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The Wee Free Men (Discworld #30)

by Terry Pratchett

4.20 · rating details · 15,136 ratings · 1,051 reviews

"Another world is colliding with this one," said the toad. "All the monsters are coming back."

"Why?" said Tiffany.

"There's no one to stop them."

There was silence for a moment.

Then Tiffany said, "There's me."

Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany...more

Mass Market Paperbound, 375 pages

Published May 25th 2004 by HarperTrophy (first published 2003)

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May 12, 2010

BunWat rated it

Shelves: 2010, childrens-or-ya, speculative-fiction

Wow this is terrific. Kudos to Stephen Player for his work on this illustrated version. It is such fun! The feegles run around the edges of the page, jump on words or dangle from the end of a line. There's page where the text talks about Tiffany seeing her face in the water, and what looks like a faint reflection of her face runs under the text on that page. There are documents and letters that are mentioned in the text and now they appear on the facing page, complete with handwriting on ye...more

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Sep 16, 2008

Matt rated it

Shelves: childrens, fantasy, literature, humor

I'm a huge fan of dangerous books for boys. I love classic boys literature, whether Dumas's 'Count of Monte Cristo', Kipling's 'Jungle Book', Burroughs 'A Princess of Mars', Tolkien's 'The Hobbit', or Heinlein's juvenile fiction. I love good stories that instruct boys in being adults. I love them for being persistently politically incorrect, not just now but then. I love them because they are stories by people who obviously know boys and know what they need. And, I love them for just being ...moreI'm a huge fan of dangerous books for boys. I love classic boys literature, whether Dumas's 'Count of Monte Cristo', Kipling's 'Jungle Book', Burroughs 'A Princess of Mars', Tolkien's 'The Hobbit', or Heinlein's juvenile fiction. I love good stories that instruct boys in being adults. I love them for being persistently politically incorrect, not just now but then. I love them because they are stories by people who obviously know boys and know what they need. And, I love them for just being fun and exciting adventure stories. They abide, despite the distaste of limp wristed educators that would rather that little boys don't read them and are horrified when boys play with pretend weapons. I see that and I see someone that hates boys, and for that matter doesn't have a particularly high opinion of girls either. Far be it from me to be a child hater who insists that little boys and girls never be messy, smelly, or wild. You can't learn bravery or wisdom if you learn nothing about risk. You can't learn to be gentle if you aren't first strong.

But I don't have boys; I have two girls. That isn't to say that I don't intend to read to them all the great boy's literature, because I don't think that boys and girls are all so different as all of that. But, there just aren't a lot of dangerous books for girls. There aren't many daring books which feature female protagonists and address the question of growing up through a girl's eyes in ways that I approve of. Even Rowling's 'Harry Potter', features at its heart, a daring young man, not a daring young woman. And too much young adult literature for girls makes girls lives seem like they are all about boys and spend too little time on the other important things.

So of course, if you've read this book, you can imagine my joy at finding a story which is in the model of the best boy's literature but has as its protagonist - a girl. And what a girl! If you haven't read, 'The Wee Free Men', the protagonist is young Tiffany Aching, shepherd girl and cheese maker, who you'll fall in love with by the end of the first chapter. She's little, but she is doughty!

To give anything away about the plot would be unfair to the reader. The story is set on Pratchett's Discworld, but the connections are very loose and the reader gives up only a few easter eggs by not having read anything else in the series. There is no more need to read 'Lords and Ladies' or have an existing relationship with Granny Weatherwax than there is a need to read the Silmarillion before reading 'The Lord of the Rings'. So go ahead and open this story up, be you young or old, boy or girl, fan of fantasy or no; this is a treasure.

I love reading to my girls, but I sometimes get anxious for the probably all too quickly coming days when I can read something to them with more meat: something which is nearer and dearer to my heart. If I could only read them two fiction books, I'd read them Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and Pratchett's 'The Wee Free Men'. It's of that stature.

Some of my readers - being who they are, or knowing who I am - may wonder that I'd so recommend this tale of 'witchcraft'. Well, for one thing, there isn't a lot of actual 'witchcraft' in the craft that Pratchett teaches. The problem with the word ‘witch’ is that it means so many different things to so many different people, that it really means nothing unless you know what it is pointing to. In Pratchett's case, the word 'witch' might as well mean 'nerd', because they are essentially pointing to the same idea. But, for people that don't know that words are merely pointers, and have no meaning until they are addressed and dereferenced, or who are uncomfortable with that, let me add this addition: I'm my children's parent, not a book. There isn't anything made by man which doesn't have a something in it which isn't fully edifying. I can round off the rough corners of my children's developing understanding fairly easily. I can talk with them about what they read. I would have to do that no matter what they read, for there is nothing written in the tongues of men that can't be misunderstood. What I can't do so easily is inspire children. I can't so easily make them care and make them excited so that they know something not just in their heads but also in their hearts. For that, I need the help of stories, and this is a good one filled with many things that are virtuous and true. I'm not going to let any minor confusion get in the way of that.
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Apr 08, 2011

Joel rated it

Shelves: 2011, library-books, sci-fi-fantasy, ya

This was my first Terry Pratchett book. If you a looking for a way into his Discworld series (which is, at last count, 1 million books long), you could do worse. It's a totally separate story arc. It's the first of a shorter sub-series, giving you someplace to go if you like it. It's YA, so it goes down easy. It stars a creative, capable heroine and is in no way about her love of boys, which is always refreshing (still, still this is refreshing). And it's funny.

