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The Wee Free Men (Discworld #30)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 32,728 ratings · 1,513 reviews

EVERY LAND NEEDS ITS OWN WITCH . . .

Up on the Wold, there's a monster in the river and a headless horseman in the drive. And now Granny Aching has gone, there's only young Tiffany Aching left to guard the boundaries. To stop . . . things getting through.

It's her land. Her duty.

But it's amazing how useful a horde of unruly pictsies can be - as long as they are pointed in th...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published July 1st 2010 by Corgi Childrens (first published 2003)

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Sep 16, 2008 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 fun a...more 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 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 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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. Funny is so inc...more 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. 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 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, humor

Other Discworld books grabbed my attention a little sooner, but I still enjoyed this one. The parts on life and philosophy are always thought-provoking.

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Dec 23, 2008 Siria rated it 4 of 5 stars · 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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Apr 02, 2013 MrsJoseph rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-read, 2012-reviewed, comedy, discworld, fa-top-100-challenge, fantasy, fa-top-100-fantasy-books, fantasy-comedy, format-paperback, series, series-to-build, split-bundles

I really enjoyed this!

My friends have raved about Discworld for years...but every time I tried to read The Color of Magic I found myself dying of boredom.

One of my friends recommended that I start with The Wee Free Men...thank you! This was quite cute and I really enjoyed it. That's 1 Discworld down, only 5,895,986,856 to go.

http://bookslifewine.wordpress.com/20...

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Nov 28, 2009 Steven Harbin rated it 5 of 5 stars · 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 retrosp...more 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 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 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, ya-mg, 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!

What I really li...more 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!

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 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, satire

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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Mar 22, 2008 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 witch someday, but r...more

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Mar 02, 2008 Beverly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 down to his reader;...more

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Feb 10, 2009 Devon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: childrensbooks, 999, fantasy-children

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 this is one...more

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Jan 13, 2009 Dee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 an...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished rereading The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett today and it was wonderful to realise it lost nothing on a second (possibly third) reading. In fact, since I’ve had a daughter of my own, I think the book has changed and grown in significance. It’s up there in the books I’d like my daughter to read as she comes into an awareness of herself.

If you don’t know Terry Pratchatt’s Discworld novels, they are based in a world that’s like a warped mirror of our own, with magic in place of science...more I finished rereading The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett today and it was wonderful to realise it lost nothing on a second (possibly third) reading. In fact, since I’ve had a daughter of my own, I think the book has changed and grown in significance. It’s up there in the books I’d like my daughter to read as she comes into an awareness of herself.

If you don’t know Terry Pratchatt’s Discworld novels, they are based in a world that’s like a warped mirror of our own, with magic in place of science and technology. Witches hold a special place in the world: they are both central and outside life, revered and feared in equal measure. As their greatest witch – Granny Weatherwax – puts it, they guard the Edges between Dark and Light, Good and Evil, Life and Death. They have First Sight and Second Thoughts. They see what’s really there. Above all, they’re cool. I love them.

Granny Weatherwax is possibly one of the greatest characters ever invented. She gets inside your head and makes you question everything. (If you want to see Granny at her finest, read Carpe Jugulum.)

The Wee Free Men isn’t about Granny, it’s about Tiffany: a nine-year-old girl who lives on a farm on the Chalk, makes cheese and minds are younger brother. She also has First Sight and Second – even Third – Thoughts. And she has to rescue her brother from the Fairy Queen, even though she doesn’t like him very much.

I think this book is a must-read for any little girl (or boy) coming to a sense of herself: It explores the voices that exist inside a person’s head, and the difficulty of understanding which of the many voices is Me.

Tiffany is the kind of girl who sits just outside life, watching and thinking about everything she sees. The Discworld Witches always are. And Terry Pratchett says That’s okay. The Wee Free Men explores the notion that it’s okay to be different. That people who sit outside the group and watch – who listen to the voices in their heads – are the kind of people who speak up for things without a voice, who save the day, even if no one acknowledges it. They are strong people who won’t be beaten.

