A frying pan and common sense, why Terry Pratchett will never fail you.
A review of my one of my absolute favorite Discworld books: The Wee Free Men
“If you trust in yourself…and believe in your dreams…and follow your star…You’ll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren’t so lazy”
Discworld and Terry Pratchett has never let me down, at least not yet. They have carried me through so much. And at some point I decided that these very funny and special books, would be left for moments where I desperately needed them. Hence, I have still not read all 41 books of this amazing series, which to me, means I am lucky as hell as I have many more Discworld books to discover and adore.
The Wee Free Men was one those first books I saw on the list and got exited about, and I did think to myself: I am going to save that book for a time, when I really need it. That time came early this year, because holy moly, I have read through some truly shitty fantasy books, and after the disaster of The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare (FYI: do not read those. Just stay away) - I needed something better.
I read it back in February - March, and since then, I have actually gone back and reread certain parts, just to get back that feeling of why Discworld is one the best worlds there are within the fantasy genre. For this one I chose to go with the audiobook read by Stephen Briggs.
Stephen Briggs. Remember that name. What a narrator! The list of my favorite narrators keeps growing. Briggs gives both Steven Pacey, Olivia Colman and Andy Serkis a heck of a run for their money. Sadly I have discovered that the edition I have in my library with Stephen Briggs is no longer available, but there are still books read by him in the Discworld series if you want to check him out.
Lets dive into why The Wee Free Men deserves to be included on this epic list.
The little blue men and a talking toad
The Wee Free Men may be marked as a YA fantasy, but do not let that scare you away from it. This is in truth an ageless story.
Synopsis from goodreads: Another world is colliding with this one," said the toad. "All the monsters are coming back." "Why?" said Tiffany. "There's no one to stop them. "There was silence for a moment. Then Tiffany said, "There's me." Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnapped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk's local Nac Mac Feegle - aka the Wee Free Men - a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds - black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors - before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone...
The synopsis had me right away, and since I am not objective at all, I had very high hopes for this book and it really delivered!
I am still baffled at how he managed to make this story so entertaining, funny and at the same time dipping into deep and serious topics. There are not many authors who truly are able to write ageless stories - but Pratchett did it.
There is absolutely nothing I did not like about this book, from the nine year old Tiffany, to the Nac Mac Feegles, to the fairies, the sheep stealing and dialogue. Even the reasoning and thinking of said nine year old was on point. On top of that, a wonderful and talented narrator, Stephen Briggs, who nails all the accents, this was the easiest five stars I have given out this year.
“Tiffany’s Second Thoughts said: Hang on, was that a First Thought? And Tiffany thought: No, that was a Third Thought. I’m thinking about how I think about what I’m thinking. At least, I think so. Her Second Thoughts said: Let’s all calm down, please, because this is quite a small head.”
Tiffany.
Where to begin with Tiffany. My biggest fear when reading books from a perspective of a child, is getting annoyed and bored and just realizing I am too old for this. And I am. I’m 35. I do not find children or teens that much fun to read as I used to. Tiffany on the other hand, had me from the very beginning.
Not only is she a bookworm. She had the ability to see what’s really there (and not what you believe should be there instead), and thoughts about the thoughts she is already having. First Sight, Second and Third Thoughts, are some of my favorite elements of this book. She is a no-nonsense heroine and nails her role through being curious, caring about the people in her life and a talented witch to be.
Even when she is being selfish and stubborn, in a way only children can be, she is still amazing. The funny thing about her, that made me connect instantly and even take a few trips down memory lane, is her relationship with her brother. As an older sister, with two of them, I was suddenly reminded on how much they would annoy me, but if anything threatened them, I’d be there in a second. We love do them (most of the time), even when they are annoying as hell.
I am keeping it rather short about these characters, as I do want you to just experience them all. In all their glory, sarcasm and unforgettable moments. But know this, these are characters that leave a mark on you, they are so well written, to the point they truly feel real. There is depth, development and a huge personality in all of them.
Crivens!
The Wee Free Men. The Nac Mac Feegles. The hilarious blue little fellows with red hair and kilts who love to fight and have a temper. Also, they steal sheep and are quite good at it. They might be thieves, but lets not forget that they do in fact have standards. I will forever treasure their bravery, big hearts and undisputed loyalty. The connection they have with Tiffany is both heartwarming and so entertaining that you just want them to go on and on in their ramblings.
We cannot forget Miss Tick. The talking toad. Of course there is a talking toad in this story. Another of Tiffanys helpers that she meets on her adventure, and one close to my heart: sarcastic as hell. She gave me some of my favorite quotes ever;
“I can see we’re going to along like a house on fire.” said Miss Tick. ”There may be no survivors”
This still makes me giggle.
An ageless story
At this point I have read my way through 28 of the books on the original list, and this is one of those that truly deserves the spot it got. There have been reviews that have mentioned that Alice in Wonderland is the inspiration of The Wee Free Men. Maybe it is. All I know is, I absolutely hated Alice in Wonderland, but adored The Wee Free Men. If you are stuck between the two, go for this one. It has everything Alice in Wonderland lacked.
It is a wonderful story, with so many deep themes that teaches you of life, all told through the experiences and point of view of a nine year old. The Wee Free Men is a book of substance, a book we all should read at some point in our lives, no matter how old you are, 9 or 35.
Before I leave you, let me say this: If you are completely new to Discworld and its 41 books and unsure on where to start - start here! You are in for a ride and get a wonderful book and a great start to the many many amazing books within this universe. Armed with her frying pan, Tiffany will show you the way and you’ll never look back.
Discovered you through Simon Haisell! I love sci-fi and fantasy but have not yet explored Discworld. Really enjoyed your review. Look forward to more.