I mean, funny-ish. Fun...moreThis was my first Terry Pratchett book. If you a looking for a way into his Discworld series (which is, at last count, 1 million books long), you could do worse. It's a totally separate story arc. It's the first of a shorter sub-series, giving you someplace to go if you like it. It's YA, so it goes down easy. It stars a creative, capable heroine and is in no way about her love of boys, which is always refreshing (still, still this is refreshing). And it's funny.

I mean, funny-ish. Funny is so incredibly hard to do in books. Or maybe it is just hard to make a book that I will think is actually funny, instead of just clearly trying to be funny. I almost never laugh when I read. Other reviews of this book mention hearty belly-aching guffaws, streaming tears, books uncontrollably flung into the air in spastic fits of mirthful glee. Whereas I would encounter one of Pratchett's many, many puns or subtle off-color jokes (I would quote one but the book is already back at the library, but they are well-placed and will surely go right over a kid's head), and my brain would go, "Hey, that is clever. That's funny. Ha ha." But meanwhile, my face would look like this:

I don't know what is wrong with me! I want to be one of those people who giggle-snorts while reading on the subway. I do laugh when I read funny blog posts or Goodreads reviews so I don't know what is going on. The last time I remember laughing really hard at a book, it was one small part of The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go Get Pregnant by Dan Savage.

Terry Pratchett deserves a better reader than me because this is a funny book. Tiffany Aching is the kind of girl you want your daughter to read about. And your son; he can read books with girls in them too. In the course of discovering she is a witch and, with the help of the titular Wee Free Men, who are like drunken, filthy-mouthed Smurfs, saving her little brother, Labyrinth-style, she learns she is a strong and capable girl with her own identity and a link to past generations of powerful women. This is clearly why the back of the book mentions Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I said this was YA, but aside from being light and easy to read, it is also well-considered and thoughtful and, yes, funny. Probably.(less)

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Mar 07, 2009

Qt rated it

Shelves: fantasy, humor

I was slightly disappointed with this one, at least at first; while neither boring nor slow-moving, it did seem like the plot took a while to really get going. It didn't really grab me and suck me in like some of the other Discworlds have. Still, the last third or so was interesting, and the bits on life and philosophy are always thought-provoking.
Also, it is much more "together" than the early Discworlds, more cohesive; everything fits together. It isn't as funny, though (but t...more

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Dec 23, 2008

Siria rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 21st-century, british-fiction, fantasy, young-adult

I really, really wish that I had a younger girl cousin to pass this book onto, because I think it's a perfect antidote for some of the books that are enjoying a vogue right now (*cough* Twilight *cough*). Where the latter feature some downright disturbing gender politics, The Wee Free Men has a heroine who's sensible and smart and capable; a realistic, strong relationship between grandmother and granddaughter; a world where women are bounded by preconceptions and gender roles and fears, but a ...more

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Nov 28, 2009

Steven Harbin rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, young-adult-fantasy, young-adult, discworld

I’m presently about half way through reading this marvelous little book. People have been recommending Mr. Pratchett’s work to me for years, and I must say that I’m sorry I took so long to finally start one of his books. I did read Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch a while back, which he co-authored with Neil Gaiman, and that book was excellent, but I was going through my NG phase at the time, and moved on to several of Gaiman’s books after reading GO. In ret...moreI’m presently about half way through reading this marvelous little book. People have been recommending Mr. Pratchett’s work to me for years, and I must say that I’m sorry I took so long to finally start one of his books. I did read Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch a while back, which he co-authored with Neil Gaiman, and that book was excellent, but I was going through my NG phase at the time, and moved on to several of Gaiman’s books after reading GO. In retrospect, I should have pulled a TP novel into the mix at the time, but I am happy to be reading this one now. A “book friend” on the social network site Goodreads.com recommended TWFM to me and I must say, she was spot on regarding it. I started just this week and am already to page 158, which is pretty fast reading for me.

The story of young witch-in-the-making Tiffany Aching and her allies, the Nac Mac Feegle (otherwise known as “The Wee Free Men” – think 6 inch high tattooed blue guys who could give the Fremen of Arrakis a run for their money in a fight) and her familiar on loan, a toad who seems to have been a lawyer who helped folks find grounds to sue in a previous life, and their quest to rescue Tiffany’s bothersome little brother from the Queen of Fairyland has been quite entertaining so far, and I’m looking forward to finishing it and checking out some of the other books in the series. I’ll give a full review after I finish it.

