I was handed 'Equal Rites' by a nurse after 14 days straight on morphine in hospital when i was 24. I think that was when life got way more odd and interesting for me.
I re-read this recently and I think what fans often don’t convey about Discworld is it’s not 100% constant pure comedy. There are zingers every other page but it’s easy to develop a false memory of that being the only tone of the thing.
I think that seriousness that you wished for does increase with later Pratchett books in both the death and guards stories. One of my favorite Pratchett quotes is basically "the opposite of funny is not serious, it is unfunny" and his writing really shows this to be true.
@@ian_bSame man. Most of the wizard books fell too far on the absurdist side of the spectrum for me. That said, Unseen Acidemicals is a masterpiece. I skipped it for years because it is in that line, but it is closer to going postal in my mind despite the wizards involvement.
Whenever your not sure if discworld ever wants to be serious, just tap a person who read them all on the shoulder and say to them matter of factly, Where is my Cow? About half the time they will start bawling their eyes out but also laugh.
I think the Death books are really where Terry Pratchett's more philosophical angles are the best. He gets very meta, meaning of life and how Discworld works stuff. The second, Reaper Man, has a lot of the light stuff with zombies and wizards and stuff, but it's also about Death learning about being human in some really beautiful ways. It's one of my favorites.
I really liked Death’s storyline in Reaper Man but the other one felt like something entirely different. Like it was two separate stories, loosely connected, and not a single, multifaceted story. That was my main problem with it.
My favourite of all the death novels, one of my favourite parts was that it ended with the death of a main character and it was still one of the happiest endings of any story I ever read.
I read all 42 or so books in one single summer when I was 13. In order. I think after you read ten of them you really can't stop. Watching your videos, I assumed you had already read Pratchett, so it's nice that you are actually doing so.
Hahah when I was 13 I remember getting my hands on guards guards at like the beginning of march. By the end, I had finished like 36 of them, and had to buy the few that my brother was missing. It was just read read read, read on the bus, read during class, read before bed, I'd start a book in the morning, finish it by dinner, and start another before falling asleep. It was great
Discworld series really butchered other fantasy books for me. Nothing compares with his stuff after that🥺 Drama, philosophy, interesting plots, characters, humor- i can't really find something of the same level-_-
@@sunderland69a bit off the wall, but for me The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells fills the same need for cozy / insightful / hilarious fiction. Also if you have not read non Diskworld Pratchett: Nation might be his greatest masterpiece.
I have similar feelings, as the only discworld novel I’ve read. Some of the jokes and philosophy was great. “Why don’t poets write about wheat instead of roses”. “Physicists argue that atoms are made of tiny kings because succession must be instant”. Fucking hilarious!
41 DW novels, plus some short stories, plus some sort of side projects like Science of DW, and Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook and Where's My Cow and World of Poo.
@@ManCarryingThing only if you space them out with lots of other things. reading all 45 of them if that's all you're reading could definitely be done in a summer.
My grandma bullied me into giving up 9/11 truther BS. My aunt made me stop picking mushrooms off the combo pizza “it’s pizza, eat it” but said like a command for dogs. Thud! was my first. I couldn’t put it down. My sister “borrowed” Monstrous Regiment and lent it to her friend instead of returning it. I ain’t even mad because it would just sit on my shelf until I had time again. I can’t stand Rincewind: Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography. So I still never read the first book(s?)
@@ScaryMason I can't tell you how many Prachett books I've lent out into the world, never seen again, and I'm not mad about it. If I can spread those books and all the joy in them, I'm happy to do so. And I know I'll always eventually find another copy of whatever's missing from my collection.
I have only read The Color Of Magic from the Discworld and I'm planning on starting Light Fantastic next month. I know some people say The Color Of Magic isn't a great starting point but I enjoyed it immensely. The tone, the prose, the characters, the whimsy and the absurd nature of it all - everything came together to create such a fun read and I can't wait to continue and find out what happens to Rincewind next ^_^
It's fantastic, but it is very different. Like comparing Blazing Saddles or Hot Fuzz to Beverly Hills Cops though. Getting the set up for Rincewind, who is the protagonist of quite a few books and makes cameos in many others, will give you nostalgic feelings as you go through the books. :) You're in for a fabulous experience. But yes, lots of us worry that people will imagine that TCoM or TLF will put people off - that they'll assume every Discworld book is more of the same, and if they don't like them, will miss out on the 90% that are superb but quite different. :)
It's true that the world becomes much more complex, and richer... But COM and LF have some really great writing within. I envy you all the first reads ahead, I wish I could read them all for the first time, again!
The City Watch series (starting with Guards Guards), while also funny, somehow manages to be a deep meditation on class consciousness and focuses on themes of racism, xenophobia, and political power. Sometimes the observations are a little too on the nose, but overall it's one of the best works of fiction to deal with those issues that I've read.
I’ve fallen off the reading wagon in the last year. But, I’m going to go start rereading the City Watch series again. Sam Vimes has the best character arc in the entire Discworld series.
I like that you talked about the universe repairing itself when someone alters the timeline because in Night Watch, one of my favourite Discworld books, you get to see how the universe deals with time travel. Night Watch is also the most serious/solemn Discworld book as far as I can remember.
One of my favorite lines from this book is when Death shows up at Jobs Fair and asks Mort his name the line is something like: - ‘Mortimer, but everyone calls me Mort.’ - WHAT A COINCIDENCE. This one had me stumped for quite a long time and all of a sudden the ball dropped. How clever and such a dad joke at the same time. 😁
@@NitroLemons, Mort originated from Latin and translates into death/die/dead. The word is still used in French and Spanish. In English there's Morgue and Mortician. A workplace and profession for those whom are dealing with the dead. So they're saying "Hello my name is Death" and "My name is also Death" Since Sir Pratchett loved the use of wordplay, this line of reasoning fits.
