the publisher, and then went back and added a bunch of pertinent filler. I do not want to discourage anyone from reading this book; it is well worth the read. Just prepare yourself for some plowing or skimming (as you are led).

Okay, so I’m waiting for a book I won on Library Thing to be delivered and thought I’d read EQUAL RITES again and I’m so glad I did. I gave it five stars last time and I wish I could give it five more. It is so fun and funny and such a magnificent story! It is also incredibly well written. Sir Pratchett has a way of painting a scene that is unlike anyone else–a visual shorthand that describes the action perfectly with a sparsity of words. My only complaint about his writing (and I have read a lot of his books!) is that he occasionally draws you out of his story by breaking the fourth wall. He does it beautifully, and deftly draws you back in, but personally I would have preferred he not do it in the first place. It draws attention to his writing and makes me realize he’s telling me a tale, rather than keeping me immersed in that tale. But apart from this, what I admire most about Terry is his unique way of looking at life and his uncanny ability to explain complex concepts with both insight and humor. The world lost a true genius when he passed away far too young.

Ive read all of Terry Pratchetts book before, and I can say they are all good and worth reading. Some are, obviously, not a good as others, and Equal Rites is one of those. There just isnt a lot of story here, and the book should have been a little longer to explore its themes more fully.

That being said, its also the first time we meet Granny Weatherwax. A Discworld mainstay and one of the best characters that came out of this series. When the POV shifts to Granny, you pay attention because things start to get entertaining!

Equal rites is the third story in the diskworld series. In this book we are introduced to Granny Weatherwax who is a witch. Possibly the most powerful living which in the Ramtop Mountains in fact. She meets her match in a wizard’s staff and the book tells the story of how Granny takes the staff and its wielder, Esk. Esk is a girl which is a problem as women can’t become wizards…

Equal rites is an early discworld novel and Pratchett’s style and humour are still developing. At this stage the characters and millieu are fresh and developing. This is the first chance we readers have to meet Granny Weatherwax. The Unseen UNiversity should be familiar but will, like Granny, develop significantly in later books. This isn’t the greatest witches book, nor is it the greatest wizards book but Equal Rites makes later books with Granny (especially Maskerade) so much better.

I was curious but a bit underwhelmed by The Color of Magic, giggling along as I read The Light Fantastic, and now I’m completely bowled over by Equal Rites, Mr Pratchett’s third Discworld novel, and one that I’m only about 24 years late in reading.

I loved it – no, I thought it was a masterly work. This is a book that every little girl should be given to read at around age 10. The title is a wordplay on equal rights of course, and this is the story of one Eskarina Smith, who wants the distinction of being the Discworld’s first female Wizard. The ensuing quest that she goes on with her mentor Granny Weatherwax (a Witch) at her side has the usual doses of hilarity, profundity, and wackiness that I’ve come to expect from a Discworld novel.

As a fantasy fan, I should also say this is yin and yang done better (and in about one third the pages) than anything Robert Jordan managed in his Wheel of Time. The book gets quite Lovecraftian towards the end, and philosophical, but never takes itself seriously enough for that to become an issue. I was guffawing at the one liners through the most dramatic bits.

I’m quite properly hooked on Discworld now and cannot wait to start the next book – Mort.