Terry Pratchett virgin here. Where do I start?

[Littlefiendsusan]

Over the last few days I've come across Granny Weatherwax in various places and learning about her has piqued my interest in TP.
So, which book would I best start off with? I have absolutely no idea!

Ooh I'm so happy for you to come across him! It depends on whether you want to just focus on books with Granny Weatherwax in them or not.

The logical starting place would be 'The Colour of Magic' which is the first book in the Discworld series and go chronologically. If you're only interested in GW then you can probably start with Equal Rites and directly onto 'Wyrd Sisters'.

My all time favourite though is the Hogfather - I read it (and watch the adaptation) every Christmas .

Would also recommend 'Good Omens', which he wrote with Neil Gaiman.

I’ve only read The Wee Free Men but it’s brilliant - parts of it have the kids and I rolling with laughter 😅

I'd start with Equal Rites - and concentrate on the witches books till you decide you want to explore more.

The colour of magic is fantastic but I'm not sure its the best book at all.

You are in for a treat! He's amazing. I started with the first in the Discworld series and worked my way through. It's nice as he slowly introduces new characters and this way you get to know them all. But all books are fine to read as standalone a too and people definitely have their favourites so try a few or have a look and see which piques your interest and you can start with those. I love the City Watch, so the first one there is Guards Guards. The Witches are fab too

This thread has made me wish that I could experience the series for the first time all over again! As @heythereiamback said, it's nice going chronologically because it immerses you into the world of the characters and I'd really love that right now during lockdown!

Ooh yes go chronologically

My favourite is Mort

DON'T start at the beginning! Read the Witches' trilogy, then Guards! Guards! I'm so jealous, I'd love to read all the books again for the first time!

I have a pristine copy of The Shepherd's Crown that I can't bring myself to read 🙁

Funnily enough I wouldn’t go chronologically if it’s new to you. Given your interest has been piqued by granny weatherwax I would start with equal rites and read the witches series and then move onto other ones. I found the colour of magic harder to get through when I first read it many years ago, but I enjoyed it and the wizards ones much more once I had read the books that focused on other discworld characters.

Personally, I wouldn't start with Equal Rites but jump in with Wyrd Sisters, then do Witches Abroad and Lords and Ladies.

Equal Rites is great but Wyrd Sisters introduces Nanny Ogg, who is a magnificent foil to Granny Weatherwax.

Then try Guards! Guards! and maybe Reaper Man.

Don’t start with The Colour of Magic. Terry hadn’t really got in his stride then. I am not fond of the main character in TCOM, Rincewind, I feel he detracts from the books he appears in. Equal Rites, as PPs, have said is better. The Guards books are also some of my favourites.

@Tempusfudgeit

DON'T start at the beginning! Read the Witches' trilogy, then Guards! Guards! I'm so jealous, I'd love to read all the books again for the first time!

I have a pristine copy of The Shepherd's Crown that I can't bring myself to read 🙁

I am half way through The Shepherd’s Crown. If I don’t finish it there is still some Pratchett left to read.

@Tempusfudgeit

DON'T start at the beginning! Read the Witches' trilogy, then Guards! Guards! I'm so jealous, I'd love to read all the books again for the first time!

I have a pristine copy of The Shepherd's Crown that I can't bring myself to read 🙁

DH says that I will read it when I need it

I'd start at CoM but I'm a completist!

I started at Guards Guards and it was a great introduction for me, but there are other series within the world you can start with, like the witches or Tiffany Aching. I would second not going chronologically though.

I started with Guards! Guards! but if you're keen to see more of the witches then Wyrd Sisters is also a great place to start :)

@BIoodyStupidJohnson

Personally, I wouldn't start with Equal Rites but jump in with Wyrd Sisters, then do Witches Abroad and Lords and Ladies.

Equal Rites is great but Wyrd Sisters introduces Nanny Ogg, who is a magnificent foil to Granny Weatherwax.

Then try Guards! Guards! and maybe Reaper Man.

Yes to this. I'm so jealous!

With Equal Rites, the third book, Terry Pratchett was beginning to hit his stride and with Mort, the fourth book, he's all the way there. But Equal Rites is the first novel to feature Granny Weatherwax, so I think you'd be fine starting there.

I'm reading them to my DS so we started with Mort to get him well and truly hooked, and then went back to Equal Rites.

The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic are still worth reading but they were really written as parodies of sword and sorcery type fantasy novels and it would be a shame to judge the rest of the Discworld novels by the first two.

@Littlefiendsusan I feel quite envious that you are at the start of a journey to discover the Discworld! I started with Wryd Sisters (over 30 years ago and had to wait to read them as each was released) and think it’s quite a good place to start, but I found that this guide to discworld reading order was really helpful as it groups the books together.

Agree with PPs that Wyrd Sisters is a great place to start. Absolute delight of a book.

Yep. I'm with everyone, start at Equal Rites and that introduces you to the witches. I would also read Mort and Guards! Guards! to introduce you to Death (who is in just about every Discworld novel) and also to Vimes and the Watch. I think Vimes (and, to an extent, Carrot) is the absolute peak of Pratchett's creation - such a deeply complex and brilliant character. (Much as I still aspire to grow up into Granny Weatherwax.)

This will be controversial, but I'd stop reading around Snuff. I tried to read Raising Steam and TP's degeneration worried and upset me. I really felt that his writing had declined markedly by that stage.

Noting all the TP usernames coming out of the woodwork

Who is Granny Weatherwax? I've never read any either but you've got me wondering if I should.

The character Rincewind rings a bell. Maybe a computer game I played once. Did he have a huge bottomless bag?!

@AppleJane

Who is Granny Weatherwax? I've never read any either but you've got me wondering if I should.

The character Rincewind rings a bell. Maybe a computer game I played once. Did he have a huge bottomless bag?!

Granny Weatherwax is a tough-as-nails elderly witch who gets into all kinds of trouble but generally saves the world. She's the eldest of a trio of witches (the third member varies) and has a best friend named Nanny Ogg, who looks like a fluffy squashy granny but is shrewd as hell.

Rincewind does indeed have a suitcase on hundreds of little legs named the Luggage. It seems to open into multiple dimensions and also eats people.

@ScarfaceCwaw thank you for that delightful description! I'm definitely going to seek out Equal Rites, could just be the tonic I need right now!

@AppleJane

Who is Granny Weatherwax? I've never read any either but you've got me wondering if I should.

The character Rincewind rings a bell. Maybe a computer game I played once. Did he have a huge bottomless bag?!

Not a bottomless bag but The Luggage

Granny Weatherwax is wonderful - blunt, practical, sensible, brave, prickly, clever and an expert at seeing through falsehoods and puncturing pomposity.

She's also very good with herbs, headology, Borrowing and the care of goats and bees.

Do read them. They're extremely funny and they make some very pertinent points about our own society.