I felt extremely similar with Mort, it's one of my least favourite out of my Discworld books I've read so far which just goes to show how fantastic the series is. I'm reading Guards! Guards! Now and is already working it's way to my favourite entry so far! I go extremely left field with my recommendation of where to start which is Going Postal. It's one of the most traditionally constructed narratives in the Discworld with actual chapters and a plot that keeps moving which I think makes it very accessible to new readers. Also works as a standalone so you don't have to worry about finishing the series and instead view it as a welcoming entry
Going postal sounds right up my alley, and that little bit of plot structure sounds nice too lol. There are too many places to go next, the options feel endless!
my first discworld book was hogfather, and while im not a good judge on whether its a good introduction as id seen the miniseries beforehand, i do consider it one of the best and essential reading. i really love the two rather silly b plots happening cocurrently with the more tense and serious a plot, and it has such wonderful ideas and discussions about the nature of belief and imagination and stories. i think understanding sir terrys view on storytelling as a human trait through hogfather gives you a greater understanding and appreciation of his other books
I haven't read all pratchett books but Going Postal was the one that I enjoyed the most. The general whimsy and character interactions are just top notch. Also Moist the main character gives me big Kelsier vibes.
Mort is a great entry point into the series and i completely agree with your experience. Guards! Guards! Is great, the same goes for moving pictures. You might want to consider Small gods as well, it's one of my favourite Discworld books and a good entry point.
Small Gods sounds so fun to me, but I love books that take place in "Hollywood" so I may have to do Moving Pictures next. I don't know, too many options lol
@@ManCarryingThing Moving Pictures was one of my favorites when I read it, felt very attached to the characters. I did read it after many other books so it might have been different otherwise though. Strangely my first one was Feet of Clay, which is like right in the middle, but that's what my friend who introduced me recommended as a first one (I think because it was his favorite), but then I read the rest in publication order. There are just enough subtle tie ins that I feel like it's worth it.
I just finished my first discworld book, Small Gods. And I have the same issues that you did. My favorite moments were the more serious and philosophical ones. I had a few other problems but honestly it was good and I’m glad I read it. I’ll definitely pick up other discworld books in the future.
The only discworld novel I've read is Guards! Guards! and I really enjoyed it. The characters and their dynamics are fun. I plan on reading Mort as my next discworld novel but afterwards I will definitely continue the Night Watch "saga" (series? I dunno). Always love watching your vids
Now that I think about it I was kinda bullied into buying my first discworld book too by a vendor at a book fair years ago. At the time I just thought she was a really good salesperson but looking back she was probably a fan. Fans know that they just need to get you to check out one of the books and most people will want to read more.
"Little bits of philosophy" Yup that is the core reason for my bookshelves carrying every Pterry book written. I agree that his early books had a Mel Brooks flavor (and I like Mel Brooks, but not exactly for world view) but I think you will see later books bringing deeper meaning, while still being fun and funny. Thanks for the thoughtful review!
That drawing of how all the books/series within Discworld connect can be your key (you showed it at the beginning of video, the one on the left). I would recommend popping around to the diff series... I did first book in city watch first, then Mort, then first book in witches series then first book (its actually 2 books) in wizards (Rincewind) series. I just started Pyramids a few days ago coincidently. It's great so far. It's about.... the Egyptian culture on the disc. I think the Color of Magic/Light Fantastic prob my fav so far. Pyramids will be my sixth Discworld book.
Also read Mort as my first Discworld book last year, but I actually DNF'd it because of some of the critiques you shared. It felt weird having Mort as the main character since he wasn't really interesting as a viewpoint character. I also may have been comparing it a bit too much to Douglas Adams (who I love dearly) because they were contemporaries. It's hard to beat Adams's prose, so that's probably a bit unfair. I'm a huge fan of Adventure Time, and it seems like Discworld has a similar vibe with its worldbuilding, silliness, and occasional touch of sincerity. I'll have to give it another shot when I get the chance.
Yeah, we probably share some of the same critiques. I really feel like some of the other books will be more up my alley. Also the Adventure Time comparison feels very appropriate!
Cool! I am fan of discworld for around 20 years and I am glad to see new people joining in! My first one was Pyramids. Felt like a great start since it’s kind of standalone. My favorites are newer ones like Nightwatch, Going Postal… Pratchett really improved in time. Also he morphed from essentially what you are saying here to what you want it to be. No wonder he’s a legend. There’s a lot of books you can continue with. Guards! Guards! Is good pick as any. I think you will like the watch, it’s like bridge 4 crew in Charles Dickens world.
I think your comparison to Mel Brooks is spot on, because they both felt incredibly smart when I was younger. They made me feel like I was so intelligent for getting the references and jokes. And also they are actually both brilliant. And now I'm more interested in the storytelling and the world building and the satire as it applies to real life, not so much fantasy tropes. I started with The color of magic and The light fantastic, and I still feel it was a great entry point. A great standalone and (in my opinion underrated) discworld novel is The Truth. I've read that one the most and it makes me laugh every time.
In a way the books are less complicated than the charts and fan discussion might suggest, you can pick almost any of them up and get a complete self-contained story. But there will be lots of references that will tug on your curiosity until you end up reading more. If you want to see it develop from first principles then read them in publication order - I actually really like the Rincewind books so I had no problem with that. Otherwise you could swap over to the beginning of one of the other popular sub-lines like Guards, Guards or Equal Rites. Or like, pick any one that seems interesting.
If you want more seriousness go for Reaper Man (only to see the character developments) and then Thief of time or Hogfather. Both very philosophical in parts. Or you start with "The truth" and the Lipwick books. Later Guards books also are a lot darker then teh first ones. If you want Pratchett outside of Disc World I highly recommend "Nation". I think it truly shows what he was made of as an author.
