Discworld book

[FabulousFryingpan]

So, a few weeks ago I decided that I should read the Terry Pratchett discworld books. Started at the first one. The reason I started was that enough people whose reading opinions I respect enjoy them immensely. Also, you rarely see them in charity shops so people that do have them must be keen and keep hanging on to them.

The first one was a bit disappointing. There were occasional glimmers of wit, but not enough to get me running to the bookshop to get the next one. This is sorta what led to my partner not reading beyond the first one (many, many years ago). He found Wee Free Men in a charity shop, read a bit on the first pages and burst out laughing, so got that for me.

Now to my query: are the discworld novels worth it? Is it just a matter that the first one (like a pilot episode of a series) is mostly scene setting and it simply hasn't gotten into its stride yet?

What attracts you to them?

Convince me.

The first ones are nowhere near as good as the later books. Try Hogfather for a reasonably seasonal read

The Colour of Magic is not the best Discworld novel but as someone who read them avidly as a teen, and the laters ones at each release date, I would wholeheartedly recommend keeping going.
What is great about the Discworld is that there are so many different facets, and you can now read them by theme. I thinks it's recommended to start with the witches books (Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg et al). I think these are the most accessible - especially if their are young adult readers too.
In my honest opinion, the Unseen University based books are not as funny/clever, but I love the stories based around the Watch and Anhk Morpork (and I have a soft spot for Cut-me-own-throat Dibbler).

https://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/DW-Reading-List-V5-Theme_Characters.pdf

This is a reading list by theme. Guards! Guards! comes highly recommended as a first delve into the Discworld

My favourites are Going Postal, Making Money and The Truth

The 'best' books will depend on who you sympathise with. I love the witches, as I am gradually turning into Nanny Ogg. Many love the Night Watch (although I find Sam Vimes a little too acerbic sometimes) or the Wizards at UU. Or you might find you have a soft spot for Death, or even Vetinari.

There are standalones too, The Truth, Raising Steam, Going Postal etc.

Colour of magic and light fantastic are not a great place to start and put me off for years - I love them now but they aren't a patch on his later work. It was Small Gods that got me hooked but Equal Rites or Mort are books that people often recommend.

It's not strictly a series, more a set of several series following different sets of characters in the same world so there are different places to start.

keep going they’re amazing!!

I read them all as a teen in order and am hoping to reread while on mat leave!! I’m sure I’ll pick up on more now I’m much older!!

pyramids was the first one I remembered completely laughing out loud to!

the audio books are pretty good too!!

I started with Mort and it's a good place to jump off, but for the a really good look at Pratchett's cynical assessing eye on the world I like the Vimes books (particularly Jingo) and the Moist Von Lipwig ones. If you like a story imagined in a new way, try Maskerade, which is one of the Witches books and has parallels with Phantom.

They all have something to add, and pre-assume some knowledge of the world/politics/events/history so that you 'get' the references. This comes out more in the later book, I think even PTerry acknowledged that TCOM and TLF weren't great places to start.

I love the Night Watch ones and the Moist Von Lipwig ones best

I personally don't bother with the wizard books in discworld but love all the guard books and the witches - granny weatherwax is amazing!

Also Tiffany is brilliant - aimed at slightly younger readers but still brilliant.

I am reading the Sam Vines books in order, rather than flitting from series to series in the proper publishing order, and its been very good so far. My local library has bought brand new paperbacks so it's a real treat.

Agree with above. Start with Mort and then the best are about the Watch and Sam Vimes.

I read the first one years ago and thought it was rubbish. This year I've ended up reading all the Witches series, starting with equal rites, and I love it. I then went on to the Tiffany Aching ones and realised they were for actual children oops.

I wanted another delve into disc world, will give either hog father or death ones a go.

Can you read them out of order, then? Or within a theme (thanks for the link, I'll take a screenshot to save to my phone for when I'm next out to a book shop) is it important to read them in the order given?

Oh, acerbic, that's right up my street, I think. Something to look forward to.

I'm not a teen by any stretch of imagination, I don't think I would class as young adult anymore by the time they were first published, the first ones. But that's never stopped me from reading (Harry Potter, Joe Abercromby, the Wool novels)

Obv I'm a big Pratchett fan, but I'd agree that the first two books aren't the place to start. The witches are my favourite theme, but the guards are brilliant

Great advice here - the start is not the best place to start with Discworld. A lot of people aren't as fond of the wizards books. I have a soft spot for them because my first was Reaper Man, which I read when I was 12/13 and had my mind blown.

But I agree the Witches are a great place to start. My own DD hasn't been interested in any of the others, but she loved the Witches books, including the Tiffany ones. I think Witches Abroad is her favourite, and I agree, it's pure delight from start to finish.

I'm in exactly the same position OP! Got the first three books out of the library yesterday (they never seem to have them so I got excited!) and started reading The Colour of Magic last night. I'm sort of enjoying it but appreciate I've only read a few pages. I really want to read them so I'll keep going!

And I'm gradually turning into Granny Weatherwax!

Small Gods is another accessible, stand alone one. If memory serves (which it hardly ever does!) the first two were written as paradies of fantasy books, it was only when he got to the third he realised that fantasy books that held up a mirror to the real world were the way to go. I am so jealous you've not read them yet OP. The Hogfather is another good one and will soon be seasonal.

The first two are really two halves of one book and set the scene. Definitely not the best books.

There are all sorts of reading orders published by fans for the DW series, most refer to the themes running through the series.

The Emporium has a guide to the subseries in order as well as a tongue in cheek quiz on the subject here: https://www.discworldemporium.com/reading-order/

If you like whodunnits then start with Guards Guards although Feet of Clay is possibly the best of that series. For the witches, you could start with Equal Rites or Wyrd Sisters. I like the Death books, particularly Reaper Man and Hogfather and Small Gods is possibly the most popular standalone and a common recommendation for a start point.

Not all are equally good - the early books have an element of finding the style, sometimes they are a bit overdone (Jingo for example) but on the whole they are funny and satirical and well observed and worth finding your own preferred theme.

The first one is (so sorry Terry) a bit crap.

The best ones IMO are the witch ones - I love Wyrd Sisters and Lords & Ladies. And the Captain Vimes ones. Death ones too, Reaper Man and Mort.

Never heard of Moist Von Lipwig! Off to find out more.

No need whatsoever to read them in order.

Yes start with the witches the Wyrd Sisters or the Nightwatch.

Definitely the first two are not the best. I would totally agree that the best way to go would be Mort, and then the Sam Vimes series. Then starting at the beginning again, with your new knowledge of context. When you have read them all, go back to the start and read again, ad infinitum. Hence why they are not in charity shops as true Pratchet fans never stop reading them.

I may be biased.