Book:Wyrd Sisters/Annotations

Annotations

(Roc pb, page 298) Speaking of rain on Lancre Castle: "It poured in torrents over the castle roofs, and somehow seemed to go right through the tiles and fill the Great Hall with a warm, uncomfortable moistness.*"

And the footnote at the bottom of the page says "Like Bognor."

When asked about this on afp in April of 1998, Pterry replied:

"Dear me...and we're expected to know that New Jersey is funny...

Bognor has always meant to me the quintessential English seaside experience (before all this global warming stuff): driving in the rain to get there, walking around in the rain looking for something to do when you're there, and driving home in the rain again..."

And of course, largely for the benefit of non-British readers, the classic Bognor reference involves British royalty... on his death-bed in 1935, King George V was subjected to flattery from a brown-nosing courtier seeking to hide the worst from the King (which he already knew). The courtier lightly said that before long, the King might be fit and well enough again to take the bracing sea airs at Bognor, ha, ha, ha.

Knowing he was dying, King George impatiently cut through the flannel with a curt "Oh, bugger Bognor!"

• Direct Shakespeare references:
  • "When shall we three meet again?'" - much of this book (including this quote) parodies, references, or directly quotes MacBeth and other Shakespeare plays.
  • "Can you tell by the pricking of your thumbs?" parodies "By the pricking of my thumbs" from Macbeth. (something wicked, this way comes)
• Death notes that "close relatives" will be able to see Verence's ghost. The fact that The Fool can sense (not see) him hints that they're related, though we later learn this isn't true.
• "'Godmothers,' said Nanny Ogg promptly." - Here, Nanny mentions she's a godmother to avoid saying she's a witch. In Witches Abroad, Magrat says she's a fairy to avoid admitting she's a godmother!
• "'Spinning wheels and pumpkins and pricking your finger on rose thorns and similar' [...] That was Magrat for you. Head full of pumpkins. Everyone's fairy godmother, for two pins." - much of this book foreshadows Witches Abroad

External

Wyrd Sisters Annotations - The Annotated Pratchett File