After finishing this book, I'm a confirmed fan of Tiffany Aching, Terry Pratt, and Discworld. It was a good book to start reading the series, even though it is a young adult novel. Pratchett's sense of humor shines throughout, but at the same time there are definite serious things about this novel, for both young readers and older readers to ponder. Choices, what's real and what's important, all these things are explored by the main characters. I'm looking forward to more novels in the series, and I recommedn it to anyone who loves fantasy, young adult literature, humor, adventure, strong female characters and good reads in general.
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Oct 23, 2010

Marija rated it

Shelves: fantasy, ya, favorites

I’ll always remember that German friend of mine for his good taste in books and introducing me to the works of Peter Høeg and Terry Pratchett. :)

I haven’t read one of Terry Pratchett’s books in quite a while, and in preparation for my Goodreads giveaway win—Pratchett’s latest novel and 4th book in the Tiffany Aching series—I wanted to read the three earlier books to the series. After reading The Wee Free Men, I must say that I’d completely forgotten how much fun these books are!
...moreI’ll always remember that German friend of mine for his good taste in books and introducing me to the works of Peter Høeg and Terry Pratchett. :)

I haven’t read one of Terry Pratchett’s books in quite a while, and in preparation for my Goodreads giveaway win—Pratchett’s latest novel and 4th book in the Tiffany Aching series—I wanted to read the three earlier books to the series. After reading The Wee Free Men, I must say that I’d completely forgotten how much fun these books are!

What I really like about this series, is that you don’t need to read all of the books in order. Each book offers something different, and even though characters from previous books make guest appearances, it’s OK. You don’t need their back-story to understand what’s going on. This first book in the Tiffany Aching series is like that.

Yes, the story’s been done before: a younger brother stolen; the older sister, who doesn’t quite like her brother, goes out to rescue him. But Pratchett tweaks the story just enough to make it seem new and entertaining. What attracted me to his earlier novels was the wit, that’s both acerbic and silly at the same time. Imagine a combination of the best bits of Blackadder and Monty Python’s Flying Circus—that’s Pratchett’s writing. Those pictsies—the Wee Free Men—with their kilts, Scottish brogue, and love of treasure and drink are up to all kinds of mischief in their antics. Whenever they come onto the scene, you know it’s going to be entertaining and funny. And the little toad in Tiffany’s apron pocket is so cute I want to squeeze him! ;-)

However, the book’s not all fun and games and levity. There are serious aspects as well. Children, like nine-year old Tiffany, are forced to grow old before their time by facing certain truths about life and by learning how to recognize and see how things really are. That’s one of the aspects that I really like about Pratchett’s take on magic and witchcraft. It’s not all about potions and spells. The magic is knowing and understanding your surroundings, and learning how to use that knowledge to your advantage.

Good stuff! On to book 2 or book 32 in the Discworld series.
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Sep 02, 2011

Anna rated it

Shelves: favorites

There is something about The Wee Fee Men that makes you want to read it over and over again. Perhaps it's how Tiffany actually acts like a nine year old child. Most authors under estimate the intelligence that a child can hold. Terry Pratchett has captured the very being of a child perfectly. Confident, curious, and intelligent Tiffany is so real that you can feel like she's sitting right next to you or that you've known her for your entire life. Like she's actually real. The thing the makes her...more

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Jul 19, 2008

Alicia rated it

Shelves: light-reads, young-adult-fantasy

Just when you thought good writing in Scottish accents couldn't get any better -- ta-da!

I resisted reading this book for the longest time. I didn't want to have any truck with Terry Pratchett dumbing himself down for the masses -- or for the kiddies, either. Thankfully, if there was any dumbing going down, I didn't notice.

Instead, we get the most we've seen thus far of the Nac Mac Feegle, who are to be numbered among the greatest group literary creations ever, if only on ...more

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Mar 22, 2008

Jessica rated it

Brilliant! Or, should I say, Crivens! I love Terry Pratchett's work, and his latest endeavors into Takes-Place-On-Discworld-But-Isn't-A-Discworld-Novels are, if possible, even better than just your standard Discworld novels. If you could ever have a 'standard' Discworld novel...

Premise: A 9 year old proto-witch's little brother gets stolen by the evil Queen (or quin) of the Faeries. (what is with all the books with evil fae in them lately!). She has the makings of a powerful wit...more

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Mar 02, 2008

Beverly rated it

Recommended to Beverly by: Kim

From the review on my blog:
Pratchett takes all sorts of fairy tales and children's stories--including one of my faves, Peter Pan--and mashes them into his own tale about Tiffany, a nine-year-old witch in training. Tiffany is gutsy, smart (she's got First Sight and Second Thoughts; I need to develop both myself!), and ethical. In the same way I wanted to be Jo March when I first read Little Women, I can imagine any girl selecting Tiffany as a role model.

Pratchett never writes do...more

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Feb 10, 2009

Devon rated it

As usual, Pratchett manages to explore meaty questions (the nature of reality, family love, the relationship between knowledge and magic and common sense) in the midst of very involved silliness, and the silliness is of a high order, indeed. this is one of the most cohesively plotted of the Disc World books--not that I am generally very picky about my Disc world books.

