I loved this book. Gee, I say that about every Pratchett book, don't I?Ah well, it can't be helped. Pratchett has his own unique wonderful style and is truly a master at his craft.So many things that I loved about this book.1. I love Agnes. Her struggles and voice was authentic for being an over-weight woman over shadowed by her skinny counter parts due to bias against over-weight people, especially women. I get the criticisms that her heaviness was talked about a lot, but that criticism doesn't fit here. I hate it too often in books with the portrayal of over-weight people and how their heaviness is all they are; you could slap a name tag on a bag of sand to stand in for the character and no one would be the wiser. In the case of Agnes, it really is just her having the everyday dealings with people about her weight and how she thinks of it so much because of being conditioned of thinking about it so much. Self-conscious since it's peoples first and last thought with her. It's the main reason she isn't allowed a personality beyond do everything say only nice things doormat. It's her wanting to be herself and speak out that actually comes up more than her weight. It's the reason she becomes Perdita X Dreams. That struggle for speaking your mind when you're put upon to be the dependable nice invisible unless noticed reasonable one is so realistic. It really is a struggle for a woman to do that unless you harness the Bitch label and own it. Agnes speaks to and for so many women's experiences so well that I'm amazed it was done by a man. I give Pratchett so much props and love for this. Finding a male author that doesn't drown everything in the male gaze when it's suppose to be a woman character looking is hard enough and I'm reveling in how great Agnes character is. 2. I like how Pratchett brought up the issues of weight, with women and especially in show business and the pressures women face to be nice. The Witches series in Discworld has to be my favorite because of the strong female leads and how it deals with feminist issues. I do think Christina was a cardboard cut out of a character. While wonderfully described with her talking and moving in exclamations and signaling fainting on purpose for attention, she really was an airhead. Some women are airheads and the people with "star quality" get enough attention as it is. Of course, it would have been nice to see some perspective on the pressures women have to face to be skinny, stay skinny, and be dumb on Christina's side of the fence. For the first time ever Christina wasn't the star of the show. However, I think a lot of attention is payed to that and it's not a real detractor to the book. It probably would have only made the book longer and gummed it up. 3. Pratchett brought up and dealt with "the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone" very well. On page 4, "Of course, it was nothing but an old superstition and belonged to the unenlightened days when 'maiden' or 'mother' or...the other one...encompassed every woman over the age of twelve or so, except maybe for nine months of her life. These days, any girl bright enough to count and sensible enough to take Nanny's advice could pull off being at lease one of them for quite some time. Even so...it was an old superstition-older than books, older than writing-and beliefs like that were heavy weights on the rubber sheet of human experience, tending to pull people into their orbit." It becomes much more about needing another person in the group to be a witch and train, keeping Granny good than filling in the stereotypical roles of women. It points out nicely how stupid it is and how Granny fits all three anyways.4. I love Pratchett poking fun at opera and theater in general. It was quite fun. I'm not a fan of operas, musicals or theater, nor am I very well read on the subjects. Pratchett makes the parody of Phantom of the Opera and operas very friendly and understandable for even people like me, who don't get it. It's not snobby.5. Bucket is an excellent parody of business men, especially those of American's right wing that claims to be self-made while using daddy's money. He's a made man with his daddy's money and he's about to make a fortune in the opera business because of sheer dumb luck. I think it's rather funny how it shines a light on the stupid shit a lot of people say and believe without thinking and holds up a mirror for people to recognize it, while not being directly insulted. Like judging someone based on the firmness of the handshake and no body is self-made even if you only used your own money for business. We're social creatures and live in a society together, the self-made man is a work of fiction. Propaganda garbage like the fabled American Dream. Everything is a big "Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours". Bucket as a person and a parody is perfectly summed up on page 15,"I've been through the mill, I have,' Bucket began,'and I made myself what I am today-'Self-raising flour? thought Salzella'-but I have to, er, declare a bit of a financial interest. Her dad did, er, in fact, er, lend me a fair whack of money to help me buy this place, and he made a heartfelt fatherly request in regard to his daughter. If I bring it to mind correctly, his exact words, er, were:"Don't make me have to break your legs." I don't expect your artistes to understand. It's a business thing. The gods help those who help themselves, that's my motto.'6. The twist and turns of the story. Even with this being a parody of the Phantom of the Opera it grips you, it's suspenseful, keeps you guessing and laughing out load. It's enjoyable. It's a breeze to read and get involved in. Like the little Mouse Death and Death dealing with a swan that refuses to do a Swan Song, which are some of my favorite scenes, as weird as that may sound it fits perfectly and just adds more to the story. 