It is the engine that drives them through their lives. Most people, on waking up, accelerate through a quick panicky pre-consciousness check-up: who am I, where am I, who is he/she, good god, why am I cuddling a policeman’s helmet, what happened last night!Īnd this is because people are riddled with Doubt. Granny Weatherwax waking up was quite an impressive sight, and one not seen by many people. Or this moment when Magrat has to quickly wake Granny from her “In the swamp the alligators drifted like patches of bad-assed water.” Such as his description of the Genua bayou, including this detail: Or silly or sparkling or all of the above.

Then there’s Nanny playing the banjo (and probably singing a lewd song about hedgehogs or wizards) festooned with tourist tat, red stockings, and Greebo, the Chaucer’s Wife of Bath figure of.the witches.Īnd “last and very much least”, Magrat, with her unravelling hair and expression of hopeless goodwill-the one whose desire for everything to be nice and kind (the way the world frequently isn’t) and well-researched like Goodie Whemper (maysherestinpeace) is so effortlessly undercut by both her elder colleagues’ practicality.As usual in a Pratchett novel, there is much in Witches Abroad that’s simply delightful Josh Kirby always seems to draw a “crone” with her face fallen in through being a thin elderly lady with no teeth: we’re specifically told that Granny had three sugars in her tea and she’d have rocked that look for being underestimated, but what she is is severe. He’s quite exact, with Granny swooping down terrifyingly serious, hatpins in place, the “point” of the “three flying ducks” comparison to a British ‘70s kitsch decoration. My favourite WA.cover is the one we didn’t have, in the books of illos by Paul Kidby. At least there she theoretically has a chance to figure out who she is and escape. Frankly, the mirror universe is a kinder fate. And she would have lost, and would have had to live there knowing she'd lost and that everyone else knew she'd lost - a classic witch revenge.

She'd be beholden to Granny for a place to live, and everyone would know it. What if Lily had accepted Granny's offer? She'd be back in Lancre, where everybody knows she was kicked out, not just for being wanton but for severely breaking the rules of witchcraft, misusing her magic to compel people's obedience.

I've seen worse covers.īack to WA: Although Granny thinks she's being kind, and Lily seems to take it that way, I'm not so sure. Still, it does give the general flavor of the story: child with powers and a staff, witch mentor, weird critters. I guess it might be intended as a Thing from the Dungeon Dimensions. It can't possibly be intended as an orang-utan. Not to mention that strange animal behind her.

Terry pratchett three witches