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Equal Rites (Discworld #3)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 41,481 ratings · 860 reviews

On Discworld, 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. The town witch insists on turning the baby into a perfectly normal witch, thus mending the magical damage of the wizard's mistake. But now the young girl will be...more

Paperback, 228 pages

Published September 13th 2005 by Harper Perennial (first published 1987)

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Nov 09, 2012 Kaethe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: strong-smart-female-protagonist, feminism, witches, read-aloud

December 10, 2009

The first female wizard is exceptional, of course. It was never meant to be. Hahahahahahaha.

***

Veronica's been feeling a little under the weather this week, and when that is the case, she likes me to read aloud. And she couldn't locate the book we had been reading, so she decided on Pratchett instead. They both seem to like it so far.

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Feb 25, 2008 Qt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, humor

Another fun Discworld book :-)
As with the other two Discworlds I read, this one was funny, but also rather thoughtful. I liked how the author even incorporated some physics into the action :-) It took me a bit to get into it, but I did enjoy it very much and found it a great deal of fun!

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Dec 08, 2012 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-male, books-i-own, high-fantasy, humor, rated-4-star, read-2012

Part 3 of the Complete Discworld Reread

Men are wizards and women are witches, and that is the way it is. But when a dying wizard tries to pass his magical staff on to a newborn boy, someone should have checked with the midwife on the baby's gender. Now Granny Weatherwax has a problem. She can teach young Esk all about witchcraft, but the raw magic flowing from her is going to need training in wizardry. Sure the rules say only a man can be a wizard, but for Granny, rules are for everyone else to...more Part 3 of the Complete Discworld Reread

Men are wizards and women are witches, and that is the way it is. But when a dying wizard tries to pass his magical staff on to a newborn boy, someone should have checked with the midwife on the baby's gender. Now Granny Weatherwax has a problem. She can teach young Esk all about witchcraft, but the raw magic flowing from her is going to need training in wizardry. Sure the rules say only a man can be a wizard, but for Granny, rules are for everyone else to obey.

While the first two books were more about the world than the characters, this outing is much more focused. This is a book about Granny and Esk, the fact it is on Discworld is a side note only. Because of this we learn more about Granny, and what makes her tick, in this book than we learned about Rincewind in two outings. And learning about Granny is well worth it. She is strong, intelligent, and stubborn as ten mules. The contrast in her between the times she has to play to expectations of being a witch(faking fortune reading for example), and when she shows her full power(a shape-shifting wizards duel) are a real highlight.

Esk is a good character as well, though not as strongly fleshed out. While she may be a little too smart for an eight year old, the magic running through her body makes that forgivable. While insanely talented, she makes some very real mistakes. And even though she may act twice her age, the times she shows an eight year old's emotion makes her even more real.

The plot is simple enough, Granny's training of Esk, a short but memorable travel to the big city, and a ending at the university. There is also a possible end of the world plot line. If someone is looking for a detailed and complex plot they best move onward. Though well crafted, there is not much depth.

However if a person is drawn to great characters, this is the best novel of the series yet, and could easily be a starting point if someone wants to skip the more parody oriented 'Color of Magic' and 'Light Fantastic.'

4 stars

*Possible Spoilers Below*

(view spoiler)(less)

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Apr 15, 2012 Kat Lowe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, humor

Uh-oh. I might be losin' that Discworld Feeling. *opening strains of The Righteous Brothers' You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling start to play*

Kat:
There's Granny Weatherwax to remind me of wizard Rincewind.
And little Eskarine could be a kin of Two Flowers.
I'm trying hard not to show it, Terry.
But Terry, Terry, I know it...

Toga-Wearing-Chorus:
Has Kat lost that Discworld feeling?
Whoa, that Discworld feeling.
Has Kat lost that Discworld feeling?
Could it be gone...gone...gone?...Oh-oh-oh-No.

Kat:
Now there...more

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May 20, 2012 Melki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, humorous-fiction, witches

Similar in spirit to the first two books in the Discworld series, once again we have a delightful duo on a journey, encountering many a merry mishap on the way. This book is not as funny as its predecessors, though the plot seems more cohesive and a little less meandering.

Despite the distinct lack of trolls, this is probably my favorite so far. I really enjoyed the "Girl Power" theme to the book. At least I think I did. It could just be those darned witches using their "headology" on me.

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Jan 07, 2013 Jordan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comedy

Terry Pratchett's Discworld does for Fantasy what Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy did for science fiction--firmly sets a story within a genre, stereotypes intact, then goes to town. This third instrallment is only loosely connected to the previous two, in that it features many of the same settings and a few minor characters, but you could easily read it on its own. I'm reading through the series in order because that's how I'm wired, but you don't need to.

