Secrets of The Wee Free Men and Discworld: The Myths and Legends of Terry Pratchett's Multiverse [Paperback]

Linda Washington (Author), Carrie Pyykkonen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2008

A fascinating guide to the international bestselling Discworld series and the award-winning The Wee Free Men—soon to be a major motion picture

Before J. K. Rowling became the best-selling author in Britain, Terry Pratchett wore that hat. With over 45 million books sold, Pratchett is an international phenomenon. His brainchild is the Discworld series—novels he began as parodies of other works like Macbeth, Faust, and The Arabian Nights. The Wee Free Men, one of Pratchett's most popular novels, will be made into a movie by Spider-Man director Sam Raimi. It's the story of 9-year-old wannabe witch Tiffany Aching, who unites with the Nac Mac Feegle (6-inch-tall blue men who like to fight and love to drink) to free her brother from an evil fairy queen.

A fun, interactive guide that will explore the land of Discword, Secrets of The Wee Free Men and Discworld is filled with sidebars, mythology trivia, and includes a bio of the fascinating author Terry Pratchett, and an in-depth analysis of his work. This unofficial guide is a great resource for readers of The Wee Free Men and the other books of the Discworld series.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—This fan-fueled guide to all things Pratchett compares and contrasts the contents of the "Discworld" series with references to popular culture and not-so-well-known science and history. Written in a humorous style with footnotes (in tribute to Pratchett), this is mainly a work for and by devotees of the 35-plus novels. Chapters are themed based on origins of the Discworld or a comparison to other works including the mystery genre and theater. Characters are discussed in depth, including Death, the witches, and wizards. Spoiler warnings are given as major plot points are divulged along the way. Wikipedia and other online sources are heavily relied upon for quotes and references. The book suggests a larger focus on the juvenile series that begins with The Wee Free Men (HarperCollins, 2003), but its audience is really well-versed Pratchett readers.—Corinda J. Humphrey, Los Angeles Public Library
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About the Author

LINDA M. WASHINGTON, a freelance writer, has written several books for kids. She lives in Carol Stream, Illinois.

CARRIE PYYKKONEN has degrees in Early Childhood Education and Geography. She lives in Wheaton, Illinois.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (April 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312372434
• ISBN-13: 978-0312372439
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,264,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Literary Criticism & Collections

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars We are not amused, June 24, 2008

By 

Norm Deplume (Midlands, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of The Wee Free Men and Discworld: The Myths and Legends of Terry Pratchett's Multiverse (Paperback)

I did not expect a great deal from this book, but it was worse than I had feared. It was obvious that it had been cobbled together without all of the boring stuff like checking facts. As an illustration the authors mention Jasper Fforde'e novels several times but get the main character's name wrong; Valhalla is not where the Norse gods live - that should be Asgard; and, most unforgiveably, the mention of The Island of Doctor Moreau by Jules Verne came as a bit of a surprise: for some reason Amazon don't appear to stock it although there are plenty of editions of the (lesser known?) H G Wells version.

When these sort of easily avoided errors pop up, it does not take a great leap of extrapolation to conclude that the rest of the book is not to be trusted.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not even worth collecting., July 13, 2008

By 

The Warlock (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of The Wee Free Men and Discworld: The Myths and Legends of Terry Pratchett's Multiverse (Paperback)

The Discworld novels are great. This book isn't.

First, the "secrets" in this book are already known to EVERY Discworld fans. The authors essentially reveal nothing new.

Second, the writing is very amateurish. It reads like an essay written by a high school student. It's obvious the editor didn't care about the writing but the content.

Third, their "humor" is very stale. They try to copy Pratchett's humor but fall flat. Not funny.

Fourth, I wouldn't even recommend this book to beginners since the authors spoil many of the books.

Avoid at all costs.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Fraudulent in every way, November 27, 2008

By 

V. Mellody (Tucson, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Secrets of The Wee Free Men and Discworld: The Myths and Legends of Terry Pratchett's Multiverse (Paperback)

There are no "secrets" that are accurate. Writing, spelling, grammar and syntax are appalling, and accurate citation of sources is nearly nonexistent. I wouldn't accept this drivel from a sixth grader.
These writers have a very limited understanding of mythology, theology, comparative religions, history, literature or political science.
I bought this book when it was first offered, and it's taken me this long to cool off enough to write a reasoned review.
The authors and their publisher should be ashamed for inflicting this on an unsuspecting public.