Equal Rites
1987
- fantasy
- fiction
- samuel vimes (fictitious character)
- discworld (imaginary place)
- fiction, science fiction, general
- science fiction
- wizards
- fantasy fiction
- discworld (imaginary place), fiction
- fiction, fantasy, general
The story
Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels, consistent number one bestsellers in England, have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody along with Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen.In Equal Rites, a dying wizard tries to pass on his powers to an eighth son of an eighth son, who is just at that moment being born. The fact that the son is actually a daughter is discovered just a little too late...
What it’s like
Brisk, wry and warmly absurd, with the comic brightness of a market town on a busy day: sharp dialogue, bustling streets, cheerfully overstuffed scenes of wizards squabbling over tea and old magic. The voice is a conversational narrator who winks at the reader, sliding between knowing asides and sudden moments of genuine tenderness, so the prose feels like a friend reading aloud from a well-thumbed book. Pacing is quick and episodic, with short chapters and running jokes that keep the momentum easy. Intensity is low: some slapstick mishaps and peril, a few tense moments with magic gone wrong, but no gore and nothing graphic or cruel; it lands as playful rather than frightening. Emotionally it is light and upbeat, with a gentle undercurrent of wanting to be taken seriously and an arc about a young woman pushing against the expectations of a world that thinks she doesn't belong. Good for a relaxed afternoon, a comfort reread, or a long commute, and for readers who enjoy satire that never sneers, with a sense of humor that is affectionate and clever.
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