A wizard is born the ei...more

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May 05, 2009 Darlene rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Discworld lovers, witch lovers, women's libbers

Recommended to Darlene by: Cherylllr, Yvensong, Kay kuns

Shelves: i-ve-read, pratchett

I am having a lot more fun with this one than the other two. I can't seem to put this one down! Too bad real life gets in the way of reading! :)

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Apr 22, 2013 Collin Huelgas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Finally done reading this wonderful and silly little novel by Terry Pratchett. Actually, as a matter of fact, I had no knowledge of who was this Pratchett and what was this Discworld they are talking about, but thanks to Lamilla (who gave me this book), I am now aware of how great Pratchett novels can be.

In this book, I was very amused of how Pratchett managed to make Magic so refreshed and different from the lore. Full of humor, this book covers the journey of little Eskarina Smith(Esk), the ei...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Simcha Wood rated it 3 of 5 stars

Equal Rites, the third book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, is a considerable improvement over the previous two entries. Pratchett hasn't quite yet fully developed as a humorist and a satirist, and his plot, while more substantial than in the previous Discworld books, still manages to fizzle out a bit at the end. On the other hand, the main characters, the witch Granny Weatherwax and the young Esk are considerably more interesting and more readily evoke the reader's empathy than did the e...more

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Dec 23, 2012 A.E. Marling added it

Shelves: fantasy

If you love your eighth son of the eighth son to be endowed with supreme magical talent, then Equal Rites may be the book for you. Except, oops! That eighth son was actually a daughter. There's no tradition on Disc World of women being wizards, but that doesn't stop her from riding a flood of pluck and reality-fizzing magic down from the mountains to Ankh-Morpork to teach those stuffy wizards the meaning of the word “flabbergasted.”

Much of the book is told from the perspective of the tough-as-en...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Barbara78e rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nel Mondo Disco, l'ottavo figlio di un ottavo figlio è, quasi sicuramente, destinato ad essere un mago. Ma cosa accade se il passaggio mago-discepolo diventa mago-discepolA, e il mago in questione muore subito dopo aver consegnato la verga, simbolo della sua magia? Una donna non è ammessa ad essere mago, tuttalpiù potrà essere una strega... In questo caso, l'ottava figlia di un ottavo figlio, è Eskarina, che si ritrova a possedere l'arte magica, ma non ha nessun maestro che le insegni. L'unica s...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Erin Stuhlsatz rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Esk gazed down defiantly. Granny glared up sternly...But Granny had spent a lifetime bending recalcitrant creatures to her bidding and, while Esk was a surprisingly strong opponent, it was obvious that she would give in before the end of the paragraph."

"'So', said Granny, 'how goes the life?'
"The other witch shrugged...'Like the hurried lover, it comes and goe--' she began...'Not bad, not bad.'"

"Goats did have names for themselves, she well knew: there was 'goat who is my kid,' 'goat who is my...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: discworld, fantasy

This book is much, much better than the 2 Discworld novels before it (The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic). That is not to say that those 2 books were bad, just that Equal Rites is really good.

First off, the main characters, Eskarina and Esmeralda Weatherwax, were very lovable. Young Esk is a bit naive and a lot stubborn the way that smart little kids are. Old Granny Weatherwax is wise but unbendable in her ways, just like most old people. But unlike other stubborn characters in other sto...more This book is much, much better than the 2 Discworld novels before it (The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic). That is not to say that those 2 books were bad, just that Equal Rites is really good.

First off, the main characters, Eskarina and Esmeralda Weatherwax, were very lovable. Young Esk is a bit naive and a lot stubborn the way that smart little kids are. Old Granny Weatherwax is wise but unbendable in her ways, just like most old people. But unlike other stubborn characters in other stories, I've never for once gotten annoyed by their actions. I think Terry Pratchett wrote them with such loving relish that the reader can't help but like them even at their most stubborn/stupid.

I also like the way the "battle of the sexes" is portrayed here. As can be deduced by the book's title, there is some sort of struggle involving a woman's place in a male-dominated field. In this case, the field is Wizard Magic, a type of magic in the Discworld that had only ever been utilized by men. Women, on the other hand, had only ever used Witch Magic. This novel deals with the question of "Why can't women use Wizard Magic, or men Witch Magic?" What I particularly like about it is that, as with most things in the real world, there were actually no rules that men must do this (Wizard Magic) and women must do that (Witch Magic). It was all a case of "this is the way it always had been", and they just needed someone to prove that just because something has always been done a particular way doesn't mean that there is no better way. I love how that parallels to a lot of things in the real world.

Another thing in this book that has a parallel in our world is the brand of magic that Esk and her friend Simon were starting to define. The way it is described -- the yes but no, the this but also that -- makes me think of quantum theory. It didn't seem to make any sense, everyone thought they got it but couldn't properly explain it, and there is that bit about a "higher level of ignorance". It's really quite hilarious.

This is a really enjoyable book. I once said that The Light Fantastic has convinced me to continue reading the rest of the Discworld books. Well, Equal Rites just made me start to love the series.

