Wintersmith: Difference between revisions

Wintersmith
	First edition
Author	Terry Pratchett
Cover artist	Paul Kidby
Language	English
Series	Discworld; 35th novel – 3rd Tiffany Aching story;
Subject	Characters:; Tiffany Aching, Nac Mac Feegle, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg; Locations:; The Chalk, The Ramtops;
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	Doubleday
Publication date	2006
Pages	399
ISBN	0-385-60984-1
Preceded by	Thud!
Followed by	Making Money

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Wintersmith is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, set in the Discworld and written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, unlike most of the books in the Discworld series. Published on 21 September 2006, it is the third novel in the series to feature the character of Tiffany Aching. It received recognition as a 2007 Best Book for Young Adults from the American Library Association.^[1]

In 2013 folk-rock band Steeleye Span collaborated with Pratchett, a fan of the band, to produce a Wintersmith concept album, released in October 2013.

Plot

Tiffany Aching, now 13 years old, is training with the witch Miss Treason. But when she takes Tiffany to witness the secret "dark morris", the morris dance (performed wearing black clothes and octiron bells) that welcomes in the winter, Tiffany finds herself drawn into the dance and joins in, despite being warned earlier by Miss Treason not to do so. She finds herself face to face with the Wintersmith—the personification of winter—who mistakes her for the Summer Lady—the personification of summer. He is enchanted by Tiffany, mystified by her presence.

Unknowingly, Tiffany drops her silver horse pendant (a gift from Roland, the Baron's son) during the Dance. The Wintersmith uses the pendant to find Tiffany and give her back the pendant during their second encounter. From then on, he uses the pendant to find her and deliver his gifts. The elder witches, including Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, discover that the Wintersmith has been tracking her. Granny Weatherwax demands that she throw her silver horse pendant into Lancre Gorge.

Things get trickier for Tiffany when she discovers she has some of the Summer Lady's powers—plants start to grow where she walks barefooted, and the Cornucopia appears, causing problems by spurting out food and animals.

Before the problem with Tiffany and the Wintersmith is resolved, Miss Treason dies. The young witch Annagramma acquires Miss Treason's cottage, but she needs help from Tiffany and the other young witches before she can learn to cope on her own. Tiffany goes to live with Nanny Ogg.

The Wintersmith decides that the reason Tiffany will not be his is that he is not human. Learning a simple rhyme from some children about what basic elements comprise a human body, he sets off to gather the correct ingredients. He makes himself a body out of these elements and pursues Tiffany, but without truly understanding what it is to be human.

Granny Weatherwax instructs the Nac Mac Feegles, who watch Tiffany closely to protect their "big wee hag", to find a Hero, namely her childhood acquaintance and incipient love interest, Roland. Roland must descend into the underworld, guided by the Nac Mac Feegles, and awaken the real Lady Summer from her storybook slumber. But first the Feegles help Roland train to use a sword by providing him with a moving target (themselves inside a suit of armour). Roland and the Nac Mac Feegles go into the underworld where Roland fights creatures that feed on memories. He rescues the Summer Lady, who looks much like Tiffany and they flee back above ground.

Meanwhile, the Wintersmith continues to cover the land with Tiffany-shaped snowflakes. The harsh, prolonged winter starts burying houses, blocking roads, and killing off the sheep of the Chalk. Hiding inside her father's house, Tiffany is surprised to find her silver pendant inside a fish that her brother, Wentworth, has caught. This allows the Wintersmith to discover where she is, and he takes her to his ice palace, where she ultimately manages to stop him, melting him with a kiss, and fulfilling the Dance of Seasons, in which Summer and Winter die and are reborn in turn.

Characters

Tiffany Aching
Wintersmith
Summer Lady
Roland
Miss Treason
Granny Weatherwax
Nanny Ogg
Perspicacia Tick
Letice Earwig
Annagramma Hawkin
Petulia Gristle
Feegles: The Chalk Hill Clan

Reception

In general the book received positive reviews. Nicolette Jones of The Times UK said 'Pratchett's one-liners, the comic dialogue of the Feegles, the satire about teenagers and the credulousness of ordinary folk, and the reworking of the Orpheus myth, make for a characteristically entertaining mix.'^[2] It won the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book in 2007.^[3]

References

^ American Library Association (2007). "2007 Best Books for Young Adults". Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
^ Jones, Nicolette (1 October 2006). "Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett". The Times. London.^{[dead link‍]}
^ "Locus YA Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 4 November 2011.