Death is great, and probably the best stand-alone character in the series. Just for how well he manages to be the _personification_ of something that still isn't a _person_ - it gets talked a lot about in school and everything, but I haven't seen it done a lot better than discworld's Death. It doesn't even strike a balance; he's a humanised face set atop something inhuman, and it still works without breaking every other character in the story. But Rincewind will always be my favourite, because when I first read the books I really related to him being a sarcastic, perpetually terrified loser who is, incredibly, both overqualified and underqualified for every situation life throws at him. And now, I still relate to all of that in the exact same way, because life never stops being an adventure if you have an adventurer's soul, and the heart and mind of a career accountant. I don't know if I could say what the 'best' discworld books are. Maybe the one that gave me the clearest understanding of what Pratchett's writing was, what the stories he wrote were really about, in terms of their form and function - might be 'The Science of Discworld'. It's not even a discworld novel, proper - half of it is the man talking directly to audience about things he's learned and read and thought about, and thinks people might like to know or benefit in some way from reading; the other half is this pastiche of science fiction where the wizards manage to create our universe - the one we live in; or at least something recognisably similar - and then essentially spend the rest of the story trying to figure out if it's any _good_ for anything. And when you get to the end of that, you realise to some degree that's what they have _all_ been - it's someone sharing what he's learned, in an entertaining format, with jokes and things peppered throughout to keep it from seeming too - definitive or authoritative, I think; keep you asking your own questions. They are a unique sort of good, or at the very least a special and rare one, and I think just picking one up as and when you feel like you need it might honestly be the best way to go about it.
If you want jokes AND character and story depth then i think everything that includes Sam Vimes as a main role works best, he just feels incredibly real to me while keeping the discworld charm better than most in my opinion.
You will definitely see more serious stuff in the further books as Terry evolves from a satire on fantasy and sci fi into social commentary while keeping the funny bits. I would say the watch series, starting with Guards Guards, is the essential sub series of Discworld. Standalone recommendations for The Truth, Small Gods and The Amazing Maurice and his educated Rodents.
A friend lent me a Disc World book. One of the very few books I couldn't finish. Got to page 50 & felt like I was missing something. He had given me a book somewhere in the middle of the series. I'd like to try it from the beginning.
Small gods was my first Discworld book. It's pretty much a stand alone story and requires basically no previous knowledge of the universe, while giving you the taste of the world and style of the Discworld series.
I’m so happy you started Discworld! Mort was my first ever book too and it’s a good introduction to the series. The philosophical themes are wonderful in Pratchett and I think Small Gods is his best example of that, plus, it’s a standalone so I’d suggest that next for you. Definitely try Guards, Guards! and Wyrd Sisters. They start the best two sequences within Discworld (technically Sourcery is the start of the witches but I prefer Wyrd Sisters). I actually did a video on it a little while back, but I know Daniel Green also has Discworld videos and I’m sure they are miles better 😂
Mort was written because Pratchett found that new fans loved the character of Death and wanted more. It's a good book but I think he was trying to get the handle of the character. The guards and Witches series have far deeper and more grounded characters in settings that have real weight. Also the book 'Monstrous Regiment' is really interesting as it can be taken out of the usual progression of the stories. 'Small Gods' would be particularly pertinent for the current day and I would highly recommend it.
May I humbly but STRONGLY recommend to anyone who reads Mort and agrees with everything--or anything--you said to read either Going Postal or Monstrous Regiment next? They're not "traditional" starting points for Discworld, but they do everything Mort doesn't. They're both extremely clever, witty, insightful, they have amazing characters you really become attached to, they have very interesting philosophies, and you really don't need to read any other books before them. In fact, people stress WAY too much about where to start, when Pratchett really wrote every book to be able to stand on its own, and you lose VERY little by not reading them in order. Guards! Guards! is great, but it suffers from a lot of them same problems (if you view them as problems, of course) as Mort. The characters are a little one-dimensional (though admittedly less so, especially in the cases of Vimes and Sybil), the plot is only barely there to carry the jokes, etc. If you tried Mort and were lukewarm on it, Guards! Guards! should not be your next choice. I love the book, but truly the best thing about it is that it's the first of the City Watch series of books, all of which are better than it (except maybe Fifth Elephant, idk, this is very much my personal opinion). You really can just dive in to the very best of Discworld!
Reaperman and Eric would be a good idea, especially since their main conflicts are far more centered and easily exposed. Night Watch also got pretty deep at the end, Guards Guards, not bad, especially because of the quintessential Night Watch, but Sourcery, would be an amazing add on.
Color of Magic is cool and pretty fun. And It's obviously a great start point as the first book in the series. I also loved the Unseen Academicals as a later, sort of more ambitious and compelling entry in the Discworld. Small Gods is another classic and righly so.
I love most of the Discworld books I've read (they are about the only book series that can hold my attention these days) but if you asked me what went down in the books after I've read them - I could not tell you. Though, I have a good recollection of Small God which I read when I was younger so maybe I am just getting old.
I haven't gotten around to reading my first Terry Pratchett, it's coming up after my current Douglas Adams, but, have you read Good Omens: The Nice And Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch? It remains my favorite book, yet the only book I've read by either of its authors (Pratchett and Neil Gaiman). I think it will have some of that additional seriousness you're looking for - Gaiman is a bit too serious for my tastes (when I have attempted to read his solo works), and personally I think that Good Omens does a good job discussing serious topics in lackadaisical ways, expressing how the artists feel that certain things are taken too seriously, and what's actually important to humanity is thus left on the wayside.
I started as a teen with the Tiffany Aching series and loved it. But I think all his books are fun, easy-to-read, but still somehow deep and diverse books with very climactic climaxes.