I suspect my daughter may grow up to be a girl who watches, one who doesn’t follow the pack. I want her to know that’s okay. I think she’ll learn that from this book.(less)

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Apr 12, 2013 Allan Krummenacker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

CRIVENS! What's not to like about Terry Pratchett or young girl discovering her witch powers? Nothing. But throw in a bunch of hyperactive, Pictsies(who are six inch tall, blue-skinned, caricatures of Scotsmen) and you've got a priceless piece of fun and excitement.

Mr. Pratchett's efforts to branch out his popular Discworld series into the arena of children and young adults really pay off in this first installment. We meet young Tiffany Aching young farm girl who makes great cheese, who is tryin...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Azure rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-13-25

Synopsis: Nine-year-old Tiffany Aching has First Sight and Second Thought- good indications of her being a witch, in an land that didn't typically have witches. What's even more remarkable is that she's been communicating with the Nac Mac Feegle, or Wee Free Men, or Pictsies or whatever you want to call them. They've even been helping her out, apparently awed at her abilities. A good thing too, because Tiffany's baby brother gets kidnapped by the 'Queen.' Now Tiffany has to go to fairy land, whe...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, fantasy

Thirtieth in the Discworld fantasy series for kids. Adults will get a kick out of this too!

My Take
Oh. My. God. This is too much of a treat! I am so glad Mindi pushed me into reading this! Pratchett has too much fun, poking fun at everything and everyone, and I can't wait to go back and start with the first in the series, The Color of Magic . It will be an amusing adventure!

He certainly has fun with a number of stereotypes: the big-sister/pain-in-the-butt little brother who always has to be watch...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A nightmarish danger threatens from the other side of reality . . .

Armed with only a frying pan and her common sense, young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching must defend her home against the monsters of Fairyland. Luckily she has some very unusual help: the local Nac Mac Feegle—aka the Wee Free Men—a clan of fierce, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men.

Together they must face headless horsemen, ferocious grimhounds, terrifying dreams come true, and ultimately the sinister Queen o

...more

A nightmarish danger threatens from the other side of reality . . .

Together they must face headless horsemen, ferocious grimhounds, terrifying dreams come true, and ultimately the sinister Queen of the Elves herself. . . .

A Story of Discworld

Amazon.com Review

Nine-year-old Tiffany Aching needs magic--fast! Her sticky little brother Wentworth has been spirited away by the evil Queen of faerie, and it’s up to her to get him back safely. Having already decided to grow up to be a witch, now all Tiffany has to do is find her power. But she quickly learns that it’s not all black cats and broomsticks. According to her witchy mentor Miss Tick, "Witches don’t use magic unless they really have to...We do other things. A witch pays attention to everything that’s going on...A witch uses her head...A witch always has a piece of string!" Luckily, besides her trusty string, Tiffany’s also got the Nac Mac Feegles, or the Wee Free Men on her side. Small, blue, and heavily tattooed, the Feegles love nothing more than a good fight except maybe a drop of strong drink! Tiffany, heavily armed with an iron skillet, the feisty Feegles, and a talking toad on loan from Miss Tick, is a formidable adversary. But the Queen has a few tricks of her own, most of them deadly. Tiffany and the Feegles might get more than they bargained for on the flip side of Faerie! Prolific fantasy author Terry Pratchett has served up another delicious helping of his famed Discworld fare. The not-quite-teen set will delight in the Feegles’ spicy, irreverent dialogue and Tiffany’s salty determination. Novices to Pratchett’s prose will find much to like here, and quickly go back to devour the rest of his Discworld offerings. Scrumptiously recommended. (Ages 10 to 14) --Jennifer Hubert