(less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Sakura87 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autori-inglesi, umorismo, novecento, fantasy, saga-ciclo

Il tempo di un mago sta per scadere: sta recandosi al piccolo villaggio di Cattivo Somaro, alla ricerca dell’ottavo figlio di un ottavo figlio cui trasmettere i propri poteri e la propria verga magica prima di lasciare questo mondo per sempre. Il fabbro, ottavo figlio della sua famiglia, sta per diventare padre per l’ottava volta: e la cattiva abitudine che hanno gli uomini di non far parlare le donne, in questo caso la levatrice, fa sì che il mago trasmetta i suoi poteri…a una neonata. Il probl...more Il tempo di un mago sta per scadere: sta recandosi al piccolo villaggio di Cattivo Somaro, alla ricerca dell’ottavo figlio di un ottavo figlio cui trasmettere i propri poteri e la propria verga magica prima di lasciare questo mondo per sempre. Il fabbro, ottavo figlio della sua famiglia, sta per diventare padre per l’ottava volta: e la cattiva abitudine che hanno gli uomini di non far parlare le donne, in questo caso la levatrice, fa sì che il mago trasmetta i suoi poteri…a una neonata. Il problema è che nel Mondo Disco non ci sono donne mago! Perché, vi chiederete? Eh be’…hm…sarebbe ridicolo…è così, e basta…sarebbe come una strega uomo.
Nonnina, la strega del villaggio, accetta di prendersi cura della bambina, Eskarina. E’ una strega con ben poche fortune: non puzza, non ha verruche, e assolutamente non riesce a perdere i denti. Ma ha capito tutto della vita: quella dei maghi è magia fatta di paroloni, di formule teoriche e di idee, mentre una strega può andar avanti nella vita semplicemente usando la menteologia, ossia l’arte di far credere a un uomo che può lanciare maledizioni e che l’acqua bollita con una bacca sia una medicina miracolosa. Non che non possieda un pizzico di vera magia, s’intende.
Esk, fortunatamente per lei, non solo è molto portata nell’apprendimento delle pratiche stregonesche, ma ha una grande magia, magia da mago, una curiosità petulante, e l’insana idea di voler diventare mago in un mondo in cui le donne possono diventare solo streghe. Nonnina, tuttavia, inizia a credere che ciò, in fondo, potrebbe non essere così impossibile, e acconsente ad accompagnarla ad Ankh-Morpork perché la addestrino all’Università dei Maghi. Peccato che Eskarina vi riesca a entrare solo come donna delle pulizie.

Finora non è il migliore di Pratchett, anche se non posso ben valutare perché i primi due, pur essendomi piaciuti, erano tradotti in maniera così vergognosa che non erano nemmeno giudicabili. ‘L’arte della magia’, invece, riesce a farsi leggere senza causare conati di vomito. Mi sto riferendo, naturalmente, alla nuova edizione con copertina nera, che sospetto essere ritradotta. Indagherò.
E’ il primo romanzo della sottosaga dedicata alla streghe, e questa volta Terry Pratchett adatta al fantasy, in modo esilarante, l’annosa battaglia tra i sessi, in un rovesciamento continuo degli stereotipi che strappa risate qua e là. E, naturalmente, prosegue la divertentissima demolizione dei clichè di ogni fantasy che si rispetti, anche se in modo meno manifesto rispetto ai primi due.
Il libro possiede senza dubbio alti e bassi, e ha il grave difetto (o almeno così la vedo io) di non essere diviso in capitoli e di risultare pertanto un po’ confusionario nei cambi di scena. Inoltre, a differenza di Nonnina, il personaggio di Eskarina non verrà più nemmeno menzionato negli altri volumi della saga delle Streghe: un vero peccato, perché come può essere senza conseguenze per il Mondo Disco l’accettazione nell’Università della prima Maga di sesso femminile?
E’ assolutamente autoconclusivo, quindi consigliato anche a chi si accosta per la prima volta al Mondo Disco.(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Πέτρος rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the third Diskworld book, which has a new cast of characters and takes place in a different place. The lead role is now given to a little girl named Escarine, who by a mistake was granted wizard powers at birth, something which is normally not permitted for whatever chauvinistic reasons the males of the world have. The style of narration is different this time, as it is a lot less humorous and a lot more focused on a serious fleshing out of its characters and setting. This can work both...more This is the third Diskworld book, which has a new cast of characters and takes place in a different place. The lead role is now given to a little girl named Escarine, who by a mistake was granted wizard powers at birth, something which is normally not permitted for whatever chauvinistic reasons the males of the world have. The style of narration is different this time, as it is a lot less humorous and a lot more focused on a serious fleshing out of its characters and setting. This can work both as good and bad. On one hand it is no longer the volley of puns and satire of the previous books, so you will laugh a lot less. On the other, it doesn’t feel like a random coming and going of shallow caricatures that serve to nothing more that ephemeral chuckles. Every character now feels more real and each place is described in a detailed and plausible manner. The plot is also tighter and you no longer feel like each area is an autonomous world or a stand alone mission. Personally it took me awhile to get used to this more serious approach and at first I was even disappointed. I went in for the jokes and not for an elaborate setting or a message on equality of the sexes. But being fond of the earlier works I didn’t give up and kept on reading to the end.