I've been reading the books in order specifically to spite the internet and I've been having a great time. I'm on The Last Continent now and I think Rincewind's story has to be my favorite series but it is hard to pick a favorite. Small Gods was also great, the audiobook is read by Andy Serkis.
I started with the first one and continued in chronological order, and it wasn't until years later that I discovered all the debate about reading orders. Maybe it's because I'm a fast reader, but those first 3-4 books are so short that it feels like more work to figure out the best place to start than it is to just start from the beginning and go.
I started with Small Gods and liked it, then I read Jingo and was completely pulled in and then proceeded to read the Watch series from that point forward and backwards. Then eventually everything.
I also started with Mort, by pure luck (was given it when I commented "oh, never did read Pratchett, is it good?") and I believe Small Gods was the 2nd I read, as I just went through whatever I could find at my local library. Guards Guards and other books in the Night Watch series are what I fell in love with, especially as they do have that serious core which checks more boxes of what entertain me.
I know that this is probably too late to help, but I think that Guards, Guards! is a pretty good place to continue your Discworld journey, as it helps to establish a lot of reoccurring concepts and characters while still telling its own complete story. The watch novels are also probably my favorite "series" of Discworld books, so that also ties into it.
Well my first book was a "double feature" containing "MORT" and "Guards! Guards!" that was a good start. For just enjoying the fun of it Going Postal would also be a good starting point. Even though you might lack some funny background about some of the "supporting characters". Which will pull you deeper into their stories.
If you are familiar with Macbeth, then Wyrd Sisters is one that might be what you found missing in Mort. It is technically the second Witches book, but I see it as the proper first book. It is early enough that there are not too many running jokes, but late enough that he has found the tone that carries forward.
The essential Discworld books are all the books. It's permissible to leave the last one on the shelf unread because you know you'll never get to read a new Pratchett book again, and you're still grieving. While everything he wrote is excellent, the sequences like The Guards books, and The Witches have some chronology within them. Mort is a standalone so the only Death re-occurs IIRC. You would find that The Colour of Magic is amazing but also completely different to Mort or Pyramids and is much more about poking fun at fantasy whereas the later books tend to reflect the real world. I tend to think the Guards sequence is the most coherent, so it's a good place for newbies to get invested. But for those who will the do the right thing, and keep reading, I'd just go chronological. You will certainly get a better introduction to recurring characters like that, but if you're going to be put off by the different tone of The Light Fantastic or Equal Rites, that's not helpful. If you didn't find those first books utterly amazing, and stopped, you'd be the poorer for it. It would be like watching all the MCU except for Infinity War and Endgame, and not getting the pay off of the arc. :)
And by chronologically I mean in the order they were published. I'm so old that's how I read them and it has the advantage that you're seeing the world develop as Sir Terry wrote it. But the downside that you have to wait longer for more Granny Weatherwax. Reading just the Guards books would be great for your second to fiftieth readthroughs.
The farther you get into Discworld, the more serious it gets and the fewer jokes are told. I started with book one and have been reading them in order. Where to go next really depends on what you're looking for. If you want something more serious, I'd recommend Guards Guards.
My favourite Prachett joke is when Death is told that diamonds are a girls best friend so he presents his lady friend with a diamond "TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOU"
I'm guessing the comment at 2:47 was resolved when you read the Guards books! Really enjoyed this, rather nostalgic. I started with Mort a few years after release, was disappointed with TCOM & TLF, and have appreciated Equal Rites more in later readings than back then. Nightwatch is my favourite, and I loved The Amazing Maurice. Honoured to meet the man twice, last time in a cathedral at the Dodger launch, pictured grasping my daughters copy of "Where's my cow?" Miss you TP. You truly were unique.
Yeah - I thought that was an interesting parallel. Some of the earlier books poke fun at the best fantasy tropes more, whereas later ones are more of a comedy that reflects some aspect of reality, that happens to be set on Discworld. For instance, Going Postal is based around the quaint notion of writing letters, using stamps as a secondary currency, collecting stamps and growing a business. It's not just an excuse to tell jokes about where all the letters go that didn't get delivered. :)
Great review, dude! I've been looking for the right entry point into Discworld for a while. based on your thoughts i think you convinced me this would NOT be the right place for me to start. looking for something a bit more serious and character driven to draw me in. so thanks for the useful review, look forward to seeing your thoughts on other books in the series!
guards guards & equal rites are my favourites, but I have only read up to moving pictures. I have to admit that mort, although I too started with it (in 2011) is a bit weird and that the characters don't quite get you invested. But it's good none the less. It was my first too. And really, rincewind is fun too, even if the city watch and witches get you more invested :P Unseen university is just so much fun if you've been to or are going to university yourself.
I kind of grew up on the Tiffany Aching series - it’s sort if it’s own story but is still very much intertwined with the rest of the diskworld other personal favourites include Going Postal and Moving Pictures - also The Last Continent bc im Australian
You could easily continue reading the Death series now that you’ve started Mort. (Reaper Man, Soul Music, Hogfather and Thief of Time.) It’s a valid reading route. The Discworld Emporium even suggests it. Personally, though, I’d recommend a detour before coming back to the series. The Death books can be repetitive. Especially if you're reading them one after the other. Instead, given your critiques on Mort, I would read some combination of: • Guards, Guards! • Small Gods • The Truth • Going Postal Hope this helped you out! :D
These books were very formative for me when I was young. The message I got across all books was "don't take things at face value and don't accept that things are just the way they are and can never change."
The first two books are a great starting point for most purely because they're thinly veiled comedic parodies that go in unexpected directions - for a casual read the graphic novel adaptations are fantastic, they have a gritty Moebius/Boris Vallejo-like art style that really lends itself to high fantasy and the scenes of Gods playing with the Disc like it's DnD are gorgeous. Also shout out to Monstrous Regiment for being a nuanced Band of Brothers style war story centered around trans identity in a fantasy medieval setting.