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-Tiffany, an extremely competent nine-year-old, takes care of her irritating brother, makes good cheese on her father's farm, and knows how to keep secrets. When monsters from Fairyland invade her world and her brother disappears, Tiffany, armed only with her courage, clear-sightedness, a manual of sheep diseases, and an iron frying pan, goes off to find him. Her search leads her to a showdown with the Fairy Queen. It is clear from the beginning that Tiffany is a witch, and a mighty powerful one. The book is full of witty dialogue and a wacky cast of characters, including a toad (formerly a lawyer). Much of the humor is supplied by the alcohol-swilling, sheep-stealing pictsies, the Wee Free Men of the title, who are six-inches high and speak in a broad Scottish brogue. (The fact that readers will not understand some of the dialect won't matter, as Tiffany doesn't understand either, and it is all part of the joke.) These terrors of the fairy world are Tiffany's allies, and she becomes their temporary leader as they help her search for the Fairy Queen. Once the story moves into Fairyland it becomes more complex, with different levels of dream states (or, rather, nightmares) and reality interweaving. Tiffany's witchcraft eschews the flamboyant tricks of wizards; it is quiet, inconspicuous magic, grounded in the earth and tempered with compassion, wisdom, and justice for common folk. Not as outrageous and perhaps not as inventive as The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (HarperCollins, 2001), The Wee Free Men has a deeper, more human interest and is likely to have wider appeal. All in all, this is a funny and thought-provoking fantasy, with powerfully visual scenes and characters that remain with readers. A glorious read.
Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Feb 02, 2013 Marcia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pratchett-terry

Where have you been all my life, Terry Pratchett? How could you have written so many books, and I am just now discovering you? The bad news is, I have missed out on so much good reading, here. The good news is, I still have it all ahead of me, and I’m excited to have all these stories waiting for my reading pleasure! I can’t wait to delve into each and every one of the 39 books (so far) in this series!

The Wee Free Men is actually the 30th book in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. It had the fe...more Where have you been all my life, Terry Pratchett? How could you have written so many books, and I am just now discovering you? The bad news is, I have missed out on so much good reading, here. The good news is, I still have it all ahead of me, and I’m excited to have all these stories waiting for my reading pleasure! I can’t wait to delve into each and every one of the 39 books (so far) in this series!

The Wee Free Men is actually the 30th book in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. It had the feel of a stand alone novel, and I suspect it might be the first of the Tiffany Aching books, so perhaps the entire series has various books about individual characters who live in, or on, the Discworld. I’ll have to get back to you on that one. But this introduction to the ten-year old Tiffany was priceless.

Tiffany has begun to realize that her beloved Granny Aching, who has gone on to the next world, was in fact, a witch. A witch whose job was to take care of those with “no voices o’ their own,” like the sheep and lambs she so tenderly administered to. But also, to keep an eye on the “edges,” or borders, between our world and the many, many others that exist. Tiffany’s journey of discovery about her own abilities and her place in her world is magical, touching, and so much fun.

The Wee Free Men of the title refers to a clan of kilt-wearing pictsies (NOT pixies, as they are quick to inform you), the Nac Mac Feegles, who are only six inches high, with so many tattoos they appear to have blue skin. These guys are hilarious, with wonderfully colorful Scottish accents and faces that look “like a hatful of knuckles.” With names like Rob Anybody, and No’-as-big-as-Medium-Sized-Jock-but-bigger-than-Wee-Jock-Jock, you are laughing even before they open their mouths. I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a group of characters as much.

Plus, with bad folk ranging from Jenny Green-Teeth to Dromes to an evil Fairy Queen, there are plenty of battles for the Wee Free Men to engage in, all the while shouting things like “They can tak’ our lives but they canna tak’ oour troousers!” Or “Ye’ll tak’ the high road, an’ I’ll tak’ yer wallet!”

All I can say is, you have to read the book to understand just how truly funny and heartwarming it is. In the BEST sense, and not the sappy, mushy, cutesie sense that would make any self-respecting Nac Mac Feegle sick to his little blue tummy. I highly recommend this one. If you want a real lift in your spirits, get it. Fast.

Bookin' It
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Dec 03, 2012 Matt Moran rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. I'd kind of given up on Pratchett for a while. I'd collected all of his first 15 or so books, but I'd got kind of blah about them - they were starting to feel a bit samey & I wasn't reading them properly, not giving them my full attention. Recently there was an interview where PTerry was interviewed by Laurie Penny for the New Statesman, which makes mention of a particularly horrific bit in "I Shall Wear Midnight", so I became intrigued by Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Meghan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ugh. I really wanted to like this book--Terry Pratchett is (allegedly) hilarious, Tiffany was a charmingly progressive heroine--but it just never quite worked for me. I'd go to read, and then think, 'Oh, I'm reading...that. Right.'

