Customer Reviews

I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld)

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Tiffany Aching is facing an insidious evil; "poison goes where poison is welcome". Not a literal poison, but a poison of souls that causes the people who need witches to question, misinterpret, and attack people like Tiffany. Tiffany spends her days helping people, she goes to "feed them as is hungry, clothe them as is naked, and speak up for them as has no voices". What comes for her is blind and hateful.

To add to this, the Baron is dying, his son is under the spell of someone other than Tiffany, Tiffany has to face the bane of witches throughout the ages, the other witches are watching and judging her, and, worst luck, the Nac Mac Feegle are ready help her again. Along the way, she meets the genius behind Boffo, a skeleton that is much happier with a teddy bear than without, a young woman with a unique gift for languages, and Roland's (the son of the dying baron) fiancée and her mother, the Duchess.

Dark, with humorous highlights. Sir Terry Pratchett addresses the worst aspect of the human soul; petty and willfully ignorant hatred for those to whom you are indebted. Someone spends their days healing and giving to others, so, of course, the human reaction is sullen rage and resentment. At the same time, the Nac Mac Feegle are in fine form. Jeannie, the Kelda of the Wee Free Men is growing into her role as their matriarch (and mother to most) of the clan. Rob Anybody has apparently mastered the hiddlins (secrets) of the explaining, the heart of being husband to the Kelda, but truly lets forth his rage before the tale is told. And of course, there is always Daft Willie and his pal, Horace the cheese.

This one was much darker than Pratchett's other books, cutting straight to what is worst in humanity and hauling it out into the daylight, then on to the fire. The themes and imagery are very powerful, and should have any reader stopping to think about where this has been seen, and what it is really about. Without spoilers, there is light at the end, but this is in question at times.

Deeply moving and absolutely brilliant.

Edward M. Van Court

Tiffany Aching is the witch of Chalk, which means that she has to do all the messy rural stuff that witches do. But witches aren't always as appreciated as they should be, and Terry Pratchett's "I Shall Wear Midnight" flings the sensible young girl -- and the Nac Mac Feegles -- against a threat that really, really doesn't like witches.

Tiffany is doing the usual witchy rounds in Chalk -- nursing the sick, burying the dead, watching cheese races, and rescuing the occasional girl from an abusive father. Then the local Duke expires after a long illness, and it's up to Tiffany to tell his son Roland and his "watercolour-painting wife-to-be" about what happened.

The problem is, she's being stalked by a creepy eyeless man with a vile psychic stench, who is inspiring people to hate and distrust witches. Suddenly stones are being thrown, accusations are being made, and Tiffany even finds herself in the Ankh-Morpork jail. And if Tiffany doesn't find a way to stop the Cunning Man, things will get very toasty for the witches...

Due to having Alzheimer's disease, Terry Pratchett had to dictate "I Shall Wear Midnight" instead of the usual computer typing. As a result, the book's beginning is very rambly and scattered, as if Pratchett hadn't fully thought out how the plot was going to go -- but after the Duke's death, things start to tighten up and move faster.

And Pratchett hasn't lost any of his delicious wit, whether it's poking fun at cliches (the cackle box!) or sharp dialogue ("Have you boys got no shame?" "I couldnae say, but if we have, it probably belonged tae somebody else"), or his knack for writing truly chilling moments, such as Tiffany seeing the Cunning Man's holes-where-his-eyes-should-be, or the almost palpable darkness as hatred starts to take over people's hearts.

But unlike authors who talk down to "young readers," Pratchett doesn't shy away from realistically dark moments, like Tiffany caring for a girl who was badly beaten by her father until she miscarried. These parts -- and the "rough music" -- are more horrifying than the Cunning Man.

Tiffany herself is a very realistic depiction of a sensible, mature, no-nonsense young lady (like a younger version of Granny Weatherwax). While Pratchett occasionally reminds us that she IS still young (and prone to little stabs of jealousy), she grows up a great deal in this book. And there are some hints of romance with a young guard (who can pronounce the word "marvelous").

"I Shall Wear Midnight" is an excellent -- possibly final -- entry in Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series. It starts out rather slow, but soon kicks into stride.

This is the latest entry in Pratchett's four-book sub-series about a young witch, Tiffany Aching, as she grows up and learns, appropriately enough for her trade, to be a wise woman. (There are upwards of thirty or forty "Discworld" books total, which cluster into subgroups around individual characters). While you could certainly start here if you wanted to, new readers might find it more rewarding to begin with The Wee Free Men, the first in Tiffany's sub-series, followed by A Hat Full of Sky and then Wintersmith, before proceeding to this one.