External links

Wintersmith title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Terry Pratchett, Wintersmith, Doubleday (2006) ISBN 978-0-385-60984-5
Meeting Mr Pratchett, theage.com.au

Reading order guide
Preceded by Thud!	35th Discworld Novel	Succeeded by Making Money
Preceded by A Hat Full of Sky	3rd Tiffany Aching Story Published in 2006	Succeeded by I Shall Wear Midnight

[1] American Library Association (2007). "2007 Best Books for Young Adults". Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.

[2] Jones, Nicolette (1 October 2006). "Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett". The Times. London.^{[dead link‍]}

[WWE-LYA-3] "Locus YA Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 4 November 2011.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|2006 Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett}}
-{{about|the novel|the Wintersmith himself|Discworld gods#The Wintersmith}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
 {{Infobox book
 | name         = Wintersmith
 | image        = Wintersmith.JPG
-| caption=
+| caption= First edition
 | author       = [[Terry Pratchett]]
 | illustrator  =
-| cover_artist =
+| cover_artist = [[Paul Kidby]]
 | language     = English
-| series       = ''[[Discworld]]''<br />35th [[novel]] &ndash; 3rd Tiffany Aching story
+| series       = {{ubl|''[[Discworld]]''|35th [[novel]] &ndash; 3rd Tiffany Aching story}}
+| subject      = {{ubl|'''Characters:'''|[[Tiffany Aching]], [[Nac Mac Feegle]], [[Granny Weatherwax]], [[Nanny Ogg]]|'''Locations:'''|[[Discworld geography#Chalk|The Chalk]], [[Discworld geography#The Ramtops|The Ramtops]]}}
-| subject      =
-;Characters
-: [[Tiffany Aching]], [[Nac Mac Feegle]], [[Granny Weatherwax]], [[Nanny Ogg]]
-;Locations
-: [[Discworld geography#Chalk|The Chalk]], [[Discworld geography#The Ramtops|The Ramtops]]
 | genre        = [[Fantasy]]
 | publisher    = [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]]
@@ Line 20: / Line 17: @@
 | awards       =
 | isbn         = 0-385-60984-1
-| preceded_by  = [[A Hat Full of Sky]]
+| preceded_by  = [[Thud!]]
-| followed_by  = [[I Shall Wear Midnight]]
+| followed_by  = [[Making Money]]
 }}
-'''''Wintersmith'''''  is a [[comic fantasy]] novel by [[Terry Pratchett]] set on the [[Discworld (world)|Discworld]], written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as [[Children's literature|children's]] or [[Young-adult fiction|young adult]] fiction, unlike most of the books in the [[Discworld|''Discworld'' series]]. Published on 21 September 2006, it is the third novel in the series to feature the character of [[Tiffany Aching]]. It received recognition as a 2007 [[Best Book for Young Adults]] from the [[American Library Association]].<ref>{{cite web|author=American Library Association|year=2007|title=2007 Best Books for Young Adults|url=http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/annotations/07bbya.cfm|accessdate=2011-02-03}}</ref>
+'''''Wintersmith'''''  is a [[comic fantasy]] novel by British writer [[Terry Pratchett]], set in the [[Discworld (world)|Discworld]] and written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as [[Children's literature|children's]] or [[young adult fiction]], unlike most of the books in the [[Discworld|''Discworld'' series]]. Published on 21 September 2006, it is the third novel in the series to feature the character of [[Tiffany Aching]]. It received recognition as a 2007 [[Best Book for Young Adults]] from the [[American Library Association]].<ref>{{cite web|author=American Library Association|year=2007|title=2007 Best Books for Young Adults|url=http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/annotations/07bbya.cfm|access-date=2011-02-03|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213181734/http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/annotations/07bbya.cfm|archive-date=2011-02-13}}</ref>
 In 2013 folk-rock band [[Steeleye Span]] collaborated with Pratchett, a fan of the band, to produce a ''[[Wintersmith (Steeleye Span album)|Wintersmith]]'' concept album, released in October 2013.
 ==Plot==
-Tiffany Aching, now 13 years old, is training with the witch Miss Treason. But when she takes Tiffany to witness the secret [[dark morris]], the [[morris dance]] (performed wearing black clothes and [[octiron]] bells) that welcomes in the winter, Tiffany finds herself drawn into the dance and joins in, despite being warned earlier by Miss Treason not to do so. She finds herself face to face with the Wintersmith—the personification of winter—who mistakes her for the Summer Lady-the personification of summer. He is enchanted by Tiffany, mystified by her presence.
+Tiffany Aching, now 13 years old, is training with the witch Miss Treason. But when she takes Tiffany to witness the secret "dark morris", the [[morris dance]] (performed wearing black clothes and [[octiron]] bells) that welcomes in the winter, Tiffany finds herself drawn into the dance and joins in, despite being warned earlier by Miss Treason not to do so. She finds herself face to face with the Wintersmith—the personification of winter—who mistakes her for the Summer Lady—the personification of summer. He is enchanted by Tiffany, mystified by her presence.
 Unknowingly, Tiffany drops her silver horse pendant (a gift from Roland, the Baron's son) during the Dance. The Wintersmith uses the pendant to find Tiffany and give her back the pendant during their second encounter. From then on, he uses the pendant to find her and deliver his gifts. The elder witches, including [[Granny Weatherwax]] and [[Nanny Ogg]], discover that the Wintersmith has been tracking her. Granny Weatherwax demands that she throw her silver horse pendant into Lancre Gorge.
