Have you read ... Terry Pratchett?

     Terry Pratchett's name cropped up several times in the comfort reading post. I haven't read him at all but I wondered if his fans would tell us what makes him so special (he's hugely popular) and which of his books we should begin with if we want to give him a try?

Comments

[Alis Hawkins]

I love his Discworld novels and often turn back to them if I'm feeling out of sorts - they're a wonderful tonic and his later ones are often quite thought provoking (eg Jingo on racism and imperialism, Feet of Clay on what it is to be a person).

I'd recommend starting with Wyrd Sisters which is loosely and anarchically based on the story of Macbeth (and, en passant, Hamlet). It has a wonderful cast of characters and introduces the world to the wyrd sisters of the title - the wonderful witchly triumvirate of Granny Weatherwax (who does headology), Nanny Ogg (a matriarch with a wonderful line in humour and a ruthless way with the daughters-in-law) and the hapless Magrat Garlick, New Age wannabe.

Or, if you're into the current vampire craze you could try Carpe Jugulum which also features the witches and a wonderfully scathing attack on utilitarianism!

[Mrs. B]

I had the same feeling not too long ago about Pratchett then I read a post from Claire at Paperback Reader. She recommended starting with Nation, a non-disc world book. I read it last year and reviewed it here . I really enjoyed it... so much so that I ordered Mort, the fourth book in the series and apparently a good place to start off. Haven't read it yet though but it's sitting on my To be read pile.

[Kirsty (Other Stories)]

I definitely prefer his earlier Discworld books - perhaps because I read them first, I don't know.

Try any of the books featuring Death (Mort, Reaper Man) or my particular favourite, the Witches. Wyrd Sisters is my very favourite Pratchett book, not least because of the wonderful Nanny Ogg and her favourite song 'The Hedgehog Can Never Be B*gg*r*d'.

[Claire (Paperback Reader)]

As Mrs B kindly points out, I do recommend starting with Nation to gain a Pratchett perspective before entering the Discworld although, alternatively, you could read Good Omens, which is a collaborative between Sir Terry and the oh-so-wonderful Neil Gaiman.

The best Discworld novels to begin with, in my opinion, are Mort or Guards! Guards! which will lead you into the Discworld, the particular sub-genres of the different 'arcs' (the Death novels and the Guards) and will allow you to build up to the later, more satirically-focused novels.

As for why I love Pratchett, may I direct you to where I've said it best: http://paperbackreader2.blogspot.com/2009/06/mort.html You'll also learn some of the many things to love about Death.

[Dark Puss]

Even though they are "Children's Books" (whatever that means) I got a lot of pleasure from the Nome Trilogy (Bromeliad Trilogy for readers in the USA). I have also read, and enjoyed, The Wee Free Men.

I cannot imagine you would not warm to Pratchett.

[sandpiper]

I've read a few Discworld books, and mostly enjoyed them, but would warn against trying to plough through too many in succession - I tried that & became a little weary of them. I have Nation on my to-read list. The most recent one I remember vividly is "Going Postal", I thought that was great. But my all-time favourite has to be another "children's" book, The Amazing Maurice & his Educated Rodents.

[Dark Puss]

Dear Sandpiper - yes indeed to your choice of The Amazing Maurice & his Educated Rodents!

[Erika]

Oh dear, I cannot bear Terry Pratchett. Will say no more except that they are "clever clever" ugh!

[Marina McIntire]

My otherwise non-reading daughter-in-law lead me to read Pratchett. I am now a committed fan, although I am definitely spacing them out. Too much of any good thing is too much -- true in everything except chocolate!
There is a lovely and endearing Christmas book that was made into a tv movie -- The Hogfather. It's becoming a tradition for us. This is in the Death series.
And his work with Neil Gaiman is also quite wonderful.

[Sandy]

All the Discworld books seem to have elbowed their way into our bookcase. The first Pratchett I read was 'The Amazing Maurice & his Educated Rodents' which is a stand-alone masterpiece for me and my advice would be to start with that.

Thereafer just begin Discworld at the beginning with 'The Colour of Magic' and then read three or four more in the sequence before you make a decision about continuing. For me, the enjoyment of each individual book is out-shone by the impact of the ouevre, although I agree with the suggestions for favourites made by the group.

[Tere Sue]

Terry Pratchett makes me laugh out loud, he makes me marvel at his cleverness, and I always am wondering what sly reference I am missing. I have read virtually everything he has written and have been dissappointed only once or twice. His "children's" books are thought provoking & amusing for any age. My favorite Pratchett book is usually whichever one I am reading, but if pressed...probably Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman)- if you don't like that, you won't like any of them.

[Dark Puss]

Like Sandy, Robert also recommends The Colour of Magic. Can it really be that none of your three children have read Pratchett? I completely agree with what "Tere Sue" says about the thought provoking aspects of his "children's" books. I am glad that I am still a child at 50 is all I can add!

[Cornflower]

William has read quite a few but he wasn't around for me to ask, and would likely give a less full response to my questions than the excellent Cornflower readers have offered!

[Sue]

Just catching up with you after being away. I read a lot of the Discworld novels and really enjoyed them when confined to a (very straight-backed) chair with a slipped disc recently. I certainly agree with Sandpiper that too much of a good thing is, well, too much but they were great "take you out of yourself" reading for me then.

I shared them at the time with a friend who was also "laid up", he and his motorbike having parted company but he returned them quite quickly having only read a couple, saying that he couldn't get into them. I suspect you do have to have a hook; the witches and guards novels were the ones I enjoyed most at the time, although others are very thought provoking.

Interestingly, I haven't read any since my back and I managed to get out of the chair...

[Cera]

My first post, although I've been reading for ages!

I don't find the early Discworld novels very satisfying; they're funny and clever but not much more than that. As the series goes on, though, the novels deepen and (as many others have said) manage to combine a lot of humour and good storytelling with examinations of issues like racism, class, body image, self-identity, feminism, etc etc etc. They do this by taking the characters from the early 'light' novels and putting them into increasingly challenging situations which forces them to begin examining their own assumptions and thus encourages the reader to do the same.

As to where to start, I think other people have covered that much better than I could! I read all the Discworld books that existed in one big rush in 1998 and haven't read one since, although I've been toying with the idea of rereading them & then reading the many new ones. I'm not sure I could get through the first few again, though, so maybe I'll start a little further on in the series.

[Sakura]

I agree with Paperback Reader and would recommend the Death sequence (beginning with Mort), the Night Watch sequence (beginning with Guards! Guards!) and also the Witches sequence (beginning with Wyrd Sisters). My favourite book in the series is The Fifth Elephant which is the third book in the Night Watch sequence closely followed by The Hogfather (which features Death's granddaughter Susan).