7. It's Pratchett. His description and voice is unique and hilarious. Like on page 3, "Lightning prodded the crags like an old man trying to get an elusive blackberry pip out of his false teeth." and "the sound of Nanny Ogg cutting bread, which she did with as much efficiency as a man trying to chainsaw a mattress."Many pieces of awesomeness on every page, but to list a few things I wanted to pull out:Granny dealing with the theater in her own way, on page 59, "She didn't loathe the theater, because, had she done so, she would have avoided it completely. Granny now took every opportunity to visit the traveling theater that came to Landcre, and sat bold upright in the front row of every performance, staring fiercely. Even honest Punch and Judy men found her sitting among the children, snapping things like 'Taint so!' and 'Is that any way to behave?' As a result, Lancre was becoming known throughout the Sto Plains as a really tough gig."On technical advances in society of movable print on page 74 Movable type was known in Ankh-Morpork, but if wizards heard about it they moved it where no one could find it. They generally didn't interfere with the running of the city, but when it came to movable type the pointy foot was put down hard. They had never explained why, and people didn't press wizards, not if you liked yourself the shape you were. They simpley worked around the problem, and engraved everything. This took a long time and meant taht Ankh-Morpork was, for example, denied the benefit of newspapers, leaving the population to fool themselves as best they could."On wearing black,page 87, That was the good thing about black. You could be nearly anything, wearing black.Mother Superior or Madam, it was really just a matter of the style. It just depended on the details.Granny and Nanny on page 141 "Well, he looks aristocratic-" Nanny began. 'He looks like a beautiful brainless bully,' Granny corrected her. 'Aristocratic,' repeated Nanny.'Same thing.'On page 142, I love the description of Corporal Nobby Nobbs, There was, indeed, a very short man in a suit intended for a rather larger man; this was especially the case with the opera cloak, which actually trailed on the floor behind him to give the overall impression of a superhero who had spent too much time around the Kryptonite."Andre and Granny squaring off Andre gave Granny a long look, like a man weighing up his chances. He must have decided they were bobbing along the ceiling.“I… hang around in dark places looking for trouble,” he said.“Really? There’s a nasty name for people like that,” snapped Granny.“Yes,” said Andre. “It’s ‘policeman’.”
Гранде Опера - онова велико изкуство, което съдържа в себе си още няколко големи изкуства - театър, музика, танци, декори и пъстри костюми."Маскарад" е една забавна пратчетова закачка с операта, най-вече с легендарното произведение на Гастон Льору "Фантомът на операта", обект на стотици адаптации, а имената на една от пратчетовите героини - напълно бездарната, но много красива, руса, глупавичката Кристина, е пародия на главната героиня на Льору - Кристин. Запознатите с мюзикъла "Фантомът на операта" от Андрю Лойд Вебер ще се досетят, че "Маскарад" е жизнерадостна песен от второ действие на постановката.В центъра на събитията отново са двете вещици баба (Есме) Вихронрав и леля (Гита) Ог, които отиват в Анкх-Морпорк за да убедят младата Агнес, която се е насочила към операта, да последва истинското поприще, която съдбата ѝ е определила - вещерския занаят. Да сме честни, двете всъщност отиват в града за да си оправят сметките с издател, който издал готварската книжка на Леля Ог, без да ѝ плати подобаващото.През това време Операта бива закупена от бившия търговец на сирене Ведър, който много скоро научава истината за операта: "Кривата на катастрофите, г-н Ведър, е начин на живот във всяка опера. Представленията се случват, защото огромен брой дреболии изумително не успяват да ги провалят. Ако сте искал мирно занимание, не биваше да купувате Операта. Трябваше да се захванете с нещо по-безопасно. Например да поправяте зъбите на алигатори."Пратчет доста остро пародира с комерсиализацията на изкуството като цяло. Талантливата Агнес е принудена да пее, скрита от светлината на прожекторите, а неземно красивата Кристина да си отваря само устата и да приема овациите на публиката:-Горкото дете! Твърде късно се е родила. Някога в операта наистина имаха значение само гласовете. Знаете ли, помня времената на велики певици.- Какви времена бяха...Тогава имаше истинска опера. Спомням си как госпожа Веритази натика един музикант в цугтромбон, защото си позволил прозявка...Не е пропусната и грандоманщината и псевдо-аристокрацията на публиката: "Долу май имаше изобилие от пера, тук-там лъщяха бижута. Личеше колко грижи са отделени за външността. Публиката идваше да се покаже, а не да гледа." Пратчет се шегува и с латинските прякори на изпълнителите.Но най-добро определение за операта ни дава леля Ог:"Виж сега, общо взето, има два вида опера... Има, значи, тежка опера, където хората предимно пеят на чужбински ей тъй: "О, о, о, аз умирам, о, аз умирам, о, о, о, ами толкоз беше". Има и лека опера, в която пак пеят по чужбински горе-долу тъй: "Бира! Бира! Бира! Искам да излоча много бира!", макар че понявгаш пият шампанско. Други опери май няма."Но кой друг ще ни покаже магията на Операта, във всичките й цветови гами, ако не негово височество сър Тери Пратчет?Веселата гонитба на Призрака на операта продължава до самия край на една от най-добрите книги на Пратчет, с която се забавлявах буквално на всяка страница. Във всеки един от нас живее духа на това изкуство, което чака да бъде събудено. Призрак или Фантом, Операта е илюзия, от която всички се нуждаем: http://lammothsblog.blogspot.com/2014...ПС.: Един въпрос към всички: Кое е първото нещо, което бихте си взели от дома, ако там избухне пожар? :)
What do You think about Maskerade (1995)?
