A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett, readalong week 1
13 March 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Hat Full of Sky, Dab of Darkness, Little Red Reviewer, Readalong, Terry Pratchett
Hi everyone. Today is the first week in the A Hat Full of Sky readalong being hosted by Little Red Reviewer and Dab of Darkness. These books are such good fun – if you haven’t read them but fancy a really refreshing blast of humour then get onboard – it’s not too late, this is a lovely leisurely schedule so there’s lots of time to catch up! Plus, once you start reading about Tiffany you’ll get swept along (not to mention the Nac MacFeegle). If you haven’t read these books already however you might wish to stop reading from hereon-in as spoilers will be running amok like little blue men! You have been warned.
What do you think of Miss Level and her housemate Oswald? Did you guess the secret about her identity before she told Tiffany the truth?
Wow, the world of Miss Level is totally out there! I think Tiffany is in for a very strange time. And, no, I confess, I hadn’t guessed about her identity. At first, I hadn’t realised that there was a third character in the mix – I had this weird idea that Miss Level had run amok with the whole ‘see me’ thing and had created a sort of other version of herself that was running around but, not only does she have ‘another’ self (which actually is a little bit creepy if you really think about it) but she has Oswald, an ondageist, who runs around tidying up! It sounds divine – where can I get me one of those?? Although not sure I like the idea of Oswald just being able to go wherever he wants when he wants!
What kind of witchy stuff do you think Miss Level will start teaching Tiffany?
It’s a strange form of teaching really isn’t it. A bit like teaching but without being taught. The witches don’t seem to know how they do things but it just seems to be something they have a feel for. It feels like it’s going to be less about teaching, in a traditional sense, and more a sort of coming to the idea of what’s right and what’s not, with a sprinking of herbal lore thrown into the mix.
What do you think of Jeannie? Do you think she’ll get in the way of the Feegle continuing to help Tiffany?
Not quite sure to make of Jeannie yet. She seems a bit bungling (a bit in the way that Roland felt in the first novel). She doesn’t particularly feel malicious at this stage but I do wonder about her with all her beads and baubles and dancing in the woods! A bit like the kind of thing that seemed to have given witches a bad name in the first place when they were thought to be devil worshippers? I must admit I don’t like the idea very much of Tiffany in the woods at night with that weird demon thing searching for her!
Have your feelings for Roland changed any?
Okay, I admit that I was a bit of a meanie on Roland and I’m now feeling slightly sheepish! I just was a bit flabbergasted with his ‘lord to the manor’ behaviour. He seems to have developed a bit of a crush on Tiffany doesn’t he and turned into a blushing maniac now whenever she’s around – it will be interesting to see how that develops.
Which is creepier? a Hiver or a Drome?
A Hiver definitely – it’s a demon after all and just looking for a host to possess! The whole thing with sounding like a bunch of buzzing insects – just creepy.
What really grabbed my attention this time?
The way Tiffany won the battle of the wills with the goat!
“I am no’ deid! I’m trying to have a moment o’ existential dreed here, right?”
The part where the horse and cart, with the Mac Nag Feegles on board, is going faster than the coach and horses that they’re trying to catch in order to get their more speedily. Irony at all?
Good fun. Don’t forget it’s not too late to join in!
AMENDMENT to the question about Jeannie above. Okay, I admit it! I’m a raging doghead! So, now you all know. I answered that question as though I was talking about Petunia (is it Petunia?). Anyway, what can you do. (Perhaps answer the proper question – okay, Jeannie – I didn’t like that she stopped the guys in blue from sending out a bit of a rescue party when they spotted the Hiver was on Tiffany’s tail! But, she has a lot to contend with and I think she’s feeling insecure. She did the right thing as soon as she realised Rob would stay with her if she asked. So I think she’ll be okay.
Books and travelling with Lynn 
Oh – at first I was a little baffled to your answer to the Jeannie question. I see you read ahead and met Petunia – hehe! I know it is so hard to hold back and I have read these books multiple times. So good!
OK, I am so glad you enjoyed the goats too. I have been out with ankle surgery and today got this week have returned to goat duty. Pepper missed me. And Drizzle, and Sunflower, and Mac, and … well, the few that didn’t can go in the freezer in the fall.
I digress. I love that we get some more Feegle vocabulary – dreed, face your weird, etc. I think these books would make great movies, if they kept the humor/serious balance. It would be great to hear the Feegles for real.
Yes, well, ahem, I didn’t mean to read ahead because it makes me so bad with my answers – unfortunately I didn’t check the schedule because I was away, so, I just went ahead and read the first third of the book. Confession over!
The Feegles are great – they would definitely be great on the big screen.
Lynn 😀
It would be especially epic if they voiced them with fairly understandable accents and then had overly polite subtitles: I can just see that adding to the hilarity.
Ditto.
Dang another group read I’m missing out on. I need to plan better!
I wouldn’t worry – there’ll be plenty more readalongs! Actually this particular readalong was fairly spontaneous!
Lynn 😀
Oh, I loved the existential dread scene. “He won’t drink! I think he’s deid!!!” 😀
And now I am eager to read ahead and learn of this Petunia you’ve mentioned. She sounds interesting!
Yes, apologies, I read a little further ahead than actually intended (because, doh, I didn’t read the schedule properly). I would just love to read it right through but then I would be coming out with spoilers like nobody’s business.
Lynn 😀
No problem, it ended up being more of a teaser than a spoiler, I think 🙂
I am a numbskull!
Just found the Nac Mac Feegles, and I am in LOVE!!!
So I didn’t read any more. But happy to know you are all enjoying.
Where has Terry Pratchett been hiding, all my life??? -grin-
“Auntie”
Excellent. They’re great aren’t they. I never realised you could read some of the Discworld books as standalones! The Tiffany Aching series are proving to be really something though.
Lynn 😀
2. I also find it hard to imagine Miss Level doing formal lessons: I get the impression that you learn to be a witch by simply being a witch . . .
4. I’m not sure that Roland’s feeling are simply a crush: the thought behind that gift shows that he really understands Tiffany and is desperate to please her . . . this could be true lurve (like in The Princess Bride).
Ohhhh, true love? like the Princess Bride?? Colour me happy then. I’ll wait and see what happens! I saw his gift and just thought he was chucking money at her to impress because he could – but, in fairness, i’ve had a bit of downer with Roland which I’m turning around on.
I love this cat’s cradle thing – I actually know how to play that – is that a bit sad? Or creepy?? Or both????
Lynn 😀
i am so late catching up with all of this. 😦
i too had thought Miss Level had done a “see me” and something had gone very wrong and then she was stuck that way. at first, I thought it was her other self up in the bedroom with Tiffany, when someone was moving things about.
and I like how Miss Level goes about “teaching” Tiffany things, as in, she doesn’t really teach, she just leads by example. i love that.
oohh, I remember doing cat’s cradle too as a child! but we never had names for any of the shapes, we just kinda pulled the strings through with our index fingers and pinkies and tried not to knot the whole thing up.
I think I’m probably enjoying this book more than the first. The Wee Men are brilliant and I want my own bunch (I don’t want to be a kelda though – 7 babies in one go – hell no!)
Cat’s cradle – we didn’t have any names, not sophisticated enough I suppose – and we could only ever get to a certain point before it all went horribly wrong, about 4 moves I think.
Lynn 😀