What shall I read first?

[sammoss147]

I want to start reading the Terry Pratchett books, but I don't know what ones to start with I have had a tip from someone in my family to start with Maskerade.

What do you think I should start with?

 

[sloweye]

The begining is always best

The Colour of Magic.

Although there are non - Discworld books as well.

Enjoy, i am sure you will

 

[Tillane]

Second that - Colour of Magic is the place to start...though Mort isn't a bad place, either.

 

[sloweye]

I did start with Mort, but the colour of magic gives a good intro to some of the key people who run through the series. i wish now i started at the begining. (my second book was Eric)

 

[Tillane]

I started with Reaper Man, but followed it with Mort and still find that one of PTerry's best novels - plus it's a good starting point for Death, IMO.

 

[Pyan]

I want to start reading the Terry Pratchett books, but I don't know what ones to start with I have had a tip from someone in my family to start with Maskerade.

What do you think I should start with?

The trouble with starting with Maskerade (or any of the books that were published after, say, Mort) is that you're plunging straight into a series which is developing a time-line and several sets of well defined recurring characters. You'll have missed out on the backstory, and several ideas and concepts will go straight over your head, which would be a shame.

My advice, as a TP reader from the very beginning, would be to either read all the books in publication order, or start the series from Mort, as the first book that really has that almost undefinable Pratchettness about it, IMHO.

Bear in mind, though, that if you ask 20 Pratchett fans this question, you'll probably get at least 15 different answers...

 

[The Procrastinator]

Indeed. The beginning is a good place to start, but failing that, Wyrd Sisters gets my vote.

 

[Pyan]

Wups - just remembered I had this...hope it helps...

Needs Making Money added with a direct link to Going Postal, but it's otherwise complete.

 

[The Judge]

I think if I'd started with The Colour of Magic I wouldn't have read anything further of his - it really doesn't have the craft of his later books and it slightly put me off him when I did get around to reading it (though I gave him a second chance!).

I started with The Amazing Maurice as I was intrigued by the premise and told myself I was checking it out for my niece (it's a children's book). I then went on to the Watch novels as I got the first three of them in one volume. Only after I'd got a feel for his work did I go back and read the novels in order of publication. I suppose I might have missed some things reading them that way round (I didn't realise the significance of AN UNIDENTIFIED PERSON SPEAKING IN CAPITAL LETTERS for quite a while!) but it didn't affect my enjoyment. The beauty of his books is that although they deal with the same world, they can stand alone - you don't need to have read a book's predecessors to understand it.

 

[Octarine Lantern]

I started with The Truth and liked it well enough to try his other books. Glad I did.

As far as starting from the beginning is concerned, I'd almost recommend reading The Light Fantastic first as it is much better than the Colour of Magic

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Terry did say if he had to write C.O.M again he would have done it a lot different, but he had no idea it would take off like it did, but I like it because it parodied the fantasy novels at the time, and that was what drew me to it, when it first came out.

 

[Erunanion]

I wouldn't start with The Colour of Magic or The Light Fantastic as it lacks the same genius and flair for doing something completely unique, as opposed to doing wonderfully bizarre fantasy books, with the first two are.

I started with The Truth which I was given as a present some many years ago, and I think its a good one to read to see if you like his style because its pretty standalone - knowledge of all the extra characters is good, but not necessary to enjoy the story.

Personally I would start with Mort and go through the Death books, or the Guards series - but don't let Guards Guards! put you off that collection. It is the weakest book of the Guards lot as Pratchett hadn't really found the characters yet, but it pays to read it as it sets up Men at Arms very well (which is a spectacular book, and possibly my favourite of the lot... apart from all the other Guards books )

Whichever you start with, enjoy reading the work of an author who is, personally speaking, one of the greatest writers this country has been graced with.

 

[SirGeoffrey]

Wups - just remembered I had this...hope it helps...

Needs Making Money added with a direct link to Going Postal, but it's otherwise complete.

Thanks, pyan, for this awesome visual! There are some many authors I've wanted to read, and each year the number of titles keep increasing. Now, I'm making time to read Sir Terry! The Colour of Magic, it is!

 

[George Ian]

'Small Gods' is one of my favourite books of all time. Try it.

 

[BigBadBob141]

I would start with the first two "The Colour Of Magic" and it's sequel "The Light Fantastic" just to get you into the Discworld.
After that you could go anywhere, "Pyramids" is a good stand alone or read my favorites the Nightwatch series starting with "Guards!, Guards!" then "Men At Arms"
The Witches starting with "Equal Rites", or the Wizard books such as "Sourcery", there are also the Death books starting with "Mort".
Don't forget the non-Discworld books, "Nation" is excellent as is his two SF novels "The Dark Side Of The Sun" & "Strata".
I have yet to read the Long Earth trilogy but they look very interesting.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Wups - just remembered I had this...hope it helps...

Needs Making Money added with a direct link to Going Postal, but it's otherwise complete.

Four missing from above?

"I shall Wear Midnight" is after Wintersmith, "The Wee Free Men" is really separate from the "Witch on the Chalk" series (my favourite Witch Books).
Would "Snuff" be after then "Thud!" or?
"Unseen Academicals"?

"Going Postal" -> "Making Money" -> "Raising Steam"

Don't forget the non-Discworld books, "Nation" is excellent as is his two SF novels "The Dark Side Of The Sun" & "Strata".

The Diggers, Truckers, Wings
Carpet people
The Johnny books.

I wasn't fussed on "Nation". The first "Long Earth" was a bit better, but I didn't like it as much as others.

For me the "Science of Discworld" books don't quite work. Almost felt like cutting up the two I have and making two separate books out of each. Maybe because I prefer straight science books and papers rather than attempts at it for the "Man in the street." But some of the science bits seem a bit laboured.

Reading in Publication order is best. But there is no doubt that they improve a lot after the "The Colour of magic" and "The Light Fantastic."

Eric is of course in Non-Graphic novel version too.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Color of Magic then The Light Fantastic .

 

[Christopher Lee]

Way back when, I was told to start with Small Gods. Seemed to work rather well for me.

 

[BigBadBob141]

"Small Gods" is a very good stand alone.
They re-played it on BBC Radio 4 Extra as a tribute to Terry!

 

[genocon]

Start with the first one. Colour of Magic. I read that book back on the 80's. It ends in a SERIOUS cliffhanger. I didn't read the second book (The Light Fantastic) until 2002. Didn't even know there was a sequel. Wasn't I happy to find out there were 30 of them. I've read most of the rest since. And I suggest you do, too.