Equal Rites - Discworld Book Review

[@Adeodatus100]

Context: Equal Rites came out when the Church of England was tearing itself apart over whether to ordain women, first as deacons (1987) and later as priests (1992). The novel is a very good satirical commentary on that often rather undignified debate.

[@p0etrygh0st]

did not know this! How cool!

[@neuralmute]

Cool! I must have read it not long after it came out, and living in Canada, I completely missed that context. Thanks!

[@alfje5492]

I wasn't in the UK yet when I read this book forthe first time, the second time I knew the context and enjoyed it even more.

[@RedClaw87]

I love the witches series of Discworld. Granny Weatherwax is my favorite character in fiction EVER. Books, movies, TVs or Radio Dramas doesn't matter. She is my favorite.

[@jonesjermaine4387]

Agreed, I've been reading Tropic of Cancer except I like to pretend the character Van Norden is like a Bailey Jay, mite write my own book think I'll call it "Beyond the Valley of Penises"

[@snaketooth0943]

My favorite character in fiction is Loki from the MCU.

[@derrickmarais]

Did you check out the new audio book recordings? I'm really enjoying Indira Varma's take on the witches.

[@neuralmute]

Granny's one of my favourite's too. She reminds me of my own great grandmother. Nobody messed with her...

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

When Sir Terry was writing what due to his declining health was going to be the final Discworld novel, "The Sheperd's Crown", he decided to include a character who is a boy who decides to train to become a witch, which I thought was such a neat way to bring it full-circle and tie a bow on it.

[@dorotasokolowska2941]

They can also be read as a NB character, because they say something like 'I don't think I'm a boy, or a girl, I'm just me'.

[@neuralmute]

True story - when I saw the title of "The Shepherd's Crown", I cried, because I was 99.5% sure what was going to happen in it. Unfortunately, I was right.

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

@@dorotasokolowska2941 Good point! Yes, that is indeed true.

[@kaicreech7336]

Granny Weatherwax is so great! She gets to be the focus of several books later; she has one gambit, in particular, dealing with vampires, that's even more impressive than any of the Doctor's feats in Doctor Who.

[@thistley_42]

Granny meets the Doctor - that’s the crossover I need to see!

[@neuralmute]

Granny is the Doctor of witches. She's just that good. And yes, her vampire trick is excellent. As is the one with the bees.

[@TecAssistive]

Granny Weatherwax is one of the most brilliantly written characters in fiction. Of course she is never one to put herself forward :-).

[@neuralmute]

@@TecAssistive Nope. Absolutely meek and humble. That's Granny. ;)

[@TecAssistive]

@@neuralmute Granny certainly wouldn’t be having with this head witch business, there are no head witches. Senior witches are not the same as old. 3 witches is best, The Maiden, The Mother and ….The other one 😂

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

Fun fact: When this book started getting recognition, not-yet-quite-so-legendary Terry Pratchett got fanmail, reviews and interview requestst for "Ms Theresa Pratchett" and such. People thought that due to the book's feminist bent, the author HAD to be female. * facepalm *

[@josemiguelgonzalezwachter2269]

Aha hahaha HAhaha 🤣 Oh God! Cringe but I bet SHE got a kick out of it! Source plz

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

@@josemiguelgonzalezwachter2269 Sadly, youtube seems to have taken down the interview in which Sir Terry mentioned it - and yes, it amused him a great deal - and the TVTropes page for Equal Rites doesn't link to a source.

[@marocat4749]

XD

[@brucehaven1]

I'm a Prachett superfan, so I love the idea of someone coming to these books for the first time. I love the witches series. Granny Weatherwax is probably my favorite character, although the guards series may be my favorite series. Granny always works, particularly later when she is part of a coven with Nanny and Magrat. You get to understand her far better when other characters are there for her to react to and with. Granny is the biggest badass in fantasy. I avoided Pratchett for years as a teenager. I took fantasy far too seriously. Only when you read these books do you understand, they're very funny, they're also deadly serious.