When I said earlier that Mort was my fave Discworld book, I was actually confused and meant Reaper Man! Big oopsie. That's the one you should read next!
Guards guards. The series has some great flashes of true seriousness and based on what you were after I predict night watch will be your favourite book
The Death himself appears in most Discworld books at some point or another, but the books centered around him is my favourite part of Discworld. I think the idea that Death is kind and cares for the creatures (not only people) at the end is very soothing. He's goofy and sometimes awkward, obviously not human but somehow relatable. Oh, and he loves cats. I think the later books about Moist von Lipwig (Going postal, Making money and Raising steam) are fun. Guards Guards have kind of slow start which can be boring, but it's worth reading trough, too.
I just finished my first Pratchett novel Guards! Guards! and it was cool but I had to kinda force myself to get thru it... I suspect I've just been too overstimulated lately to appreciate a chill, low-stakes book, because I did find a lot of his writing to be very witty and creative, despite mostly being eager to start a new book the whole time...
I bounced off Pratchett a few times, mostly from trying to read what others were recommending. I barely got very far into Guards, Guards! and Small Gods before giving up, but when I gave Going Postal a go it hooked me, absolutely excellent read. I then read Making Money afterwards wwhich was pretty good, but I couldn't get into Raising Steam and gave up again. I'm currently on The Amazing Maurice, which is super good so far; the great thing about Pratchett is there's so much material, if you don't like a book you can just put it down and grab another. Eventually once I've gotten more into Discworld I'm sure I'll go back and try the books I gave up on again 😄
I would say that Susan and the Death serious you don't invest in much character wise, as they commonly do center around philosophical paradigms, so the characters are more engines to drive the concepts. The Night Watch series is where you want to go for character investment and book to book development. Can't wait to hear your take on Vetinari. Moist Von Lipwig is a series where you see more character expression as well, though it also can be seen as a political or philosophical engine. Keep in mind, many of the books have that one off feeling where the characters are meant to drive concepts, instead of characters reacting and developing in the world. Not entirely, but I think the discworld is meant more to drive concepts instead of grow characters. Nightwatchman being the main exception. The Witches perhaps too, but I don't remember that one too well.
This came up in my feed again, so I just wanted to add this: You know how everyone has a favorite author and a favourite book by said author that they recommend to everyone? The problem is when someone finally reads that book, loves it too, and then finds all the other books a disappointment because the first thing they read was the best book of the whole catalog? Read book 3 next, then carry on from book 5, after a few more, you will encounter most of the groups (city watch, witches, wizards) and then if you don't want to to follow a certain group, you can skip it as you go. The other advantage is that you get to see how TP's writing gets so much better, and deeper, the further you go.
Mort was also the first (and only) Pratchett book I've read. I enjoyed it at the time, but I never thought about it much afterward. Been meaning to circle back to his works. I kinda read Mort by accident after taking it from a friend who was reading through them all. I'd like to do Color of Magic next maybe.
You GOTTA make a video when you read the Tiffany Aching books. They, I feel, have the best mix of whimsy and serious depth and character development that you're looking for. The Nac Mac Feegles are the best ever
For me i started with color of magic, the light fantastic and then sourcery. I attempted to read it chronologically as how it was published. I think it appealed to me in the same way One Piece manga appealed to me. It's funny but goes hard with some issues or questions about life. When i first read it i think i saw some parts of myself with Rincewind, it got even more confirmed when I got to Sourcery. I think Sourcery is one of my favorites...it convinced me I should get to reading Discworld per section/grouping? Idk what to call it lol. I think Mort comes next after sourcery... I can't wait to buy copies. Anyway idk i fondly compare One Piece and Discworld a lot. So happy you got bullied into reading it
+1 for small gods, he was kind of an angry guy at a certain point in his career and this sort of both highlights and is a product of that. Snuff is a really good one because its a book that he himself said he couldn't written as a younger writer and it feels like it's a short story does a lot while still feeling comfortable which was really interesting. I wouldn't recommend reading snuff on it's own though it's better to get to it organically through the sam vines arc.
I read Mort first too, then i went into following rincewind chronologically. As that path opened up a lot of the in-jokes knowledge you would like later. After that it was witch's starting with equal rites then night watch. That said I thought Pratchets early Sci-fi book was fun too, it was my first intro to that style of English comedy, after Hitch hikers Guide to the Galaxy .
Well, if you want a Fantasy book that has comedy and pokes fun at Fantasy tropes, but also has interesting characters with depth, you should check out The Blade Itself.
I'm reading the whole Discworld series in order and currently on book 30! The first two books did a great job of orienting me to Discworld. The books actually build the Discworld narrative when read in order, the introduction of characters, places, events, etc. One thing I found is that most of them are NOT children books. I really like the City/Night Watch books best and love the characters. I like Death and his very interesting granddaughter Susan and the Witches. I like how Pratchett plays with language and words, so cool. Ii don't like when there are characters who speak with a dialect and he writes it phonetically which I find tedious like in The Wee Free Men. But over all I love the Discworld books. I disagree that you can start reading anywhere for example if you start with one of the later City Watch books you will have no clue to the background of established characters.. I really like Mort
I heard so many good things about Discworld and when I read this I was disappointed because I think it might have been too silly for me. I’m not sure what that says about me as a person, but I hope I can get into the other entries.
Jump in a bit later. *The Truth* perhaps. Its book 25, so he's definitely settled into the whole writing thing, and the main characters in the book are new to the series.
