{"id":5015,"date":"2019-08-09T05:00:06","date_gmt":"2019-08-09T12:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=5015"},"modified":"2019-08-04T17:37:48","modified_gmt":"2019-08-05T00:37:48","slug":"mark-reads-i-shall-wear-midnight-chapter-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2019\/08\/mark-reads-i-shall-wear-midnight-chapter-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads &#8216;I Shall Wear Midnight&#8217;: Chapter 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the first chapter of <i>I Shall Wear Midnight<\/i>, Tiffany is a witch alone. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read <i>Discworld<\/i>.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Welcome to <i>Discworld <\/i>book #38, friends! And I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so happy to return back to the world of the Chalk <i>and<\/i> Tiffany Aching!!! I still have no idea what these remaining <i>Discworld<\/i> books are about, so it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a joy to realize what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s happening once I start the first chapter\/split of another book. Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all know I love this character, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve loved her books, so HERE WE GO.<\/p>\n<p><b>The Scouring<\/b><\/p>\n<p>This opening chapter feels a bit more like an introduction to Tiffany, the Chalk, and the life of a witch than I expected. Generally, the prior Tiffany books didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do as much summarization as this one seems to do, but it could be that I just don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t remember it. At the same time, Pratchett pulls off a very subtle thing here. Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say this was your first introduction to this character! I think you could jump into <i>I Shall Wear Midnight<\/i> with very little to no context for this sub-series of <i>Discworld<\/i>, and all the info you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d need to be caught up to speed is here. We learn about the Chalk through the scouring, since this is a rather brilliant way to introduce the greater culture of the place <i>and<\/i> to talk about Tiffany\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s place within it. Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a great example of that:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The only people not making any noise were the thieves and pickpockets, who went about their business with commendable silence, and they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come near Tiffany; who would pick a witch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pocket? You would be lucky to get all your fingers back. At least, that was what they feared, and a sensible witch would encourage them in this fear.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In just a few sentences, so much is conveyed to the reader! I love worldbuilding through absence, too, where you show what <i>doesn&#8217;t<\/i> happen or what <i>isn&#8217;t<\/i> there to give information to a reader. Pratchett does a lot of this where the reader is asked to read between the lines. Like with Tiffany feeling silly about her broom being on a string! So much of this is about <i>image<\/i>, something many of us are very familiar with as longtime <i>Discworld<\/i> fans, but a newcomer? They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re gonna get so much information out of all of this! All the social etiquette is necessary. It helps the reader to understand the Chalk <i>and<\/i> Tiffany\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s detachment within in. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s absolutely part of this community, but like most witches on the Disc, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a clear delineation between witches and\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, everyone else.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>With two exceptions, both named here! Nanny Ogg is just\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s her own thing, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, and I never got the sense that she didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to be in among the people, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one of the main contrasts she has with Granny Weatherwax. I was delighted by the mention of Magrat, who I miss a great deal. I wonder, then, if you could argue that Petulia exists in this same state. I say that because this first chapter introduces a theme I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m expecting to be important for <i>I Shall Wear Midnight<\/i>: Does Tiffany <i>want<\/i> to be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153normal\u00e2\u20ac\u009d like everyone else? I have no sense how much time has passed since <i>Wintersmith<\/i>, but since she was thirteen there, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m guessing it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been at least a year or two. (Also, wow, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m rethinking the Dark Morris dance now that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen <i>Midsommar<\/i> a couple times, WOW, I HAVE THOUGHTS.) I say that because the way she talks in this chapter <i>feels<\/i> so different. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s settled into her job as the witch of the Chalk, and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a certainty to her that we didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see in the earlier books, when she was still struggling with becoming a witch.<\/p>\n<p>Take the interaction that she has with Becky and Nancy, for example, which is what causes the reaction we see at the end of the chapter. Look how quickly Tiffany falls into her role here; there is no hesitation on her part that she <i>is<\/i> a witch and that she must perform that for others. Even though it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s uncomfortable! And if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll allow me to back up again, I think it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important that Tiffany thinks of Petulia and her life <i>before<\/i> this happens. The text says:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>No, Tiffany did not envy Petulia her romance, which surely must have taken place in big boots, unflattering rubber aprons, and the rain, not to mention an awful lot of <i>oink<\/i>.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only now, knowing the end of this chapter, that I am able to see the sarcasm in that. Tiffany has to diminish Petulia\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153romance\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by attaching all those things to it, which surely don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t comprise the actual romance itself. It continues:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>She did, however, envy her for being so <i>sensible<\/i>. Petulia had it all worked out. She knew what she wanted her future to be, and had rolled up her sleeves and made it happen, up to her knees in <i>oink<\/i> if necessary.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Yeah, makes me think Tiffany is envious for more than one reason, right? But lord, this is so RELATABLE. I mean, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so easy for all of us to construct narratives about other people from the outside. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what Tiffany has done! From her point of view, Petulia has everything figured out. She has a defined <i>future<\/i>. But is that true? I bet if we saw things from Petulia\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s perspective, this would not be the case, particularly since Petulia is so young. Who has their life figured out in the midst of being a teenager??? (I say this mostly hoping y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all were as big of a mess as I was. VALIDATE ME, FRIENDS.)<\/p>\n<p>So, let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s return to Becky and Nancy. With the Petulia bit in mind, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard not to see why this scene was so\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 upsetting? (I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m operating under the assumption that this is what Pratchett is referring to at the end of the chapter.) Becky\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s question, of course, would be rude to ask of ANYONE EVER!<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Becky Pardon looked down at her boots. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you have any passionate parts, miss?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And Nancy, while at least practical in her request, doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really help:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Only, if that is so, miss, we would quite like to have the flowers back, now that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve shown them to you, because perhaps it might be a bit of a waste, meaning no offense.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Gods, THAT STINGS. But Tiffany\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s response is such a class act. She compliments the girls for being brave enough to ask questions in the first place, and then assures them that witches often are so busy that they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have time to think of such things. Look, Becky and Nancy aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t trying to be cruel! This wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t something they asked to be mean to her, you know? I also speak from experience in one specific way:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Just before they left, full of relief and self-importance, Becky patted Tiffany on her hand. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Beaus can be very difficult, miss,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said with the assurance of, to Tiffany\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s certain knowledge, eight years in the world.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Okay, so, while I have done lectures and school visits as Mark Does Stuff, the past year of my life has maneuvered me into schools in a way that I never really expected. Part of that comes from my impression of assigned reading from when I was in grade school and high school. We always read books that were at least 20-30 years old, so I figured it would be a long, long time before I was in schools, too. NOT TRUE AT ALL. Educators and librarians are much more willing to change their curriculum these days, and while that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s immensely exciting, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not quite the point I want to make. Because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been in a ton of middle schools and high schools in the past year, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned something very important:<\/p>\n<p>Kids will rip your soul out of your body and not even know they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re doing it.<\/p>\n<p>I guess I knew that on some level, but when you have a twelve-year-old girl asking you if you wrote your book because you were a lonely teacher, you kinda get a new appreciation for how brutally honest and certain kids can. (She really asked that, and it left me speechless for like five seconds because\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, YES, THAT IS WHY, but also??? Hi, are you my therapist???) So I loved this moment because these two girls knew on some level that this was a difficult question, but Becky <i>also<\/i> knew to give Tiffany a little comfort, too. Tiffany respects that, too!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>And then, after Horace\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disastrous entry into the cheese rolling contest, we get to see Rob Anybody in a brief scene, and then\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 oh lord. Roland. The same boy that Tiffany had complicated feelings for in <i>Wintersmith<\/i> is back, and y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, I was shocked, too. First, Roland referred to Tiffany as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153young lady,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d which felt unnecessarily formal, you know? They know one another! Why would he do that?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It was her: Angelica or Letitia or something else out of the garden; in fact Tiffany knew full well it was Letitia, but surely she could be excused just a tiny touch of nasty in the privacy of her own head? Letitia! What a name. Halfway between a salad and a sneeze.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Okay, that made me laugh, but look: I excuse her. I get it. And it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like salt in the wound of the day. From Petulia to Becky to Letitia: Tiffany is reminded that she can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t (or does not, at least) have what the others have. There is no beau, no prospective romance, nothing. And I think she wants it more than she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s letting herself believe.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>But Tiffany flew home alone, up high where only bats and owls could see her face.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Oh, Tiffany, you should just cry openly over heartbreak! It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what I do! It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very therapeutic, and random strangers will stare at you for uncomfortable lengths of time. Okay, so maybe don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do that, but still: ouch. <i>Ouch<\/i>. This ending stung, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one hell of an introduction to this novel. Which I still don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know anything about! What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the main conflict? What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s about to happen?<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/youtu.be\/u10Nahpz_eg<\/p>\n<p><b>Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markoshiro.com\/blog\/2019\/5\/7\/the-anger-is-a-gift-trade-paperback-is-out-today\">The paperback edition of my debut, ANGER IS A GIFT, is now OUT!<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><strong>If you&#8217;d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, <a href=\"http:\/\/eepurl.com\/ey636\">sign up for my newsletter<\/a>! DO IT.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the first chapter of I Shall Wear Midnight, Tiffany is a witch alone. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read Discworld.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[451],"tags":[562,463,248],"class_list":["post-5015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-discworld","tag-i-shall-wear-midnight","tag-mark-reads-discworld","tag-terry-pratchett"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5015"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5015\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<!-- WP Super Cache is installed but broken. 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