@@ Line 39: / Line 36: @@
 The Wintersmith decides that the reason Tiffany will not be his is that he is not human. Learning a simple rhyme from some children about what basic elements comprise a human body, he sets off to gather the correct ingredients. He makes himself a body out of these elements and pursues Tiffany, but without truly understanding what it is to be human.
-Granny Weatherwax instructs the [[Nac Mac Feegle]]s, who watch Tiffany closely to protect their "big wee hag," to find a Hero, namely her childhood acquaintance and incipient love interest, Roland. Roland must descend into the underworld, guided by the Nac Mac Feegles, and awaken the real Lady Summer from her storybook slumber. But first the Feegles help Roland train to use a sword by providing him with a moving target (themselves inside a suit of armour).  Roland and the Nac Mac Feegles go into the underworld where Roland fights creatures that feed on memories.  He rescues the Summer Lady, who looks much like Tiffany and they flee back above ground.
+Granny Weatherwax instructs the [[Nac Mac Feegle]]s, who watch Tiffany closely to protect their "big wee hag", to find a Hero, namely her childhood acquaintance and incipient love interest, Roland. Roland must descend into the underworld, guided by the Nac Mac Feegles, and awaken the real Lady Summer from her storybook slumber. But first the Feegles help Roland train to use a sword by providing him with a moving target (themselves inside a suit of armour).  Roland and the Nac Mac Feegles go into the underworld where Roland fights creatures that feed on memories.  He rescues the Summer Lady, who looks much like Tiffany and they flee back above ground.
 Meanwhile, the Wintersmith continues to cover the land with Tiffany-shaped snowflakes. The harsh, prolonged winter starts burying houses, blocking roads, and killing off the sheep of the Chalk. Hiding inside her father's house, Tiffany is surprised to find her silver pendant inside a fish that her brother, Wentworth, has caught. This allows the Wintersmith to discover where she is, and he takes her to his ice palace, where she ultimately manages to stop him, melting him with a kiss, and fulfilling the Dance of Seasons, in which Summer and Winter die and are reborn in turn.
+==Characters==
+*Tiffany Aching
+*Wintersmith
+*Summer Lady
+*Roland
+*Miss Treason
+*Granny Weatherwax
+*Nanny Ogg
+*Perspicacia Tick
+*Letice Earwig
+*Annagramma Hawkin
+*Petulia Gristle
+*Feegles: The Chalk Hill Clan
 ==Reception==
-In general the book got positive reviews. Nicolette Jones of The Times UK said 'Pratchett's one-liners, the comic dialogue of the Feegles, the satire about teenagers and the credulousness of ordinary folk, and the reworking of the Orpheus myth, make for a characteristically entertaining mix.'<ref>{{cite news| url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article1085816.ece | location=London | work=The Times | first=Nicolette | last=Jones | title=Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett | date=1 October 2006}}</ref> It won the [[Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book]] in 2007.<ref name="WWE-LYA">{{cite web
+In general the book received positive reviews. Nicolette Jones of The Times UK said 'Pratchett's one-liners, the comic dialogue of the Feegles, the satire about teenagers and the credulousness of ordinary folk, and the reworking of the [[Orpheus]] myth, make for a characteristically entertaining mix.'<ref>{{cite news| url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article1085816.ece | location=London | work=The Times | first=Nicolette | last=Jones | title=Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett | date=1 October 2006}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> It won the [[Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book]] in 2007.<ref name="WWE-LYA">{{cite web
 | url        = http://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_locus-ya_index.asp
 | title      = Locus YA Award Winners & Nominees
 | work       = Worlds Without End
-| accessdate = 2011-11-04
+| access-date = 2011-11-04
 }}</ref>
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
 {{wikiquote|Discworld#Wintersmith|Wintersmith}}
 {{Portal|Children's literature}}
+* {{isfdb title|186502}}
-* [[Terry Pratchett]], ''Wintersmith'', Doubleday (2006) ISBN 978-0-385-60984-5
+* [[Terry Pratchett]], ''Wintersmith'', Doubleday (2006) {{ISBN|978-0-385-60984-5}}
 * [http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/meeting-mr-pratchett/2007/02/15/1171405371862.html?page=fullpage Meeting Mr Pratchett, theage.com.au]
@@ Line 63: / Line 76: @@
 {{s-other|[[Discworld reading order|Reading order guide]]}}
 {{succession box | before = [[Thud!]] | title = 35th [[Discworld#Novels|Discworld Novel]]  | years=  | after = [[Making Money]]}}
-{{succession box | before = [[A Hat Full of Sky]] | title = 3rd [[Discworld reading order#Tiffany Aching Series|Tiffany Aching Story]]  | years=Published in 2006  | after = [[I Shall Wear Midnight]]}}
+{{succession box | before = [[A Hat Full of Sky]] | title = 3rd [[Discworld reading order#Tiffany Aching|Tiffany Aching Story]]  | years=Published in 2006  | after = [[I Shall Wear Midnight]]}}
 {{s-end}}
 {{discworld books}}
 {{Terry Pratchett}}
+{{Locus Award Best Young Adult Book}}
+{{Authority control}}
 [[Category:Discworld books]]
-[[Category:2006 novels]]
+[[Category:2006 British novels]]
-[[Category:2000s fantasy novels]]
+[[Category:2006 fantasy novels]]
-[[Category:Locus Award winner]]
+[[Category:Doubleday (publisher) books]]

