Witches Abroad [IMPORT] (Paperback)

by Terry Pratchett (Author) "This is the Discworld, which travels through space on the back of four elephants which themselves stand on the shell of Great A'Tuin, the sky..." (more)
Key Phrases: dwarf bread, invisible runes, older witches, Nanny Ogg, Granny Weatherwax, Gammer Brevis (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Corgi; New Ed edition (1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0552134651
• ISBN-13: 978-0552134651
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,572,652 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 12 in The Discworld Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once Upon a Time . . . Or Is It?, November 18, 2003

By	Shanshad "shanachie_shadowfax" (Discworld) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Witches Abroad (Mass Market Paperback)

You know the story. The poor servant girl who gets to wear glass slippers and go to the ball marries the prince and lives happily ever after. That was before Terry Pratchett got ahold of the tale and put a few twists in it. Magrat Garlick, youngest member of a coven of witches, has just become a fairy godmother-wand and all. Though the wand seems to be hopelessly set on pumpkins for some reason. And she's got an assignment: to travel to the far away magical city of Genua and stop Emberella from going to the ball. Joining her on this quest is the earthy and often double entendre Nanny Ogg and the ever popular Granny Weatherwax.

Don't expect any kind of typical adventure tale here. Any one who has read Terry Pratchett knows that it won't be long until these three wyrd sisters traversing in "foreign parts" turn every familiar story topsy turvy in a combination of hysterical footnotes, hilarious reactions (check out how the witches deal with the running of the bulls) and sometimes downright poignant observations on humanity. Terry's humor is never devoid of the heart that keeps his work from becoming merely clever and slapstick. Instead, this book reads as an insightful look at human nature and the nature of stories, and how the two are intertwined.

This is Terry Pratchett's 12th Discworld novel and American fans who have been trying to get ahold of Pratchett's earlier work will be delighted to add this book to their collection. For new readers, (I'm a little envious of anyone discovering Pratchett for the first time) your journey into the wonderful, hysterical, whimsical and insightful Discworld novels has only just begun. There are more than twenty six tales of the Discworld to explore. This reprinted paperback version has a sneak peek at Pratchett's next release, NIGHT WATCH, at the back of the book. If you enjoy this book, please check out the rest of Mr. Pratchett's Discworld novels. To start at the beginning of stories featuring Granny Weatherwax, EQUAL RITES is her first introduction, but the better start is WYRD SISTERS which introduces the entire coven. The book to look for following WITCHES ABROAD is LORDS AND LADIES, this is the next book featuring Granny and the coven after their return from foreign parts.

Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Telling Tales, September 20, 2002

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

I am pretty much a gung ho Terry Pratchett fan. I think I've been reading his Discworld books ever since he started writing them. What baffles me is that every time I think I have caught up, I find a couple more that were written 'back then.' I am becoming convinced that somehow Pratchett writes his books 'now,' and has them published 'then.' It is probably some weird way to garner more royalties.

'Witches Abroad' is a case in point. I was just feeling sorry that there haven't been any tales starring the team of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick (apprentice witch and all around wet hen) when, miraculously, this appeared on the shelves. Is it new? Not hardly! First published in 1991 it has managed to escape my notice for all that time. Or rather, that is what Pratchett wants me to think. I know a plot when I see one.

There are two rules about godmothers in Discworld. First, they come in pairs, and second, when one dies, another has to come along and replace her. Desiderata Hollow was a good godmother, but an awful planner. When DEATH finally showed up, she had to pick a successor and skip the necessary training. So while the two elder witches head for Desiderata's cottage to search for the wand, Magrat gets a package at home (where she is practicing New Age self-defense) and finds that she is now the only wet hen who can turn absolutely anything into a pumpkin.

Worse, when Gytha Ogg and Esme Weatherwax recover from this shock they discover that Magrat has a pressing assignment. She must travel to Genua (a city far, far away in another place entirely) and keep a young woman from kissing a frog. And so, the three most unlikely (and irascible) travelers set off for foreign parts, victimizing vampires, werewolves and countless innkeepers along the way. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that Nanny brought along Greebo the (oversexed) cat along for company. Of course, that is exactly the kind of cat Nanny would keep.

Leaving the countryside in a shambles, the three ride their broomsticks into Genua and set about the arduous task of rescuing Ember Ella. You will like Genua; it is a combination of New Orleans, Port au Prince, and Hong Kong. The food is wonderful, Voodoo witches ride their huts through the swamp, stories always come true, and everyone is either happy or dying in the effort. And the other godmother lives there. Book a flight now on the Trans Witch Airlines and you will arrive for the Fat Lunchtime Festival.

Once again, Pratchett has written a tour de farce of slapstick, sarcasm, and pure vaudeville. 'Witches Abroad' is an opportunity to make fun of everything from world travelers to fairy tales, and no one escapes unscathed. Granny Weatherwax is one of my favorite Discworld characters, combining an acid tongue with Socratic wisdom - tough as nails and proud of it. She and Nanny Ogg simply shine. Margrat would too, if wet hens could shine. And even she has a grand moment or two. This is the best of the Discworld witch tales, if not one of Pratchett's best overall.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for anybody interested in fantasy!, May 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Witches Abroad (Discworld) (Hardcover)

When the fairy godmother, Desiderata died, the discworld was short one godmother because she didn't train anybody to take her place. When digging around in her home, two witches, Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax fail to find the wand of the deceased. Later they find out that Desiderata had given her wand to a young witch named Magrat Garlick. Along with the wand, she is given a mission to travel to the city of Genua, on the other side of the discworld, and stop a marriage arranged by a rival fairy godmother, Lilith de Tempscire. All three witches embark on an interesting journey across parts of the discworld they have never seen. They encounter gnomes, gypsies, and kingdoms that were ruined by Lilith. When they arrive in the city, they end their exciting mission, meeting new and interesting people and meeting Magrat's goddaughter. This is a must read for anybody interested in fantasy. Terry Pratchett accomplishes a lot with his three main characters. He also adds in his share of comedy, which lightens the mood, and makes the book a more enjoyable read.