There is only one arc and it is separated into four parts. The first part is about the heroine slowly learning the secrets of magic by her granny the witch Weatherwax. This part reminded me somewhat of the Earthsea books, as the magic found in nature has to do with balance and each animal and plant has its own unique name. The funniest part is when Eskarine learns of headology, which is basically the same thing as messing with people’s heads. Meaning, to exploit their expectations so any magic potion and curse can appear to be working perfectly just because they expect it to work. In a similar way, whatever stereotype witches do is only meant to be done just because it’s a stereotype people expect of witches to do and not because it’s practical. A confusing part here is how Escarine is supposed to learn wizard magic, which supposed is completely different from witch magic, yet Weatherwax teaches her about it anyway. I mean, ok, it was a good excuse to learn about witch magic in a meta-logic way but it sure felt out of place plot-wise.

The second part is about leaving the village and traveling to the wizard academy. Along the way they see some stuff and try the extent of what they can do with their potential but it wasn’t funny or interesting at all. I mean it was surely significant but was written in a way that felt dull.

It is only until the third part begins, when they arrive at the school that things become interesting again.
- Escarine is faced with the wizard lore which forbids women from becoming wizards, and it’s only thanks to Weatherwax’s meddling headology that she is accepted as a cleaning staff, so she can indirectly learn magic by studying others.
- It is there where we learn of a wizard named Simon (which reminded me of Simon the Sorcerer games), a young wizard who stutters a lot, so he needs to find a different way to say what he means, the result of which is inventing a whole new way of seeing things. Basically, we are introduced to the concept of the Multiverse, where there are an infinite different versions of the same world, just so anything we may think of can have a place it can happen in. We also have a recurring character here, the transformed librarian from the previous book, to remind us how this is still a sequel to The Light Fantastic.
- There is also a great running joke around the building itself being sentient by all the magic going on in it, and acting like a living creature when you read its mind. I laughed really hard with wordplays such as “It was gritty and full of passages, and for the first time she felt how it was like to have balconies.”
- Another interesting aspect are the Things from the Dungeon Dimensions, creatures with nightmarish images that feed on magic and try to enter our world by possessing bodies. It felt like a tribute to H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulu mythology, always with a hint of satire in the way they try too hard to look scary. This is also the basic thread of the story, as they are trying to exploit Simon’s genius as means to create a crack in the dimensions and crawl through. This is of course not the first time they try to do that as they were the main threat in the previous book as well. It’s just that they are given a lot more detail and attention here, instead of that rushed finale when Trymon felt victim to them.

The fourth part is the finale, which once again is quite dull, not funny, and unimpressive. It felt mostly like granny Weatherwax trying to get romantic with the archwizard, rather than trying to save the school for an invasion from a different dimension. Prachett once again fails to wrap things properly and offers a confusing and unipressive closure to Escarine’s first adventure.

In all, I enjoyed it less than the previous two books, as half of the plot was dull and not funny at all. Although I still appreciated the world building it had. The constant chauvinistic jokes were also good despite presented in a light manner. A combo of that with the non-stop parodies of the previous books would make it a wonderful read. (less)

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May 23, 2012 Eustacia Tan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Now that I've finally finished the Tiffany Aching series, I'm on to other Discworld books. And because of I Shall Wear Midnight, I had the urge to re-read Equal Rites, staring Esk, the first and only female Wizard.

Equal Rites (notice the pun on the word rights?) is simply a very entertaining book on discrimination. In Discworld, everything (w.r.t. magic) is divided into two categories - witches and wizards. However, when a um, a mistaken wizard passes his staff (and I suppose by extension his po...more Now that I've finally finished the Tiffany Aching series, I'm on to other Discworld books. And because of I Shall Wear Midnight, I had the urge to re-read Equal Rites, staring Esk, the first and only female Wizard.

Equal Rites (notice the pun on the word rights?) is simply a very entertaining book on discrimination. In Discworld, everything (w.r.t. magic) is divided into two categories - witches and wizards. However, when a um, a mistaken wizard passes his staff (and I suppose by extension his power) to Esk, who isn't the 8th son of an 8th son but a girl, this simple division is turned topsy-turvy. The truth can't be denied (sorry Granny Weatherwax!) and Esk has to try to gain admission into Unseen University, which unfortunately is a boys-only place (Except for cooks and cleaning ladies).