[@neuralmute]

Hey, it's funny, I think most Pratchett superfans, (myself included!) tend to love the Witches and the Watch best! My own theory is that Sir Pterry put the most of himself into Granny and Vimes out of any of his characters, and used them to tell at least parts of his most important stories. (I'm definitely including the Tiffany Aching series in this, and any of the books involving the goblins.) The fact that Pratchett somehow managed to be the best Humanist philosopher of the last half-century, at least, while also making me laugh out loud at his plays on words and ridiculous silly jokes is incredible in itself; add on the skill and joy in his storytelling and he was the perfect author. We shall not see his kind again. GNU Sir Terry.

[@destro6971]

Sam Vimes is my spirit animal, 100%. 😆

[@CapriUni]

I saw a post on Tumblr a while back where someone related meeting Sir Terry Pratchett at a convention book signing, and they wanted him to sign a copy of his first Discworld novel (I think it was). And he said to them: "You know, I wasn't very good with my first books," and when this person answered that they like collect a writer's early work, to see how they get better, he smiled and said: "Oh, that's all right, then." [Discworld tradition to memorialized the dead]: GNU Terry Pratchett.

[@neuralmute]

Upline and Downline. GNU Sir Pterry.

[@ricohard1986]

Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken? GNU Sir Pterry

[@gwenbeauvais7973]

Who else wishes they knew what happened to Eskarina between Equal Rites and I Shall Wear Midnight? That would have been a great story!

[@neuralmute]

I sort of like the mystery, and I enjoyed the surprise when she turned up then. But I *do* very much wish that Terry'd had the time to write that book...

[@LordJuzzie]

There is a lot of Terry in Granny Weatherwax.

[@Sparky8472a]

A bit of it is highlighting the difference between experience of people (witches), and a formal education (wizardry). Granny sets up shop in the city, providing the services there she did in her village, highlighting the similarities between people and their needs, despite differences in surrounding.

[@sara_sah-raezzat5086]

Wait till you meet Granny's best friend Nanny

[@neuralmute]

I would party with Nanny Ogg anyday!

[@brysonlambes7175]

I'd be very interested in your take on the next witches book, Wyrd sisters.

[@MsYakYak94]

I think this was the first Discworld book I read too. I remember really enjoying it and I also thought it was cool how it didn't just end in Eskarina going to the wizard school, but also wanting to practice witchcraft as well as practicing wizard magic.

[@theshadowsolitaire1741]

The specific wizards from this book don't really appear in the rest of the series mostly because this comes between two major events that pretty much wipe out all the higher up wizards apart from the Librarian. The ones we get after that second event do stick around and appear regularly but are also much better and much less intentional assholes than the ones here.

[@euandouglas4674]

The diskworld series is so clever, its genuinely so impressive how all the books weave together

[@kellswitch]

As you read more Discworld books you can look back at this one and see how he was deciding what Discworld was going to be.

[@Redthreadwitch]

On a friend’s suggestion, I began my foray into Discworld with The Wee Free Men (and then all of the other books following the main character, Tiffany Aching). Now I’m going in order of publication (I’m about seven books in) and I TOTALLY get what you mean about the early books. They are still good, but they just get so much better. I definitely recommend the Tiffany Aching books, especially if you like Granny Weatherwax.

[@Zettern96]

Equal rites was my first Terry Pratchett book and I love it. Granny Weatherwax is my favorite Discworld character.

[@tuntemon]

What I've noticed from years of reading/listening to the books. The earlier ones are more "waiting for the next joke" rather then getting the story forward. Granny Weatherwax is one of the greatest characters in this universe. I'd like to recommend Mort as one to give a read/listen to. At least for me it felt that that was the start of being funny and clever but also serious.

[@TheGerkuman]

Granny Weatherwax isn't fully formed here but she's definitely on her way! And to explain witch vs wizard in D&D terms, Wizards generally rely on the inteligence stat and witches generally rely on the wisdom stat. (though, many witches tend to have high intelligence too, whereas the wisdom in the discworld wizards is... much more comparatively rare!)

