Lords und Ladies (1992)

Lords and Ladies is a lesser Discworld novel, coming hot on the heels of one of the best in the series so far (Small Gods). Even though it's a direct sequel to Witches Abroad, which I found to be one of the more tedious books of the entire series, it is clearer and more enjoyable. That said, there's not much in this one to move you out of second gear.

Plot is never really a strength even in the best Discworld novels, with things always being a bit harum-scarum, but Lords and Ladies keeps it relatively simple. The return of the elves, the 'Lords and Ladies' of the title, is rather an ingenious idea. You see, in the Discworld, elves were renowned for being beautiful but, since their eclipse, people have forgotten that they were also evil and malicious. As Pratchett puts it, "We're like mice saying, 'Say what you like, cats have got real style'" (pg. 137).

When the elves do finally arrive, the book loses its way a bit; it's not all that clear what they want, or how they're trying to achieve it. It's as though Pratchett had been holding a card in reserve for much of the story, only to forget to play it. After such a slow but intriguing build-up, this was a disappointment, and the blow-by-blow account of the fighting at the end got a bit muddled. It unravels a little bit, but it says a lot for Pratchett's idiosyncratic talent that the reader gets their dependable Discworld dose no matter the objective quality of the story being told. ( )

I've come to the realization, after reading a third of the Discworld novels, that Pratchett would have to shit the bed quite strenuously to produce a bad one.

That being said, while I got a few chuckles out of this one, and quite enjoyed the story overall, this one didn't seem quite as successful as the last three or four. I can't put my finger on why. Hell, maybe it's just me in a coronavirus funk.

Still, for all of that, even a slightly unsuccessful Discworld novel is time well-spent. ( )

I can really relate to Magrat. ( )

Although I think I miss a lot of the references to things literary & scientific in Pratchett's books, I can still laugh at his puns and hilarious slapstick provided by wizards, witches and a dwarf. ( )

Lords and Ladies continues more or less directly the events of Witches Abroad. It follows the trials and tribulations of the witches Weatherwax, Ogg, and Garlick.

This time around, a decent chunk of the book is dedicated to the Discworld idea of the Fae--which are just about as terrifying as they should be.

Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvelous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.
No one ever said elves are nice.

On top of that, we deal decently much with the nature of reality in the Discworld and the possibilities of parallel realities.

It was here that the thaum, hitherto believed to be the smallest possible particle of magic, was succesfully demonstrated to be made up of /resons/ (Lit.: 'Thing-ies') or reality fragments. Currently research indicates that each reson is itself made up of a combination of at least five 'flavours', known as 'up', 'down', 'sideways', 'sex appeal' and 'peppermint'.

Physics!

In fact, the mere act of opening the box will determine the state of the cat, although in this case there were three determinate states the cat could be in: these being Alive, Dead, and Bloody Furious.

The characters are great (especially towards the end when Magrat comes into her own). The humor is humorous. The plot is ... well ... Discworldy.

Worth the listen. ( )