Lords and Ladies: Discworld, Book 14

Terry Pratchett’s 1992 Discworld novel (the 14th & 4th The Witches series) Lords and Ladies describes a negative vision of elves gives the whole book a dark tone compared to the other Discword novels. Based on a few bits I picked the book is a satire of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and it has been several years since I have read it so I think I might miss many of the gags. but there was still lots to enjoy. So far the witches are my favorite Discworld characters so to have another book with them as the central characters is great. Granny Weatherwax was especially awesome in this one; she is such a wonderful character. Magrat character evolved more which was nice to read.You can usually read any of the Discworld books out of order if you want to. This one I’d say you get most enjoyment of if you’ve previously read Witches Abroad - as part of that storyline continues in this one.Pratchett’s storytelling is as clever as usual, and I found myself laughing often. I love his commentary on day to day things and how he writes his humor.

Author Terry Pratchett savages 'cute' in many of his Discworld novels. In "Witches Abroad" he skewers the 'good' fairy godmother. "Hogfather" is a much darker version of Santa Claus. Elves take a beating in "Lords and Ladies." They represent glamour without soul. They like to torture animals, humans included--you know, the 'La Belle Dame sans Merci' bit, except elves come in both sexes.The people in the Kingdom of Lancre are afraid even to use the word 'elf,' except for soppy, junior witch, Magrat Garlick, who is soon to be King Verence's bride. She is known as the witch who clinks and clanks about in occult jewelry, and loves scented candles.Luckily, senior witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are also on the scene, after an extended vacation to Genua to end the 'good' fairy godmother's reign of terror (see "Witches Abroad"). Even though they scorn the modern trappings of witchcraft (see above: scented candles), they hold the power in Lancre.King Verence II is more interested in crop rotation and breeding pigs. When Magrat returns from Genua, he informs her that he's planned their wedding, ordered her dress, and invited the guests. (Red Alert! Red Alert! Man your battle stations! Completely clueless male enters story!) What Verence doesn't do is propose marriage to his intended wife. After all he is a king.Magrat does a slow boil until the day before the wedding. She finally revolts but as usual, her timing is execrable. Her husband-to-be has been captured by the elves.How in the name of Om did the elves manage to escape from the circle of stones known as the Dancers? Did it have something to do with would-be witch, Diamanda and her friends dancing nekkid (a Nanny Ogg term) round the stones?Did it have something to do with Nanny Ogg's semi-annual bath?Why did Lancre Morris Men decide to hold their play practice near the Dancers?Did it have something to do with the nekkid dancers?Discerning reviewers have compared "Lords and Ladies" to Shakespeare's "A Midsummer-Night's Dream." There certainly are many complicated love stories in both novel and play. Pratchett gives us Magrat and King Verence II; Nanny Ogg and Casanunda, Discworld's second greatest lover; Granny Weatherwax and...Look, you need to read the book and find out for yourself. Let's just say that Granny's suitor is growing a crop circle on his head.

Author Terry Pratchett savages 'cute' in many of his Discworld novels. In "Witches Abroad" he skewers the 'good' fairy godmother. "Hogfather" is a much darker version of Santa Claus. Elves take a beating in "Lords and Ladies." They represent glamour without soul. They like to torture animals, humans included--you know, the 'La Belle Dame sans Merci' gig, except elves come in both sexes.The people in the Kingdom of Lancre are afraid even to use the word 'elf,' except for soppy, junior witch, Magrat Garlick, who is soon to be King Verence's bride. She is known as the witch who clinks and clanks about in occult jewelry, and loves scented candles.Luckily, senior witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are also on the scene, after an extended vacation to Genua where they ended the 'good' fairy godmother's reign of terror (see "Witches Abroad"). Even though they scorn the modern trappings of witchcraft (see above: scented candles), they hold the power in Lancre.King Verence II is more interested in crop rotation and breeding pigs. When Magrat returns from Genua, he informs her that he's planned their wedding, ordered her dress, and invited the guests. (Red Alert! Red Alert! Completely clueless male enters story!) What Verence doesn't do is propose marriage to his intended wife. After all he is the king.Magrat does a slow boil until the day before the wedding. She finally revolts, but as usual, her timing is execrable. Her husband-to-be-or-not-to-be has been captured by the elves.How in the name of Om did the elves manage to escape from the circle of stones known as the Dancers? Was this incident connected with would-be witch, Diamanda and her friends dancing nekkid (a Nanny Ogg term) round the stones?Did it have something to do with Nanny Ogg's semi-annual bath?Was this why the Lancre Morris Men decided to hold their play practice near the Dancers?(Your choice: the nekkid dancers or Nanny Ogg's bath.)Discerning reviewers have compared "Lords and Ladies" to Shakespeare's "A Midsummer-Night's Dream." There certainly are many complicated love stories in both novel and play. Pratchett gives us Magrat and King Verence II; Nanny Ogg and Casanunda, Discworld's second greatest lover; Granny Weatherwax and...Look, you need to read the book and find out for yourself. Let's just say that her suitor is growing a crop circle on his head.

Love granny and nanny. Their powers expand to match the perils in this story. Great fun throughout! So many nuggets of hilarity woven in, it is hard to pick the best one.

Continue with the adventure of Discworld's favorite best TOP witches fighting elves and a unicorn to save Lancre and a ROYAL WEDDING!!

Bought this as I thought it was the English corgi edition, turns out its the Canadian one so the formatting and size is different from my other English ones bought in the UK.

Note this is a review for the abridged Audio book only.The next best thing to a good, well writtem book from Terry Pratchett is one of the abridged audio versions read by the wonderful Tony Robinson.This is an excellent reading of the book.Robinson gets the characters in the minds eye just right.abridged but the story flows to a wonderful ending.Recommended.

This has to be one of my favourite of the Diskworld series. It's based (quite loosely) on Shakespeare's `A Midsummer Night's Dream' and follows the entanglements of that play's sub-plots whenever Terry feels like it. I can't see a parallel for the Helena/Hermia/Lysander/Demetrius plot, but the `Rude Mechanicals' are there in force, as are the Elves and assorted Royalty and nearly Royalty. The nearly-Queen Magrat's nuptials are disrupted from without as the Elves break through into Lancre and Magrat sets out to save her nearly-husband, her nearly-kingdom and her own life. The Queen of the Elves and the King are estranged and the Elves themselves are not terrific, they're terrifying. Magrat doesn't have to be brave all alone, the other two Lancre Witches, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are there in abundance and between the three of them, they defeat the Elves in a most cunning and amusing way. This is a very tightly plotted book and every word in it is a joy - I re-read it regularly. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed any of the others and anyone who enjoyed `A Midsummer Night's Dream'. As Terry says on the back of the book, `with a hey nonny nonny and blood all over the place'!

bought this and lots of other pratchett books when got my first kindle so could read as liked. All the older books haven't read for a while and can not afford the prices for the hard backs (from middle to latest have a hardback collection). Took great pleasure in re-reading this again. The magic is still there and he's still the only author that keeps me glued to page chuckling away. If you haven't read a Pratchett novel before then buy one quick and be prepared for whole other world of entertainment.You're never gonna feel the same about fairies ever again!

If you have not tried the great and suprerior Terry Pretchett for his, not FICTION but Fantacy of the worlds not controlled by those who want you to read books by the Victorian realms such as H G Wells they want you to stay with there version of ther thoughts. Read Steven Baxters great sequel to the Time Machine to know what you need to read Fantacy or SC/FI. Humble option nth is book is somewhere near the best of the great mans work.