This is billed as a children's / young adult book, although little sets it apart from Pratchett's other fantasy except for some (very) slight bowdlerizations; primarily, this is a young adult book because the heroine is a young adult, and it deals with issues that young adults have to deal with. Like the Harry Potter books, the content and tone of the Tiffany series have been maturing ever so slightly with each book to match the advancing maturity of the protagonist, and while this one's still suitable for younger readers, it definitely contains a few jokes likely to fly over their heads (at least unless some other source has educated them). Tiffany herself is portrayed as very mature for her age - a portrayal deliberate on Pratchett's part, I believe, as Tiffany is exactly as mature as most people that age tend to think they are, and almost as mature as she herself wants to be.

Each volume in the series sets Tiffany a particular problem to resolve; here the problem (s) are innuendo, rumour, gossip, romantic rivalries, and pointless mob hatred, things that many if not most teenage girls will identify with (even if in Tiffany's case the "witch hunt" she has to deal with is somewhat more literal). Tiffany's prior romance with Roland, the son of the local Baron, has clearly ended, and Roland's is about to marry Letitia, the daughter of a (very obnoxious) Duchess; meanwhile, some of the residents of the Chalk are stirring up hatred and accusations against Tiffany, and stalking her is the Cunning Man, a personification of suspicion, envious rage, hatred, mob violence, and the witch hunt.

Pratchett's typical mastery is still present here, his wit and his wisdom; the only real sign of his advancing illness is that there's a sense, especially in the novel's conclusion, that this may be the final Tiffany Aching novel and the final novel of his Witches series (if only because it features a cameo appearance from a character we haven't seen since the very first Witches-series novel, Equal Rites, first published twenty-plus years ago). All in all, it's an excellent book, fully as good as anything else he's written, and a book that will definitely please fans of the series and new readers alike.

I pre-ordered this book -ages- ago and had been extremely excited to get my hot little hands on it. When the book came, I tore open the package, sat down, and consumed it. And now that I have, I write this knowing full well that most people will disagree with my take on it. However, like Unseen Academicals and Monstrous Regiment, I disliked this story from the beginning.

I appreciate that he addressed -real- topics that happen in real life--domestic violence, the power of hate, the ugliness of rumors, and the bittersweet nature of growing into adulthood in general. He knows damned well that kids are more than able to deal with these topics, especially if they are being written about in an intelligent, thoughtful manner. That is one of the things I always have loved about Pratchett and that I always will, especially in his kids books. I reread most of my Discworld books at least once every few years--my absolute favorites I reread at least once a year. A few treasured ones (for me, Feet of Clay is my ultimate Discworld book, with the other Guard books behind it) are reread several times.

But this one felt...forced and stilted to me, from the start. Admittedly, part of that is the style. The beauty of Pratchett has always been in his utterly genius way with words, the way he skillfully takes innocent looking words and strings and slides them together into a prose that almost seems to glow on the page with a sly and intelligent sense of humor that -at the very same time- manages to make very real social commentary about our own world. This book lacked that same flow of words and blazingly fast wit. Before people pile on, I understand the main reason behind the style issue (apparently this book had to be dictated) and (frankly) am rather in awe of the achingly (ha, no pun intended!) brief but sweet glimpses of the turns of phrases that were prime Pratchett that occur occasionally in the book.

That said, the real problem with the story for me, period, was the actual....story. The villain was definitely scary but despite this, I found that I disliked MANY of the new characters in the story. The idea of new characters themselves don't bother me. (Moist Von Lipwig is still one of my favorite Discworld characters and Tiffany? Is fantastic!) But I violently disliked Amber, Preston, Leticia, the Duchess, Derek, and the urban witches. I disliked how several of the characters behaved in the book and the strange way their strange behavior never....really....got addressed. (Two in particular? Jeanne and Roland.) There was also the resurfacing of an long-gone Discworld character that made no sense, seemed tossed in for no particularly good reason and who, ultimately, contributed very little beyond a bit of 'so this is the backstory'. Tiffany's 'adventure' in Anhk-Morpork made zero sense as I read it and seemed, quite frankly, horribly forced.

As I read the book, I was to surprised to find that I felt angry the entire time and I violently threw the book away once I finished. I will reread it down the road and give it another try after some time passes but I'm not anticipating liking it on a second read (I didn't like Unseen Academicals or Monstrous Regiment on a second read either.) I understand where the more positive reviews are coming from but I have to say, when I finished reading this book, I was extremely disappointed.

Will I buy the next Discworld book? Absolutely, even while knowing I may well dislike it (won't know till I read it). Do I still love Terry Pratchett? Without even a smidge of doubt. Did I enjoy this book? Not even a tiny amount.

