Product Description

The show must go on, as murder, music and mayhem run riot in the night...The Opera House, Ankh-Morpork...a huge, rambling building, where innocent young sopranos are lured to their destiny by a strangely-familiar evil mastermind in a hideously-deformed evening dress...At least, he hopes so. But Granny Weatherwax, Discworld's most famous witch, is in the audience. And she doesn't hold with that sort of thing. So there's going to be trouble (but nevertheless a good evenin's entertainment with murders you can really hum...)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10378 in Books
• Published on: 1996-11-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 380 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
There are strange goings-on at the Opera House in Ankh-Morpork. A ghost in a white mask is murdering, well, quite a lot of people, and two witches (it really isn't wise to call them "meddling, interfering old baggages"), or perhaps three, take a hand in unravelling the mystery. Fans of the popular Discworld series will be happy to see some old friends again in Maskerade, the 18th novel in the series.

Independant
Pratchett is as funny as Wodehouse and as witty as Waugh.

From the Back Cover
THE SHOW MUST GO ON, AS MURDER, MUSIC AND MAYHEM RUN RIOT IN THE NIGHT...

The Opera House, Ankh-Morpork...a huge, rambling building, where innocent young sopranos are lured to their destiny by a strangely-familiar evil mastermind in a hideously-deformed evening dress...

At least, he hopes so. But Granny Weatherwax, Discworld's most famous witch, is in the audience. And she doesn't hold with that sort of thing.

So there's going to be trouble (but nevertheless a good evening's entertainment with murders you can really hum...)

Customer Reviews

A tragi-comedy worthy of good libretto
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. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Ghostly goings on at the opera
Some readers of Maskerade would say that the storyline is un-original, that it's been done before; but its never been done quite like Terry Prachett does it. True the story is like Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the opera but then it is a sort of spoof of the original story. Take a look at Prachetts other novels, some of them revolve around an idea that's been done or heard of before. For instance Soul Music is loosely connected to the introduction of rock and roll onto Discworld right down to Buddy of the Holley and Witches abroad casts a new light on fairy tales. So why not the story of an opera ghost? Pratchett injects humour into a story that keeps you laughing all through the read and the twists and turns in the plot keep you glued to every page. Maskerade isn't solely about an opera ghost but about how ordinary people wear masks and put on false appearances. What you see isn't always what you get. The roly-poly Agnes Nitt, also known as Perdita (the thin woman inside trying to get out) with her splendid personality and great hair ventures into Ankh-Morpork in search of fame and fortune at the Opera house where there is said to be a ghost who watches over the opera. Murder and mayhem at the opera but who is the ghost? Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg take a trip to the big city in search of Agnes and on the side visit the publishing house where Nanny has recently submitted a book of recipies with little added surprises. Together with Greebo they visit the opera in hope to persuade Agnes to become the third witch in their coven. Between them they seek out and unmask the mysterious ghost with all the humour and plot twist that are classic Prachett. This novel is an enjoyable read and a delight for true Prachett fans.

Almost too much fun.
This is the first Pratchett book I've read after months of a friend of mine insisting I do so. I resisted valiently, and she promptly solved the problem by sending me a collection of his books. Being a bookworm, I simply couldn't resist. And now I regret not reading his stuff earlier!

This tale of the interfering witches, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, is a parody of the tale (and musical) 'The Phantom of the Opera', and it is simply hilarious!

You'll find yourself cringing in embaressment for poor Agnes Nitt, who is trying to make a name for herself in the Opera House of Ankh-Morpork in a bid to escape the beady eye of Nanny Ogg, who knows far more about young Agnes than she's letting on. Not to mention how you'll roll on the floor in hysterics when you read of Nanny's interesting 'cooking' book which has some rather sensual effects, and marvel at Granny's surprisingly intimate friendship with the always amusing Death.

Seriously, this is a book not to be missed, and well worth buying, since I'm positive you'll want to reread it again and again.