Witches Abroad Discussion Group

[Tonyblack]

One of the best parts in the book was trying to understand Nanny speaking "foreign" loved it!!!! "mine hare" god I broke down laughing... silver plate...hilarious!!
There's some I didn't understand though...I'll have to go and check.
Did all of you understand everything Nanny said??

I loved that part as well. I suspect that some of them might be a bit difficult though. Let us know which ones you have a problem with.

I think my favourite was the Hotel Nova Cancies.

[deldaisy]

Tony... no I don't get the hotel one you just quoted. (?)

[Tonyblack]

Tony... no I don't get the hotel one you just quoted. (?)

Hotel No Vacancies.

[deldaisy]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! DUH!

Thanks Tony.

[Beautiful Dirt]

This was my first truly laugh out loud witch book, I felt like I had to drag myself through Equal Rites and Wyrd Sisters took a few sittings. Witches Abroad I read overnight one Christmas whilst off work.

This book is funny from start to finish, my personal favourite part being the bull-chasing event when they all decide to have a tipple.

I think around this time in the DW series Terry was starting to master weaving comedy with deeper meaning. The entire book slams home Granny's forceful lesson to Magrat of what magic is, how little it resolves and how much to use it i.e. as little as possible.

My favourite quote from Granny is actually from this book.

"Haven't you got any romance in your soul?" said Magrat plaintively.
"No," said Granny. "I ain't. And stars don't care what you wish, and magic don't make things better, and no one doesn't get burned who sticks their hand in a fire. If you want to amount to anything as a witch, Magrat Garlick, you got to learn three things. What's real, what's not real, and what's the difference."

[hattie]

I loved that part as well. I suspect that some of them might be a bit difficult though. Let us know which ones you have a problem with. Very Happy

Well I'm never sure if everything she says actually means something
There's one sentence though:
"Garkon? Mucho vino aveck zei, grassy ass."
Garkon = Garcon (can't find the cedille on my computer)
Mucho vino= a lot of wine
grassy ass = gracias

but what is the aveck zei supposed to be?!?

[Tonyblack]

Aveck = avec (French for 'with')

Not sure about 'zei' though.

You've got the rest right.

I also liked her saying 'chateau' meant 'cat's water' chat-eau.

[Prolekult]

This was my first truly laugh out loud witch book, I felt like I had to drag myself through Equal Rites and Wyrd Sisters took a few sittings.

Totally agree with this, I'm rereading the series and enjoyed Wyrd Sisters a lot more this time round (I love Macbeth) but Equal Rites was a drag.

I do like Mort and Guards Guards, but the first one in the series I really love is Reaper Man, and WA is pretty good too, but does anyone else find that the action scenes can sometimes be a bit confusingly written, especially in the earlier books?

[Pearwood]

but does anyone else find that the action scenes can sometimes be a bit confusingly written, especially in the earlier books?

Yes, I've often felt this way (and I wouldn't say its something peculiar to the earlier ones). I remember not having a clue what was going on in the climax to The Fifth Elephant. I think Terry doesn't like spelling things out to his readers, which is fine most of the time, but I think action scenes really require step-by-step description.

[Tonyblack]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Terry's books need to be read at least twice. You'll miss things the first time you read them for sure.

[DaveC]

I do have to say that action scenes may be Mr P's only week spot, I have had to do a couple of rereads of certain scenes to get my bearings.

[meerkat]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Terry's books need to be read at least twice. You'll miss things the first time you read them for sure.

I agree with Tony. UA I find better after reading three times!

[Beautiful Dirt]

I really should re-read some of the earlier books. I've done COM & TLF etc a few times. But I've only read books like Small Gods & Pyramids once, partly because I didn't enjoy them immensely the first time around but mostly because they're all packed away in boxes in my spare room from when we moved in nearly three years ago

Did anyone else find books like these hard work the first time around?

[Pearwood]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Terry's books need to be read at least twice. You'll miss things the first time you read them for sure.

Re-reading a book to pick up a few references or implicit stuff that you missed first time around is fine. Having to re-read an action scene because you can't work out what the heck is happening is less fine.

I think I've read most of the books at least twice, and the ones which I haven't I probably will at some stage. bar UA which I'll most likely never read again.

[Tonyblack]

I didn't like Small Gods at all on the first read. It's one of my favourites now.