Agnes Nitt is tired of being sensible. Tired of just having a wonderful personality, and a good head of hair. She is off to the big city to sing... and ends up at the Opera House.

Opera is not what she expected. It is its own, often nonsensical world, and it doesn't help that there's a ghost on the loose, and people are dropping like flies out of the flies.

Meanwhile, the witches are closing in. They would like for Agnes to join them. Will she choose life on the stage, or team up with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg?

A wide variety of people. The book is entertaining and insightful. It helps if you know something about The Phantom of the Opera, because you'll pick up on its influences on Maskerade.

Pratchett is a master at examining what it is to be a human, and he does so with warmth, and wit. If you love well-explored characters, you are likely to enjoy this read.

The witches. Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are such wonderful, unforgettable characters, and they work so well together. Every journey with them is filled with adventure. Of course, with Nanny comes Greebo, who is all cat and an experience all on his own.

I also liked the theme of masks that ran through the book. There are many different masks that we hide behind, for many different reasons.

And I liked the exploration of opera, and everything that goes into a performance.

I understand that there is a reason that Agnes Nitt is on the larger side. It's a part of why she is the way that she is. It also highlights the injustice of how people tend to judge based on looks rather than talent.

There are a few instances, though, where I think it's a little unnecessary to point out that, yes, Agnes is very, very fat. The book was written in the 90s, and I know that that wasn't be best time for body acceptance. Indeed, it can be argued that this makes Maskerade somewhat ahead of its time. Still, looking at it with a more modern eye, those few moments made me frown a little.

Read more Terry Pratchett novels.

Entertained. It held my attention throughout. It was the fastest I've finished a book in a good while!

The characters are just excellent. You'll become fond of them and remember them long after you've closed the book.

I am glad that I picked up this novel. It was an excellent reading experience. There was one thing I didn't enjoy as much as the rest, but it was a minor negative compared to all the positives. I would still very much recommend this novel to other potential readers.

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Created Jan 24, 2024 at 8:07pm • Submit your own review...