So, basically, this is one of the few books that combine two of my favourite groups of people - the Unseen University and Granny and friends. Unfortunately, this is before Ridicully's reign, I mean tenure as Arch-chancellor so I "missed" out the opportunity of seeing how he and Granny would have interacted. But really, it is very entertaining.

I quite like how the book deals with the topic of discrimination. There isn't any huge marches and whatnot (Esk is only 9 after all), and even Granny doesn't want Esk to be a Wizard. It seems to be saying that there's no point in trying to break down any walls for its own sake, but rather, to break down the walls if it hinders you from being you. When you think about it, it's quite an interesting take on the subject.

And on to the subject of the characters. I loved Esk! She's so precocious and the mingling of absentmindedness (well, a sort of distracted focus anyway) was naturally done. I wish I was like her (wait, am I? I can't tell).

On the other hand, Granny didn't seem much like Granny. I'm used to seeing her being very sure of herself, but here she has some doubts. It's not like her getting lost, but something more concrete. I guess it's good that she appears more fallible, but I had more fun reading about her when she knew everything and couldn't be shaken.

Anyway, I just checked and this is apparently the third book in the series. Wow that's early! That explains a lot of things. While I still hold that you can read the books in any order, the characterisation in this case means it makes more sense to read this before you have set expectations about how certain characters behave. And I really still want more books featuring Esk(:

First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile (less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Todd rated it 4 of 5 stars

So far this is the best in the series (I'm reading them in order), this book was much more enjoyable to read than the first two. While I found the first two enjoyable, I felt they stumbled a bit as I read each book in the flow of the writing, especially getting into the first book. What I felt was that the basic ingredients for greatness in a book were there in the first two, so I knew if I kept reading these books they would just keep getting better. So far, at least with this book in the serie...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Ryan Lawler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Terry Pratchett is a man who needs no introduction, he is a brilliant author and a true powerhouse in the fantasy writing community. The thing is you probably wouldn’t have predicted that after reading his first two books (The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic). These two books were just a random collection of jokes with a very loose plot, a parody of many traditional fantasy tropes. They were funny, they had charm, they had their own sense of magic and wonder, but they were also very disj...more Terry Pratchett is a man who needs no introduction, he is a brilliant author and a true powerhouse in the fantasy writing community. The thing is you probably wouldn’t have predicted that after reading his first two books (The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic). These two books were just a random collection of jokes with a very loose plot, a parody of many traditional fantasy tropes. They were funny, they had charm, they had their own sense of magic and wonder, but they were also very disjointed and lacking in direction. His third book, Equal Rites, was a significant departure from the first two as Pratchett moved away from the collection of random parodies and into some actual storytelling. At its heart, Equal Rites is a story about equality and it does a great job at exploring this theme in a way that really resonates with me. This is the book that first showed me the potential of fantasy writing, the book that truly got me hooked on the wondrous land of Discworld.

Equal Rites is a fun, creative, and easy to read story about a young girl named Esk and her adventures growing up in a world of magic. Unlike the first two Discworld novels Equal Rites assumes that the reader has a basic understanding of Discworld fundamentals, allowing the story to progress at a much more even pace but leaving big holes for those who are unfamiliar with the setting. The story is a simple one that has been executed well, it is very good at sucking you right in, and often you will find yourself wondering where those last couple of hours went. My only criticism about the story is with the ending, the whole story was building towards a big showdown between wizards and witches only to have it hijacked by an unseen enemy. The major conflict in the book that I wanted to read was neatly avoided and I think that avoidance is what stops this book from being more than just an entertaining story about wizards and witches. A lost opportunity given all the build-up work that been put into the story.

One element that never wavers in this story is the character development, the big strength of this book. The characters are funny, charming, likeable, inquisitive, and flawed; they are not just fantasy parodies, they are real people. Some of the best moments in this story are when the characters experience the realisation of their flaws for the first time and are forced to deal with them, and they always do, usually in spectacular fashion. Characters interaction is another big strength, the dialogue is sharp and witty, the banter really flows, and you get the sense that you are watching real people having real interactions with one another. Character building is a hallmark of Pratchetts writing, and its great to see just how strong it was so early in his writing career.

Pratchett’s writing is a lot better in this book than the first two, a clear demonstration of how a writers craft matures the more they write. His writing style this early in the series is still very hit and miss with some amazing sections of dialogue offset by some average world building, in particular the scenes where he tries to explain the how magic of Discworld works. Tedious. The pacing in this story is pretty good for the most part, with a smooth start and a fast finish broken up by some slow staccato sections in the middle. These sections seem to correspond with the magic description sections which makes sense to me as these sections are quite confusing and often require a couple of re-reads to understand the point Pratchett is trying to make. On the whole the writing is a vast improvement on the first two books and while there may be a few issues with the writing it us great to have an A to B narrative that had been previously missing.

