Maskerade: A Novel of Discworld

Magrat Garlick has left witching to become Queen of Lancre, leaving only Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, which they both know won't work; two witches is an argument, while three (Maiden, Mother, and Crone) allows one of them to make peace between the other two. The best candidate for the No. 3 position is Agnes Nitt, whose considerable bulk has limited her love life in any case -- but Agnes has gone off to Ankh-Morpork to try to make it with her extraordinary singing voice. (She can sing harmony with herself in thirds.) It happens that Nanny Ogg, well known libertine, has also written a book called THE JOY OF SNACKS, which is a bestseller, but not being good with money, or numbers generally, she doesn't realize the publishers owe her a bundle. Well, Granny and Nanny will just have to head for the Big City themselves to do a bit of stealth recruiting, and to hit on the publishers for royalties. Agnes -- or Perdita, as she prefers to call herself -- has been hired for the chorus at the Opera House, which has recently been taken over by a retired cheese magnate, and which just happens to be afflicted with a letter-writing, mask-wearing ghost. Pratchett has a lot of fun working up a plot that rivals the convoluted, often nonsensical plots of operas themselves. But his is actually a pretty good murder mystery. And he hasn't lost his touch with the language, either. When Nanny admits she send in her book manuscript under a pseudonym, Granny replies, "Why dint you put your own name on it, eh? Books've got to have a name on `em so's everyone knows who's guilty." Later, when Nanny protests that the money isn't that important to her, Granny tells her firmly, "You've been exploited." "No I ain't." "Yes you have. You're a downtrodden mass." And in describing a witch's innate ability to jump to conclusions on thin evidence, the author notes, "sometimes there wasn't time to do anything else but take a flying leap. Sometimes you had to rust to experience and intuition and general awareness and take a running jump. Nanny herself could clear a quite tall conclusion from a standing start." Great stuff.

Terry Pratchett's satirical eye doesn't spare anybody or anything, and in his nineteenth Discworld book "Maskerade," it's opera's turn to suffer. In his typically barbed prose, he gleefully spoofs the "Phantom of the Opera," lampoons opera in general, and takes the opportunity to take everyone's favorite witches out to Ankh-Morpork.

Magrat Garlick is newly married and crowned. As a result, Granny Weatherwax is moody and bored, while Nanny pens an erotic cookbook -- and when it turns out that she's being cheated of royalties, Granny decides to go to Ankh-Morpork and confront her publisher. Meanwhile, the primary witch-maiden candidate, Agnes Nitt, has also gone to Ankh-Morpork to become an opera singer.

But the opera isn't all it's cracked up to be -- Agnes finds herself providing the voice for pretty, airheaded Christine, and the opera ghost is causing some major disasters. Granny and Nanny immerse themselves in the backstage -- and onstage -- drama of the opera, trying to figure out who the Phantom is... and why he's a friend one minute and a foe the next.

It's obvious that the opera holds no awe for Pratchett. Sure, the novel is a spoof of Gaston Leroux's novel, but Pratchett's real intention here is to constantly make fun of the opera, both as entertainment and art form. The entire climax of the book is devoted to making fun of opera's illogic, lack of acting, and such time-honored traditions as a dying person flawlessly singing for about fifteen minutes before expiring.

But it's not all opera spoofery. Despite some grisly deaths and the psycho Phantom (who sends notes filled with maniacal laughter), getting the witches out of Lancre gives the whole story a light, fun feel. It has some darker scenes, such as Granny playing cards with Death for a baby's life, but most of it is dedicated to the witches doing the sort of weird things they'd never do at home (impersonating duchesses, for one).

Pratchett sprinkles the storyline with hilarious dialogue, wacky situations (Nanny Ogg moonlights as the world's fattest ballerina), and some swashbuckling. And he includes a small message as well, about being the sort of person we actually want to be -- and how "masks" on the outside can change us.

Agnes Nitt has a lot of pagetime, but she seems rather fussy and pallid next to Granny and Nanny -- we get to see just how strong their friendship really is, despite their bickering. Granny shines especially, courtesy of a shopping spree, some coach rides and some dodgy darkish magic. And we have a wide array of timid janitors, annoying managers and airheaded sopranos to round out the cast.

"Maskerade" is a gleeful, glorious spoof of opera in general, and a fun outing for the Lancre witches. Definitely a solid entry for Pratchett.

A newcomer to Pratchett these days would have had to be in some very out-of-the-way spot indeed not to be aware at least of his huge popular following, and this particular production came to me borne on a tide of hyperbolic commendation from no less than the Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian, Starburst, the Irish Times, the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday. My own solitary encounter with the author before turned out to be a children's book, Johnny and the Bomb, and the provisional impression I had formed of him from that was that he was obviously talented and obviously had a sense for how to reach a mass market without demeaning himself in the process, but that he made things easy for himself in some ways, not all of them ways I greatly liked. In particular I would certainly have noticed even as a child how indebted that story was to Richmal Crompton's Just William series, and as a senior citizen I hadn't forgotten and was slightly put off.

I hadn't got far into Maskerade before I found some of the 1-line witticisms jarring on me slightly. They may be original for all I know, but Johnny and the Bomb had left me slightly suspicious of Pratchett in that respect, and they come across as being applied like self-adhesive stickers rather than being integral to the story or even to the general style. Chandler is a past master of that sort of thing, Pratchett's efforts read to me like lines he got from somewhere and wants to use somewhere of his own. However there are more important things about the book, such as the plot, the characters and the setting, and I am certainly impressed by both the talent and the professionalism. Pratchett knows how to put a story together and hold it together. The switching between scenes and characters is done with effortless smoothness, and the narrative as a whole achieves a very skilful sense of climax and conclusion. The characters are engaging and I suppose up to a point original, and I could say the same about the story-line.

