Terry Pratchett Help

[LuckyAmy1986]

I have never read any TP books but have always wanted to. I need some new books now so where do I start? Do I have to read the in a particular order? If not then what should I go for? Thanks!

I think you either love the Night Watch or you love the witches.

I am becoming more and more Nanny Ogg as the years go by. Could be worse, i could be Gaspode.

If you don't get on with Guards Guards, then try Wyrd Sisters or Witches Abroad, or even Reaper Man. It may just be Sam Vimes putting you off.

My first one was Hogfather - I loved it, still have a big soft spot for that one. Also Reaper Man.

Omg yes start with the city watch books, then move on to the Death books starting at Mort and proceed in an orderly fashion.
You are in for the time of your life

I personally prefer the single issue ones and my favourites are Going Postal and Making Money. I also love Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook. You can't have too many cabbage jokes. Of the earlier ones, I liked Moving Pictures and Maskerade (and my favourite line is from the latter: "opera is like a machine - you put money in, you get opera out.") I rejected his books for years because of the stupid covers. Picked one up in an airport in desperation and got hooked immediately.

@Zaphodsotherhead nooo love them all.
The first one I actually started with was Eric which is quite an odd place to start but there you go 🤷‍♀️

I devised a nice student exercise based on CMOT Dibbler (the character, not the Mumsnet character) and his business costs and revenues. Goes right over the students' heads but amuses me every time.

He died too soon - RIP Terry.

I think we all agree with that sentiment pandarific.

’my favourites are Going Postal and Making Money‘

Mine too! The Truth and The Fifth Elephant are a close second for me.

Guards! Guards! is a good place to start but if you find you’re not enjoying it try a different one. I’ve never been that fond of the Rincewind books but love all the others.

Time I started re-reading them again! I haven’t read the first two for a long time. Started to really get into them with Equal Rites and love most of the rest of them except Monstrous Regiment and the Lost Continent. I was really said to read his last book

You lucky thing starting off fresh!

As pps have said, there are different groups of people the books follow, some standalones, I love some and others have never got into, so it's having a poke around. The Tiffany Aching books are lovely, they're supposed to be for children but it's a bit like Harry Potter, you can't be too old. The ones focusing on the Lancre witches are also wonderful, although I never got into Wyrd Sisters, I love all the ones following it. The Watch series is my favourite above those by an inch. There are also some great standalones: The Hogfather is very funny, and I would say you could read some of the absolute gems out of the series as standalones and not miss much. The discworld works as a giant jigsaw puzzle and you don't really need all the information about a character up front, you can read back in their history if you get interests.

So standalone gems as a place to get hooked: Thud is just a brilliant story. Best of the best. I Shall Wear Midnight; another one, a wonderful and beautiful story. Lords and Ladies, another laugh out loud one. Going Postal: another very funny one.

Have a wonderful time.

I agree re Mort - I started with that one (aged 15!), became hooked, devoured everything else up to that point and then waited eagerly for the new one every year or so. I quite like approaching them in order, you get a nice assortment. For a standalone, Small Gods is fantastic.

I started with Mort and that was a good intro. I'd actually save The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic until you know the world better, even though they're the first two chronologically - TP was still finding his voice and they're not as instantly readable as some others.

Good idea to start with Guards! Guards! but definitely go back for the witches. Way too good to miss.

My actual favourites are Soul Music, Small Gods, Lords and Ladies and Pyramids, although I LOVE the Vimes books.

90% of my musical knowledge comes from working out the jokes in Soul Music when I was 12 and had never heard of half the bands/songs he was referencing.

My first was Guards,Guards,Guards.
DD has started on the Mort books and loving ithem(she's not a great reader).
Fantastic books,clever and hilarious.

I started with Witches Abroad and then hopped back to Wyrd Sisters, then on to Mort. I've hopped about all over the show through out the series. I haven't read the last one yet. Can't do it.

The witches series is by far and away my favourite. I would love to be Granny Weatherwax, I suspect I am more of an Agnes Nitt... 😂

I think my first was carpe juggulum.
Such a brilliant book.

😁 Hooray for Sir Terry just tge tonic I need

Have a wonderful time OP 🧙‍♀️

I started with Wyrd Sisters, love anything with Death in, and also rate the Tiffany Aching series (The Wee Free Men, A hat full of Sky, Wintersmith). But I’ve never read a bad Terry Pratchett book so you really can start anywhere. Have fun!

My first was the Hogfather, but I started my DS on Guards Guards. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have

Now I must be an oddity as Guards, Guards never got me. I started on Pyramids way back in 89 and then read the rest as in their published order.

Dont be put off if Guards, Guards doesnt tickle you and try one of his others that centre on a theme you do like. Wyrd Sisters and Equal Rites are also ones I love. I also love the Tiffany Aching ones too.

My favourite is Night Watch - I love the watch ones.
Haven't rtft, but it's worth googling Discworld reading order. You'll find various versions of a kind of flowchart thing which connects up the different strands of the Discworld books. It's quite useful for a newbie!

Mort is a good starting point.

@Pericombobulations - it's weird isn't it...I liked Guards Guards... But I've tried pyramids several times and never got into it!