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Apr 10, 2009

Cindy rated it

Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: childrensbooks, fantasy, 999

I just finished the audio version of this book and really enjoyed it. Tiffany Aching is tired of taking care of her little brother Wentworth. But when he's kidnapped by fairies, Tiffany decides to get him back. Maybe her recent decision to become a witch will help her on this. And then there's the Nac Mac Feegles - pictsies. They just might help. If they can stay sober long enough. And if she explains things in very, very simple terms.

Not a very good summary, but I can tell you that...more

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Jan 13, 2009

Dee rated it

This is the first Terry Pratchett I read, and it is in the TP children's oeuvre: Maurice and his educated Rodents, the Tiffany Aching Trilogy, Johnny Maxwell trilogy, the Bromeliad trilogy, and I am wild about it. It has my favorite Pratchett devices: women who are close to the earth and have a kind of natural knowledge that extends into magic; love, a valiant girl, and unbelievably clever wordplay. I haven't had much success with my kids even up to 8th grade) reading this, and it is both wry...more

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Jan 17, 2012

kamelin rated it

· review of another edition

Ein Moment intensiver Wachheit [Hörbuch Rezension] - german review

Tiffany Weh, ein 'Milchmädchen', das mit ihren Eltern und Geschwistern auf einer Farm im Kreideland der Scheibenwelt lebt, möchte eine Hexe sein. Nachdem ihr kleiner Bruder 'Willwoll' verschwindet, macht sie sich mit einer Horde tapferer, blauer 'Wir-sind-die-Größten'-Kobolde und einer Bratpfanne bewaffnet auf die Suche nach ihm. Leichter gesagt als getan, denn der von Süssigkeiten dauernd klebrige Bruder
wurde von ...moreEin Moment intensiver Wachheit [Hörbuch Rezension] - german review

Tiffany Weh, ein 'Milchmädchen', das mit ihren Eltern und Geschwistern auf einer Farm im Kreideland der Scheibenwelt lebt, möchte eine Hexe sein. Nachdem ihr kleiner Bruder 'Willwoll' verschwindet, macht sie sich mit einer Horde tapferer, blauer 'Wir-sind-die-Größten'-Kobolde und einer Bratpfanne bewaffnet auf die Suche nach ihm. Leichter gesagt als getan, denn der von Süssigkeiten dauernd klebrige Bruder
wurde von einer Königin in ein Land gebracht, in dem Träume Wirklichkeit werden. Das ist nicht unbedingt eine gute Nachricht, denn hier weiss man nie, ob man sich gerade in einem Traum oder in der Wirklichkeit befindet. Verwirrend wie beängstigend, denn es gibt auch unangenehme Alpträume, mit fiesen Wesen, denen man lieber nicht begegnen möchte. Und: Jeder hat seine eigenen Alpträume. Für den einen ist es ein furchteinflössendes Monster mit Klauen und scharfen Zähnen. Für die mutigen 'Wir-sind-die-Größten'-Kobolde sind es... Anwälte, die ihnen mehr als neunzehntausend Anklagepunkte zur Last legen. Mit diesen- und anderen Schwierigkeiten müssen die kleinen und grossen Helden fertig werden - kein Spaziergang möchte ich meinen. Auf der Suche nach dem kleinen 'Willwoll' findet Tiffany aber mehr als 'nur' ihren Bruder.
Was ist Traum und was ist Wirklichkeit? Woher weiss ich was echt ist und wann bin ich wach und wann nicht? Tiffany konzentriert sich im Traumland auf ihre eigene Wirklichkeit und dabei muss sie wach und aufmerksam sein, um sich nicht in den Träumen zu verwirren und verirren. Sie beobachtet ihre Umgebung genau und besinnt sich auf das, was wirklich wichtig ist. Werte, die ihr ihre Grossmutter, Oma Weh, mitgegeben hat. Diese Werte geben ihr die Kraft und den Mut, den sie braucht, um sich von den Illusionen der Scheinwelt zu befreien und den Weg zurück nach Hause zu finden.

Die Geschichte ist grosse Klasse. Ausgesprochen humorvoll, ganz herrlich geschrieben, für kleine wie grosse Leute, junge und alte, Kinder und Erwachsene. Das Ganze wird exzellent von Boris Aljinovic vorgetragen, einer der besten Sprecher, den ich kenne.
Terry Pratchetts Stil ist einzigartig, und auch das macht seine Geschichten so hörenswert.

Allerdings, eine kleine Warnung hätte ich da noch: Schliessen sie besser Fenster und Türen, bevor sie 'Kleine freie Männer' hören, das erspart Ihnen wahrscheinlich lästige Fragen von Nachbarn und Schaulustigen. Ich musste teilweise so laut Lachen, dass ich darauf angesprochen wurde. Kurz und gut: Diese Geschichte sprüht nur so vor Witz und einem einmalig köstlichen Humor. Dabei ist es weder albern noch 'kindisch' sondern zeigt - im Gegenteil - eine ganz ungewöhnliche Tiefe und Ernsthaftigkeit und wirft, eingebettet in einer phantastischen Geschichte, erstaunliche Fragen auf, wie zum Beispiel: wie wach gehe ich durch mein Leben und bin ich mir wirklich bewusst, wann ich träume und wann ich wach bin? Verbringe ich mehr Zeit in meinem Leben mit träumen oder bin ich aufmerksam und präsent?
"Ich werde nie wieder so (wach & wirklich) sein, wie jetzt!", denkt Tiffany am Ende des Hörbuchs, nach einem 'Moment intensiver Wachheit'.
Das ist eines der Hörbücher, dem ich am liebsten einen ganzen Hut voller Sterne geben würde. Leider stehen mir nur 5 zur Verfügung.