v t e Terry Pratchett's Discworld
Novels	The Colour of Magic The Light Fantastic Equal Rites Mort Sourcery Wyrd Sisters Pyramids Guards! Guards! Eric Moving Pictures Reaper Man Witches Abroad Small Gods Lords and Ladies Men at Arms Soul Music Interesting Times Maskerade Feet of Clay Hogfather Jingo The Last Continent Carpe Jugulum The Fifth Elephant The Truth Thief of Time The Last Hero The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Night Watch The Wee Free Men Monstrous Regiment A Hat Full of Sky Going Postal Thud! Wintersmith Making Money Unseen Academicals I Shall Wear Midnight Snuff Raising Steam The Shepherd's Crown
Short stories	"Troll Bridge" "Theatre of Cruelty" "The Sea and Little Fishes" "Death and What Comes Next" "A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices" A Blink of the Screen
Other books	The Discworld Companion The Science of Discworld The Science of Discworld II: The Globe The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day The Pratchett Portfolio The Art of Discworld The Unseen University Challenge The Wyrdest Link The Streets of Ankh-Morpork The Discworld Mapp A Tourist Guide to Lancre Death's Domain Nanny Ogg's Cookbook The Discworld Almanak Where's My Cow? The Unseen University Cut Out Book The Discworld Diaries Once More* with Footnotes The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld The Folklore of Discworld The World of Poo Tiffany Aching's Guide to Being a Witch
Games	The Colour of Magic Discworld MUD Discworld Discworld II: Missing Presumed...!? GURPS Discworld Discworld Noir Discworld: Ankh-Morpork
Films and TV series	Soul Music Wyrd Sisters Hogfather The Colour of Magic Going Postal The Watch The Amazing Maurice
Characters	Tiffany Aching Death Hex Moist von Lipwig Nanny Ogg Rincewind Susan Sto Helit Lord Vetinari Sam Vimes Granny Weatherwax
Races and creatures	Dwarfs Nac Mac Feegle
Locations	Discworld Ankh-Morpork
Organisations	City Watch Unseen University The Witches
Other	Boots theory Games of the Discworld Lie-to-children

v t e Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book
2000s	Coraline by Neil Gaiman (2003) The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (2004) A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett (2005) Pay the Piper by Jane Yolen & Adam Stemple (2006) Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett (2007) Un Lun Dun by China Miéville (2008) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (2009)
2010s	Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (2010) Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (2011) The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (2012) Railsea by China Miéville (2013) The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente (2014) Half a King by Joe Abercrombie (2015) The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett (2016) Revenger by Alastair Reynolds (2017) Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor (2018) Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (2019)
2020s	Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee (2020) A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher (2021) Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders (2022) Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders (2023) Promises Stronger Than Darkness by Charlie Jane Anders (2024)
Best Novel (1971–1981) Best SF Novel (1980–present) Best Fantasy Novel (1978–present) Best First Novel (1981–present) Best Horror Novel (1989–1997, 1999, 2017–present) Best Young Adult Book (2003–present) Best Novella (1973–present) Best Novelette (1975–present) Best Short Story (1971–present)