However this is where I start to feel a few reservations. Pratchett seems to me to focus very well on a particular kind of fantasy and he doesn't fall into the trap of mixing genres. His cast of witches and yokels is perfectly convincing, and the more outré personae such as the unseen ghost and the were-cat fit in very well, as even does the debonair and unfrightening figure of death himself, who for some inscrutable reason always TALKS IN CAPITAL LETTERS, much as the ghost leaves messages in stylish copperplate script. What exactly do features like these really add to the story, I wondered. In general, all the same, it all had too much feel of a formula or recipe to me. I understand that Maskerade is part of a series, and that the characters are well known to the author's large following, of whom I am not yet a part and perhaps never shall be. I could not even guess how many paperback collections of fantasy stories I have picked up over the decades for journeys by train or by air. Some authors of these made a vivid and lasting impression on me, such as Ray Bradbury or J G Ballard, but for the most part my memory doesn't differentiate among them, and I slightly suspect that this is where Pratchett might have belonged if he had not been brought to my notice so forcefully. He picks his way carefully among different styles, taking good heed not to challenge some of the established masters. Thus his setting vaguely reminds me of Gormenghast, his humour vaguely recalls to me Clark Ashton Smith, and to tell the truth most of it vaguely recalls to me something I can recall only vaguely if at all. It's one way of establishing an individual niche, but hardly the most distinctive or memorable way. My recollection reverted enviously to a hilarious series that the late Peter Cook used to write in Private Eye about a bunch of old codgers called the Seductive Brethren - Sir Basil Nardley Stoads, Sir Arthur Starborgling etc. Whether this was ever collected in book form I don't know, and I expect Cook was drunk most of the time (it certainly reads that way), but if you want to find real fantasy with real imagination and real originality it's worth researching.

I liked it, but I can't join in the Hallelujah chorus, I'm afraid. I have just given an undertaking to a fellow reviewer to try one more book by Pratchett. This may change my impression, and of course it hardly needs saying that my opinion is nothing more than one man's individual taste although I have tried as best I can to say why. Whether Pratchett and I will be going much further together is something I shall know shortly, but I can perfectly well understand how he will find many others willing and eager to join his club.

Heroine: plump/abundant 
    Agnes Nitt, remade as Perdita X, has left the tiny village of Lancre behind in favor of the bright city lights of Ankh-Morpork. No way will she wind up like her mother baking perfect apple pies while small children cling to her skirts. No way will she get sucked into the local witches' coven just because it's her destiny. No, it's the stage for Agnes, who is bound and determined to sing the socks off of the auditions board at the Ankh-Morpork Opera House.
Unfortunately for Agnes, this is the century of the Fruitbat and looks far outweigh musical talent when selecting the newest operatic diva. It's bad enough to be passed over as a lead because of her size, but to have to be the voice behind an unmusical yet beautiful slip-of-a-girl is the outside of enough! Add to this the fact that the Opera House seems to be haunted by an odd specter who on the one hand wants to train Agnes to sing even better than she does now, but who also goes 'round killing various members of the cast and crew for no apparent reason. And to top it all off, those gruff but lovable Lancre witches have come to town to try and lure Agnes back home.
Whatever is a witch-diva to do?!
What worked for me:
I love silliness, especially well-crafted silliness! This is why my home is filled with books by Piers Anthony, Robert Asprin, Douglas Adams, and Terrys Pratchett and Brooks. And also why I can recite several Monty Python skits verbatim.
Size-wise Agnes/Perdita is clearly abundant, as is one of the secondary male characters. However, this book is frustrating in that it is filled with mixed messages where size is concerned. On the one hand we frequently hear about how long it takes for some portions of Agnes to arrive at any given destination, and also about her "great hair and nice personality". And yet there are several instances where you suspect the author is subtly making fun of this type of thinking.
What didn't work for me:    
I picked this book up years (we're talking a decade or more, here) after my last encounter with a Discworld novel. Not that I am saying that "Maskerade" can't stand on its own, but I think it would have helped if I had refreshed my memory on the series first.
Overall:
I really enjoyed this wacky story for the most part, and the only thing that brought it down for me was the overuse of stereotypes. (Not just with the large people, either. The slender, slinky gal in this book was an absolute bubblehead cliché!)
Warning: I caution you, if you aren't in the mood to wade through fat jokes and deal with a bit of weight-loss, if absurd humor is not for you, or if "The Phantom of the Opera" parodies are nothing short of blasphemy in your eyes then you might want to give this book a pass. But if you adore bizarre humor and want to try and puzzle out the author's feelings toward fat, you might actually find this light reading material to be rather thought-provoking.
    If you liked "Maskerade" and could over look its faults size-wise, you might also enjoy "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" and "Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul".

[For context's sake, I have been reading the Discworld books in publication order. Maskerade is #18.]

I can't quite decide where I stand on Maskerade. It pulled liberally from Phantom of the Opera, and I couldn't decide if that was a major feint to throw people off of what was actually going on, or just the vehicle by which things would happen. I knew to expect a major twist to the Phantom plot, which ended up being mildly distracting and led to a bunch of second- and third-guessing. Plus I had the soundtrack stuck in my head for days.

There are plenty of references to other operas and works as well, though my unfamiliarity with many of them led to only passing encounters. "Oh, there's something that's probably another opera in-joke. I bet it'd be funny if I knew what was going on."

Ultimately, though, it was quite amusing, adequately gripping, rather fun, and pushed some recurring characters around in good ways.

Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, the two most infamous Discworld witches, have some urgent financial business to take care off in Ankh-Morpork. Who would have guessed that Nanny Ogg's cookbook "The Joye of Snacks" would turn out to be such a success? Certainly if one takes into account that it only contains recipes of dishes that greatly improve one's nightly actions in bed, like Celery Astonishment or Strawberry Wobbler. One certainly would not have guessed that the Ankh-Morpork publisher, one of the nobelest professions on the Discworld, did not prefer to share its profits with the author. Granny Weatherwax is bound to undertake some slight corrective actions to the mindset of the publisher.
When both witches arrive in Ankh-Morpork, they see Agnes Nitt, alias Perdita X. Dream and born in Lancre, avoiding being noticed and failing miserably. Agnes wants to be an opera singer, but Nanny Ogg does not think that having all the talents of an opera singer makes Agnes suitable for a career in the Opera House. But Nanny should not meddle in other people's lives... or should she?
In this eighteenth episode of the Discworld saga Terry Pratchett proves that the witches are not yet fin-de-career. Now that Magrat is gone (see Lords and Ladies), Nanny Ogg is searching for a replacement witch. The search brings them to the world of Opera. Or is it the world of Musical?
The story starts as a typical Discworld novel by introducing some colorful new characters like Mr Bucket, Senior Basilica and Walter Plinge, and some old friends, like Death, the Librarian and sweet-smelling Nobby. But quickly you notice that it all fits nicely as a parody on The Phantom of the Opera, only this time it is more like The Ghost of the Opera. As such this book compares easily with Weird Sisters and Moving Pictures, where Pratchett plays with those other entertainment businesses: theater and film. The plotline of The Phantom really is a grateful base for extremely funny situations. Pratchett is at full speed in the hilarious closing sequence.

The Ankh-Morpork Opera House is terrorized by a masked figure who has a decided preference for a soprano named Christine, and who leaves notes for the opera manager that basically say, "Hahahaha!...PS: Ahahahaha!!!!!"

Meanwhile back in Lancre, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg belatedly realize that a coven requires three witches in order to function properly. Their previous third witch, Magrat is now a queen and can't make their meetings. Magrat's potential replacement, Agnes Nitt has run off to Ankh-Morpork to become an opera singer.

What can Granny and Nanny do but pack up Greebo, the cat and take the stage (the weather is a bit drafty for broom travel) to Ankh-Morpork?

Opera, Queen of Music is easy to satirize, and Pratchett goes for all the obvious targets: chubby singers; horned helmets; anorexic dancers; drunken musicians; and old fuddy-duddies who are stuck in the 'golden age' of opera. As always, the down-trodden are the real heroes of this Discworld novel: the opera house cleaning staff; and fat Agnes Nitt, who is forced into the role of voice-over for the beautiful but tuneless soprano (remember Debbie Reynolds' role in "Singing in the Rain"?)

Death and the Night Watch are supernumeraries in "Maskerade," and any book that stars Greebo, the malodorous cat, who briefly disguises himself as the Phantom, will always be one of my favorite Pratchetts, even if he does satirize my favorite form of music.

P.S. If you haven't read "Witches Abroad," you may be wondering how a cat can pass as a masked man. There's nothing to it if you're Nanny Ogg's cat.

Maskerade is a take on the Gaston Leroux story `Phantom of the Opera'. In the opera house of Ankh-Morpork dastardly deeds are afoot. Christine, the blonde Prima Donna who cannot sing, is being `courted' and taught by the opera ghost. What he doesn't realise is the real star is really one Agnes Nitt, (also known as Perdita X). She is the voice that Christine mimes to. Agnes's talent includes being able to sing in thirds with herself...she also, unbeknown to herself, has a talent for witchcraft.

Lancres famous witches, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are on the hunt for a third witch for their coven since Magrat Garlick very inconsiderately left them to marry the King. After all, everyone knows there has to be three witches...two just won't do. So, Granny and Nanny take a trip to Ankh-Morpork for a night at the opera and to press gang Agnes back to Lancre. In true Terry Pratchett style, mayhem and madness follow. Death makes his appearance as does the Death of Rats, and Greebo, Nanny's evil but hilarious cat will have you rolling on the floor laughing.

This audio book is an abridged version of Maskerade, but has been so skilfully edited that it seems complete. Having read the book I can say I didn't notice any obvious omissions. Tony Robinson (best known as Baldrick in Blackadder) was a perfect choice to narrate this book; he injects the right amount of humour and his `voices' for each character are spot on. This is a truly funny tale and well worth every penny.

I'll be honest, as big a fan as I am of Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series, I was left very cold by "Equal Rites" and "Wyrd Sisters." I figured the Granny Weatherwax tract of stories simply wasn't for me. But "Witches Abroad," "Lords and Ladies" and "Maskerade" have changed my mind -- I may go back and give those earlier books another chance.
Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are one witch short for their coven after the events of "Lords and Ladies." Nanny suggests recruiting local girl Agnes Nitt, who has displayed some talent in the past. There's only one problem -- Agnes has left their home of Lancre to pursue a career in the Ankh-Morpork opera. Granny, Nanny and Greebo the cat embark upon yet another journey.
Like the best of the Discworld books, this one succeeds because it has a tight focus for its satire -- in this case, the opera. Particularly the works of a certain Mr. Webber. Pratchett shows skill at finding each little detail, each inconsistency, each nit just waiting to be picked and then putting it on display for the whole world in a fashion satisfying to both fans and detractors of that which he satires. Also, as with "Men at Arms," he manages to mingle the whole thing with a quite satisfying mystery -- who is the "Ghost" in the Ankh-Morpork Opera House? Why is he killing people? Why is he grooming Agnes to be a performer? It's a great, silly little tale and one of the better Discworld books. Maybe that's why I didn't like the early ones... maybe Terry Pratchett has just gotten that much better as he's come along.

Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, the Lancre Witches, are suddenly out one member of their coven. What's a wise crone and a many-times mother to do without a maiden to flesh out the female trio?
Unfortunately in Lancre, it's hard to find many qualified women, and the only one close enough moved to Ankh-Morpork, a city whose major industry is greed. However, with a little manipulation from Nanny, it's off to Ankh-Morpork to seek Ms. Nitt, aka Perdita, a potential witch with an amazing voice and a desire to do something with her life.

Of course, if you have an incredible voice, where do you end up? Opera! And, of course, what would an Opera House be without ledgends, rumors, superstitions, and a strange masked figure lurking about? Well, safer for a start - and Granny and Nanny are determined to figure out just what's going on in the life of their hopeful recruit.

This novel is both a parody of Phantom of the Opera, and a more realistic portrayal. The "Opera Ghost" is both who you'd expect AND who you wouldn't. There are hilarious and subtle parodies, mixed with serious looks at how we percieve people. Best of all, Pratchett's Phantom of the Opera parodies point out what I've always felt - that in the musical, most of the characters were complete idiots.

If you love Pratchett, buy it and read it. And if you know someone who liked Phantom, and doesn't mind starting a series in the middle, you may have a way to introduce them to Discworld . . .

Being a big fan of humorous fantasy, I've been in love with Terry Pratchett's Discworld almost from the moment I began reading it. I adore Nanny Ogg and Greebo, Granny Weatherwax (to a lesser extent), Rincewind, the Bursar, the Librarian, and Death above all. So it's really not much surprise that I loved this book.

I think, though, that not only does it stand out among comedic fantasy books as all Discworld novels do, but it also stands out among Discworld novels! For all that I don't know opera or Phantom, the jokes I did understand had me rolling, and the idea of Nanny Ogg writing a cookbook is so priceless that it would have earned the book four stars all on its own. Toss in the translation of an opera verse and the little notes of maniacal laughter, and you've got enough funny stuff to leave a person gasping for breath between snickers.

However, it's a valid point to say that this is a story that's probably much funnier if you have some passing knowledge of opera and Phantom; I had the feeling that I was missing out on chunks of it, and really, the plot with Agnes wasn't very riveting. I thought the jokes I did understand more than made up for it, but that's a question of personal taste. This is still one of the Discworld novels that requires the most background knowledge to make most of its hits; it seems full of in jokes, and if you're bugged by that sort of thing, you might want to try a different slice of the Discworld pie instead.

Pratchett has an outstanding capacity to research a topic, then present his findings with peerless clarity and wit. This book presents so many aspects of theatre production, operatic lore and, amazingly, book publication they're nearly overwhelming. His prose and humour leave us breathless with mirth and astonishment. Still, one has to wonder what motivated the writing of Maskarade. It's a departure from previous Discworld efforts.
Magrat Garlick's married and out of the coven. This imbalance must be restored. Her potential replacement is a new Pratchett character, Agnes Nitt. Agnes, however, has a different career in mind. She wants to be a diva in the opera troupe in Ankh-Morpork. A lofty ambition, indeed. And a voice lofty enough to project throughout the hall - right up to the loft, in fact.
As always, the opera business is fraught with problems. Underpaid [and underfed] choir girls, prima donnas who consider their voice grander than its quality justifies, eccentric crew, and the ever present issue of money. Oh yes, and there's a ghost - with a reserved box seat.
If the Ankh-Morpork's opera team wasn't having enough to deal with, they are about to be confronted with the remnants of Lancre's witches' coven, Esme Weatherwax and Gytha Ogg. Nanny Ogg's become the Julia Childs of the Ramtops, but with variations on a particular theme. She's published a book about it, but Granny Weatherwax isn't convinced the payment justified. Esme Weatherwax as an author's agent is a formidable figure. As if this transformation wasn't enough, she also becomes a patron of opera.
Pratchett's gone slightly awry from his usual path with this book. He raises a host of pretty serious questions with the characters and the plot. It's still in the best of PTerry's style - his wit through the persona of Granny and Nanny Ogg has, if anything, improved. But there are some issues uncommon in Discworld books, and the reader is left more than just entertained. There's some post-laughter thinking required of the reader. Opera is, after all, serious business.

Terry Pratchett revisits Discworld yet again in this parody of the world of opera and music theatre. But herein lies his problem--the world of opera and music theatre may not be very well known to many of his readers. While The Phantom of the Opera will probably be a clearly recognizable basis for the plot, how many will understand the references that make similar Discworld novels so thoroughly funny? For example, Death tries to dispatch a swan, but before he goes the swan must sing for the one and only time in his life, which he refuses to do. Death challenges the swan's knowledge of operatic repertoire and tricks him into singing the Pedlar's song from Lohenshaak, which begins "Schneide meinen eigenen Hals". Few will recognize the timely reference to Lohengren and its swans, and surely only German speakers will realise that the swan is tricked into singing the words "cut my own neck." However, although some jokes are for aficionados only, others run the gamut from the over-obvious fat jokes through silliness (the Phantom writes out his maniacal laughter and uses 5 exclamation points!!!!!) to wry observation (the difference between opera and madness is "better scenery"; and the telling feature of good music, according to one critic, is that "it's got blobs and curly bits all over it".) Prachett, in his most insightful observation, has one of his characters comment, "The plots don't make sense! Half the stories rely on people not recognizing their servants or wives because they've got a tiny mask on! Large ladies play the part of consumptive girls! No one can act properly!...There should be a sign on the door saying 'Leave your common sense here'! If it wasn't for the music, the whole thing would be ridiculous!"
Certainly if you haven't read Pratchett before, this is not the book to start with, and if you are looking for hard-core fantasy, this is not for you either. Discworld is a reflection of our own world, a vehicle to parody our own foibles. It is not a place for heroic quests and sorcerely legerdemain (music lovers looking for such are recommended Greg Bear's "Songs of Earth and Power")--any tasks of daring-do are sure to go awry in as comical a fashion as possible. But for those in quest of a laugh, and without too refined a sense of humor, Discworld is a fine place to visit.