I was handed 'Equal Rites' by a nurse after 14 days straight on morphine in hospital when i was 24. I think that was when life got way more odd and interesting for me.
that's amazing
thank goodness it wasn't one of the Death books lol
hahah that'll do it :D
I re-read this recently and I think what fans often don’t convey about Discworld is it’s not 100% constant pure comedy. There are zingers every other page but it’s easy to develop a false memory of that being the only tone of the thing.
I think that seriousness that you wished for does increase with later Pratchett books in both the death and guards stories. One of my favorite Pratchett quotes is basically "the opposite of funny is not serious, it is unfunny" and his writing really shows this to be true.
nice - that's a really great quote
I never liked Rincewind. All the other characters, love them, but never could get on with his first protagonist.
@@ian_bSame man. Most of the wizard books fell too far on the absurdist side of the spectrum for me. That said, Unseen Acidemicals is a masterpiece. I skipped it for years because it is in that line, but it is closer to going postal in my mind despite the wizards involvement.
@@nickrp88 I don't think I've read that one, I'll give it a go.
Whenever your not sure if discworld ever wants to be serious, just tap a person who read them all on the shoulder and say to them matter of factly, Where is my Cow?
About half the time they will start bawling their eyes out but also laugh.
Great video mate! Guards Guards and Small Gods are my next recs.
Isn't that all you've read though? :)
@@MagusMarquillin He has read like 26 some books in Discworld, so he has read a lot.
I started Small Gods few days ago (my first Discworld book) and I am really enjoying it. I’m not very confused, so I think it’s a good start.
Thank you! I thought it was Gods Gods! and Small Guards, but that was my confusion
I second the vote for Small Gods.
I think the Death books are really where Terry Pratchett's more philosophical angles are the best. He gets very meta, meaning of life and how Discworld works stuff. The second, Reaper Man, has a lot of the light stuff with zombies and wizards and stuff, but it's also about Death learning about being human in some really beautiful ways. It's one of my favorites.
I really liked Death’s storyline in Reaper Man but the other one felt like something entirely different. Like it was two separate stories, loosely connected, and not a single, multifaceted story. That was my main problem with it.
My favourite of all the death novels, one of my favourite parts was that it ended with the death of a main character and it was still one of the happiest endings of any story I ever read.
I read all 42 or so books in one single summer when I was 13. In order. I think after you read ten of them you really can't stop. Watching your videos, I assumed you had already read Pratchett, so it's nice that you are actually doing so.
that"s incredible- must've been a memorable summer
So basically they're the Jaffa Cakes of literature then?
Hahah when I was 13 I remember getting my hands on guards guards at like the beginning of march. By the end, I had finished like 36 of them, and had to buy the few that my brother was missing. It was just read read read, read on the bus, read during class, read before bed, I'd start a book in the morning, finish it by dinner, and start another before falling asleep. It was great
Discworld series really butchered other fantasy books for me. Nothing compares with his stuff after that🥺 Drama, philosophy, interesting plots, characters, humor- i can't really find something of the same level-_-
@@sunderland69a bit off the wall, but for me The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells fills the same need for cozy / insightful / hilarious fiction. Also if you have not read non Diskworld Pratchett: Nation might be his greatest masterpiece.
I have similar feelings, as the only discworld novel I’ve read. Some of the jokes and philosophy was great. “Why don’t poets write about wheat instead of roses”. “Physicists argue that atoms are made of tiny kings because succession must be instant”. Fucking hilarious!
He definitely gets better at integrating the humour, philosophy and plot as the series goes on, keep going!
Uh huh. Excruciating more like it.
Go on, finish the series ... there's only 45 of them.
yeah just gonna go finish discworld real quick. see you all in 5 years
There's 45 days in a year, isn't there??
41 DW novels, plus some short stories, plus some sort of side projects like Science of DW, and Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook and Where's My Cow and World of Poo.
@@nixhixx Don't forget Nanny Ogg's Cookbook!
@@ManCarryingThing only if you space them out with lots of other things. reading all 45 of them if that's all you're reading could definitely be done in a summer.
It's not often when "thank you for bullying me" is good. However readers know the value in sharing books. Now continue reading!!
If I'm being bullied into reading good books, I am always happy
It's just like in elementary school, when we were bullied for not reading enough of the right Fantasy novels. Those were the days.
@@ManCarryingThing and make it snappy!
My grandma bullied me into giving up 9/11 truther BS. My aunt made me stop picking mushrooms off the combo pizza “it’s pizza, eat it” but said like a command for dogs.
Thud! was my first. I couldn’t put it down. My sister “borrowed” Monstrous Regiment and lent it to her friend instead of returning it. I ain’t even mad because it would just sit on my shelf until I had time again. I can’t stand Rincewind: Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography. So I still never read the first book(s?)
@@ScaryMason I can't tell you how many Prachett books I've lent out into the world, never seen again, and I'm not mad about it. If I can spread those books and all the joy in them, I'm happy to do so. And I know I'll always eventually find another copy of whatever's missing from my collection.
I have only read The Color Of Magic from the Discworld and I'm planning on starting Light Fantastic next month. I know some people say The Color Of Magic isn't a great starting point but I enjoyed it immensely. The tone, the prose, the characters, the whimsy and the absurd nature of it all - everything came together to create such a fun read and I can't wait to continue and find out what happens to Rincewind next ^_^
I've heard that about the color of magic too! glad to hear you enjoyed it though
It's fantastic, but it is very different. Like comparing Blazing Saddles or Hot Fuzz to Beverly Hills Cops though. Getting the set up for Rincewind, who is the protagonist of quite a few books and makes cameos in many others, will give you nostalgic feelings as you go through the books. :)
You're in for a fabulous experience. But yes, lots of us worry that people will imagine that TCoM or TLF will put people off - that they'll assume every Discworld book is more of the same, and if they don't like them, will miss out on the 90% that are superb but quite different. :)
@@jonevansauthor so I'm in for a ride! This makes me even more excited for the later books ^^
It's true that the world becomes much more complex, and richer... But COM and LF have some really great writing within. I envy you all the first reads ahead, I wish I could read them all for the first time, again!
