I broke and read the whole book in a day. Sorry peeps! But from some random notes I made on my phone I can see that I wanted us to discuss the Nac Mac Feegles. Pratchett aficionados will of course know that they made their first appearance in Carpe Jugulum, but like a new alien race being introduced in Star Trek, they are far better developed the second time around. In terms of a Pratchett novel this one actually plays things relatively straight as a YA adventure and lesson on grief, and the Nac Mac Feegle provide much needed comic relief. Whether they are dressing up as birds to teach a farm cat a lesson, or sheepishly returning a stolen sheep, they are fluffin' hilarious. Who is your favourite, Rob Anybody, Daft Wullie, Hamish, William the gonnagle, or my personal favourite Not-as-big-as-Medium-Sized-Jock-but-bigger-than-Wee-Jock-Jock? Also I think Pratchett has out Tolkiened Tolkien here. By not giving an actual number to the Nac Mac Feegle, and just focusing on a few of them, I feel more attached to the Nac Mac Feegles as a group to go adventuring with, then the dwarves of Hobbit. And woah what a twish, "'Ach, no' said Rob. 'We're the ones who's deid. Did ye not know that?'" M Night Shamayalan eat your heart out.
What else? I highlighted some text on First sight and second thoughts:
Ye've got that little bitty bit inside o' you that holds on, right? 'Tis the First Sight and Second thoughts ye have, and 'tis a wee gift an' a big curse to ye. You see and hear what others canna', the world opens up its secrets to ye, but ye're always like the person at the party with the wee drink in the corner who cannae join in. There's a little bitty bit inside ye that willnae melt and flow.
And
First sight is when you can see what's really there, not what your heid tells you ought to be there... Because in truth there are more worlds than stars in the sky. Understand? They are everywhere, big and small, close as your skin. They are everywhere. Some you can see an' some ye cannae but there are doors, Tiffan. They might be a hill or a tree or astone or a turn in the road or they might e'en be a thought in yer heid, but they are there, all aroound you. You'll have to learn to see 'em, because you walk amongst them and dinnae know it. And some of them ... is poisonous.
I can imagine many readers screaming at the book at this point, I HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS and damn it do I wish I had first sight! Though the description of first sight could be seen as a metaphor for the adventures and misadventures that await a young teenage girl or boy in life.
We also learn a lot more about Granny Aching and her importance to not just Tiffany but to the entire community. As Rob Anybody so aptly puts it
What's magic, eh? Just wavin' a stick an sayin' a few magical words. An' what is clever aboot that,eh? But lookin' at things, really lookin' at 'em,and workin' 'em oout, now that's a real skill.
In these chapters we see through flashbacks, how Granny tackled the baron and his troublesome dog who had been killing sheep. No magic is used, instead more of the famous headology, but surely as Rob would say, that's real magic, as opposed to waving a magic wand for a quick fix?
The figurine of the Shepherdess is important as well.
It was a lovely thing but it was a joke of a shepherdess, made by someone who'd probably never seen a sheep up close.
How we perceive things, and they really are is a recurring theme in this book, think of how the witches are not dressed all in black with pointed hats, and my heart went out to poor Tiffany as she beat herself up inside for fearing she had inadvertently insulted her grand mother.
Anyway thoughts? Must be quite a few. I would particularly be intrigued to how you all think the thoughtson the novel being about coming to terms with loss.