Equal Rites is a story that I think will resonate with everybody, whether or not you are a fan of Discworld, whether or not you are a fan of the fantasy genre. The story of a young girl asking why women can’t be wizards explores some themes that I think transcend genres, and while Pratchett didn’t take full advantage of this opportunity to create a masterpiece, he did deliver a strong message to the rest of the world that fantasy is a relevant genre that can be used explore topical issues in ways that other genres cannot.(less)

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Mar 27, 2012 Donovan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comedy, fantasy

Terry Pratchett does for fantasy what Douglas Adams did for science fiction...pure comedic genius.
Equal Rites is just one story that features in the Discworld series. If you don't know what the Discworld is, then you must lead a poor shallow inconsolable life and no amount of funny witty puns collected in to an adventure filled story is going to make your day: or will it?
It cemented what I thought was great about Pratchett's writing. Which is to say colourful, flamboyant, easy to read and will l...more Terry Pratchett does for fantasy what Douglas Adams did for science fiction...pure comedic genius.
Equal Rites is just one story that features in the Discworld series. If you don't know what the Discworld is, then you must lead a poor shallow inconsolable life and no amount of funny witty puns collected in to an adventure filled story is going to make your day: or will it?
It cemented what I thought was great about Pratchett's writing. Which is to say colourful, flamboyant, easy to read and will leave you in small fits of belly shacking chuckles (if not all out laughter).
If you want a fun read or a great bed time story for the little ones, then I thoroughly recommend this.

Plot ***Spoilers***
The wizard Drum Billet knows that he will soon die and travels to a place where an eighth son of an eighth son is about to be born. This signifies that the child is destined to become a wizard; on the Discworld, the number eight has many of the magical properties that are sometimes ascribed to seven in other mythologies. Billet wants to pass his wizard's staff on to his successor.

However, the newborn child is actually a girl, Esk (full name Eskarina Smith). Since Billet notices his mistake too late, the staff passes on to her. As Esk grows up, it becomes apparent that she has uncontrollable powers, and the local witch Granny Weatherwax decides to travel with her to the Unseen University in Ankh-Morpork to help her gain the knowledge required to properly manage her powers.

But a female wizard is something completely unheard of on the Discworld. Esk is unsuccessful in her first, direct, attempt to gain entry to the University, but Granny Weatherwax finds another way in; as a servant. While there, Esk witnesses the progress of an apprentice wizard named Simon, whom she had met earlier, on her way to Ankh-Morpork. Simon is a natural talent who invents a whole new way of looking at the universe that reduces it to component numbers. His magic, however, is so powerful that it causes a hole to be opened into the Dungeon Dimensions.

Eskarina and Simon discover the weakness of the creatures from the Dungeon Dimensions - if you can use magic, but don't, they become scared and weakened. They both manage to transport themselves back into the Discworld. Together they develop a new kind of magic, based on the notion that the greatest power is the ability not to use all the others.(less)

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Feb 08, 2012 Christine Blachford rated it 3 of 5 stars

After a fabulous discussion on whether to continue reading the Terry Pratchett books or not, I decided to give the third book in the series a go, and then see how I felt after that. I still wasn't completely sold on the concept but I must admit I enjoyed it a lot more than the previous one. The characters seemed a lot better explained and it was easy to understand their actions - although I did think some of it was hard to believe of a child under ten years old.

As the title indicates, the story...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Roberta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

Desidererete studiare la "menteologia"

dopo aver letto questo bellissimo libro. Primo della "sottoserie" delle streghe del Mondo Disco (e terzo all'interno della serie, ma autoconclusivo), L'arte della magia racconta la storia di Eskarina Smith, ottava figlia di un ottavo figlio a cui un mago morente affida la propria magia (e la propria verga) prima di rendersi conto che si tratta di una femminuccia.
Crescendo la presenza inquietante della verga e del potere magico di Esk cresce al punto da conv...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Ron Arden rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whenever things get you down, just read a Discworld book by Terry Pratchett. This is one of his first and takes me way back to the beginnings of Granny Weatherwax.

The main story is about the 8th son of an 8th son, except the son turns out to be a daughter. An old wizard comes by and give the daughter his wizarding staff, because he assumes she's a he (it was dark and the wizard's eyes were failing a bit). But, girls aren't supposed to be wizards. They can be witches, but wizards are supposed to...more

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Aug 22, 2011 cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dragfrs-gaiman-pratchett

Sulitkan membayangkan seorang Terry Pratchett sebagai feminist? Setelah dua kisah seri Tiffany Aching: Pria Cilik Merdeka dan Topi Selebar Langit seharusnya hal ini sudah tidak mengejutkan lagi. Equal Rites lebih menonjolkan pendapat ini kembali. Setelah kedua seri awal discworld yang menceritakan wizard setengah jadi yang superkocak, seri discworld ketiga ini menceritakan (dengan sama kocaknya) tentang Nenek Wetherwax (Witch, kemungkinan besar leluhur dari Nenek Wetherwax-nya Tiffany Aching) ya...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Manrix rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pratchett loves language, that much is clear from the book, and I must say, storywise, this is an improvement from the first Discworld, which I though was rather a jumble of cool ideas that were only very loosely connected. This, however, read as a single story, though the ending left something to desire. Then again, Esk, the main characters, is slightly underwhelmed herself, so I guess that must be the point.