They are great books, but still some of the worst discworld books just by comparison
The City Watch series (starting with Guards Guards), while also funny, somehow manages to be a deep meditation on class consciousness and focuses on themes of racism, xenophobia, and political power. Sometimes the observations are a little too on the nose, but overall it's one of the best works of fiction to deal with those issues that I've read.
I’ve fallen off the reading wagon in the last year. But, I’m going to go start rereading the City Watch series again. Sam Vimes has the best character arc in the entire Discworld series.
I like that you talked about the universe repairing itself when someone alters the timeline because in Night Watch, one of my favourite Discworld books, you get to see how the universe deals with time travel.
Night Watch is also the most serious/solemn Discworld book as far as I can remember.
One of my favorite lines from this book is when Death shows up at Jobs Fair and asks Mort his name the line is something like:
- ‘Mortimer, but everyone calls me Mort.’
- WHAT A COINCIDENCE.
This one had me stumped for quite a long time and all of a sudden the ball dropped. How clever and such a dad joke at the same time. 😁
I still don't get it, is the implication that Death also has a longer name or something?
@@NitroLemons, Mort originated from Latin and translates into death/die/dead. The word is still used in French and Spanish. In English there's Morgue and Mortician. A workplace and profession for those whom are dealing with the dead.
So they're saying "Hello my name is Death" and "My name is also Death"
Since Sir Pratchett loved the use of wordplay, this line of reasoning fits.
I think this is also emphasized by Death saying Au revoir at the end
Every single time I see man carry the thing...I'm blown away at the way in which that specific thing was indeed carried.
thank you so much. i carry thing, indeed
I felt extremely similar with Mort, it's one of my least favourite out of my Discworld books I've read so far which just goes to show how fantastic the series is.
I'm reading Guards! Guards! Now and is already working it's way to my favourite entry so far!
I go extremely left field with my recommendation of where to start which is Going Postal. It's one of the most traditionally constructed narratives in the Discworld with actual chapters and a plot that keeps moving which I think makes it very accessible to new readers. Also works as a standalone so you don't have to worry about finishing the series and instead view it as a welcoming entry
Going postal sounds right up my alley, and that little bit of plot structure sounds nice too lol. There are too many places to go next, the options feel endless!
@@ManCarryingThing Pratchett did say it took him a few books to "discover the joy of plot."
Going postal was the first DW that i read and i LOVED IT
Reaper Man is my favourite all time. Sad but happy ending :')
1:41 "What hooked me was the little bits of philosophy..." Sounds like Douglas Adams and the Hitchhikers Guide.
my first discworld book was hogfather, and while im not a good judge on whether its a good introduction as id seen the miniseries beforehand, i do consider it one of the best and essential reading. i really love the two rather silly b plots happening cocurrently with the more tense and serious a plot, and it has such wonderful ideas and discussions about the nature of belief and imagination and stories. i think understanding sir terrys view on storytelling as a human trait through hogfather gives you a greater understanding and appreciation of his other books
"The Truth" and "Monstrous Regiment" are two of my favourites
I haven't read all pratchett books but Going Postal was the one that I enjoyed the most. The general whimsy and character interactions are just top notch. Also Moist the main character gives me big Kelsier vibes.
Mort is a great entry point into the series and i completely agree with your experience.
Guards! Guards! Is great, the same goes for moving pictures. You might want to consider Small gods as well, it's one of my favourite Discworld books and a good entry point.
Small Gods sounds so fun to me, but I love books that take place in "Hollywood" so I may have to do Moving Pictures next. I don't know, too many options lol
@@ManCarryingThing not a bad choice, Moving Pictures is hilarious with a captivating plot.
@@ManCarryingThing Moving Pictures was one of my favorites when I read it, felt very attached to the characters. I did read it after many other books so it might have been different otherwise though. Strangely my first one was Feet of Clay, which is like right in the middle, but that's what my friend who introduced me recommended as a first one (I think because it was his favorite), but then I read the rest in publication order. There are just enough subtle tie ins that I feel like it's worth it.
I just finished my first discworld book, Small Gods. And I have the same issues that you did. My favorite moments were the more serious and philosophical ones. I had a few other problems but honestly it was good and I’m glad I read it. I’ll definitely pick up other discworld books in the future.
Reaper man is wonderful. :)
I literally just finished this book half an hour ago (also first discworld) and saw you posted this now. Freaky
The only discworld novel I've read is Guards! Guards! and I really enjoyed it. The characters and their dynamics are fun. I plan on reading Mort as my next discworld novel but afterwards I will definitely continue the Night Watch "saga" (series? I dunno).
Always love watching your vids
Thanks! Guards Guards looks so fun, that may be the next one I read
So you’re one of us now.
"one of us - one of us"
Gooble gobble gooble gobble ONE OF US! ONE OF US!
We accept him! We accept him!
@@MagusMarquillin yea verily!
@@muhammadhashir6136 I'm a fraud; I haven't read Discworld. I did watch the movie Freaks though - I just wanted to be one of the Freaks!
Now that I think about it I was kinda bullied into buying my first discworld book too by a vendor at a book fair years ago. At the time I just thought she was a really good salesperson but looking back she was probably a fan. Fans know that they just need to get you to check out one of the books and most people will want to read more.
Terry put scits from movies all through the Disc world. Every book is a joy to read. So delightful.. Night watch and the Death series are favorites.
Scits from stories, be they books, films, cave paintings, or even blokes down the pub.
