Maskerade

The witches sub-series of Discworld is always entertaining. I can't think of one of the five I don't care for. This is the subseries where Pratchett seems to have the most fun spoofing other classic works: Shakespeare, fairy tales and, with this and Carpe Jugulum, classic gothic horror novels (Phantom of the Opera and Dracula).

I am especially fond of this and Carpe Jugulum because of Agnes. Susan and Tiffany were wonderful young leading ladies but I really longed for more Agnes. The split in her mind with her alter-ego Perdita is incredibly relatable. If you feel that what you're expected to be (the good girl, the capable one) doesn't always fit with what you really feel you are or could be, then you get it. We are not always at our best when we're on our best behavior, and this is well illustrated with Agnes. Perdita is Agnes' daring, bitchy, glamorous side coming out, and who knows what Agnes could achieve if she didn't behave all of the time?

There's a common theme in the Discworld books of talented young outsiders who are looking for their place in the world. With her supernatural singing ability, Agnes hopes to find a future on stage, or at least out of small-town Lancre where her choices are limited to wife or witch. It takes the events of the this book, plus “meddling” on the part of Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax for her to get the idea that the stage, and the shallow life of showbiz where usually the thin and pretty are favored, might be limiting and not enough for someone as talented as Agnes.

Throughout Maskerade is (of course) the theme of masking your true identity. The most obvious case is Henry Slugg, a very Ankh-Morporkian singer who pretends to be foreign-born Sr. Basilica. Granny Weatherwax gets in on the act, pretending to be a grand lady in order to infiltrate the Ghosts Box at the Opera. Walter Plinge and Agnes are the most interesting/least shallow of these masked identities and they both suffer in roles that the world has placed on them.
“You want to be something else and you're stuck with what you are,” said Agnes “I know all about that. You're lucky. All you have to do is put on a mask...”

Walter masquerades as a simpleminded handyman who works in the opera house. It's slowly revealed that there might be much more to him. The central mystery of Maskerade is whether or not what he's repressing is a personality capable of multiple murders.

There are other things to love about Maskerade.

1. The humor is dead funny: dark, cynical, silly, sarcastic, slapstick, as well as fun cameos from other Ankh Morpork regulars.

2. A heroic fantasy story with older women as the heroes seems to be a rare thing. Nanny Ogg gets to shine here, her social skills and ability to win other people's trust are indispensable and even Granny admits that it's a kind of magic that she never excelled at. Nanny is more than just Granny's sidekick and balancing force. Part of the power of the old witches is that they know themselves very well and have all the confidence that comes with that. In contrast, they don't spend time doubting their identity. (“-Oh yes? Can you identify yourself?
-Certainly. I'd know me anywhere.”)

3. Even if you're not big on opera, this book would probably appeal to theater kids, which I was. The backstage excitement, rehearsals, “show must go on” , the professional jealousy, it's all a part of the fun and very well portrayed here. (I can see bits of my old self in Agnes and Christina.)

The literary parody and Scooby-doo style mystery might seem a bit silly superficially but there's so much good stuff here.

I quite enjoy this one, which is readable and amiable and features the witches, who are not up against any really stiff opposition this time. It also features Agnes Nitt, a young and ample lady who is maybe destined to be a witch but wants to be an opera singer instead.

It's not one of my favourites, perhaps because I'm not an opera fan, and furthermore I know nothing about The Phantom of the Opera. Also perhaps because it's lacking in regular characters, apart from Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Greebo the cat. (And Death, who always turns up everywhere, sooner or later.)

Agnes Nitt is a semi-regular character: she appears in a few other Discworld books.

The one-off characters created for this story are OK, but I don't mind that we won't see them again.

A rollicking adventure with many humourous bits that has somewhat depreciated thanks to the fatphobic and ableist attitudes prevalent in 1995 that have infused so much of this book. There's also a whiff of very old stereotypes insisting the conventionally pretty female must be dumb and/or selectively calculating and shallow, and the not conventionally pretty female must be clever and decent. Pretty light on social commentary or interesting underlying message too. Not my fave Discworld book.

Update: so I read it after quitting a while ago for fat-phobia. This is a love letter to the opera and Phantom of the Opera, but with the witches.

Not much to say, I was convinced to read this because I originally decided to quit and skip due to the fat-phobia present. It was fine, I went in with a bad taste in my mouth so that probably tainted the book for me. I did chuckle a bit from time to time and I liked the ending, but not my fave Discworld for sure however still glad I read it.

From when I originally quit: It's kind of weird how badly Pratchett wants you to know how large of a woman the main character is. I got through 25 pages and it's very nearly on every page. She can't turn around, she doesn't know her own body, etc. It's dumb and I didn't want to keep reading it.