The plot felt tired--sending the heroine into the [Other]world to rescue her brother is hardly new, and there's nothing that makes this stand apart from, say, Labyrinth. Actually, there's this line from TV Tropes: Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) in Labyrinth won't give up he...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Sammyd rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terrific book. I read this a while back, but it is amazing, just like everything else Terry Pratchett wrote. It is about a race of very fast small blue men whose hobbies include drinkin', fightin', stealin', drinkin' an' fightin', drinkin' an' stealin', fightin' and stealin', and drinkin', fightin' an' stealin'. They are terrified of lawyers (their swords turn blue in their presence). On the other hand, "Some of the upland clans have mastered the concept of law as a weapon however, and note that...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Bayla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Terry Pratchett fans, people who love words, intellectuals with a streak of humor...

Shelves: favorites, quasi-historical-with-magic, discworld

Four reasons this book is awesome:

1. It's by Terry Pratchett, people. He's a genius, and hilarious.

2. It has Tiffany Aching, one of my new all time favorite people. Yes, I know she's not real, but I'm not happy about it. Don't remind me. Here's some selections from the book so you can have a hint of her awesomeness:
-- "'I would like a question answered today,' said Tiffany.
'Provided it's not the one about how you get baby hedgehogs,' said the man.
'No,' said Tiffany patiently, 'It's about zoolog...more Four reasons this book is awesome:

1. It's by Terry Pratchett, people. He's a genius, and hilarious.

2. It has Tiffany Aching, one of my new all time favorite people. Yes, I know she's not real, but I'm not happy about it. Don't remind me. Here's some selections from the book so you can have a hint of her awesomeness:
-- "'I would like a question answered today,' said Tiffany.
'Provided it's not the one about how you get baby hedgehogs,' said the man.
'No,' said Tiffany patiently, 'It's about zoology.'
'Zoology, eh? That's a big word, isn't it."
'No, actually it isn't," Tiffany said. 'Patronizing is a big word. Zoology is really quite short.'"(p3)
-- "There was a lot of mist around, but a few stars were visible overhead and there was a gibbous moon in the sky. Tiffany knew it was gibbous because she'd read in the Almanack that gibbous meant what the moon looked like when it was just a bit fatter than half full, and so she made a point of paying attention to it around those times so that she could say to herself:'Ah, I see the moon's very gibbous tonight...." (p45)
-- "'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!'"
She also DOES things -- she protects people, saves the day despite fear and innumerable obstacles, wants to be a witch to make sure witches are no longer persecuted, and buried the cat of an unfortunate old woman accused of witchcraft. She is a wonderful and powerful girl and a great role model.

3. It has great messages about things like working and learning and doing and not just wishing; the importance of growing up; First sight and Second thoughts; thinking and not just believing what's easy. You can learn a lot from this book, as from most of the Pratchett I've read.

4. It's in part almost a eulogy to Granny Aching, filled with memories that make you know her even though she's gone before Tiffany's story begins. It's sweet and funny and real.

I could quote more for you, but I don't want to deprive you of the great opportunity to read it all yourself in context. So what are you waiting for? Read it now!(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Jennifer Petro rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Miyazaki films

Shelves: ye-olde-fantasy, ya

Wow! Why isn't Tiffany Aching being picked up by Studio Ghibli THIS VERY SECOND? When Pratchett described the rolling hills of Chalk country, I could practically see the Miyazaki film in my head.

Tiffany is the perfect Miyazaki heroine, too: tough, quick-witted, hard-working and at home with the land. She's also a bit superior, nosy, and has a hard time loving her bratty baby brother, Wentworth. This becomes the evil fairy Queen's incentive to kidnap the boy to her nightmare realm, and it's up t...more Wow! Why isn't Tiffany Aching being picked up by Studio Ghibli THIS VERY SECOND? When Pratchett described the rolling hills of Chalk country, I could practically see the Miyazaki film in my head.