[@dhericean5260]

Are you saying that Wizards know that tomatoes are a fruit, and Witches know not to put it in a fruit salad?

[@TheGerkuman]

@@dhericean5260 But Sourcerers can make a fruit salad made from tomatoes out of nothing, and still make it taste good.

[@antney7745]

I wonder if the earlier books placed more emphasis on world-building that later books didn't feel the need to, as the reader would (probably) already be familiar enough with the setting, so that might be why there's a discrepancy? My favourite Discworld book is Mort, and the whole Death and/or Susan series.

[@theshadowsolitaire1741]

It's partly that and partly that Sir Terry was still developing and finding the balance for the world in the first three books so some parts are less refined and clumsier than what we get in later ones

[@dorotasokolowska2941]

@@theshadowsolitaire1741 Very well said. Also, I've felt that the first few books were written more as a parody of fantasy setting in general, so more focus was on twisting and changing fantasy tropes, with the plot being somehow secondary. But later books are definitely more plot and character focused and characters are not just a nod to standard fantasy characters, but characters on their own. That's also why I don't recommend starting with early books, they are not really representative of what the whole series has ended up being.

[@nozzlepie]

Discworld, just from memory, has a tendency to tell stories about events. The characters in the events often feel incomplete as they are spread over many books. Much more so earlier on though, as you said. Sticking to one of the sagas is always what I'd recommend because of it. Guards Guards to Men at Arms etc. The transformation of the organisations and communities in the books is huge. It just takes a while.

[@nogaventura8799]

I'm writing my MA thesis in English lit partly onequal rites and its rethinking of gendered magic 😀 so glad you read this!!!! Such a great book!

[@Sparky8472a]

This and Witches Abroad are my 2 faves of his books.

[@destro6971]

I got my wife hooked with Monstrous Regiment and then she read them all in publication order, there is definitely a growth in storytelling once you are about 5-6 in. If you’re only 3 in I envy that you still get to read so much of it for the first time 🔥

[@ezrajackson2607]

You absolutely hit the nail on the head with your explanation for why people don't recommend the earlier works. I've given that advice several times and not really been sure why but you explained it perfectly!

[@SanjayMerchant]

I can't remember whether this or Guards! Guards! was my first Pratchett novel. I need to make more time to read them. My mom was a huge fan and she passed away earlier this month, so even though I've only read a handful, they're still pretty special to me.

[@Tonyblack261]

I've read this book many times and enjoy it a lot. Terry Pratchett has said that he based the character of Esk on his daughter, Rhianna (who went on to be a video game writer and journalist. The story of Esk is quite a tragic one to begin with. She is basically thrust into the world of wizard magic without a choice, and rejected when she gets the chance to control her unasked for gift. Incidentally, the book cover you are showing is that for Soucery rather than Equal Rites. I don't know why this cover comes up when you do a search.

[@Cetadrius01]

the best way I've heared it put: "Wizards are the magical lernned, witches are the magical competent"

[@benw9949]

Dang it, I need to read the Discworld books. I have heard good things about them but have never read them.

[@kellswitch]

Yes, yes you do! 😀

[@Elwaves2925]

I haven't read all of them but I highly recommend them. From what I have read, even the worst is good IMO. I also have all the audiobooks (the originals) which are very good if that's more your type of thing. Some people will say to start at one of various points, which is fine if that's what you want as it isn't a continuing story. However, I'd say read them in the order they were written. Some events (even background events) do continue across but you'll also follow how Pratchett wrote them with how his writing improved. Not that it was ever bad.

[@TheFuddFactory]

Granny Weathrwax is the best on the hole Diskworld!

[@alfje5492]

New audiobooks of all Discworld novels are being made right now and I'm so there for them!

[@qwertyTRiG]

If you like Granny Weathereax's grumpy personality, can I recommend the short story "The Sea and Little Fishes"?

