The Wee Free Men (original 2003; edition 2004)

3.5 stars. I liked it, I just didn't make it all the way up to really liked it. Perhaps because the humor didn't hit me in quite the same funny spot as other Pratchett novels? Not sure.

The characters are the best part of this book. Tiffany is a great protagonist - strong, thoughtful and self-assured. She does not sit idly by in any situation; she knows what she wants and she goes after it. She has common sense and a little uncommon sense too. She is quite refreshing. (Anyone who takes on her enemies with a frying pan has got to be good.)

The titular Wee Free Men are a lot of fun, what with their endearingly bad behavior and gruff charm.

I also liked the morals of the story (which I shall not spoil here). They went hand-in-hand with my appreciation of Tiffany as a character, saying something about strength of character and spirit (rather than the too-common-recently themes wherein having purple eyes and Mysterious, Undeserved Powers grants heroines instant love, fame, and ridiculous powerful enemies. That's not a theme? Oh... gee...)

But then the plot of the story? Just a little dull for my taste. I found it rather difficult to get interested in whether or not Tiffany got Wentworth back. The kind of personal growth she needed to do had pretty much nothing to do with her brother (unlike the obvious parallel of Labyrinth) - she just needed some kind of quest to go on. The business with the dreams at the end got rather dizzying. Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention.

All in all, a light, fun read. I shall continue reading the other tales in this arc. ( )

Young Tiffany Aching lives a simple life making cheese on her family's farm and watching over her young brother Wentworth. But all this changes when Wentworth is kidnapped by the evil Fairy Queen and Tiffany discovers her abilities as a young witch-in-training. But Tiffany doesn't have to battle the Queen alone - she is accompanied by the 'Wee Free Men', or the Nac Mac Feegle, a clan of tiny blue men who spend their time fighting, drinking and stealing and are absolutely HILARIOUS. Listening to this audiobook was continuous laugh-out-loud moments. Can't wait to listen to the sequels! ( )

I listened to this on audiobook and smiled like an idiot the whole time. It's a typical age old story-- but it is executed perfectly. Funny and smart, with characters as endearing as they are ridiculous. Recommended for older children ya and adults. ( )

Funny, frothy tale. Pratchett has a fine ear for dialogue and a deft way with phrase. Young Tiffany Aching comes into her witchly heritage in this book that can only be described as a romp. The Wee Free Men themselves may be my favorite drunken Picts ever. Delightful. ( )

9/2012 It must be fall, if I'm listening to the Tiffany Aching books.

9/2011 Love this audio book so much.

11/2009 Just revisited this audio while working with Dan. He was deeply skeptical and ended up guffawing more than I did. Briggs' narration is top-notch, and the story deepens every time I revisit it. Delightful audio rendering of a hilarious book. Loved it! ( )