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Sep 24, 2011

Margarita rated it

· review of another edition

This book is not a summer book (slightly trashy fast-paced fiction to read by the pool) or a winter book (perfect for a rainy day-long and slow with lots of details) but an all-year-round book. The 30th book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and first Tiffany Aching novel, The Wee Free Men features a nine-year-old farm girl named Tiffany who is good with cheese. Tiffany, however, is not demure or meek in any way-she spots a giant monster in the river near her house one day, and instead of ru...moreThis book is not a summer book (slightly trashy fast-paced fiction to read by the pool) or a winter book (perfect for a rainy day-long and slow with lots of details) but an all-year-round book. The 30th book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and first Tiffany Aching novel, The Wee Free Men features a nine-year-old farm girl named Tiffany who is good with cheese. Tiffany, however, is not demure or meek in any way-she spots a giant monster in the river near her house one day, and instead of running away, she goes back home to fetch a frying pan. She then lures the monster out of the water using her little brother as bait and "clangs" the monster on the head with the pan. A witch named Miss Tick, who has been watching Tiffany and her frying pan through the first few chapters, informs us that another world is colliding with Tiffany's, and Miss Tick leaves to fetch help. She leaves her talking toad behind to watch over Tiffany, who refuses to be watched over: The toad soon tells her all about the colliding of the worlds, and introduces her to the mysterious red-headed creatures who've been popping up all over Tiffany's path in the past few weeks. The Nac Mac Feegle, or Wee Free Men, are 6-inch-tall, blue-skinned, kilt-wearing warriors. They were kicked out of fairyland for being disruptive and drunk, and are now wreaking unrestrained (though curiously moral) havoc on the rest of the world. Or worlds, as we soon find out.

After the Queen of Fairies (who personally ejected the Wee Free Men from her kingdom) kidnaps Tiffany's brother, the small but determined girl marches into Fairyland frying pan first, accompanied by the toad, her mother's trusty Diseases of the Sheep, and large group of Feegles.

Along with the Wee Free Men comes "drinking, fighting, and stealing". There's a bit of swearing, but as it's all in either Toad ("croap") or a vaguely Scottish dialect ("crivens!"), you needn't worry about younger readers. Although the Feegles do steal anything and everything in sight, they're good-hearted and never steal from anyone in need. It appears that all Feegles are alcoholic, yet this fact is treated with indifference by Tiffany and the third-person narration: Drinking is not encouraged, but neither is it portrayed in a negative light. However, most readers that would enjoy the book are old enough to make their own judgements concerning the alcohol level of the little blue men. Terry Pratchett's writing is highly entertaining for all readers, and the older you are the more you'll laugh.

Other things I liked about this book:

The asterisks. At the end of the page you'll often find a * accompanied by a hilarious notation or fictional anecdote.
The frequent sarcasm-I'm a very sarcastic person myself, and Terry Pratchett uses it frequently but not enough to wear it out.
The sequels! A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith, telling of an eleven- and thirteen-year-old Tiffany's adventures, are every bit as witty and captivating as the last. I just discovered a third sequel, I Shall Wear Midnight (released in 2010), and am planning on reading it on Tuesday. (Yes, the whole thing.)
Stephen Brigg's narration of the book is even more hilarious than the print version: although the Feegles' speech is a little hard to understand at first, you'll grow to love the Scottish-accented sound of frying pan hitting everything in sight.
Although the book has a female protagonist, there are many strong characters of both sexes (and weaker ones as well). Humanity is humorously and accurately portrayed by the author.

The Wee Free Men is a fantastic book for anyone looking for a more intelligently humorous book. (less)

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Aug 11, 2011

Andy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

For some unknown reason I've put off reading Pratchett's younger audience Discworld books. I read and enjoyed 'Amazing Maurice' when it came out but these recent stories just bypassed me. Turns out that was a big mistake.

The witches and the stories they found themselves in were always the richest to me. Sure, I love the Watch books for their character development and the Rincewind books for the humour but they all get a little 'samey' in the end. The witches though were intelligenc...more

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Aug 08, 2011

Corinne rated it

Nine year old Tiffany Aching wants to be a witch. Not that she's not satisfied with her life on the farm - she loves the sheep and she's become quite an expert at cheese making. But she knows that magic is out there and she wants to learn to use it - especially once she meets the Nac Mac Feegle. Those are the Wee Free Men of the title - short, blue, hard drinking Scottish...guys. Pixies, really. They come to her aid when her (rather sticky) younger brother is stolen by an evil witch and Tif...more

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Aug 08, 2011

Kerfe rated it

Shelves: fiction, children-ya

A rollicking tale, with a plucky girl front and center, and filled in on the edges with little blue men always spoiling for a good time and a fight.