I liked this book, but can see where everyone might not. First off the basic plot is that Perdita X Nitt (nee Agnes Nitt) Has decided to go to the big city to seek her fortune as a singer. She has a singular talent, however of being able to accompany herself. She auditions at the Opera House in Ankh Morpork and is hired along with the beautiful Christine who can sing only passably but has certain other assets (as does her father - a benefactor of the opera) which the new owner find pleasant to comtemplate.
In the meantime Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax have decided they need a 3rd witch and Agnes would do. The decide to go to the city to just "check up" on her. They become embroiled in the "ghost of the Opera" legend and succeed in thwarting an evil plot while having a great deal of fun with Nanny Ogg's hard earned money. Just remember it ends like most opera.
I liked this novel, but then I love opera. I also have seen almost every variation of the Phantom of the Opera ever made (except the musical). The problem is that for some of the humor, the reader must have some knowledge of Opera and it's performers to understand the parody. While I love it, I understand that it is not for everyone. There is enough humor for the non afficiando not everyone will neccesarily find it hilarious.

If you've never heard of Terry Pratchett, you're clearly living on the wrong planet. So join the rest of us in Pratchett's Discworld and enjoy the antics of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, the Disc's best-known witches. Visit Ankh-Morpork's Opera House with them (accompanied by their lunatic guests). You'll marvel at the amazing scenes of chaos that Pratchett can conjure up, seemingly without trying. And no matter what the topic, Pratchett is able to satirize it and make you question your former opinions - and you'll howl with laughter as you do so. I've read quite a lot of Discworld books and there are not many that have not held a chuckle a page and a full belly laugh a chapter. Maskerade lives up to its author's reputation in full, satirizing opera, theatre production, the lot - and all with a smile on his face. If, after reading Maskerade, you are in any doubt that Terry Prachett is not the most creative and funniest contemporary author around, you've obviously got a funny bone missing somewhere. Although it is not his best work, Maskerade is still hilarious and well worthy of five stars.

Yep, Terry Pratchett strikes again, this time with a hilarious parody on `The Phantom of the Opera'. With Magrat Garlick finally settled nicely as the Queen of Lancre, the remaining witches, Esme `Granny' Weatherwax and Gytha `Nanny' Ogg, travel to the big city of Ankh Morpork to visit young Agnes Nitt - a promising potential witch from Lancre who went to Ankh to find her future in the Opera. While they're there, the witches help solve a series of mysterious murders at the Opera House.
The Witch books seem to get better every time, and the characters of Nanny and Granny are, on Maskerade, more full and charming than ever before. The new characters - Agnes, Senor Basilica, Walter Plinge and the rest - are all hilarious and very well-written. And let's not forget cameos by old favorites like `Nobby' Nobbs, Sgt. Detritus and the Librarian.
One of Terry's most intelligent parodies, equals Lords And Ladies but much, much funnier - Maskerade is essential for Pratchett fans and Discworld veterans.

Mid-level Pratchett, not up there with INTERESTING TIMES or down there with ERIC. The somewhat claustrophobic action takes place entirely in the Ankh-Morpork Opera House, and Pratchett is mainly out to satirize opera, opera singers, and opera lovers, as well as all the variants of Gaston Leroux's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. The hard-to-take Granny Weatherwax dominates the action, what little there is of it. The ostensible main character, "Perdita X Dream" as she calls herself, never comes to life for a second, or has much of anything to do in the novel's development.
There are walkons from several Discworld regulars, such as Nobby and the Librarian, but by and large this really isn't a Discworld novel--- that is, it could take place anywhere. It is difficult to figure out how Pratchett wants the reader to take some of the humor, and some of the apparently serious moments. For example the villain has a long, operatic death scene in which he berates opera virulently, in a perfectly straight tone. Is he speaking for Pratchett? Apparently so, since the omniscient authorial remarks about opera are in pretty much the same style.
Anyway, Pratchett is clearly having some fun with opera and it is unfortunate that the reader is not likely to have quite the same level of fun, to say the least.

This Discworld novel plays off Phantom of the Opera. Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg set off to Ankh-Morpork to find out why they have not received royalties due Nanny for her best-selling cookbook of naughty erotic and aphrodisiac delicacies, and to check up on Agnes Nitt, who has gone to seek her fortune and is singing in the background for a young airheaded opera starlet who looks good in a sequined costume, in a sort of Milli-Vanilli scenario. She has not yet joined the coven, but has found she doesn't seem to fit in anywhere else; her alter-ego, Perdita, is also not yet developed into the alternate personality it becomes in later books. This one is quite funny, and the plot moves along well. There's a pseudo-Italian imposter tenor, Greebo makes an hilarious appearance in human form, and we get to experience a lot of Granny, my favorite witch character. It loses a star only because it dissipates some of its energy on one too many minor characters and subplots.

This is the 19th of Pratchett's Discworld series. Alternatively, it's the 4th book in the Witches subseries ("Wyrd Sisters," "Witches Abroad," "Lords and Ladies," "Maskerade," and "Carpe Jugulum"). In this book, Pratchett uses the "Phantom of the Opera" as the basis for his plot. The main character (outside of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg) is Agnes (Perdita X.) Nitt, who had a cameo role in "Lords and Ladies." With a lot of adventure, murder, mystery, and comedy, Pratchett manages to set her up as a replacement for Magrat in the coven. An amusing sub-plot is how Nanny manipulates Granny (whom she's worried about) into the main plot. Though it works, this, not surprisingly, fairly quickly boomerangs on her. This book has oodles of those passages where you burst out laughing while reading and just have to tell your spousal unit while she's busy trying to do something else. An essential, excellent book. Read it: 5 stars out of 5.