This is the fourth book in the Tiffany Aching series set on Discworld. Tiffany is THE witch of the Chalk- the open farmlands outside of Ankh-Morpork. As the witch, most of what she does is birth babies, tend to the sick and poor, and ease people as they die. It's messy, dirty work that is unpaid except for potatoes, hams, old sheets to make in bandages and an occasional pair of old boots. Because witches can't be paid, and most of the people of the Chalk are too poor to pay her, anyway. On Discworld, being a witch has little to do with sparkle and wands and much to do with human need.

Tiffany is (almost) sixteen, and is almost as mature as she thinks she is. She's tired all the time and scarcely stops to eat. When she tries to take a day off to attend the scouring (a country fair on the Chalk), of course things go badly- she ends up tending to a 13 year old young woman who's father has beaten her so badly that she has miscarried. Tiffany helps her by taking her to the Feegle mound to be tended to by the kelda of the Nac Mac Feegle, a woman- a wee tiny woman- who has the art of the soothins, the easing of emotional pain, leading to misunderstandings with the girl's family. Then the old Baron dies, with Tiffany in attendance, and she finds her self accused of murder, theft, kidnapping and of doing black magic.

Tiffany has a couple of enemies, supernatural and human, but they aren't the only problems that have led to her troubles. She has brought some of her troubles on herself, and this can be harder to deal with than the spirit of an ancient witch burner who has been roused from his long sleep and is set on destroying her. Tiffany doesn't understand people nearly as well as she understands fire and magic, and her behavior has made it easier for people to turn against her when the spirit triggers their prejudice.

It's a novel about growing up, about letting go of preconceptions, about understand the first thoughts and second sight, about catching the words that people almost say but don't dare to. I love all the Tiffany Aching books, but this one is my favorite. In between the slapstick humor of the Nac Mac Feegle and the magic flying broomsticks is a lot of psychology and philosophy and some musings on what constitutes magic.

A lot of people have said that this is the last Tiffany Aching book. I do hope not. She is my favorite Discworld character, and there are a lot of plot threads left untied at the end that could launch several more novels of witching life on the Chalk. Well done, Mr. Pratchett, you have created the most believable witch in literature.

I read that this was the best Tiffany Aching book yet. I won't say that. But it is possible. I don't need to tell any Discworld fans it's a great read, they'll already know that. But if you're not a fan, but like fantasy and great humor, read this and you'll be a fan.
I'm not a kid either, I'll be 70 in Dec and love Terry Pratchett's writings.

Classic Terry Pratchett, yes, if you like the other Tiffany Aching books you'll like this one. However, as with Pratchett's other books there are amusing footnotes which Kindle mangles and places at the back of the entire book. If, like me, you love the wonderful asides these footnotes offer, buy the phyical book and get somethign else on the Kindle.

I am an unabashed fan of Terry Pratchett. No writer I know brings more humanity, more humanness, to his writing than Pratchett. And it has never been more plainly on display than in the Tiffany Aching story arc. This is the fourth and probably concluding novel in that amazing series.

Tiffany Aching's adventures need to be read in publication order: The Wee Free Men (Discworld), A Hat Full of Sky: The Continuing Adventures of Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men, Wintersmith (Discworld) and now I Shall Wear Midnight. Each novel presents Tiffany, a very precocious young witch living on the Chalk Downs, with a more difficult challenge. All of them involve solving a problem, often enough a problem she helped create in the first place. Tiffany has to learn, sometimes at considerable sacrifice, how to make things right. How to be responsible.

In Midnight, the challenge is The Cunning Man, the eyeless spirit that hates all witches, and whose miasma infects everyone, even Tiffany's own friend, with that same hatred. In the three earlier novels, Tiffany has had the "help" of the Mac Nac Feegles, the Wee Free Men, the Pictsies. But against a ghost with no physical form, the thieving, drinking, fighting Feegles aren't much use. Their role is restricted to comic relief. When Tiffany asks them, "Have you boys got no shame?" They answer, "I couldnae say, but if we have, it probably belonged tae somebody else."

Pratchett's health no longer permits to him use a keyboard. Instead, he uses voice dictation/recognition software and a capable assistant. Amazingly, the change hasn't affected the quality of his writing. And no one living today writes better than Terry Pratchett. For example,

"Tiffany glanced around for a moment. 'That's Mrs. Proust. She's from Ankh-Morpork, you know. Is she an old friend of yours? She was asking about you only a little while ago.'"

"The Duchess smiled, but it was a strange little smile. If smiles had a color, it would have been green."