My daughter lent me her copy, which she read and enjoyed in middle school, and though quite entertaining for an adult reader, I think Pratchett's book is particularly appropriate for a young adolescent. Lots of action and magic, but I like that the magic comes always kind of with an asterisk.

"THIS is the school, isn't it? T...more

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Aug 05, 2011

Penny Johnson rated it

I received an autographed copy of this book at ALA Annual, so I decided I really needed to read it! Terry Pratchett is this year's Margaret A Edwards award winner. His health prevented him from attending the Edwards luncheon in New Orleans, but we still got a copy of this fun book!

This book makes me smile, which is always a nice thing. Sometimes I weary of reading so many teen angst books -- dysfunctional families, suicides, alcohol and drug abuse, etc. etc. So this opening account...more

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Jun 16, 2011

Susanne rated it

Shelves: pratchett, favourites-2011

Ach crivens! Not the first Pratchett I’ve read, but this first part of the Tiffany Aching series made me fall in love with his writing. This is pure magic in a book. How one single human being can have such a load of imagination, humour, observational skills and eye for detail as Pratchett is a mystery to me. Everything in The Wee Free Men is alive - not just the characters, but the very land they walk on.

Initially I was a bit disappointed to find that the story was a version of the Sn...more

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Apr 05, 2011

cindy rated it

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Shelves: dragons-and-fairies, indonesian

CRIVENS!! Mr. Pratchett did it again!

Terry Pratchett memang dikenal sebagai penulis cerita fantasi yang penuh humor, dan dia membuktikannya lagi dalam buku ini. Tokoh utamanya adalah penyihir cilik Tiffany Aching sedangkan sidekicknya adalah sekumpulan makhluk setinggi 6 inchi -menamakan diri mereka Pria Cilik Merdeka (Wee Free Men)- yang hobi berkelahi, hobi mencuri, hobi mabuk, dan sangat yakin mereka sudah mati dan sedang berada di surga saat ini. Salah satu senjata andalan mereka...more

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Feb 23, 2011

s.leep added it · review of another edition

The Wee Free Men: A Story of Discworld by Terry Pratchett (2003): The Wee Free Men (2003): As fairy-tale monsters - and little blue thieves - start appearing around her family’s farm, Tiffany Aching discovers that with training, she may grow up to be a witch. But before any formal training can begin she finds herself the world’s only defense against a magical threat, and with the help of the little blue men must enter a dream-like kingdom and battle an evil queen.

Like Card’s Ender, n...more

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Nov 25, 2010

Tanabrus rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Penso sia il più bel libro di Pratchett che io abbia letto.

E’ un libro per ragazzi, pieno di fantasia e magia, ma condito anche con gli elementi ironici tipici di questo autore, e qui esaltati enormemente grazie al tipo di romanzo.
Voglio dire, se ti ritrovi in un classico libro del mondo disco e leggi le genialate sulla Morte o sulla scuola di Magia o sugli Dei, ti ci diverti enormemente ma rientrano perfettamente nello stile del libro. Te le godi meno.

Quando invece legg...morePenso sia il più bel libro di Pratchett che io abbia letto.

E’ un libro per ragazzi, pieno di fantasia e magia, ma condito anche con gli elementi ironici tipici di questo autore, e qui esaltati enormemente grazie al tipo di romanzo.
Voglio dire, se ti ritrovi in un classico libro del mondo disco e leggi le genialate sulla Morte o sulla scuola di Magia o sugli Dei, ti ci diverti enormemente ma rientrano perfettamente nello stile del libro. Te le godi meno.

Quando invece leggi la storia della piccola Tiffany, nove anni, figlia di pastori in un paese di pastori, gente dura e materiale, con poco spazio per i divertimenti e le fantasticherie… bene, se abbiamo questa bambina che ama leggere e imparare, fare il formaggio; questa bambina costretta a badare al fratellino piagnone perché è la più piccola in casa… ecco, mettiamo che questa bambina decida che da grande farà la strega. Perché ha letto le fiabe, lei, e odia i moralismi che vi si nascondono dietro. Odia gli venga imposto cosa fare e come pensare. E a dirla tutta, i bambini che arrivano e mangiano la casa della strega sono dei criminali, non delle vittime.
Così abbiamo una piccola aspirante strega, che di punto in bianco si ritrova immersa in qualcosa di molto più grande di lei.

Cominciano a comparire dei mostri usciti dalle fiabe. Mostri acquatici e cavalieri senza testa, oltre a dei piccoli uomini con la pelle blu, i capelli rossicci e vestiti con dei kilt.
Poi incontra una strega vera, giunta per controllare cosa sta accadendo nel paese del gesso, e le viene affidato un rospo parlante.

