Equal Rites
by Terry Pratchett, Nurit Sharʻabi · first published 1987
43% recommend54% neutral4% critical
Why HN recommends it
Funny Discworld fantasy that introduces Granny Weatherwax and the witches. Works as an entry point that skips the weaker early books, for readers who want comic fantasy with something to say.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels, consistent number one bestsellers in England, have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody along with Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen.In Equal Rites, a dying wizard tries to pass on his powers to an eighth son of an eighth son, who is just at that moment being born. The fact that the son is actually a daughter is discovered just a little too late...
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Just wanted to recommend reading more Pratchett. :) I bought a couple more novels last week and couldn't help but finish one (Equal Rites) less than twenty four hours later.
on “Emacs users are like Terry Pratchett’s Igors” ↗…the first few books are weird and will put you off. Question 2: What sounds more fun to you, reading about Badass Witches, Badass Policemen or Badass Businessmen? Your respective starting points are Equal Rites, Guards! Guards! and The Truth.
on “Sir Terry Pratchett has died” ↗…you're planning to read the whole series. But he didn't hit his stride for a few books, and there are many sub-series to read. For a good stand alone, my favorite is Small Gods. You could also read Equal Rites or Mort. Another great story arc starts with Guards! Guards!
on “Novels with giant, possibly magical, libraries” ↗…slippers who don't really do anything at all...and when they do, they usually screw something up pretty badly. Granny Weatherwax (a witch) is easily one of Pratchett's best characters. (She shows up in Equal Rites, and then again in Wyrd Sisters, which is a sort of retelling of Macbeth...and in several books since.)
on “Terry Prachett: Why Gandalf Never Married (1985)” ↗Equal Rites was my first Terry Pratchett book after not reading any since middle school. It was great and I laughed a lot while reading it
on “Discworld on Page and Screen, Part 1: Serious Comedy” ↗"Best" is always too hard - here are a handful that I love. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susannah Clarke The Crow Road - Iain Banks Equal Rites - Terry Pratchett Three Men in a Boat - Jerome K. Jerome A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson Black Holes & Time Warps - Kip Thorne The Inventions of Daedalus - David E H Jones The…
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've ever read?” ↗…the first Trump admin, when I was in my early forties. what Dude they are comic fantasy, yes Pratchett has Things to Say about the world in them, more and more as the series goes on, but I picked up Equal Rites soon after it came out when I was eighteen and the series was a constant delight through my college years and beyond. Yes there are things in Discworld that will zoom right by a kid and only land when…
on “Discworld Rules” ↗Small Gods and Good Omens are the best starts; then, I'd hit up the Granny Weatherwax books, eg, Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, etc.
on “Royal Mail to Issue “Terry Pratchett’s Discworld” Stamps” ↗…Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, though fun books and enjoyable fantasy parodies in themselves, are really not representative of what the later Discworld books were to become. When Terry wrote Equal Rites and Mort, he really set out his manifesto for the series as being about this world, reflected in that world, and that theme is what really carries forward. So with the caveat that you need to understand…
on “Sir Terry Pratchett has died” ↗…the Discworld novels, and tbh I find Rincewind a tad annoying. I personally find any novel in the Witches arc a lot more enjoyable, starting with "Lords and Ladies". Other good ones: "Carpe Jugulum", "Equal Rites". Another very enjoyable set is the night watch arc. Both "Guards, Guards" and "Night Watch" are excellent. [edit]: oh yeah, and how could I forget: "Small Gods". Hilarious even if it stands a little…
on “Novels with giant, possibly magical, libraries” ↗…The rest of it, I think, won't persuade anyone to read Discworld novels who's resisted them so far. Those who have and love them will find it a pleasant enough survey. Oh and I personally think that Equal Rites is the best entry point to the series rather than Sourcery. But then I was reading them in publishing order anyway and eagerly waiting for each new one to come out. Damn I miss being able to look forward…
on “Discworld Rules” ↗…prescribed unofficial Reading Order graphic when I started the series (only 10ish books in), and I've jumped around between all the different protagonists. Color of Magic, Mort, Guards Guards, and the Equal Rites do well enough to show you what the Disc is all about, the absurdity of normalcy, and some of the crazy antics people get into. I think it may be more a matter of what "type" of fiction are you looking…
on “Discworld Rules” ↗I did too (a long time ago when I was 13). But I think there was a change in tone with and continuing after Equal Rites, in that the characters and story were a bit more thorough rather than being, essentially, a sketch-show vehicle for parody and quips. Besides, it introduces Granny Weatherwax, who is IMO one of his…
on “Discworld Rules” ↗You could skip the first two books and start with Equal Rites.
on “Sir Terry Pratchett has died” ↗I too support Equal Rites for all but a minor correction. Pratchett specifies that it is the eighth child of an eighth son, not seventh.
on “Magic Leap Settling Sex Discrimination Lawsuit with Former Employee” ↗