I'm so excited to get back into the Discworld after a short hiatus. And on such a familiar topic! As a theatre major (although not an actor) I totally got the humor of the actors believing all the superstitions without being able to explain the origins (it's tradition!). Very funny and we got to see several of our favorite characters!

Yay, Terry Pratchett has done it again. I am constantly amazed by this guy, After 20 odd novels, one would expect that it would all be getting a little old. But he always manages to give things a fresh and amazingly hilarious spin.
With many well known characters making appearances - Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Death.... this novel is a great satire of opera and what happens behind the curtains...
I like Perdita, and her rather interesting talents, and her struggles to become a someone. And the beginning is really cool - 'When shall...we....two....meet again?.....'
It is an engrossing read fom start to finish, not only funny but witty. I had to be physically restrained from reading it at times.

I have to confess that, although I love Pratchett's books and the Discworld generally, I found this the weakest book of the series. Maybe it's because I'm not an opera buff, maybe because the story is not a quintessentially Discworld one (apart from the names and histories of the main characters, the story could take place almost anywhere), maybe because I prefer the Guards to the Witches, or maybe it's just my taste but I just didn't find this as funny or enthralling as his previous books.
Pratchett certainly picked up again later and his most recent books are brilliant, but I found the series ebbed a bit here. If, like me, you're reading them all in order (I have, since "Colour of Magic" first came out), then stick with them. If not, make sure you have "Pyramids", "Small Gods", "Guards Guards", "Mort" or "Wyrd Sisters" around to read after this one.

Pratchett is one of the few authors who can reduce me to the undignified state of outright giggling, and he's done it again. He uses both old gags (The Lancre Coven and orang-utan Librarian) and new (OPERA!). Even though I kind of like opera, I found Pratchett's satire and wit quite funny. This book grabs you by the collar and swirls you through different characters lives and plots, leaving a burning desire to read more of this zany world. It may leave you, as it left me, with the wonder of how a prop horse can have a "humorous trapdoor," but I can still give you only one suggestion: Read Maskerade!!!!!

Maskerade is an entertaining read - it features the witches in Ankh-Morpork attending an opera - but it is not his best work. That's why I wait for them in paperback, though. Definitely worth getting for a real discworld fan; if you're just getting into the series pick up some of the others first - "Wyrd Sisters" and "Lords and Ladies" would help you understand a lot of the references. Death has a cameo, as he does in almost all of them, but it's a reasonably important one. Read it, you'll like it. Borrow it from a friend if you can.

This is extremely cleverly written. Obviously based on Phantom of the Opera, yet set in Discworld with Discworld Characters. Fans of the series will recognise many of the usual characters from the City Watch to the Witches of Lancre. This is one of my favourite of the books starring the witches and I sure would have been the inspiration for Nanny Oggs Cookbook. There are some classic scenes with Nanny Ogg and Granny during a shopping trip, and I am sure that many people will identify with Agnes and Perdita's predicament (can't say too much don't want to spoil it for any one!) A must read book for anyone getting to know the Discworld Series.

The first time I read this I confess I wasn't that gripped. Agnes seemed flat, the plot seemed difficult and the jokes forced. BUT the second time I read it it had for some reason improved. The descriptions of the theatre are eerie and ring very true, the jokes seemed more natural - although I still don't get the plot properly and Agnes still seems a rather forced character. Also, I think I missed out on a lot of the humour because I haven't seen Phantom Of The Opera. Worth a read, but not the best Pratchett book.

I've read every one of the Discworld novels, and this one's my favorite. In a world that is sometimes nonsensical, very much like our own, the witches tend to provide a clear look inside the human mind. This novel is at once riotously funny and extremely thought-provoking, as Pratchett pokes his usual gentle fun at the establishment.
Agnes Nitt (alias Perdita X. Dream) is a girl from Lancre who moves to Ankh-Morpork to be an opera singer. When she gets a job in the chorus at the opera house, she immediately stumbles on some peculiar happenings (and some extremely peculiar people). The two Lancre witches also happen to be in town on some financial business, and they set out to find out exactly what's going on in the opera house.
This book is for you if: you like opera; you think opera is silly; you like fantasy; you like satire; you have a pulse.

If you are a Pratchett fan then I am wasting my time telling you what a genius Terry is... if you're not yet a Pratchett fan, you need to find your introduction book to the master of Fantasy Satire.
If you are a fan of Phantom of the Opera, this is your book. Pratchett celebrates and lampoons the world of theatre, all the while weaving a cunning mystery story liberally salted with humor and a ton of smiles...
A must have for any fan of the Wyrd Sisters.

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com![...]

This book is is a fun read being the 18th book in the Discworld series. I got it as a gift a few years ago and am just now finished with it. This was not as good as the first few where though it still had its good parts. I have always enjoyed the way he uses modern items in his fantasy books.

There's Witches, Death, Greebo, and the wizards of the Unseen University. It's a slapstick off of The Phantom of the Opera that mostly everybody should understand and appreciate. But for some reason, it just didn't happen for me. I found the plots seemed to drag on for too long, cameos by Death, Greebo and the Witches too short, and the new faces Maskerade introduced far too one-dimensional and dry. This novel should have worked, but it didn't.