This is a wonderful story, wonderfully told. For long-time readers, there are some delightful cameos, including one utterly delightful surprise, reaching far back in the Discworld series, that I won't spoil here. Exceppt to remind readers that Granny Weatherwax had apprentices long before Tiffany.

If this is a children's tale, it is in the tradition of great children's stories, which means more than half of it is written for adults. The novel has its very dark moments. There are metaphorical dragons. But, as Pratchett has said, quoting Chesterton, "Children know there are dragons. Fantasy teaches them that dragons can be defeated."

My very highest recommendation. This is a work of wonder.

Well, us Pratchett fans were a bit worried I admit- but no worries here. This is a great book, and a worthy sequel. Yes, the 1st few chapters are a bit off, but then he gets back into his groove, and it's a wonderful ride. We get to see Tiffany Aching visit Ankh-Morpork and run into Captains Carrot and Angua, which is great fun.

Of course the Nac Mac Feegle are up to their usual mischief and hijinks. After Tiffany, they are the "stars" of this series.

We get to see Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg make a visit too, and both are in fine form.

As in prior books, Tiffany is busy doing her normal "witch" duties but runs into a fearsome foe, one which takes all her willpower to oppose. In this case, it's the Cunning Man, an evil spirit who hates witches.

This book is supposedly for YA readers, but it's actually an even better read for us "adults" who are young at heart. Still, for those wanting a gift book for a YA reader, and who doesn't want to buy them more "vampire romance" I highly recommend this series. The protagonist has more than a little common sense, something which is not common enough in YA fantasy.

I loved this book. I loved that Tiffany has grown so believably from the first book through the fourth. I loved that the story tackled such big issues. I loved that Tiffany visited Ahnk Morpork and fit so nicely into the larger Discworld. I loved seeing Carot and Anqua and Vimes (I always love seeing Vimes) and The Times and everything that makes the Discworld such a fully realized and amazingly created place. I loved the plot. I loved the sense of threat.

And boy did I love the ending. It was beautiful. It was done so well. It actually brought a tear to my eye.

To me, each Tiffany Aching/Wee Free Men book has been better than the last.

And I loved how even beyond Tiffany's trip to Ahnk Morpork, this book tied into so many other Discworld novels (even more so than the other Tiffany books), with references to or characters from many previous books. In addition to the members of the watch mentioned above, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg appear (as they tend to do in the Wee Free Men books), and so does Magrat. References are made to events in Discworld books as diverse as Carpe Jugulum, Sourcery, and Small Gods, in addition to the previous Tiffany books. Unseen University and its library are discussed, along with a running joke about Wizards staffs that has come up in more than one Rincewind book. What's amazing is that even if this was your very first Discworld book, you could appreciate it competely and feel as if you didn't miss anything, but as is so often the case with Mr. Pratchett's books, the more of them you read, the more rewarding each one becomes.

With the Discworld, Mr. Pratchett has created a world that is as complex and well designed as anything in literature--from my reading, only Robert Jordan's 14 massive-book Wheel of Time series comes close--and all the while Mr. Pratchett assembles some of the smartest, funniest, cleverest, most beautiful, and most simply truthfull sentences I've ever read. I have been choked up and touched more than once by the things that he's written. Even better, unlike some humorous writers, Mr. Pratchett's comedy never comes at the expense of the story, but rather enhances and illuminates it. And on top of all that, he has created some of my favorite characters of all time (Sam Vimes being right at the top of that list, but Granny and Tiffany and Rob Anybody are all fantastic as well, as are Carot and the Patrician (definitely the Patrician). And Death, and of course Moist Von Lipwig, (and I could go on and on). Preston, a character just introduced in this book is great as well (although he hasn't had the time to become as iconic and solid and real as so many of the Discworld regulars have)). It's because his writing is so true and his characters are so good that Mr. Pratchett's books can be so touching.

I look forward to the release of every Terry Pratchett book, and after I finish reading one, I look forward to re-reading it a second and even a third time. I have a lot of authors I enjoy, but no other author I consistently re-read. There are generally too many new books for me to have time to go back to old books, but with Terry Pratchett the books and the series are so well structured and the prose is so brilliantly conceived, re-reads are generally just as rewarding as the first time through.

Back to the point--this is a great book, well worth reading, wholly enjoyable, and highly recommended. If it truly is the last Tiffany book, it's a fantastic send off (and of course it's more than a little sad to say goodbye). The whole book is fun and funny and touching, and the ending is brilliantly done. If it is a goodbye to Tiffany, it's a sad one because I will miss her little corner of the Discworld, but it couldn't have been done any better, and I thank Mr. Pratchett for it.