Wyrd Sisters Indeed! (Wyrd Sisters - Terry Pratchett)

Member Name: wyrdsister

Product:	Wyrd Sisters - Terry Pratchett
Date:	20/03/02 (211 review reads)
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All Pratchett fans will know that there are four types of Discworld novels, barring a couple of exceptions. Generally, they either concern Rincewind the wizzard, the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, Death & Family or the Lancre witches. Pratchett first wrote about the witches in the third Discworld novel, Equal Rites. The novel was a weak sequel to his successful debut and was badly marketed by his then publishers. It fell out of recognition at the time. This is where the reader first encountered the most notorious of all witches: Granny Weatherwax. She’s old, wise, powerful and not at all nice, so it’s a good job that she’s one of the good ones. Wyrd sisters is the story of three witches, a King, a Fool, a kingdom and theatre.

The Disc is a flat world, floating through space on the back of four giant elephants, supported by the star turtle Great A’Tuin. At the Rim, the oceans flow endlessly into space and at the Hub stands the ten miles high peak Cori Celesti, home of the gods. It’s all held together against all odds and reason by the strong magical field of the Disc. A lot of the raw magic generated on the disc ends up in The Ramtops Mountains. In the Ramtops, the leaves on the trees move when there’s no wind. In the Ramtops, sometimes the land seems alive. And with that much magic running free, it is not surprising to learn that most of the Disc’s wizards and witches come from there. Unlike wizards, who are very hierarchical, witches don’t hold any truck with this kind of things. In other words, witches don’t have leaders. “Granny Weatherwax was the most highly-regarded of the leaders they didn’t have”.

It was the blackest of nights and in the wind beaten castle of the small kingdom of Lancre, a murder is taking place. King Verence’s disembodied spirit is looking at his corpse and the sight of the bloody dagger sticking out of its back came rather as a shock. Perhaps less so
than to his murderer Lord Felmet, standing at the top of the stairs. More annoyingly, it appears that the King is to become a ghost, doomed to haunt his former castle for eternity, and no one will be able to see him. No one that is, except for the psychically inclined, close relatives and cats.

It was the blackest of nights and on the trail beaten roads of Lancre, a pursuit is taking place. A coach is fighting the storm, wheels barely outfoxing the deviousness of the path, horses barely conquering their fear of the raging tempest, almost out of control, its desperate driver trying to escape the three hooded riders. When the carriage finally capitulates to the treachery of the tracks, when all hope seems lost, ahead, where no one comes, there is a light.

It was the blackest of nights and on the rain beaten Bear Mountain, a witches’ coven is taking place, three witches to be exact. Magrat, the junior member of the trio, a naïve young witch with new ideas that don’t include wearing the traditional back cloak and pointy hat, Nanny Ogg, widowed three times, a mind full of innuendoes and mother to half the population of the kingdom, and finally, the infamous Granny Weatherwax, doyenne of witches.

History likes drama, and on nights like this, drama’s afoot, Esme Weatherwax can feel it. Something comes. It’s a coach, and its barely alive driver is carrying Destiny in a bundle: a small child, a crown and trouble. Granny knows too well the dangers of meddling in the affairs of kings, but she takes the child. Granny also knows how fate works and the witches decide to hide the child and the crown with a group of travelling players. They will watch him, and when the time comes, his destiny will call him back to the throne of Lancre. It should have ended there. Only, the new king, Lord Felmet and his ambitious wife, are starting to cause mayhem and misery all over the kingdom, and it doesn’t like it. Also it seems that Lo
rd Felmet could be letting go of his sanity at any moment. Paranoid and dangerous, he wants rid of the witches. His Fool, too clever for his own good, unintentionally gives him the deadliest weapon in the world: words. And before long, the witches are loosing, and there’s nothing more dangerous than a cornered Granny Weatherwax.

Wyrd Sisters is the first Discworld novel dealing purely with the witches. Equal Rites was more concerned with the difference between the wizard and witches of the disc and their approach to magic. In a Discworld kind of way, it dealt with a problem often posed in today’s society: can a woman be good in a man’s job? Pratchett has dealt with modern issues more successfully and subtly since. With Wyrd Sisters, he utilises his knowledge of theatre to produce a refreshing novel.

With the title itself straight out of a Shakespeare play (Macbeth to be precise), Wyrd Sisters is full of references to the bard’s plays not to mention a bit of Becket thrown in for good form. This may fall on deaf ears if you’re unfamiliar with the playwrights and some small mentions may go unnoticed. However, Pratchett is careful to use well know quotes and plot devices, notably from the Scottish play and Hamlet, to convey the playful parables to the reader. The story of Wyrd Sisters does not mirror either plays and the Shakespearian allusions are more of a clin d’oeuil at the reader. On the other hand, Pratchett may be hinting at the reality created by theatre, and how it can twist history, create its own truths. After all, the battle of Agincourt is better remembered in the words of Shakespeare than those of historians.

What is consistent with Pratchett earlier works is the depth and originality of the characters he creates. Here Pratchett draws also on folklore, adding his trademark Discworld seasoning, whilst carefully treading the line between archetype and caricature. Pratchett always treats his c
haracters in this manner, which make them instantly likeable and accessible. Where the author excels in his characterisations is when he goes past the surface and introduces their humanity thereby giving them credibility with the reader.

As with all Pratchett’s novels, the reader expects comedy and witticism in the story. The liberal use of classic literature as a gimmick already provides an icebreaker for the humour. To the reader, reposts such as “ the pay’s the thing” or “ we have heard the gongs at midnight” will automatically provoke a smile. Before long you find yourself waiting for next one and trying to remember which play it comes from. The characters, of course, and their situation provide the rest. The witches are so totally opposed in nature that they provide light comedy: Magrat in her dejection, Granny in her swagger and Nanny in her sass, yet they never appear too ridiculous.

Wyrd Sisters is definitely a better platform for the witches than Equal Rites. Pratchett’s uses folklore and banks on the public’s general knowledge of Shakespeare to provide a solid backdrop where the characters can evolve and interact successfully in the Discworld format. He will utilize this formula again with better effect in Lord and Ladies, but Wyrd Sisters is still a very enjoyable read and works well in its intentions.

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