My profile login | | Directory | Search | FAQs | Board home   Printer-friendly view   » Ship of Fools   »   » Oblivion   » Where to begin? Reading Terry Pratchett Email this page to a friend or enemy.     Source: (consider it) Thread: Where to begin? Reading Terry Pratchett Huia Shipmate # 3473 Posted                        I thought I'd start this as a new thread rather than risk it taking over the other book thread. I have never read any of Sir Terry's books, but even a brief glance at a bibliography showed me they were many and various, so I am not sure where to start. I have read and enjoyed Douglas Adams, Ben Aaronovitch and Neil Gaiman, all of whom I've seen compared to TP, so I thought I'd dip my toe in - but where? Any suggestions welcome. Thanks - Huia -------------------- Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table. Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged Doublethink. Ship's Foolwise Unperson # 1984 Posted                          I would start with the discworld books, I think they are the most accessible. The first, chronologically, is The Colour of Magic. Alternatively, you could pick a subset of the discworld - based on the types of genre fiction you like. So subset wise, there are the Rincewind books - Colour of Magic is the first - which act as a sort of travelogue of the discworld. There are the books where death is a major character which can be interesting on ideas of morailty and metaphysics, those focusing on the city guard which tend to have a mystery solving element and those that focus on the lancre witches that explore tradional fairy stories, (within those the childrens set featuring Tiffany Aching). Personally I would suggest either reading chronologically, starting with the witches subset, or reading Witches Abroad which is my all time favourite. -------------------- All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged ElaineC Shipmate # 12244 Posted                        The Disc World series starts with 'The Colour of Magic' which gives you a feel for the series. There are then books that feature different character(s) - the Wizards, the Night Watch the Witches, Rincewind, DEATH etc... They tend to be Marmite books - you either love then or you hate them! If you love them you might just find yourself laughing out loud. -------------------- Music is the only language in which you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing. John Erskine Posts: 464 | From: Orpington, Kent, UK | Registered: Jan 2007  |  IP: Logged Doublethink. Ship's Foolwise Unperson # 1984 Posted                          Here is a bibliography for reference. Which immediately reminds me that both Small Gods and The Thief of Time are fab. Of the books where Death is a major character Hogfather is my favourite - the conceit is that for complex reasons he must take on the role of The Hogfather (discworld version of Father Christmas). It reference lots of the old myths about midwinter, I love the folkloric aspect. -------------------- All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged Doublethink. Ship's Foolwise Unperson # 1984 Posted                          If you are interested in seeing the author play with ideas of prophecy and the devlopment of morality - and to see a non-witch example of his children's writing - I would suggest The Amazing Maurice & His Educated Rodents. -------------------- All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged TurquoiseTastic Fish of a different color # 8978 Posted                        I am not sure I would start with the Colour of Magic though. I think it took him a little while to perfect his style. It would be better I think to start with one of the slightly later "stand-alone" Discworld novels like "Small Gods" or "Pyramids". Alternatively if you like Neil Gaiman you could try "Good Omens" which they wrote together. Posts: 1092 | From: Hants., UK | Registered: Jan 2005  |  IP: Logged Athrawes Ship's parrot # 9594 Posted                        I agree, he took some time to settle into the world, so I don't like the earlier books as much as the later ones. I would personally start with Guards! Guards! , which is the first of the City Watch series - Sam Vimes is one of my favourite characters! Witches Abroad is also huge fun, as is Soul Music. -------------------- Explaining why is going to need a moment, since along the way we must take in the Ancient Greeks, the study of birds, witchcraft, 19thC Vaudeville and the history of baseball. Michael Quinion. Posts: 2966 | From: somewhere with a book shop | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged Dafyd Shipmate # 5549 Posted                        Agreed that if you like Neil Gaiman you should read Good Omens. I would recommend starting either with The Colour of Magic or with Wyrd Sisters. Wyrd Sisters is my favourite. The Colour of Magic is a fun send-up of swords and sorcery. If you like Douglas Adams you'll probably like it, but the plots and characters are really just excuses to hang jokes on. After that Pratchett starts trying to write plots and characters that are worth reading for their own sake: Wyrd Sisters is the one in my opinion where he works out how to write plots and characters that work in their own right and are funny at the same time. It's still my favourite, although whenever Pratchett started writing to a formula he began to experiment and stretch himself again. If you like The Colour of Magic you will probably like everything Pratchett writes, but it's not typical. So if you don't like The Colour of Magic I'd still suggest trying Wyrd Sisters. Whereas if you don't like Wyrd Sisters I'd probably not suggest anything else. -------------------- we remain, thanks to original sin, much in love with talking about, rather than with, one