Which Discworld novel do you recommend to start at?

[deldaisy]

Hi fellow Discworld fans. Well its like preaching to the converted; and I'm sure there MUST be a post that covers this already as I have discussed it in depth with fellow fans but can still not come up with an answer. I tell the "TP virgins" about Discworld and when they ask for a book they should read I can't suggest ONE.... so suggest none. I love the Guards, and the Witches, and it colours my opinion. But then something like "The Truth" and "Going Postal" captures an essence of how Discworld is evolving but I feel those are too far into Discworld to get a grasp of the characters and where they have come from and the history they have with each other. And still I say each novel can be read as a good book in itself...... HELP!

 

[michelanCello]

Hi there, deldaisy, and welcome to the forum!

I just gave Soul Music to a friend of mine, who likes it really much (he was only wondering why there is a Death of Rats and why does it say NYÍÍÍ (which is how that stupid translator translated SQUEEK into hungarian... ), and when I explained, that there was even a Death of Fleas, he freaked out about the thought what sound he makes, but he likes it, and he hans't complained over things he didn't understand - yet, at least). I first wanted him to read Reapre Man, which is, I think a good start, because DEATH is an in a very interesting character to read about and RM has a good plot too (it's one of my favorites ), but he refused to read it in english, and Soul Music is the only book I have in hungarian (thanks to Sjoerd, of course ).
Personally I started with Small Gods, which was also a good start, I think, but after that I read Feet of Clay, which was a bit confusing, but still good... But after Interesting Times I thought I'd start to read them in chronological order. I wouldn't recommend to start with the Color of Magic, though...

 

[Sjoerd3000]

I think Mort or Guards! Guards! are good places to start

 

[BatrickPatrick]

I started with Colour of Magic, but the first two aren't the strongest so maybe something later on for skeptics?

 

[Doughnut Jimmy]

I think Equal Rights is a good start but it really depends on what they're interested in - there's something in the books for most obsessions

Edit ti add - I would never suggest starting with Mort as I don't like the book and think Mort the character is an idiot, but I know there's plenty on here who disagree

 

[The Mad Collector]

I usually suggest Mort as that is the first book where Death is the character that we come to know, however Guards Guards is an excellent starting point.

 

[Tonyblack]

The advantage of Guards! Guards! is that you get an introduction to Ankh-Morpork and how it works along with the newly arrived Carrot.

Actually, it's the only book where he's any use at all.

 

[DaveC]

I started with CoM and read them right through chronologically, well, I am as far as Night Watch at the moment, and I think that was the best way.

Even though CoM and LF were the hardest books to read I like the evolution of Pterry's writting and the desicions in made on the way to shape the universe, characterizations etc. if I had started at ER or Mort as others suggest, and hen gone back to read CoM and LF I think it would've been to jarring, in a) the style and b) the differences in the world like the wizards suddenly going from bumbling fools to murderers (poisoners).

 

[deldaisy]

Which book to recommend as a first read?

Gee thanks... I guess its like asking me which of my children I love the most. I never really LOVED Mort, and Guards Guards was a no-brainer as I'm a Guards fan. I love any of the books about the witches too but to introduce this as a first seems to give the impression that thats what the Disworld is ALL about... too much fantasy (?) though I tend to recommend witches to women as Terry truly understands the world from a womans mind set (Dear God his parents derserve some form of award), but then I grew up way out west where "magic" was performed with common sense, "well it worked on my horse", and an ointment made out of goannas.

But I love Guards books because of Ank-Morpork... Terry describes it so that you can almost smell the river, taste the rat-on-a-stick, and feel the cobbles under your feet just as Vimes does. (oh dear I just realised; Mum is Granny and Dad is Vimes!)

I have read alot of fiction and non-fiction and it always feels like Terry somehow has had access to all the books I had read in my lifetime.

I do admit I did recommend Lords and Ladies to one girlfriend (easy). As a precocious child she was far better read than her mother and every night her Mum would tuck her in and tell her "Dream of fairies darling" and turn off the light. Poor little thing KNEW how evil faeries really were.

 

[deldaisy]

Hi there, deldaisy, and welcome to the forum!

I just gave Soul Music to a friend of mine, who likes it really much (he was only wondering why there is a Death of Rats and why does it say NYÍÍÍ (which is how that stupid translator translated SQUEEK into hungarian... ), and when I explained, that there was even a Death of Fleas, he freaked out about the thought what sound he makes, but he likes it, and he hans't complained over things he didn't understand - yet, at least). I first wanted him to read Reapre Man, which is, I think a good start, because DEATH is an in a very interesting character to read about and RM has a good plot too (it's one of my favorites ), but he refused to read it in english, and Soul Music is the only book I have in hungarian (thanks to Sjoerd, of course ).
Personally I started with Small Gods, which was also a good start, I think, but after that I read Feet of Clay, which was a bit confusing, but still good... But after Interesting Times I thought I'd start to read them in chronological order. I wouldn't recommend to start with the Color of Magic, though...