E infine scompare il suo fratello, rapito a quanto pare dalla Regina, la creatura che governa il mondo delle fate.
Così Tiffany parte al salvataggio del fratellino, armata di una padella e del vecchio libro dei rimedi medici della defunta nonna. Al suo fianco ci sarà il clan dei Nac Mac Feegle, gli autonominatisi Piccoli Uomini Liberi. Uno sciame di minuscole e fortissime creaturine scozzesi, pelle blu, capelli e barbe rossiccie, kilt, topomuse, spade e ascie. Rissaioli, ubriaconi, mezzi pazzi, ladri per vocazione.
Espulsi dal regno delle fate per ubriachezza molesta.

Ed ecco, proprio i Feegle portano nel libro la maggior parte dell’ironia che fa sbellicare dalle risate .
Con il loro linguaggio, il loro terrore della scrittura, i loro metodi per educare gli animali. La loro unica paura, che è probabilmente la trovata più spassosa dell’intero libro.

In pratica, questo libro è una fiaba. Come Il prodigioso Maurice e i suoi geniali roditori, ma mi è piaciuta ancora di più.
Della fiaba ha gli insegnamenti, dati però alla maniera di Pratchett.
Un po’ fiaba, un po’ Roal Dahl, anche un po’ Bone quando si parla della vita dei pastori del Gesso.

Un gran bel libro!(less)

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Oct 28, 2010

Chibineko rated it

As a Pratchett fan, I knew that it was only going to be a matter of time before I eventually picked up the Tiffany Aching books. I put it off for a while because I've heard both good & negative things about the books, most of the negative remarks being about how it tends to be slightly different in tone than Pratchett's other books, we shich is true- the book is written slightly differently than his main Discworld series. (Not that most of the Discworld books couldn't be enjoyed by children- the...moreAs a Pratchett fan, I knew that it was only going to be a matter of time before I eventually picked up the Tiffany Aching books. I put it off for a while because I've heard both good & negative things about the books, most of the negative remarks being about how it tends to be slightly different in tone than Pratchett's other books, we shich is true- the book is written slightly differently than his main Discworld series. (Not that most of the Discworld books couldn't be enjoyed by children- there's not that much objectionable material in those books.)

Tiffany's story begins as she has her first glimpse of small blue-ish men who cry out a warning about a river monster. Moving just in time to save her little brother, Tiffany then decides to set about getting rid of said monster. (She does so after using same brother for bait.) Unbeknownst to her, her actions were watched by someone else- a witch who recognizes Tiffany's potential & hopes to educate her about witches & magic. Unfortunately Tiffany is about to get a real crash course in magic, witchcraft (the two aren't necessary the same in the story) & herself as her bratty brother gets snatched away by a magical being with powers beyond Tiffany's comprehension.

While this isn't my favorite of Pratchett's work, it's not bad. I like the character of Tiffany, although she isn't the most compassionate of characters at times. The true gem of the books is the introduction of the titular wee free men, characters that remind me of Smurfs with attitude. This book won't knock 'The Truth' off of it's spot as my #1 favorite Pratchett work, but it will be something that I recommend to young readers. I like that Tiffany uses her head to get through her bad situations & that she eventually takes charge of herself. At the end of the book Tiffany is definitely a much more mature young lady. I do have to say that those readers who more prefer the more adult stylings of Pratchett may not be as enchanted with this book as I was.(less)

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Jun 24, 2010

Katie (It's Time to Read) Leversuch rated it

Synopsis:

"Another world is colliding with this one," said the toad. "All the monsters are coming back.""Why?" said Tiffany.

"There's no one to stop them.

There was silence for a moment.

Then Tiffany said, "There's me."

Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green...moreSynopsis:

"Another world is colliding with this one," said the toad. "All the monsters are coming back.""Why?" said Tiffany.

"There's no one to stop them.

There was silence for a moment.

Then Tiffany said, "There's me."

Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnaped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk's local Nac Mac Feegle -- aka the Wee Free Men -- a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds -- black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors -- before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone....

This is book number 30 in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel. This is a Tiffany Aching novel, a young adult twist on the Witches novels. Tiffany is called upon to rescue her brother from the Queen in an alternative universe and for help she has the Wee Free Men and a Toad. She calls upon powers she didn't know she possessed - the witch in her comes out as she fights the Queen of the Elves with just a frying pan.

I found this story slow to start but by half way through I was hooked. The Wee Free Men are hilarious! I loved that they just wanted to drink and fight! The end made me laugh, when poor Rob Anyone thought he might have to marry Tiffany - his fear was funny! I liked Tiffany too. She was headstrong, determined and inventive. She kept fighting and wouldn't let anyone take/insult her brother - although it was OK for her too.

As usual, Pratchett has written a fantastic novel. It is funny, full of action and with great characters. I would have liked Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax to feature more in this book but Tiffany was a delightful character. This is aimed at young adults but that doesn't come through or ruin this book. This has everything you would expect from Pratchett and is well worth reading.

