Equal Rites can be approached from various angles. Some will find plenty to say about Pratchett's version of the battle of the sexes, and Esk's confrontation with institutionalized discrimination. Others may prefer to focus on her learning process, and to examine the psychological insights under the veneer of humor and fantasy. The satire on higher education in the depiction of Unseen University offers several promising topics. The obscure menace which is thwarted by the combined efforts of the four main characters provides a puzzle for the solving. As always in Pratchett's works, there are many starting points, and there is plenty of room for debate.

1. Does Pratchett succeed in writing a "feminist" book? Does he seem to have set out to do so? Does he avoid the usual errors of male authors who use female protagonists?

2. What is wrong with Unseen University, apart from its sexism...