Overall the book was interesting. I particulary liked the Mouse Death that reincarnated the rat catcher as a rat. While the real Death gets a lot more appearances then his Rat alterego still though the book had its moments that it seemed to be missing something overall. Maybe it was the setting of the book... Then again it could be contributed to many things. Overall good, but still good is less then great, and great is less then classic.

This is one of Terry Pratchett's best books with the lovable characters from the Discworld series. Back for another round of side-splitting comedy is Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax. Any true fan must read this book. You don't want to be left behind when you're friends are giving you advice from the 'Joye of Cooking'.
The dubious duo head off to Ankh-Morpork to collect on moneys that are owed to Nanny for her cook book with 'innuendos'. While there, they run into Agnes Nitt(which isn't hard considering her size), and embark on a wonderful adventure at the Ankh-Morpork Opera House that is a sure-fire spoof of the classic story, "The Phantom of the Opera".

Wonderful. Superb. Splendid. Magnificent. Operatic -- well, maybe not the last one. Maskerade is a work of art -- a work of wit, no less. Terry Pratchett is once again a master of the written word. Any fan of Pterry, Discworld, opera, musical theatre (I esp. loved when Nanny Ogg found the musical scripts!), Phantom of the Opera, and in fact, pretty much anything else will love this book. Creative, witty, satirical, and side-splitting. I laughed the whole way through. My only regret is that the only recognisable characters were Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax (oh, and Greebo. And a cameo Death). Not that they're bad -- au contraire -- but the wizards of UU are also very funny. Also... what happened to the footnotes? I've always enjoyed them in the other Discworld books. But that's a brief flaw -- overall, Maskerade is a genius' masterpiece, proving Pterry's brilliance once again.

I'm a bit dubious about all the rave reviews for this book. Yes, I'm as fanatical about Pratchett as anybody, but this is simply not one of his better works. I've never liked Discworld "mysteries," and this is worse than most. The plot simply isn't very compelling, and Granny Weatherwax is even more obnoxious than usual. Basically, if you're a hardcore Pratchefile, you've already read it, and if you're not, you really don't need to bother.

MASKERADE by Terry Pratchett is not one of his best. Definitely funnier than SOUL MUSIC and quite entertaining to anyone like myself who likes opera and has some contacts into the running of an exceptional opera house.
Pratchett has spoofed many facets of modern life and this time he takes on the business of opera (readers get the feeling that Mr. Pratchett is not an opera fan).
Granny Weatherwax is back but it is not really her story.
An interesting twist on the Phantom of the Opera musical.

I really like all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld (fantasy) books, including this one. You will best enjoy reading them in the order published, but they're good on their own. They have a unique, fey humor: I expect you will like all or none, so if they're new to you, get just one to begin with.

Unfortunately, this book is really not a good representative of Terry Pratchett's genius. Here he takes on the subject of opera, but he clearly doesn't know much about it. His two main themes are "opera plot lines are bizarre and hard to understand" and "the show must go on." There are only so many jokes you can make on these two ideas, and he makes them all - twice.

The character of Perdita X. Dream/Agnes Knitt is really fantastic, but I do not think this book does her justice. Though she is the central figure, she doesn't get to spend the time in the spotlight that her fans yearn to see.

If you're interested in Terry Pratchett, pick another book. I recommend "Night Watch," "Thud!" "Monstrous Regiment," "The Truth," or, really, just about any of his other work.

Once upon a time I would eagerly await Pratchett's every word, buying his books are soon as they appeared. Perhaps they're appearing a bit too quickly these days, or perhaps he's run out of jokes, or perhaps he just doesn't care (he's a multi-millionaire, I imagine, and has a huge fan-base), but I got bored after 20 pages of this book and gave up. I didn't think they'd be a time when I had an unread Pratchett book on my shelf.

This is the first time I've ever read a book by Terry Pratchett, although I read and liked his "novelette" in Legends. Maskerade was refered to as a spoof on phantom of the opera, which I've adored for as long as I can remember. But the book had way too much about Granny Weathrwax and Nanny Ogg, with not nearly enough Phantom-like elements to it. It's put me off from reading anything else by him. A dissapointment, overall.

Pratchett in his humorous and cynical style shows us the world of an Opera House in Ankh-Morph - "This isn't real life, this is opera. It doesn't matter what the words mean."

Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax reach the opera house to recruit Agnes for their witch clan. On reaching the opera house, they find the place inhabited by a ghost... what follows is mayhem and fun!

Of the two characters, granny is more serious. Nanny is just adorable. She is funny and also innocent as she gets fleeced by a book publisher who doesn't give her royalty for her bestseller ('The Joye of Snacks,' "`Bye A Lancre Witch.").

Highly recommended if you have a fetish for nonsensical humor.

I had heard that Pratchett was an excellent author, but he just had so many books I did not know where to start. I saw this one, and since I enjoy musicals (especially Phantom) I decided to pick this one up.

I was very impressed with the telling of the story. Unlike most comedies and humorous stories, Pratchett also focuses on advancement of plot. The story is very interesting and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the novel.

The characters? One word: MARVELOUS! Also, I knew that this was not the first Diskworld book to be written with the main characters of this book (Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg). I did not feel like I missed out for not reading others - and after a few short paragraphs, I knew the characters very well.

Overall, this book is an excellent read for anyone. But be warned!! After reading this book I went right out to the bookstore and picked up another two Diskworld books!!

Again, if you're a fan of the Discworld you have to read this one, too. I had it sitting on the shelf for a while and just got around to reading it. I really enjoy Phantom of the Opera and thoroughly enjoyed the connection. I always like to catch up on the lives of the witches and to check out what Death is up to. Keep up the good work.

Maskerade is the 11th Discworld novel and 12th Pratchett book I've read (I have not been reading in any kind of order as I mostly buy used) and so far the worst. Though I completed the novel I found myself getting bored as the characters play out their all too predictable roles. There seems to be little motivation for any character's actions and when there is a minor reason it is awfully forced.

