Witches Abroad (by Terry Pratchett)

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In gradually re-reading Terry Pratchett’s Discworld’ series, I was quite pleased to reach ‘Witches Abroad’. It’s the twelfth book in the lengthy series and I’ve always considered it one of my favourites. I last read it in 2004. The basic storyline is that the three Lancre witches - Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick - travel to ‘foreign parts’ in order that Magrat can ensure that a princess does not marry a particular person….

The first part of the book involves their travels through various different regions of the Disc, encountering various people, leaving a trail of confusion and (at times) rejoicing. There are some amusing conversations, as Nanny Ogg tries her hand at ‘speaking foreign’, which involves pseudo-French, German, Spanish and probably other European languages in unexpected ways.

I like the way that the characters of the witches are developed in this book, and we learn more about their backgrounds. Nanny Ogg, mother and grandmother of many, was quite promiscuous in her youth, if Granny is to be believed. She likes men, even in her advanced years, and is full of innuendoes. She’s fond of alcoholic drinks too, and delighted to find one that’s basically bananas, which are, after all, a health food…

Granny is far more prudish, a mixture of kindness and abruptness which is explained in a way I had forgotten in this book. She gets more uptight and stressed than Nanny; the two are about as different as it’s possible to be, yet are still very good friends.

As for Magrat, youngest by far of the three, she’s still learning. She’s stereotyped as a younger, health-conscious person who still hasn’t quite understood headology and the way that the witches CAN do direct magic, but choose not to. She has been given a magic wand, which makes her a fairy godmother… but she can’t work out exactly how to make it do what she wants.

There are some clever references to fairy stories, legends and other literature throughout the book, some of which I didn’t see coming at all. And a rather less light-hearted ending to the book, involving philosophical discussions about the nature of good and evil, and the inevitability of stories. They debate whether fate - or at least expected fate - can be stopped in its tracks, and whether it’s possible to force everybody to be happy.

I liked reading this book again and am glad I have done so, but I didn’t find it quite as enjoyable as I did last time. Still, it's one of the better early Discworld books. It stands alone but is probably best read after ‘Wyrd Sisters’.

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