The story was, however, very imaginative, with building having personalities and such,...more

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Jul 15, 2011 srevans added it · review of another edition

"It's a witch's hat because you wear it. But you're a witch because you wear the hat. Um."

"So -" prompted Granny.

"So people see you coming in the hat and the cloak and they know you're a witch and that's why your magic works?" said Esk.

"That's right," said Granny. "It's called headology." She tapped her silver hair, which was drawn into a tight bun that could crack rocks.

"But it's not real!" Esk protested. "That's not magic, it's it's -"

"Listen," said Granny, "If you give someone a bottle...more "It's a witch's hat because you wear it. But you're a witch because you wear the hat. Um."

"So -" prompted Granny.

"So people see you coming in the hat and the cloak and they know you're a witch and that's why your magic works?" said Esk.

"That's right," said Granny. "It's called headology." She tapped her silver hair, which was drawn into a tight bun that could crack rocks.

"But it's not real!" Esk protested. "That's not magic, it's it's -"

"Listen," said Granny, "If you give someone a bottle of red jollop for their wind it may work, right, but if you want it to work for sure then you let their mind make it work for them. Tell 'em it's moonbeams bottled in fairy wine or something. Mumble over it a bit."

*

She bought a spice pasty to eat while exploring (the stallholder carelessly shortchanged her, and only realised later that he had inexplicably handed over two silver pieces; also, rats mysteriously got in and ate all his stock during the night, and his grandmother was struck by lightning).

*

Why was it that, when she heard Granny ramble on about witchcraft she longed for the cutting magic of wizardry, but whenever she heard Treatle speak in his high-pitched voice she would fight to the death for witchcraft? She'd be both, or none at all. And the more they intended to stop her, the more she wanted it.

She'd be a witch and a wizard too. And she would show them.

*

One side-effect of using magic is that one tends to have realistic and disturbing dreams. There is a reason for this, but even thinking about it is enough to give a wizard nightmares.

The fact is that the minds of wizards can give thoughts a shape. Witches normally work with what actually exists in the world, but a wizard can, if he's good enough, put flesh on his imagination. This wouldn't cause any trouble if it wasn't for the fact that the little circle of candlelight loosely called "the universe of time and space" is adrift in something much more unpleasant and unpredictable. Strange Things circle and grunt outside the flimsy stockades of normality; there are weird hootings and howlings in the deep crevices at the edge of Time. There are things so horrible that even the dark is afraid of them.

Most people don't know this and this is just as well because the world could not really operate if everyone stayed in bed with the blankets over their head, which is what would happen if people knew what horrors lay a shadow's width away.(less)

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Jun 01, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before you think all I read is Terry Pratchett books, ask yourself if you’ve ever read a Terry Pratchett book. If you have, you’ll know why I’ve gone through this little flurry of Discworld books. If you haven’t, please remove yourself to your local library and check one out. Then, you’ll understand.

This book represents the introduction of Granny Weatherwax. Although most Discworld books can be read in whatever order you choose, I was instructed by the author that before reading “Lords and Ladie...more Before you think all I read is Terry Pratchett books, ask yourself if you’ve ever read a Terry Pratchett book. If you have, you’ll know why I’ve gone through this little flurry of Discworld books. If you haven’t, please remove yourself to your local library and check one out. Then, you’ll understand.

This book represents the introduction of Granny Weatherwax. Although most Discworld books can be read in whatever order you choose, I was instructed by the author that before reading “Lords and Ladies,” I needed to read this book and one other before I could fully grasp the characters within L&L. As everyone in the Discworld knows, only men are allowed to be wizards. If you are magically inclined and you happen to be female, you are destined to become a witch. But down in the small town of Bad Ass, a dying wizard blesses the seventh child of a seventh son with his powers. And only after it’s too late does he realize this seventh child is a girl. A girl who now has some of the most powerful powers known to wizard-dom.

Eskarina Smith is a precocious child who, now that she has powers, is in training by Granny Weatherwax to be a witch. Granny also hopes to train that wizard nonsense right out of Esk, and tries to ignore the fact that the girl has disturbing habits with magic and a wizards staff that follows her around furtively for protection. As usual, destiny sticks its unwanted nose in everyone’s business and sets both Granny and Esk on a path that will forever change the face of wizardry, the Unseen University, and magic itself.

