Subject: Pratchett: Witches Abroad

From: [email-masked] (Dani Zweig)
Date: 25 Jan 93 20:28:19 GMT

Pratchett's latest Discworld novel, "Witches Abroad" is here, two years
after it appeared in England (which is clearly counter to my idea of
fair international trade).  It's still well written, it's still funny,
though it's not hilarious in the way the Discworld novels were before
they became too familiar.

It's also more serious than the earlier novels.  Along with a deliberately
silly story of three witches travelling at the behest of Emberella's
fairy godmother (to make sure she doesn't marry the prince) are questions
about the limits of power and benevolence, and the point at which doing
'good' is more harmful than not.  (This accounts, in part, for Granny
Weatherwax's insistence on not using magic when headology will suffice.)

I'd say the Discworld series is getting a bit too long in the tooth --
but it's still good fun.

-----
Dani Zweig
[email-masked]

"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
 Are full of passionate intensity." -- W.B. Yeats