I realize it isn’t Spooky season yet, but Starbucks fall drinks are back on the menu and the weather has cooled off. It is time. I didn’t choose the Spooky life; the Spooky life chose me.
Cliches aside, I’m starting the Halloween season early because I am too impatient. (Yes, I call it Halloween season rather than fall. I have a problem, I know.)
I wanted to kick off the best time of year with one of my favorite quirky books about witches. If you have read anything by Terry Pratchett, you’ll know how utterly ridiculous this man is in the most brilliant ways. I believe I mentioned in my review of The Barbarian and the Bookshop how it was compared to Pratchett and I found it insulting to his memory. Read any Pratchett book and you’ll understand why.
It’s hard not to gush about Pratchett so I’ll keep it short. The man is brilliant. His Disc World series is astounding for many reasons. You can pick up any of the books and jump into the universe he’s created just fine. He immediately immerses you in the world lore without any explanation but it’s incredibly easy to follow. There is no explanation for why things are the way they are (although occasionally he’ll add some clarification about things in well-written asides) but the way he writes doesn’t require any world lore explanation.
Now that I’ve gushed enough over Pratchett in general, on to his book Wyrd Sisters. I loved this book for many reasons. As a Medievalist, the title was the first thing to catch my attention. For those of you who don’t know, in Old English, the word ‘wyrd’ means ‘fate’ or ‘personal destiny’. Not only that, it is a direct connection to Macbeth which is also the main premise of the novel. Wyrd Sisters is Pratchett’s take on the infamous
Shakespeare play Macbeth and to me, I think it is probably the best adaptation.
The story focuses on the three witches at the beginning of Macbeth. I wouldn’t describe them as incompetent but they’re the polar opposite of the three witches we all know and dread. They’re eccentric, unique, and accidentally powerful in their own way. Granny, Nanny, and Magrat are nothing like you would expect but they are all incredibly loveable. It is hard not to love Granny Weatherwax (the main storyteller). Her cantankerous attitude and general distaste for basically everything is endearing.
When the King is murdered by his cousin, the kingdom becomes impatient while waiting for the return of the rightful prince. Yes, you read that right, the KINGDOM. Not the people, but the kingdom as an entity.
This is what I mean by Pratchett’s unique genius. All the characters sort of wander around and things happen to them rather than them actively pushing the storyline forward. The characters blunder, and make mistakes, and the universe of Disc World has a literal mind of its own.
I realize that my review is a little vague and didn’t go into too much detail but that was done intentionally. It’s so hard to do justice to Pratchett and his works. If you couldn’t tell already, I highly recommend any and everything he writes. If you want a nice, cozy jumpstart to Spooky season and you love Shakespeare, give Wyrd Sisters a read. I promise you won’t regret it.
One last thing before I end this, never mock a jester, you never know who he might actually be.
#wyrdsisters #funread #terrypratchett #hilarious #cozyfantasy #bookreview