Tiffany is the perfect Miyazaki heroine, too: tough, quick-witted, hard-working and at home with the land. She's also a bit superior, nosy, and has a hard time loving her bratty baby brother, Wentworth. This becomes the evil fairy Queen's incentive to kidnap the boy to her nightmare realm, and it's up to Tiffany to confront her feelings about her brother and her fears and rescue him.

Indeed, her flaws only serve to strengthen her character.

The hilarious and kind of adorable Wee Free Men join her in her quest. At first, they are terrified of her, but then come to love and respect her as their "kelda". I thought the Wee Free Men's schtick would get tired after a while, but not so! Late in the story, they go missing, and I missed them as much as Tiffany did.

What bumped this up from your standard, but good, YA fantasy was Tiffany's relationship with her powerful, intimidating Granny Aching. The two barely talked, yet were kindred spirits. Granny Aching was the Chalk's previous witch; some very big boots for Tiffany to fill! She is dead at the start of the story, and we get to know Granny through Tiffany's memories, which become increasing heartbreaking as Tiffany must face the grief she buried when Granny died. But in turn, she also gains Granny's strength.

The climax and showdown with the evil Queen is one of the better ones I've read. There's a sort of "faux climax" that's pretty standard, and it reminded me of Labrynth's showdown: "You have no power over me." If it had ended here, it would have been cliche, but Pratchett takes it to whole new levels! (Suffice it to say, that doesn't really work on the Queen!) I admit it, I misted up a bit and was pumping my mental fist when (view spoiler) Dreamworlds and mindscapes have the potential to be muddled or turn into giant deus ex machinas, but Pratchett handled it masterfully and always kept it grounded to reality. Tiffany would have it no other way!

This book was really a treat and I can't wait to read Tiffany's further adventures.(less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Chris Murray rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, lis722, sci-fi, ya

Summary: (Amazon.com)
Nine-year-old Tiffany Aching needs magic--fast! Her sticky little brother Wentworth has been spirited away by the evil Queen of faerie, and it’s up to her to get him back safely. Having already decided to grow up to be a witch, now all Tiffany has to do is find her power. But she quickly learns that it’s not all black cats and broomsticks. According to her witchy mentor Miss Tick, "Witches don’t use magic unless they really have to...We do other things. A witch pays attentio...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Rebecca J. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nine-year-old Tiffany isn't afraid of anything. When she notices a strange creature lurking in the stream near her home, she doesn't run and hide. She lures the creature out and gives it a good whack with a frying pan.

Tiffany's bravado impresses a band of small, blue-skinned rouges that go by the name of Nac Mac Feegles, otherwise known as the Wee Free Men. When Tiffany's baby brother goes missing a few days later, they tip her off that he's been stolen by the queen of a nightmare fairyland that...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Dawn (Flit Lit) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book, while YA, has some fantastic adult puns included. The book jacket featured a review from the Oakland Press (Pontiac, MI) which described it as “Monty Python crossed with J.R.R. Tolkien with a dash of Charles Dickens and a pinch of Stephen Spielberg thrown in.” I think this description is fairly accurate.

The word play is amazing, the descriptions are vivid and the storyline flows well. Tiffany is a compelling character even at the age of nine. In search of her baby brother (whom she ad...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Josie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Several people have now recommended the Tiffany Aching series to me, so I thought it was about time I got around to reading the first book. I was underwhelmed, though? I mean, some of it was great -- I loved the image of Tiffany in her too-big boots, armed with a frying pan. And I also liked the message that magic doesn't stop being magic just because you know how it's done.

But the plot felt a bit thin, and it dragged in places, especially in the dream world. I also thought the Nac Mac Feegles s...more

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Jan 17, 2012 kamelin rated it 5 of 5 stars · 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 einer Königin i...more 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 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.

(less)

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Sep 24, 2011 Margarita rated it 5 of 5 stars · 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...more 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 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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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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Trivia About The Wee Free Men

26 trivia questions

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Quotes from The Wee Free Men

“If you trust in yourself. . .and believe in your dreams. . .and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.” — 276 people liked it

“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.” — 267 people liked it

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The Wee Free Men (Discworld #30)

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