Maskerade

This has always been one of my favourites of the Discworld novels, and I found (unsurprisingly) that having seen Phantom of the Opera since last I read this, that I got a lot more of the jokes. Pratchett's characterisation is, as always, spot on; mixing an often merciless skewering of human arrogance and failings with an always merciful compassion. Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are always a joy to read, and there is no book or series of books more calculated to make me laugh.

I think I had almost as much fun reading this as Pratchett obviously had writing it. It's a satire on the opera but as the title suggests is about identity too and how we appear vs who we are. As such it's a variation on the tales & stories idea of the earlier Witches novels (you can get away without having read the others but to have done so would help - and don't worry, if you've just suffered through the shit that is Lords and Ladies, this is much better). I'm not going to sit here and say this is as good as Mort - at one point he actually TELLS you the themes of the novel - but it's still fun.

Nanny Ogg insists to Granny Weatherwax that they need a new witch for their coven to replace Magrit, with Agnes Nitt the top contender. Meanwhile Agnes (a.k.a. Perdita) goes to Ankh-Morpork to audition for the opera. Her magical singing voice gets her a place in the chorus while the more conventionally attractive Christine gets the lead diva role, despite lacking vocal talent. Ultimately, Agnes secretly sings Christine parts from the background.

The Opera House is haunted by an Opera Ghost who is blamed for a series of murders. Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg also arrive in Ankh-Morpork to collect royalties from Nanny’s cookbook and they end up investigating the murders. The book is a clever spoof on opera conventions, and more show more specifically the plot of The Phantom of the Opera, with a procedural mystery, to boot. It’s a fun book and maybe my favorite Witches story so far. show less

An unmistakeably Pratchett-like take on the Phantom of the Opera story. Part knockabout farce, part whodunnit which is surprisingly engrossing behind the laughs.

But Mr Pratchett really doesn't like opera, does he? I fear for the Ankh-Morpork Opera House under its new musical director, bent on dumbing down the programme.

Fantastic! This is what books that borrow from other books should be - enough borrowed but enough new. Pratchett really GETS the Phantom of the Opera at the same time that he completely changes everything in this novel. (His descriptions of Christine had me laughing so hard - it's so spot on with the "fan" view of Christine on most internet discussion boards!)

I love the characters, and the set-up, and the snarky-but-loving digs at the theatre. (And the snarky-but-not-so-loving digs at publishing.) This book is a "Phantom of the Opera" retelling in the Discworld fashion, which is to say it's somewhere between a true retelling and a parody, but that gives the book enough familiarity to make the new bits even more fun. This is quite possibly my new favorite Discworld book.

Agnes Nitt hates her name. She hates her ruddy looks and her sturdy form. She hates the predictability of life in her home town. So with a desire to pursue a different life than she was dealt, she changes her name to Perdita and sets out for Ankh-Morpork and the drama of the stage.

She gets a job at the opera house and her fantastic voice soon impresses her employers. Unfortunately, Perdita's (ahem) size is something of a problem. A few generations ago, a woman of her figure would be right an home singing opera, but now people expect a more slender prima donna.

Meanwhile, Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax are hoping to track Perdita down to make up the third witch in their coven. When they find themselves in Ankh-Morpork on purely show more unrelated business they stop by the opera to check up on their young friend. But something is rotten at the Ankh-Morpork opera house. There are rumors of a ghost, and a mysterious stranger is giving Perdita singing lessons at night. When people begin dropping dead, Nanny and Granny can't help but step in to sort matters out. show less