I really, really wish that I had a younger girl cousin to pass this book onto, because I think it's a perfect antidote for some of the books that are enjoying a vogue right now (*cough* Twilight *cough*). Where the latter feature some downright disturbing gender politics, The Wee Free Men has a heroine who's sensible and smart and capable; a realistic, strong relationship between grandmother and granddaughter; a world where women are bounded by preconceptions and gender roles and fears, but a ...more I really, really wish that I had a younger girl cousin to pass this book onto, because I think it's a perfect antidote for some of the books that are enjoying a vogue right now (*cough* Twilight *cough*). Where the latter feature some downright disturbing gender politics, The Wee Free Men has a heroine who's sensible and smart and capable; a realistic, strong relationship between grandmother and granddaughter; a world where women are bounded by preconceptions and gender roles and fears, but a nine-year-old girl is still strong enough to take on the Queen of Fairie armed only with a frying pan. All that, and Pratchett's trademark wry humour and slightly dark take at some of our best-loved assumptions—really well worth the read. ( )

I just finished the audio version of this book and really enjoyed it. Tiffany Aching is tired of taking care of her little brother Wentworth. But when he's kidnapped by fairies, Tiffany decides to get him back. Maybe her recent decision to become a witch will help her on this. And then there's the Nac Mac Feegles - pictsies. They just might help. If they can stay sober long enough. And if she explains things in very, very simple terms.

Not a very good summary, but I can tell you that this is one seriously funny book that was a great read. I love Terry Pratchett. If you like fantasy or like to laugh, you should give his books a try. ( )

Warum diese Reihe um Tiffany Weh als "Märchen von der Scheibenwelt" firmiert, habe ich nie verstanden. Immerhin tritt dort Nanny Ogg und Oma Wetterwachs auf - und die gehören defenitiv zum Stammpersonal Pratchetts. Soll das eine clevere Strategie des Verlages sein? Wenn ja - ich finde sie dumm! Das Buch selbst aber finde ich klasse. Was ja auch das wichtigeste ist. ( )

(I'm not actually making a deliberate effort to re-read all of the Discworld, it just... seems that way.)

I'd forgotten the plot of this one, I have to say. The reason, which I discovered on this re-read, is that it... doesn't actually have one. This being a novel by Terry Pratchett, this isn't as much of a problem as one might think. In brief: Tiffany Aching, a shepherd's daughter from the Chalk, a part of the Discworld not entirely unlike Wiltshire, meets a horrible monster in a stream near her family's farm. Being a sensible, careful, logical sort of person, she hauls off and hits it with a frying-pan, using her little brother as bait. And that sets up how this story is going to go, right there. There are going to be magical goings-on, but they're going to be dealt with. Decisively. Tiffany, who is one of my favourite of the Discworld characters, is intelligent, sardonic, logical to the point of coldness, and a beautifully-observed, whole character who is perfectly capable of carrying the whole novel. Her story is told in bits and pieces throughout, and it is very much her story, despite the title of the novel.

Which isn't to say that the Nac Mac Feegle don't have their place. They're wonderful - and I much prefer them in this friendlier, slightly-easier-to-understand version (the "adult novel" versions of them in Carpe Jugulum are much less fun), complete with shouts of "Crivens!" and "waily, waily, waily" and tendency to get pished. And more than that, they are a wonderful change from the usual sorts of little helpers that accompany young female heroines in kids' books about magic.

Of course, once the story has all been set up, and the landscape of the Chalk, Tiffany and her family, and the Feegles' existence and slightly crazed theology have been given the attention they need, there isn't a lot of room left for plot, and the "rescuing brother from evil snow Queen" is far too The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for words. But once it all has been set up, it's there for Wintersmith and A Hat Full of Sky, and those have all the good points of this novel, plus wonders of their own. ( )

The first in the Tiffany Aching series. Where to begin. I continue to enjoy the children's works by Pratchett. With Tiffany he continues to give complex flawed characters that are often absent from the target audience of this literature. What I love most about Tiffany is that while she is smart, self reliant and ready to think on her feet she is annoyed by her kid brother, doesn't enjoy her chores, thinks petty thoughts and in general is a real person. Also how do you resist any story with the nac mac feegle ( )