[@WhitneyAllisonGG]

I find the Tiffany Aching series was very bittersweet and Shepherd Crown was heartbreaking good. If Terry Pratchett he would have explored Transgender more but he passed away before doing so

[@kellswitch]

I still haven't been able to read The Shepherd's Crown, it breaks my heart just thinking about it.

[@neuralmute]

@@kellswitch I just knew what was going to happen from the title. I read it anyway, and unfortunately I was right. I think he wrote it so he'd have the perfect companion in the night desert.

[@destro6971]

Mind how you go. 👍🏼

[@WhitneyAllisonGG]

@@kellswitch I couldn't read it when it came out and so I waited until I was ready

[@kellswitch]

@@WhitneyAllisonGG I'm still not ready... :O(

[@hannahbrennan2131]

This was the first Discworld book I read. It wasn't the strongest in the series, but it was still a decent starting point.

[@drastikmeasures4659]

I have been a Discworld fan FOREVER have read them all again and again and gone back to them at different points in my life sooo excited you are at the start of this journey omg big love to you and all your content Thank you for being so fabulous much Queer LUV XXX

[@talks2squirrels953]

Terry Pratchett was such a genius . He speaks about modern ideas and politics without people even realize it. The purpose of life, feminist, danger of unquestionably power, death.... Genius and we laugh at ourselves as well as his incredible writing. Death is my favorite character right now but i am loving witches..

[@alankohn6709]

Here is the problem with not reading the books in order Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic setup the world of Discworld well if you had read them you would know that the Unseen university isn't Hogwarts truth be told its not a great school. While for the most part the books stand alone (with the exception of Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic which is a continuation of Colour of Magic and to a lesser extent Going Postal and Making Money which is more of a sequel) they are like an apple on tree so while they stand alone it help to have an understanding of the whole.

[@fakename6004]

If you like gaurds gaurds men at arms will blow your socks off.

[@theshadowdirector]

It was debated for quite a while. How exactly this book fit into the greater continuity of the series. It does get cleared up but not until way way later down the line. One thing I notice that the early books do more is dwell upon the nature and makeup of the discworld itself.

[@jonesjermaine4387]

Agreed, I've been reading Tropic of Cancer except I like to pretend the character Van Norden is like a Bailey Jay, mite write my own book think I'll call it "Beyond the Valley of Penises"

[@whats-his-face-whats-his-c8299]

Its a shame the character never really appeared again other than one other book near the end of the series. She never even appeared in cameos from what I recall. Perhaps thats because there wasn’t much to do with her after her story but it would have been nice to know she still existed and still butting heads with the other wizards.

[@qwertyTRiG]

Pratchett wrote amazing sentences from the very beginning (read the opening paragraph of The Colour of Magic), but definitely got better at structure & plot as he went on.

[@feldegast]

Equal Rites is one of my favorites I love how Esk summons the staff to her but I think reading Wyrd Sisters before it I think is a better order... my favorite books in the series are the Watch books

[@ChambersShow]

Dude you gotta read the rest of the disc world books, they are sooooo good 🤩

[@MyratheDunmer]

My favourite series. I cried when Terry died

[@marocat4749]

Try mort too, death is beloved for a reason and its a neat death aprentice story. Also granny is on deaths level,

[@quire666]

another way to describe it wizard magic looks flashy but is kinda useless witch magic is useful but less flashy

[@IronSalamander8]

It's been years but I read this 3rd (after the 1st 2: Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic), and I feel you had a fair assessment; good, but not as good as say Pyramids or Wyrd Sisters.

[@jrlonergan6773]

This is such a good book!

[@tashuawheeler1834]

I so love this book

[@neilwilson5785]

Math-based... yep, that makes sense. Of course, Rincewind can't do the math

[@mmeers89]

Why is this dude dressed like a chick? We are in some strange times, people.

[@landonwyndham979]

Die mad about it.