Title: Wyrd Sisters
Author: Terry Pratchett
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 336
Rating: 8/10
Terry Pratchett – Weird Sisters
At book number six, Wyrd Sisters is a relatively early entry in the Discworld series, but even then, Pratchett’s way with words and story line is very much apparent. Here, we follow the story of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick as all sorts of shenanigans happen. Unlike most of my Discworld reviews, I’m not going to go into detail about the story line – it’s actually pretty complicated, although it does make sense when you read it. You need time for each aspect of the story to sink in, but that works well because it gives you some natural stopping points.
One of the cool things in Wyrd Sisters in particular is that Pratchett makes a number of Shakespearean references, although I suppose that you have to when you’re writing about three witches. I’m not going to point any of them out, but you should be aware that they’re there before you start reading so that you can keep your eyes peeled.
Wyrd Sisters is the second Discworld novel to feature the witches, following close on the heels of Equal Rites, and it’s one of the better books in my opinion. That said, I’d recommend reading them in order if you can – the miniseries has some of the best dialogue in Pratchett’s early work, and it’s almost a shame that he didn’t continue to feature them so prominently in his later work. That said, he has lots of other fantastic characters for you to choose from, and so you’ll never run short.
Overall, Wyrd Sisters has a special place in my heart because of the fact that it was one of the earliest releases – it’s actually older than I am, which is always pretty cool. I’d definitely recommend checking out some of Pratchett’s earlier work if you’ve only read later books, and Wyrd Sisters is as good a place as any to start. Have fun, folks!
Terry Pratchett