There wasn't even a motivation for the character that ended up being the "Ghost" to even be the Ghost at all. It turns out he was just "a crazy guy who didn't like opera" despite being the music director who worked there for years. It would have been better if there actually was a ghost.

Perhaps Pratchett fell into a rut in the mid-nineties as Interesting times, Maskerade and Feet of Clay (numbers 17, 18 and 19 in the Discworld series) are all sub par whereas earlier works and some of the newest that I have read have all had interesting plots, characters and character interactions and a story that was followable as it progressed.

If you are in any doubt that Terry Prachett is not one of the best contemporary satirical authors, you obviously have not read Maskerade. Although it is not his best work, Maskerade is hilarious and contains Prachett's trademark wit. In this installment of the Discworld chronicles, Prachett celebrates and satirizes the world of opera. Any fan of Discworld, Terry Prachett, or The Phantom of the Opera will enjoy this humorous and witty book. The only flaws I found were the unusual absence of Prachett's usually entertaining footnotes and the section in the middle of the story where the action started to lag and get rather boring. However, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a story that is hilarious, yet still very clever.

I haven't read all of Prachett's books (though I intend to), but this is by far my favorite! Before you read, decide what you would bring with you out of your house if it was on fire. Granny can tell quite a lot from a person by their answer! (Of course, she doesn't approve of psychology.) Nanny carries her suddenly vast wealth around in her 'knickers,' and Agnes Nitt (Perdita X. Dream) can sing lower than an elephant to higher than a dog's whistle. The three are witches, and they're going to stop the show without stopping the Opera and solve a murder mystery.

This is truly one of the best Discworld books I've ever read. It's funny, it's intresting, and it's a very good satire on "The Phantom of the Opera". However, it's on the thin line between the really good discworld books (Intresting Times, Feet of Clay), and the excellent books (Carpe Jugulum, Moving Pictures)...
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what's missing here. That's why it's on the line (I would've given it 4.5 stars if I could...). It's extremely funny, but not as funny as Mort... It's ideas are quite deep, but don't run as deep as Carpe Jugulum's... So, in the end, it's not the greatest Discworld book, but if I would've made a 'top five list', it would've certainly be one of them...

Without one member, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg feel there's something missing. On their quest to the Ankh-Morpork Opera house to find Perdita Nit they find out about a masked person running around the Opera house. So, they try to investigate. Obviously, chaos follows(plus Greebo).

This book was my first exposure to Discworld and I have since returned many times. This ultra funny parody of phantom had drowning in mirth with it's both obvious and subtle humor. It is advantageous to have seen the play first because it makes the parody all the more funnier, and understandable. Even with out seeing the play it is a good book to read. Serious die hard opera fans may be offedended

This is definitely not Pratchett's best effort. Again I love Granny Weatherwax but can't seem to find any of the books that she is in that really excite me or that I can give higher ratings too. They won't let Agnes be on center stage because of her weight? Huh? Opera is the one place women aren't discriminated against so much because of their weight. The story just gets bogged down too much.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, even though it was almost too full of zany episodes and not-so-subtle pop-culture references, and the story was more shallow and predictable than others. I have always enjoyed Terry Pratchett, especially the witches - so this was a great read for me.

I would recommend this novel if you are at least a little familiar with the Discworld (otherwise lots of references will go waayy over your head), and if you are looking for a typical Discworld-novel featuring the ... well the two witches.

Maybe you *do* have to know opera to love this book, but I grew up on it and thought the book was a riot. (It probably helps that I haven't seen Phantom.) I really enjoyed the effects of Nanny Ogg's book and Esme Weatherwax's headology.

...this book is just that good! It was the first book I every read in the discworld series. What I loved about it was that it was so witty but also had a fantastic plot! The death of rats made appearances in this book which is another plus, because the death of rats is a great chararter. The jokes were non stop because the phantom of the oprea is always lurking. The best part is this book does not build much off other books, making it a perfect starter.

I am a big Pratchett-fan, but throughout the whole story I kept wondering: Why another "Phantom of the Opera"-book?? Unlike in his other writings, the original source is just too obvious. Disappointing!!!

While Terry Pratchett's novels can get rather insightful, Maskerade is a throwback to his earliest books, being nothing more than uncomplicated fun. The novel pokes fun at all things opera, but you don't need to be an opera lover to enjoy it -- I know nothing about opera and was still madly rolling in the aisles. Maskerade might not be Terry's most profound novel, but it's still a terrific read.

Want to read a really funny novel? Like to read satire? Terry Pratchett strikes again with this hilarious skewering of Phantom of the Opera. I have never seen a more accurate portrayal of what goes on behind the scenes of an opera (and I have been in some so I know what I'm talking about).So Pratchett added a few elements of fantasy, the basic setting is still dead accurate. YAY for Pratchett!

It's probably my fault. I don't know, I've loved every other Discworld book, but I don't particularly like Maskerade. I suspect that if I were a fan of opera and the theater in general, and Phantom of the Opera in particular, I'd've split my sides with this book. Unfortunately, I'm not and I didn't.

This was a little lighter than usual, but a good read all the same.Of course, it helps if you've ever been on the stage (or backstage) -- or if you've watched enough cheesy movies, opera, and Michael Crawford TV series. But there you are. Maybe the problem some folks have with this one is that the jokes were a little more obscure than usual. Still, I laughed out loud more than a few times, and would happily read it again!

I'm a fan of Diskworld and of Granny and Nanny, the witches. They are major players in this installment and infuse it with a delightful humor. I found myself laughing out loud many times over their antics and observations. I recommend this book highly.