Print

[JoelWhy]

I've heard people mention the Discworld series for some time, but never bothered with them.  I finally downloaded the unabridged version of The Colour of Magic a few weeks ago for a trip back east.  I'm about half way through, and I absolutely LOVE it!

So, no spoilers please, but how does the rest of the series hold up?  Can I look forward to the same amazing quality of the first book?  I see on Wikii there are currently 38 books in the series.  It's hard to imagine they are all amazing books.

[Lukas]

I've heard people mention the Discworld series for some time, but never bothered with them.  I finally downloaded the unabridged version of The Colour of Magic a few weeks ago for a trip back east.  I'm about half way through, and I absolutely LOVE it!

So, no spoilers please, but how does the rest of the series hold up?  Can I look forward to the same amazing quality of the first book?  I see on Wikii there are currently 38 books in the series.  It's hard to imagine they are all amazing books.

I think I've read about 5, and I thought the quality held up amazingly well. I can imagine some things getting repetitive if you read all of them, though.

[Domino]

Yes and No.

They change, the later books have a very different feel. I think that they get better.

They start out (the first 3 or 4) as parody fantasy. After a while they become stories set in the world that has been sketched out in the first few books. It's like the first ones he's taking the piss and then comes to realise that in doing so he's created an interesting world that functions without needing to be propped up by what it's parodying. Not sure if I've explained that very well.

I love them. I've read all the main books, a few of the the side things like the companions, played the games (even the MUD), most of his other stuff too. The only main Discworld book I haven't read is Unseen Academicals.

Most of them are good. A few are a bit meh (The Truth). A few are OMGWFTBBQTEHAWESOMES!! (Night Watch)

This is not exactly a spoiler but you'll want to get hold of The Light Fantastic before you finish The Colour of Magic. TCOM and TLF are effectively two halves of one book.

[pandamonium]

excellent books, imo. the first i read was equal rites. i loved it. i'm slowly getting the audiobooks from audible. which reminds me, i need to renew my subscription to audible.

[JoelWhy]

This is not exactly a spoiler but you'll want to get hold of The Light Fantastic before you finish The Colour of Magic. TCOM and TLF are effectively two halves of one book.

I definitely plan on downloading it as soon as I'm done with this one

[appropriatemetaphor]

Most of them are good. A few are a bit meh (The Truth). A few are OMGWFTBBQTEHAWESOMES!! (Night Watch)

I thought The Truth was great. Good ol' von Lipwig fighting the Man! Or was that Going Postal? I forget.

The books definitely get better as they go along. I'd say the worst ones are, the first ones. You don't really have to read them in order (especially the standalone ones), but I guess it helps. Here's a chart:



I find most people like the Watch series the best.

Small Gods was my favorite though, probably the most pro-skeptic book of his.

[JoelWhy]

Wow, thanks for the chart!  I'm just about to finish the first book, and will download the second book as soon as I'm done.  I frankly don't have a lot of time to read books, so audiobooks is where it's at for me.

[Domino]

Be sure to get the unabridged. I find the abridged ones kind of jarring since they tend to cut out my favourite lines that I've been waiting for 

Lupwig is in Going Postal. de Worde is in The Truth, it's the one about the newspapers getting started.

I really like Small Gods.

Eric was the first one I read, kinda odd I know. It's also about a third of the length of the others

[cerveauxfrits]

In my opinion The Colour of Magic is one of the weaker novels in the series - and I think I first read it in only two sittings.  I agree with Domino, the early books feel like they're just straight satire, and as time goes on Pratchett gets more interested in the setting and its inhabitants.

And it's true, you should go straight into The Light Fantastic after finishing Colour. 

[wastrel]

I started off with Mort abour ten years ago.  Hadn't hear od Pratchett before, and the cover stood out to me while I was at the bookstore.  I was isntantly hooked, and have read every Discworld novel.

I've gotten several other people into the series, and I always loan them Mort first.

[Domino]

Additionally, if you have any interest in Alzheimer's whatsoever go and find some of his writing and speeches. It's in my family and in part due to his words I'm starting to think more about it and my own way out.

If you're in the UK the BBC did some adaptation for BBC7, Mort was the only one I've listened to but it was really, really good. If you've got access to iPlayer it might still be there.

And I love Nation, I think it's one of his best. Not a Discworld book, but still very Discworld.

[Belgarath]

You definitely need to read them all, and DO NOT LISTEN TO ABRIDGED versions.  There are tons of little things in them.

[Lukas]

You definitely need to read them all, and DO NOT LISTEN TO UNABRIDGED versions.  There are tons of little things in them.

I think you meant "DO NOT LISTEN TO ABRIDGED VERSIONS", right?

[Belgarath]

You definitely need to read them all, and DO NOT LISTEN TO UNABRIDGED versions.  There are tons of little things in them.

I think you meant "DO NOT LISTEN TO ABRIDGED VERSIONS", right?

Correct.  Although that's what I said, stop misquoting me!

[DaveKidneys]

I have two autographed books, all of the Discworld novels, some of his others as well.

I agree Nation is definitely one of his best novels, which is saying something. Also, you should get Good Omens which was co-written with Neil Gaimen. Still makes me laugh and I've pretty much killed the spine over the years.

When my sister was pregnant, I bought my nephew Where's My Cow just to make sure that he was introduced to the Discworld as early as possible.