(less)

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Dec 20, 2009

Minli rated it

Shelves: made-me-laugh, favourites, sirens-2010, book-soulmate, made-me-cry, mythic, middle-grade, adorable

“Yes,” said a voice, and Tiffany realized that it was hers again. The anger rose up, joyfully. “Yes! I’m me! I am careful and logical and I look up things I don’t understand! When I hear people use the wrong words, I get edgy! I am good with cheese. I read books fast! I think! And I always have a piece of string! That’s the kind of person I am!”

Tiffany Aching is flipping awesome. The witches are awesome. Terry Pratchett is awesome. And cheese is awesome.

I have to say, wi...more“Yes,” said a voice, and Tiffany realized that it was hers again. The anger rose up, joyfully. “Yes! I’m me! I am careful and logical and I look up things I don’t understand! When I hear people use the wrong words, I get edgy! I am good with cheese. I read books fast! I think! And I always have a piece of string! That’s the kind of person I am!”

Tiffany Aching is flipping awesome. The witches are awesome. Terry Pratchett is awesome. And cheese is awesome.

I have to say, with a world as vast as Discworld, it was really important for me to pick the right book to start. (This was my first Discworld book.) With so much variety, I imagine some books fit to individual tastes more than others, and The Wee Free Men was the right one for me. One, it's young adult, two, it's narrow enough to focus the world building on one character, and three, Tiffany Aching is flipping awesome.

Pratchett has taken some of my favourite topics and crafted a tight, beautiful narrative. I love how he emphasizes Tiffany's particularity for words and language (she reads the dictionary, and she mispronounces words often, because she's only read them and hasn't had a chance to say them out loud). And how language is, in a sense, an instantiation of reality--which draws several parallels to imagination and storytelling. What is real? What is imagination? What's the difference? What role do humans play in it?

I hear that Pratchett is known for his parody, and there's plenty of that too. He playfully pokes at fairytale tropes, but also makes it a significant part of Tiffany's character development. Stories are just words, crafted by language, and subjective to the teller. Tiffany learns a lot about witches (both Discworld witches and the fairytale reputation of witches) and perception. She's able to see the world as is, and think about it afterwards--First Sight and Second Thoughts--but she's also learned that reality and imagination will always be connected, and both are shaped by the individual: her.

I also loved the Nac Mac Feegle and their flyaway bits of wisdom, especially about magic. And how just because Tiffany found out how 'magic' worked, or fooled other people into thinking she could do magic, doesn't make the deed any less magical. “Ah, weel,” said Rob Anybody. “What’s magic, eh? Just wavin’ a stick an’ sayin’ a few wee magical words.An’ what’s so clever aboot that, eh? But lookin’ at things, really lookin’ at ’em, and then workin’ ’em oout, now, that’s a real skill.” (less)

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Sep 21, 2009

Robert rated it

Terry Pratchett has a real talent for making you think about the world, and for making readers smile.

This book is part of the Discworld series, and definitely targeted at Young Adults. Mind you, just about any Discworld book is probably good for young adults, but this one is probably for the younger end of that spectrum. There are more themes about being a sibling, dealing with grown-ups, and other such trials of youth; and fewer subtle jokes about sex and drinking (though just eno...more

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Sep 11, 2009

Alison Elizabeth rated it

I never got into the Terry Pratchitt in college, even though I had a friend who has heavily into it. I was put off by Discworld because of the silliness and the puns, and I'd had my fill of that with Xanth.

Then, my friend Lyn lent me a book from the Tiffany Aching series. It wasn't this one; it was Wintersmith. (She said I would be able to follow it wthout the previous books, and she was right.)

Well, I loved that one so much I had to go right out and get this one, and I ...more

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Aug 16, 2009

Lightreads rated it

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, humor, young-adult

Young sheep farmer's daughter begins training to be the witch of the chalk hills that she loves. She has the help of a lot of six-inch fairies with drinking problems and pointy swords, which is good because there's no school for learning witchery, unless you think of the whole world as the school.

Oh, marvelous. I read the three published books straight through everywhere I went, and I know I disturbed people by standing there beaming in the elevator. There may also have been bouncing...more

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About Terry Pratchett

Sir Terry Pratchett sold his first story when he was thirteen, which earned him enough money to buy a second-hand typewriter. His first novel, a humorous fantasy entitled The Carpet People, appeared in 1971 from the publisher Colin Smythe. Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels, including his first Discworld novel,...more

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Quotes from The Wee Free Men

“Witches are naturally nosy,” said Miss Tick, standing up. “Well, I must go. I hope we shall meet again. I will give you some free advice, though.”
“Will it cost me anything?”
“What? I just said it was free!” said Miss Tick.
“Yes, but my father said that free advice often turns out to be expensive,” said Tiffany.
Miss Tick sniffed. “You could say this advice is priceless,” she said, “Are you listening?”
“Yes,” said Tiffany.
“Good. Now...if you trust in yourself...”
“Yes?”
“...and believe in your dreams...”
“Yes?”
“...and follow your star...” Miss Tick went on.
“Yes?”
“...you’ll still be beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren’t so lazy. Goodbye.” — 152 people liked it

“Open your eyes and then open your eyes again.” — 73 people liked it

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