another. Rowan Williams Posts: 10567 | From: Edinburgh | Registered: Feb 2004  |  IP: Logged Wet Kipper Circus Runaway # 1654 Posted                        I very rarely re-read any of the earlier books, usually becuase I was borrowing them at the time, so I don't see anything wrong with starting with The Colour of Magic and theother early books to introduce you to the Discworld, then it's up to you to pay more/less attention to the Wizardy /witches/guards/Death/Ankh-Morpork based themed ones in terms of accessibility, I'd say the Bromeliad trilogy -Truckers, Diggers, Wings - about the Nomes give you an easier start (being aimed at kids) into his sense of humour and penchant for large footnotes. [ 01. July 2015, 12:30: Message edited by: Wet Kipper ] -------------------- - insert randomly chosen, potentially Deep and Meaningful™ song lyrics here - Posts: 9841 | From: further up the Hill | Registered: Nov 2001  |  IP: Logged Badger Lady Shipmate # 13453 Posted                        this reading order guide is really helpful. I started with the Guards novels and then moved on to the Death ones. I'm taking a wee break and then going onto the Rincewind ones. (Edited to fix code) [ 01. July 2015, 15:45: Message edited by: Firenze ] Posts: 340 | From: London | Registered: Feb 2008  |  IP: Logged Sparrow Shipmate # 2458 Posted                        I would agree that the first two (Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic) are not the best place to start, as someone else said, Terry was not into his stride at that point. However the third, Equal Rites, is great. Also it introduces several major characters, notably Granny Weatherwax, and places ... both Lancre where the Witches books are set, and the great and wonderful city of Ankh-Morpork which is the setting for many of his best. Secondly I would recommend Guards, Guards, as the introduction to the Ankh Morpork City Watch who feature heavily in many books. -------------------- For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life,nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Posts: 3149 | From: Bottom right hand corner of the UK | Registered: Mar 2002  |  IP: Logged Penny S Shipmate # 14768 Posted                       Equal Rites was the first I met, broadcast as the drama on Woman's Hour on the BBC. Should you have met Ursula Le Guin's early Earthsea books, and cavilled at their traditional attitude to women and wizardry, it might be possible to see the Pratchett as a response to that. The first of his I read was Good Omens, where I realised that he and Gaiman were riffing on William Brown and the Outlaws by Richmal Crompton. It's not Discworld, of course. If you like Aaronovitch, it tinkers in a similar sort of not quite the real world as he does. But with strong references, of course, to the Omen films. Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009  |  IP: Logged Boadicea Trott Shipmate # 9621 Posted                        I would honestly start with Equal Rites or Pyramids. I have not gone back and re-read The Colour of Magic or The Light Fantastic for a very long time as I did not enjoy them quite as much as the other Discworld books. Golly, I started reading these when I was in Uni. That was a long time ago.... -------------------- X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett Posts: 563 | From: Roaming the World in my imagination..... | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged Ginga Ship's lurker # 1899 Posted                       I struggled with the Colour of Magic for the reasons given above. The first I read - and still my favourite - was Mort. Posts: 1075 | From: London | Registered: Nov 2001  |  IP: Logged St. Gwladys Shipmate # 14504 Posted                        Probably the witches series or the guards series, the guards books are a good introduction to Ankhmorpork, the witches series a good introduction to the Discworld. Enjoy! -------------------- "I say - are you a matelot?" "Careful what you say sir, we're on board ship here" From "New York Girls", Steeleye Span, Commoners Crown (Voiced by Peter Sellers) Posts: 3333 | From: Rhymney Valley, South Wales | Registered: Jan 2009  |  IP: Logged Ariel Shipmate # 58 Posted                          I tried several Pratchett novels as friends seemed to enjoy them, and I couldn't get on with them at all, but if you like Douglas Adams you will probably quite enjoy "The Colour of Magic" as Pratchett's writing style in that book, and the next one in the series, is very reminiscent of him. You have to start somewhere and I started with the first in the series, before dipping into something written later. It's one way of doing it because then you can see if you like how his style develops. Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged Huia Shipmate # 3473 Posted                        Wow! Thank you all for the thoughtful responses. Post a thread, go to bed and it's like being a child again and waking up on Christmas morning. I knew that Terry Pratchett had written a lot of books, but Doublethink's link staggered me. I think I'll spend some time on the library's website and see which of the suggested books are available there, otherwise this could be an expensive venture (get thee behind me kindle). Huia -------------------- Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table. Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged Nicolemr Shipmate # 28 Posted                           Hope it's not too late to add my thoughts here. I say the Guards books first. I think Thud is the best, but needs to be worked up too by reading the other Guards books before. -------------------- On pilgrimage in the endless realms of Cyberia, currently traveling by ship. Now with live journal! Posts: 11803 | From: New York City "The City Carries On" | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged balaam Making an ass of myself # 4543 Posted                           Thud is one of the best, (nearly as good as Jingo) after that are the post Alzheimer's books and there is a dip in quality. The early books are very good stories not very well written, then as the writing improved there was a dip in story quality before the series found its feet of well written good stories. Carrot Ironfoundersson is my favourite character, found in the City Watch series, but Granny Weatherwax in the witches series, is close. -------------------- Last ever sig ... blog Posts: 9049 | From: Hen Ogledd | Registered: May 2003  |  IP: Logged Doublethink. Ship's Foolwise Unperson # 1984 Posted                          I think Snuff is OK but Steam is very weak - it still has the odd linguistic flash of brilliance, but the plotting is weak and the ending is unconvincing. Thud is one of my favourites, but then I like all the ones where he focuses on identity and faith. The evocation of dwarven religion is incredibly good. I suppose it is also the topicality of tackling racism, he does this in a number of books but it is most explicit in thud. I would recommend readin The Fifth Elephant before reading Thud. Also, there are internal inconsistencies in the stories of Discworld, I deal with this by assuming they are all different legs of the trousers of time -------------------- All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged Doublethink. Ship's Foolwise Unperson # 1984 Posted                          Just a further reflection, there are some discworld books that are obvious takes on well known stories (or clusters thereof) like Wyrd Sisters, Masquerade and some others - these can be fun but Pratchett is at his best, I think, when the main bones of the plot are original. Hence Witches Abroad, Jingo, Thud, Guards Guards, Small Gods seem much more involving and cohesive. Then there are the analogues to industrialisation, of which I think Going Postal is much the best. Moist von Lipwig is a great character but the sequels that involve him after Going Postal are all basically the same story. -------------------- All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged Signaller Shipmate # 17495 Posted                        The last two books (Snuff and Raising Steam) are good stories badly written, because of Pratchett's illness, and can't really be recommended, sadly. The characters are almost unrecognisable. Posts: 113 | From: Metroland | Registered: Jan 2013  |  IP: Logged Kittyville Shipmate # 16106 Posted                       I'm another one who'd recommend either a stand-alone like Pyramids or Small Gods (both favourites of mine) or the guards or witches subseries (favourites there being Feet of Clay and Lords and Ladies, respectively). I started with Mort *coughgoodgodswasitreally25yearsagocough*, went back to the beginning and read through to Equal Rites, then carried on from Sourcery. I quite liked Snuff, but read the last two or three more out of loyalty tinged with sadness, more than anything, if I'm honest. Posts: 291 | From: Sydney | Registered: Dec 2010  |  IP: Logged Penny S Shipmate # 14768 Posted                       When I read through them, it was in order, and each one came as a reward after I had sent off an Open University assignment, before I started the next module. Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009  |  IP: Logged lilBuddha Shipmate # 14333 Posted                       Lots of good advice. The only thing I can add is avoid jumping in towards the end of the series. I could not finish Making Money. it lost the magic. So much so I've read no further in the series. -------------------- I put on my rockin' shoes in the morning Hallellou, hallellou Posts: 17627 | From: the round earth's imagined corners | Registered: Dec 2008  |  IP: Logged balaam Making an ass of myself # 4543 Posted                           It was sad to read a book by such a good author as Pratchett affected by his illness. The interplay and relationship between characters has always been a string point, but sadly the relationship between Sam Vimes and Moist von Lipwig does not work in Raising Steam. The action parts of the book still work though. [edit for crosspost: I thought Making Money was a good book, though not the best] [ 02. July 2015, 18:01: Message edited by: balaam ] -------------------- Last ever sig ... blog Posts: 9049 | From: Hen Ogledd | Registered: May 2003  |  IP: Logged Diomedes Shipmate # 13482 Posted                        They are written for a younger audience and I came across them when I was looking for books to read aloud to my sons, but I really enjoyed 'Johnny and the Bomb' and 'Johnny and the Dead'. A intriguing view of the past interacting with the present. -------------------- Distrust simple answers to complicated questions Posts: 129 | From: Essex England | Registered: Mar 2008  |  IP: Logged Huia Shipmate # 3473 Posted                        The easiest book for me to find in the library yesterday was a large print version of The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents . I'm only a few pages in, but what a delight. Huia -------------------- Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table. Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged Doublethink. Ship's Foolwise Unperson # 1984 Posted                          It is fab I do hope it lives up to your expectations. -------------------- All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged Sandemaniac Shipmate # 12829 Posted                        TAMAHER is brilliant - I won't tell you which one, but one gag is so mean and so nasty it had me in tears of laughter. AG -------------------- "It becomes soon pleasantly apparent that change-ringing is by no means merely an excuse for beer" Charles Dickens gets it wrong, 1869 Posts: 3574 | From: The wardrobe of my soul | Registered: Jul 2007  |  IP: Logged St Everild Shipmate # 3626 Posted                        The DH loved Raising Steam - being a steam railway enthusiast he thought that Terry P had "got" steam railways, even though he was struggling with dementia! I suppose you pays your money and you takes your choice... I wouldn't bother with the first two. The Colour of Magic and the other one bored me silly. Anything with the City Watch or the Witches is brilliant - I am reading the "teenage" series featuring Tiffany Aching at the moment, and have Mort and Equal Rites on Kindle...although we have a shelf full of Pratchett upstairs...filed in order too. (That would be the DH...) And we shall buy The Shepherd's Crown when it is published, even though I feel that it may be a bit disappointing because of Terry's illness. Just want to complete the sequence. Hope you enjoy Sir Terry's work as much as other people do....probably not safe to read while drinking coffee... Posts: 1782 | From: Bethnei | Registered: Dec 2002  |  IP: Logged Jane R Shipmate # 331 Posted                        I didn't like Raising Steam either. I agree that Pratchett 'gets' steam railways, but the characters just seemed like caricatures of themselves going through the motions. And Snuff was basically his 'Odd couple falls in love' plot mashed together with a very loud moral message that SLAVERY AND GENOCIDE ARE BAD AND EVIL - which no right-thinking person would disagree with. I thought it was slightly better than Raising Steam (mainly because we got the occasional flash of the 'real' Sam Vimes), but he usually does moral messages much more subtly. And subtle is more effective, IMNSHO - such as that throwaway line in 'The Third Elephant': 'Stay where you are, Detritus. You're a free troll. That's an order.' I'd recommend either Guards, Guards or Wyrd Sisters as a starting point. I don't think the Granny Weatherwax in Equal Rites is quite like herself yet, even though it's the first book she appears in. Posts: 3958 | From: Jorvik | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged The Intrepid Mrs S Shipmate # 17002 Posted                        I started with Pyramids, which remains a favourite, and would recommend anyone to do just that. Once I saw that the heroine was called Ptraci I was utterly hooked! My absolute favourite of all time is The Night Watch; I'm not wholly sure why except that it shows a completely new depth of character to Vimes. Moving Pictures runs it a close second I'm with Jane R on the business of Being Kind To Lesser Races, and got very bored with being hit over the head with less and less appealing characters (dwarfs and trolls >> goblins >> orcs), and also with Pratchett - may he rest in peace - recycling the jokes. I have only read Dodger once for exactly this reason, whereas the earlier ones I know by heart. Mrs. S, devoted fan -------------------- Don't get your knickers in a twist over your advancing age. It achieves nothing and makes you walk funny. Prayer should be our first recourse, not our last resort 'Lord, please give us patience. NOW!' Posts: 1464 | From: Neither here nor there | Registered: Mar 2012  |  IP: Logged Huia Shipmate # 3473 Posted                        The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents was wonderful. Anyone who could write like that can be forgiven a few books that are not quite up to scratch. I loved Maurice, who bears a passing resemblance to a cat I once had. I found a rather battered paperback copy of the Colour of Magic in the library, so I think I'll read that next, but won't let it put me off the author if it is a bit disappointing. It is so exciting to find an author who is new to me and has written so much. Thank you all for sharing your own ideas and favourites. Huia -------------------- Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table. Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged Curiosity killed ... Ship's Mug # 11770 Posted                        I started with The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic and still have a love of The Luggage, probably because I started reading them so long ago. I picked up the books as they came out for ages, but hit one I didn't enjoy and stopped reading him for a long time, probably Moving Pictures. At the time there were three of us addicted, buying them and sharing them. I have also read the even earlier books, The Carpet People but ground to a halt with Dark Side of the Sun and Strata. I also liked the Nomes series, certainly the first couple, wasn't so impressed by Wings - and I have a horrible feeling I read the Nome series to my daughter as bedtime stories after The Borrowers. Love, love Mort but haven't read Hogfather, even though my daughter who started reading him as the books came out too, owns both the book and the film and I have them both here. I must read the collection we have here to catch up on him again. I did get into the Tiffany Aching series - Hat Full of Sky a few years back. -------------------- Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006  |  IP: Logged Printer-friendly view Go to: Select a board: Category: Ship's business -------------------- The Styx Category: Community discussion -------------------- Heaven Purgatory Hell All Saints Category: Special interest discussion -------------------- Ecclesiantics Kerygmania The Circus Dead Horses The Eighth Day Category: Ship's Locker -------------------- Glory Limbo Category: Things we did -------------------- Nativity Play Auctions The Laugh Judgment The Da Vinci Code Chapter & Worse Contact us | Ship of Fools | Privacy statement © Ship of Fools 2016 UBB.classicTM 6.5.0