(no subject)

[the_rck]

I'm debating-- Mark Reads is going to be doing Pratchett's Discworld books, all of them, from beginning to end. I could pick up the books as it goes and read along, but I've had very mixed results with Pratchett. I think the Tiffany Aching books (which I quite like) are the only Discworld books I've managed to finish. I've tried several others and just couldn't penetrate them. Reading along with Mark Reads has gotten me to finish things I wouldn't otherwise, but I don't know if this is worthwhile.

The most recent Pratchett I bounced off of was Going Postal. I've heard that that's one of the best in the series. That makes me reluctant to go back to The Colour of Magic which I've heard isn't all that great.

I suspect that my sense of humor doesn't march well with Pratchett's. I didn't find the Tiffany Aching books funny. I liked them, and I saw some humor in them, but 'funny' and 'humorous' wouldn't be the first words I'd use to describe them. I did find Good Omens funny and enjoyable. (I should note here that I can't generally read Gaiman's work either. In Good Omens, they somehow managed something better for me than either of them manages alone.)

My local library's collection of Pratchett is pretty hit or miss (The list is here for those who care enough to look), so if I'm to read along, I would have to buy a lot of the books.

Comments

[heavenscalyx]

I bounce off a fair number of his books, but I've found that the witches books work all right for me. I've never really tried earlier than the first Granny Weatherwax book (which was awful and I didn't finish it), other than reading bits and pieces, and the first thing I enjoyed was Wyrd Sisters (though Witches Abroad and Maskerade are still my favorites).

Have you seen the movie of the Colour of Magic? It's actually a LOT more palatable than the book. Fun visuals and the acting is great.

[the_rck]

I tried the movie of The Colour of Magic and bounced off it. That, combined with past experience with Pratchett, made me really question whether I want to read the book.

I'm pretty sure I tried one of the witches books, but I don't remember which one. It might well have been the bad one-- This would probably have been during the eighties because I seem to remember reading it in my parents house in Paw Paw and they moved from there around 1987 or 1988.

I do remember that I read Pyramids and really didn't like it. That I definitely read in the eighties. I was more likely then to finish books I didn't like much because books were hard to come by. The bus depot got in four new SF/F books every week, and there was a Good Will store. I got all my books from those two sources and from occasional (rare) trips to Kalamazoo.

[heavenscalyx]

Ah, yeah, if you bounced off it, not a good sign. Have you tried Hogfather? I find it one of the more attractive and engaging of his books -- Death is a charming fellow and his granddaughter Susan is excellent. We rewatch the movie every Christmas.

If you want to try one of the witches books, try Witches Abroad if you like fairy tales, or Maskerade if you're at all a fan of Phantom of the Opera. Wyrd Sisters is okay, and it's based on Shakespeare, but I've never been thrilled by it. I love Lords and Ladies, but it tends to present a smooth, featureless surface to bounce off to some people. Also, I like Carpe Jugulum, but I don't think it's the best of the witches books -- better read once one knows the characters.

ETA: On the reading guide image linked below, I find all the starter novels pretty much equally bad, but Equal Rites was unreadable. I don't like most of the Rincewind series. I adore Small Gods. I think I pretty much dropped into the middle of all the series in terms of reading them, and found the middle ground much more palatable than the early books (such as Jingo in the Watch books). The more recent books tend to be somewhat self-referential, so it helps to have the background of one or two earlier books in the series. I liked The Truth, and was mostly enh on Going Postal (and oh lord don't waste your time on the movie).

[the_rck]

I watched the movie of Hogfather. It was okay. I'm sure I missed things from being new to Discworld.

It's interesting that all the entry points are bad. It makes me wonder how the stuff in the middle came to be written. Someone must like those first books.

[adrian_turtle]

I don't think you should bother with The Color of Magic.

[the_rck]

Thanks for the input!

[chomiji]

That reminds me - I have a Feegle userpic that I never brought over to DW. That's Angua of the City Watch in the current icon.

IMO, don't bother with The Colour of Magic. And I didn't like Going Postal either.

You can check out this reading guide (that is, if you are visual - unfortunately, it's a graphic, with no alternative text for screen reader software). It suggests several entry points for the series.

My personal favorites are the City Watch and Death subseries, but in both cases, the earliest books aren't that great. The Golden Age of Pratchett seems to be about 1995 – 2004. For me, Feet of Clay and Hogfather are the stand-outs. Nightwatch is also pretty fine, but it helps to have read some of the earlier Watch books so that you know the characters.

I also strongly recommend Monstrous Regiment, which is a stand-alone, although some of the City Watch characters have cameos at the end.

[the_rck]

I think I did most of my sampling of Pratchett in the 1980s. I seem to remember reading those books at my parents' house in Paw Paw, and they moved from there in 1987 or 1988.

Thanks for the link to the reading guide!

[anderyn.livejournal.com]

I actually enjoy Pratchett a lot. I think I first got into him with "Guards, Guards!", which is the first Watch book with Carrot. I adore Carrot and Vimes and the rest...

[the_rck]

I haven't tried the Watch books. Most of the poking at Pratchett I did was during the 1980s, I think.

[lady-of-mists.livejournal.com]

I liked Night Watch -- it's another of the Guards' series. While I liked Going Postal and it is a good book in my opinion, I can see how trying to read it would be a bit of a slog. I like his earlier works better than GP; his sense of humor and mine coincide better with his earlier Discworld novels (pre-Night Watch for me).

(Good Omens *was* cool, wasn't it? ;) )

[the_rck]

I know I tried a couple of Pratchett novels in the 1980s and didn't like them. Since then, I've been very wary of his books. I keep thinking, though, that I should try again since so many people love his work and since I did like the Tiffany Aching books.

Good Omens was a blast! After I read it, I read it out loud to Scott on a long car trip.

[evalerie.livejournal.com]

I think I *ought* to like Pratchett, but in reality I have never yet found a book of his that I've liked. :-S

[the_rck]

I feel that way, too. (Though I did like the YA Tiffany Aching books quite a lot, and I adore Good Omens.) I hear so much good about his books, and I keep thinking that I want the same pleasure that other people obviously get from his books.

I have enjoyed reading a few works of Discworld fanfic, however.