Thank you for the welcome (thank you to everyone!) Yes translated books fascinate me. I read something once where Terry was talking about how much trust he put in his translators. And some "boom boom" moments take an age to get to the punchline. I particularly remember he was talking about a chapter that built to the line "I could just murder a curry!" (something about assassins I think) but I wondered just HOW would such an "english" phrase go over to make it work. Wow! Credit to all the fans who take the time and effort to read the english versions. I stand in awe.

 

[raisindot]

Guards Guards or Mort are excellent places to drop new readers into the "now Pterry's got it" phase of the series, but you might also want to consider recommending Thief of Time. I started with this (knowing nothing about DW, just randomly choosing it among the few DW books ay my library), and it totally blew my mind. It's so amazingly creative and innovative and funny in so many ways that you aren't necessarily hampered by not knowing the back stories of Susan, Death and Nanny Ogg.

J-I-B

 

[CJDobs]

"Now Pterrys got it" . . .

hmm . . . .

I'm pretty sure - nay certain - he had it from the very start.

I suppose you had to be there though - bit like Woodstock to the Hippy fraternity. Trust me, back in the '80's Terrys first books went WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH across the fantasy shelves leaving Ann McCaffreys and the like going WTF was that???

And lo, a whole generation of fantasy readers peered at the cover art and spake 'I shall readeth this tome and judge for myselfe whether the wonders lie within".

And verily did those wonders awake! . . . et cetera.

Each to their own I suppose. I feel a bit like a Vietnam vet though, 'you don't know man, you weren't there . . . .

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

<I have read alot of fiction and non-fiction and it always feels like Terry somehow has had access to all the books I had read in my lifetime.>

And some more,Terry was very active in early fandom in the 60s.

you can read more in Peter Westons book http://www.nesfa.org/press/Books/images/Weston-600.jpg

 

[Willem]

It depends on the person really. Witches Abroad is a good start, funny stuff and lots of easily recognised fairy tale references. Small Gods for the Dawkins fans I'd sooner recommend Reaper Man as a first book than Mort, since I find Mort to suffer just a little bit of 'early Pratchett syndrome'.

 

[Maeve]

I agree with Willem, I think it really depends on the person and what they'll like the most Then once we've got them into it we drag them down yelling 'ONE OF US, ONE OF US'.... or maybe thats just what I do.

 

[deldaisy]

<I have read alot of fiction and non-fiction and it always feels like Terry somehow has had access to all the books I had read in my lifetime.>

And some more,Terry was very active in early fandom in the 60s.

you can read more in Peter Westons book http://www.nesfa.org/press/Books/images/Weston-600.jpg

Oh no Dug. I didn't just mean HIS books or other authors (well yes I was a huge science fiction/fantasy fan). I mean all the history books I read, science, folklore, physics, fairytales, geology, geography, genetics, ornathology, biographies, biology, transindental meditation, the weird and wonderful history of dentistry, I am Joes Liver/pancreas/kneecap.

 

[Verns]

It's an interesting question. I came late to Discworld - I was sort of vaguely aware of a science fantasy writer called Terry Pratchett who wrote wildly successful books, but then there are plenty of best-selling authors out there whose books are, erm, not to my taste (Dan Brown, Jodie Picoult, to name just a couple) so I didn't give it a lot of thought.

But then The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents won the Carnegie Medal and I decided to buy a copy for my young niece. I read the first few pages in the shop (as you do) and impulsively bought two copies. I loved it (and it is still a favourite), and a friend started lending me her collection of DW books. I think my first 'proper' DW book was Wyrd Sisters. How can you not love a book that starts with the witches on a dark night, and an eldritch voice shrieking, 'When shall we three meet again?' only to be answered with, 'Well, I can do next Tuesday.'

Guards! Guards! is another good entry point, as others have suggested. If I have a soft spot for the children's books and the witches, I have an even greater love for Sam Vimes and the guards of Ankh-Morpork. Personally, I rarely re-read the books that concentrate on Unseen University and those wretched wizards, and I find Rincewind a tiresome character, but it's all a question of getting hooked, and I was definitely hooked by The Amazing Maurice.

 

[Maeve]

Did anyone else read them chronologically? When I was reading them I bought and read them in the order written in the backs of the books, which meant I read them in the order Terry wrote them rather than according to a character series or anything...

 

[Penfold]

Yup. I started reading them from the start all those years ago, avidly awaiting the next book to come out. I think the only ones I read out of sequence were Reaper Man and Moving Pictures. Unfortunately, also being quite a bit younger and not really fully appreciating the books back then, I never held on to all those first editions.

One advantage of reading them chronologically is that you get to see the evolution of Ankh Morpork and the Discworld, as well as Sir Terry's development as an author.

 

[Maeve]

I definitely enjoyed reading them that way- it was kinda like the world was unfolding in front of me and becoming more detailed and complex with every book!