OPINIÃO: muchadobygeeks.wordpress.com/review-a...(Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade e Carpe Jugulum)Masquerade! Paper faces on parade... Masquerade! Hide your face, so the world will never find you!What could ever happen if you put Esmerelda Weatherwax and Gytha Ogg inside a "haunted" Opera House? All sorts of meddling, that's what, even though they will deny this, because witches don't meddle in the affairs of others. But no living soul (or dead, I apologise to the vampires and zombies in this series) can resist a good mysterious phantom (or two) who uses an obscene amount of exclamation points. Pratchett's satire is on point, as usual. Opera is one crazy world.Am I the only one having feelings because gRANNY???
—Vanessa
Pratchett's Discworld novels are my favorite light reading. He takes bits of our society -- and our language -- and turns them upside-down, inside-out (and sometimes backwards in time) so he can hold them up to the reader with a conspiratorial grin. Pratchett's satire is exuberant, good-humored and, although it is wildly irreverent, doesn't feel disrespectful. Most of all, Pratchett is funny. I often find myself, well, not exactly laughing out loud, more like snorting noisily through my nose (sntmn?) at his outrageous twists and turns. Maskerade, not new, but the latest to fall under my hand, doesn't disappoint. The sacred cow that Pratchett milks for this novel -- with the help of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg -- is the world of opera and musical theater. Great fun.
—Paul
Granny looked out at the dull gray sky and the dying leaves and felt, amazingly enough, her sap rising. A day ago the future had looked aching and desolate, and now it looked full of surprises and terror and bad things happening to people...If she had anything to do with it, anyway.Agnes Nitt and her alter ego, Perdita X. Dream, have joined the opera. Agnes has a remarkable singing voice (she can even sing harmony with...herself...), but unfortunately, she is a "traditionally built woman." So, she gets to sing in the background while the skinny, attractive star "uses" her voice and gets all the acclaim. No one ever said life is fair, even in Discworld.But strange things are happening at the opera house. There are reports of a phantom hanging about, instruments have been smashed, and now, bodies are dropping from the rafters.I guess it's lucky that Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are in town. Since Magrat's absence, they've discovered that three witches are needed for a coven, AND to keep them from driving each other batty, so they've come to vet Agnes for the job. And while they're there, they might as well clear up all this phantom nonsense to boot.Maybe it was the predominantly female cast, but I enjoyed the stuffing out of this one.Granny gets to find out "What's Opera, Doc?" and Nanny provides possibly the best explanation of its charms that I've ever heard:"Well, it's quite simple reely," she said. "A lot of people are in love with one another, there's considerable dressing up as other people and general confusion, there's a cheeky servant, no one really knows who anyone is, a couple of ole dukes go mad, chorus of gypsies, etc. Your basic opera. Someone's prob'ly going to turn out to be someone else's long-lost son or daughter or wife or something."I also learned that opera would be a whole lot better if they sold peanuts and beer.Nanny and Granny are a great comedy duo. Normally, I'm a diehard Weatherwax fan, but I must say Nanny really stole the show in this one. She gets to utter my favorite line from the book as she elbows her way through a crowd to check out what all the fuss is about - "Let me through. I'm a nosy person."I think, Granny Weatherwax is the woman I'd like to be - a thin, wise, knows-when-to-keep-her-mouth-shut, Katherine Hepburn-type of woman. Nanny Ogg is the woman I am - a short, blowsy, doesn't-know-when-to-shut-up, Bette Midler-type of gal. Oh, well. She may be a bit sloppy and unkempt, but she gets the job done. Just what you'd expect from a nosy person. (Like me.)
—Melki
