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The Wee Free Men (Discworld) |
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| Author: Terry Pratchett Published: 2004-06-01 |
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List price: $6.99 Our price: $6.99 |
Usually ships in 24 hours As of: November 19th, 2008 06:31:20 PM |
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Customer comments on this selection. The Wee Free MenAnother delightful adventure in the discworld of Terry Pratchett. I absolutely love the Nac Mac Feegles. There are times that I start laughing so hard that I can't continue reading. Wacky and DelightfulFinally a book with just the right mix of heart, action, fantasy, humanity and wacky unpredictability! This was my first voyage into Pratchett land and what a journey. I'd heard about his Discworld books but never got round to actually cracking the spine of one. Honestly, I have no idea if Wee Free takes place on Discworld or not. But no matter where the story takes place, Tiffany is a great, active heroine and the Wee Free Men are an absolute riot! That said, for our own wee ones, some of the under 10 or 11 set may have trouble figuring out just what the Nac Mac Feegle are saying as Pratchett has them chatting with their Scottish brogues fully intact. Things like, "...Crivens, we dinna want tae answer..." and "The Quin'll get tired o' the wee lad after a coupla months, mebbe." After a few pages of the Free Men's dialogue, though, it does get easier to understand and by your third page of it, those crazy little blue guys in kilts will have you rolling of the floor. Keep 'em coming Terry, you crazy old coot. Crivens! This little bigjob's a witch!Pratchett really shines in his young readers stories of Tiffany Aching. Tiffany is a 9 year old girl born and raised on the chalk, where her family tends sheep. While she tries to cope with her sorrow over the death of her grandmother (a witch who never said as much), it becomes clear that she has inherited her granny's talent for witching. This is the first book in the Tiffany Aching series, which delves into the world of the tiny Mac Nac Feegle, tattooed blue sprites with flaming red hair and tempers to match. Here the MNFeegles help Tiffany with the general business of witching, and the specific business of rescuing her sticky little brother Wentworth from the Queen of Faerie. Like all of Pratchett's books, The Wee Free Men is laugh-out-loud funny (almost too clever for young readers), and a joyous romp through the crazy Discworld that Pratchett has created. - C.A.Wulff author of Born Without a Tail Witches, in Inimitable Pratchett-StyleOf all Terry Pratchett's wonderful, whimsical books, his witch books (Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, Weird Sisters) are my favorites, and of all his witch books, this is absolutely the best. Nine-year-old Tiffany's introduction to witchhood - as I said, Pratchett-style witchhood - is just one amazement followed by another. Pratchett's witches are wonderfully practical creatures, with First Sight and Second Thoughts (never mind that "second sight" silliness). Under the impetus of her own sense of rightness, and the knowledge that she is the only one who can do it, Tiffany sets out to save not only her sticky and annoying little brother, but her entire world, from an invasion of the Fairy. Along the way, she has several revelations about the nature of a true witch, the lack of glamour associated with this most responsible position (a witch takes care of her people), and the satisfaction of making things right. Tiffany also has several revelations about the nature of the Nac Mac Feegle, a small bright blue barbarian-like gang of anarchists ("No King, no Quin, we shall never be fooled again!") that just love stealing, fighting, and drinking, but mostly fighting. But somehow, the little terrors have managed to learn respect for witches - and lawyers - and supply this nine-year-old with bright blue nearly invisible muscle. Additionally, the story of Tiffany is tied into the story of her Granny, who, despite her humble life as a rough-n-tough shepherdess, clearly was the witch who cared for Tiffany's people before her. So, along with its madcap air of adventure, and the gales of laughter, the book has a gentle whiff of nostalgia, and an undercurrent of deep respect for the past. The blend comes out just right, producing a balanced book that manages to end with a profound sense of just-rightness, without ever losing the ability to surprize the reader every time a page is turned. It is perfect. Pratchett does it again!!The witches of Discworld are identified by their practicality and ability to manipulate people. They believe in using as little magic as possible, and Tiffany Aching is no exception. This entry in the Discworld pantheon follows Tiffany dealing with the loss of her magical Grandmother, an invasion from the realm of faerie, becoming kelda of the Nac Mac Feegle, and rescuing her little brother from the evils of the faerie. Terry Pratchett has ever been a favorite author of mine, and I've converted many family and friends to his work. But "The Wee Free Men" has taken him too new heights of reader entertainment. The adventure of Tiffany Aching is a beautiful combination of magical machinations and practical solutions. When your main weapon against the forces of darkness is a frying pan, hilarity must ensue. Toss on the pictsies in the form of the Nac Mac Feegle, who are less pixie and more scottish Pict, (a historically implacable foe and epitome of barbaric Scotland), and the fun just keeps on rolling. In all, I heartily recommend this book for younger readers and old alike. The common, earthy european humor of Pratchett's other novels is left out of this one, which makes it all the more kid friendly. |
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