Mark Reads ‘Witches Abroad’: Part 1

In the first part of Witches Abroad, WHAT. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Discworld. 

Trigger Warning: For xenophobia/racism.

I don’t know what’s happening, BUT I’M OKAY WITH THAT.

The Story

I’d like to say that my work here on Mark Reads has demonstrated that stories shape us. They’ve certainly done that for me, you know? They’ve changed my opinions; they’ve changed my perceptions; they’ve changed my life. So it’s fascinating to me that this is how Pratchett chooses to open this novel. The Discworld books have always been highly referential, you know? They build off stories and tropes and fairy tales that many of us are intimately familiar with. You can’t ignore that aspect of these stories. So what makes this story different? How is it not a repetition of what we’ve seen before?

Honestly, I’m into this already because the meta nature of the introduction and the references that come after it. Because seriously:

This is a story about stories.

Or what it really means to be a fairy godmother.

Bit it’s also, particularly, about reflections and mirrors.

OKAY. YES. Yes??? Y E S. Please, please deconstruct Cinderella or something. I actually could not tell (yet!!!) if Pratchett was dismantling a specific fairy tale or just the many tropes that appear in them in general, but mirrors… maybe it’s Snow White?

You’ve Lost

Except that Desiderata Hollow doesn’t fit into any of this. Oh man, I loved the mysterious and ambiguous introduction of Desiderata, which called back to the opening of Moving Pictures in one sense: Did Desiderata’s death bring chaos with it? Had they been the gatekeeper for something awful? Or had their power stopped some evil thing from gaining control? I love power struggles like this in general (HELLO, LOST, WHICH I HAVE BEEN RE-WATCHING AND UTTERLY ENJOYING), and this one seems like a doozy. Pratchett cleverly waits to reveal that Desiderata was a fairy godmother until she’s discussing it with Death, which is a FANTASTIC scene.

But what does it all mean? Who exactly is Lady Lilith? Is her second sight a glimpse of a Cinderella parody or something more? And why did that face in the mirror say that she had lost??? LOST WHAT???

Lady Lilith

And then, Pratchett wastes no time introducing us to Lady Lilith, the other half of the godmother pair, and SHE IS ALREADY TERRIFYING. I think that’s a matter of perspective, though, because from the outside, she doesn’t seem like a good person. That’s despite that she thinks stuff like this:

[Desiderata] was one of those people afraid to do good for fear of doing harm, who took it all so seriously that they’d constipate themselves with moral anguish before granting the wish of a single ant.

Brutal and cruel? Perhaps, but not exactly the most untrue statement imaginable. So does Lady Lilith want to do good? Is that what I’m supposed to take away from this? I’d say yes, but this line creeps me out:

Nothing stood in the way of what Lilith liked more than anything else.

A happy ending.

That sounds… vaguely threatening, no? I’M SCARED.

The Witches

If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then I’m pleased it’s been quite some time since I last got to read about Nanny Ogg, Granny Weatherwax, and Magrat. What a treat, y’all! And even they jump right into the action, openly discussing who they want to put forward to take Desiderata’s place. I assumed that this meant that the witches were responsible for fairy godmothers in some way, correct? I mean, I guess I’d never previously considered that godmothers were witches, but it makes sense that they would be.

Which means I totally want Magrat to be the next fairy godmother. It feels like her characterization hasn’t changed much since Wyrd Sisters, at least in terms of her genuine nature and her optimism. But what I did notice about Magrat – at least from what I heard out of the mouths of the other two witches – was that she’d learned to be far more independent than she’d ever been before. That drive felt new to me, something that only could have existed post-Wyrd Sisters. I appreciate that! I love that she rejects the king, refuses to be objectified, and goes off to teach her own self-defense classes. She’s certainly proud to be a witch, but she’s also willing to do it in her own way. Screw tradition! Magrat is the living embodiment of change here, and she’s clearly willing to do things differently than everyone else.

Granny? Not so much. This section was painful:

That’s not the same as foreign. Foreign’s where they gabble at you in heathen lingo and eat foreign muck and worship, you know, objects,” said Granny Weatherwax, goodwill diplomat.

My hope is that the events of this book challenge that opinion because good lord, that’s a pretty terrible thing to say, you know? So what might take the witches abroad, which would hopefully alter her perspective, too? World travel to find the witch to replace Desiderata? I LOVE THIS IDEA, MAKE IT HAPPEN.

The original text contains use of the word “madness.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3_OR-3cFPE

Mark Links Stuff

– Please help book/finalize the Mark Does Stuff European Tour!
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
– The Mark Does Stuff Tour 2015 is now live and includes dates across the U.S., Canada, Europe, the U.K., and Ireland. Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be the remainder of The Legend of Korra, series 8 of Doctor Who, and Kings. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!