I can’t spout out much more praise for this series. In fact, I’m going to leave the Disc for a while in order to draw out the pleasure of reading these books over a longer period of time. I don’t want to run out of them too quickly. The universe of Discworld is fully realized, with enough quirks and eccentricities to be inexhaustable entertainment wise. While I didn’t particularly care for Eskarina, I did rather enjoy being introduced to Granny Weatherwax, and I’m pleased she’s in several other Discworld books. Granny reminds me somewhat of my grandmother – although my grandmother has no inclination towards magic (I don’t think) – tough and determined to do things her own way.(less)

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Mar 31, 2011 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wyrd Sisters was my first Pratchett, and such a bliss-out that I am forever partial to any Discworld narrative that involves witches. Especially if the witch in question is Esmerelda "Granny" Weatherwax. And Granny is front and center in Equal Rites.

I won't go into details of the plot except to say that the punny title alludes to the (in this case) magical battle between the sexes which provides much of the story's conflict. See, women can be witches and men can be wizards, but you absolutely ca...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Janeen-san rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett is the third book in his Discworld series, and I loved the first two, they were great, but I didn't like this one as much, partly because the hilarious Twoflower and Rincewind were gone from the story! I really missed them. The story and the world of the Disc didn't seem the same without them!
Equal Rites is a story about a dying wizard who tries to pass his powers onto the eighth son of an eighth son, but the 'son' is actually a girl! She is called Eskarina, or Esk...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Karly Abreu rated it 4 of 5 stars

While this book was written in the time when Terry Pratchett still wasn't entirely sure where Discworld was going, it has brilliant moments in it that hint of the greatness to come in the series and the good natured, real world cultural commentary that later becomes a staple of his work. This book, as the title suggests deals with gender roles in the context of fantasy, but also touch on the real implications of such views. Following Granny Weatherwax, a powerful witch skilled in "headology" as...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, humor

Ok, this was the first of Pratchett's Discworld series that I actually enjoyed. After reading the first two books which were less than stellar, it was with trepidation that I moved on to Equal Rites. But this one was good, not excellent, but still enjoyable. Although it is part of a series, this book could be read as a standalone, and as such I'm not going to recap the other books except to say that Discworld is in fact a magical world on a disc, held up by four elephants which in turn are held...more Ok, this was the first of Pratchett's Discworld series that I actually enjoyed. After reading the first two books which were less than stellar, it was with trepidation that I moved on to Equal Rites. But this one was good, not excellent, but still enjoyable. Although it is part of a series, this book could be read as a standalone, and as such I'm not going to recap the other books except to say that Discworld is in fact a magical world on a disc, held up by four elephants which in turn are held up by a giant turtle. That is all you really need to know.

A wizard knows when death is looming. And because of this they like to pass on their powers, most specifically to the eighth son of an eighth son. And so this is what Drum Billet set out to do. But he made a small mistake, see that eight son was actually a daughter. And everyone knows girls can't be wizards. Or can they? Eskarina is the little girl's name and she grows somewhat normally. That is, until one day she turns her brother into a pig. Seeing as how her magical powers could get out of control, local witch Granny Weatherwax, takes her under her wing and attempts to teach her witchcraft. Eskarina's magic is just too powerful though and Granny resigns herself to the fact that she'll have to escort her to wizard's school at the Unseen University.

Nothing is ever easy though and its quite the eventful journey to get to the entrance. Eskarina disappears at times and makes trouble and mayhem wherever she and her wizard staff goes. And even when she arrives at the Unseen University, who is to say that they'll let her in since she's a girl. She and Granny have to come up with a good plan or she could be forever plagued by troublesome magic.

I have to say I love Granny Weatherwax. She's a good mix of practicalitly and no nonsense and just her expressions are hilarious. In addition to that, she's a witch, and a reputable one at that despite the fact that she can't get a decent wart to grow on her nose. Eskarina was ok. For her being the main character I expected a bit more detail and this book just didn't have it. The rest of the characters played minor roles but were all interesting with unique attributes.

Pratchett aims to be funny when he writes and he does an above average job at it. I tend to read at face value though and largely ignore some of his more subtle jokes in the book. I know they are there, I just don't really care about them. He tends to jump around in ideas as well and this can make for hard reading at times. This was noticeable in the end of the book where he went on a complete leap of storyline from the rest of the book and it didn't seem to fit. I found myself skipping through this section of the book as I didn't find it particularly interesting.

Since I enjoyed this book I'll probably keep reading the series. With each additional book the writing seems to get better and better and the plotline more interesting.

Equal Rites
Copyright 1988
254 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2011 (less)

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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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“She was already learning that if you ignore the rules people will, half the time, quietly rewrite them so that they don't apply to you.” — 632 people liked it

“She was also, by the standards of other people, lost. She would not see it like that. She knew where she was, it was just that everywhere else didn't.” — 150 people liked it

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Equal Rites (Discworld #3)

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