"Little bits of philosophy" Yup that is the core reason for my bookshelves carrying every Pterry book written. I agree that his early books had a Mel Brooks flavor (and I like Mel Brooks, but not exactly for world view) but I think you will see later books bringing deeper meaning, while still being fun and funny. Thanks for the thoughtful review!
That drawing of how all the books/series within Discworld connect can be your key (you showed it at the beginning of video, the one on the left).
I would recommend popping around to the diff series... I did first book in city watch first, then Mort, then first book in witches series then first book (its actually 2 books) in wizards (Rincewind) series.
I just started Pyramids a few days ago coincidently. It's great so far. It's about.... the Egyptian culture on the disc.
I think the Color of Magic/Light Fantastic prob my fav so far. Pyramids will be my sixth Discworld book.
Also read Mort as my first Discworld book last year, but I actually DNF'd it because of some of the critiques you shared. It felt weird having Mort as the main character since he wasn't really interesting as a viewpoint character. I also may have been comparing it a bit too much to Douglas Adams (who I love dearly) because they were contemporaries. It's hard to beat Adams's prose, so that's probably a bit unfair.
I'm a huge fan of Adventure Time, and it seems like Discworld has a similar vibe with its worldbuilding, silliness, and occasional touch of sincerity. I'll have to give it another shot when I get the chance.
Yeah, we probably share some of the same critiques. I really feel like some of the other books will be more up my alley. Also the Adventure Time comparison feels very appropriate!
Cool! I am fan of discworld for around 20 years and I am glad to see new people joining in! My first one was Pyramids. Felt like a great start since it’s kind of standalone. My favorites are newer ones like Nightwatch, Going Postal… Pratchett really improved in time. Also he morphed from essentially what you are saying here to what you want it to be. No wonder he’s a legend. There’s a lot of books you can continue with. Guards! Guards! Is good pick as any. I think you will like the watch, it’s like bridge 4 crew in Charles Dickens world.
Daniel and MCT thanking people for bullying them, back to back 😂 perfect
I ve only read small gods and mort, but small gods is reaaally good
I think your comparison to Mel Brooks is spot on, because they both felt incredibly smart when I was younger. They made me feel like I was so intelligent for getting the references and jokes. And also they are actually both brilliant. And now I'm more interested in the storytelling and the world building and the satire as it applies to real life, not so much fantasy tropes.
I started with The color of magic and The light fantastic, and I still feel it was a great entry point. A great standalone and (in my opinion underrated) discworld novel is The Truth. I've read that one the most and it makes me laugh every time.
In a way the books are less complicated than the charts and fan discussion might suggest, you can pick almost any of them up and get a complete self-contained story. But there will be lots of references that will tug on your curiosity until you end up reading more. If you want to see it develop from first principles then read them in publication order - I actually really like the Rincewind books so I had no problem with that. Otherwise you could swap over to the beginning of one of the other popular sub-lines like Guards, Guards or Equal Rites. Or like, pick any one that seems interesting.
If you want more seriousness go for Reaper Man (only to see the character developments) and then Thief of time or Hogfather. Both very philosophical in parts. Or you start with "The truth" and the Lipwick books. Later Guards books also are a lot darker then teh first ones. If you want Pratchett outside of Disc World I highly recommend "Nation". I think it truly shows what he was made of as an author.
Death is great, and probably the best stand-alone character in the series. Just for how well he manages to be the _personification_ of something that still isn't a _person_ - it gets talked a lot about in school and everything, but I haven't seen it done a lot better than discworld's Death. It doesn't even strike a balance; he's a humanised face set atop something inhuman, and it still works without breaking every other character in the story.
But Rincewind will always be my favourite, because when I first read the books I really related to him being a sarcastic, perpetually terrified loser who is, incredibly, both overqualified and underqualified for every situation life throws at him.
And now,
I still relate to all of that in the exact same way, because life never stops being an adventure if you have an adventurer's soul, and the heart and mind of a career accountant.
I don't know if I could say what the 'best' discworld books are. Maybe the one that gave me the clearest understanding of what Pratchett's writing was, what the stories he wrote were really about, in terms of their form and function - might be 'The Science of Discworld'. It's not even a discworld novel, proper - half of it is the man talking directly to audience about things he's learned and read and thought about, and thinks people might like to know or benefit in some way from reading; the other half is this pastiche of science fiction where the wizards manage to create our universe - the one we live in; or at least something recognisably similar - and then essentially spend the rest of the story trying to figure out if it's any _good_ for anything.
And when you get to the end of that, you realise to some degree that's what they have _all_ been - it's someone sharing what he's learned, in an entertaining format, with jokes and things peppered throughout to keep it from seeming too - definitive or authoritative, I think; keep you asking your own questions. They are a unique sort of good, or at the very least a special and rare one, and I think just picking one up as and when you feel like you need it might honestly be the best way to go about it.
If you want jokes AND character and story depth then i think everything that includes Sam Vimes as a main role works best, he just feels incredibly real to me while keeping the discworld charm better than most in my opinion.
You will definitely see more serious stuff in the further books as Terry evolves from a satire on fantasy and sci fi into social commentary while keeping the funny bits.
I would say the watch series, starting with Guards Guards, is the essential sub series of Discworld. Standalone recommendations for The Truth, Small Gods and The Amazing Maurice and his educated Rodents.
Oh I'm so glad you read Mort. One of my favourites! I read think if you read it in order, you would feel much, much more connected with Death.
Awesome, will definitely check it out. Would be awesome to hear you review Without Remorse, Tom Clancy. Or maybe Rainbow 6. Both are fun books:)
Just saw Jack Ryan amazon show - I read The Hunt for Red October when I was kid. I've been considering revisiting Clancy soon
@@ManCarryingThing sweet! ♥️🤘🏽
A friend lent me a Disc World book. One of the very few books I couldn't finish. Got to page 50 & felt like I was missing something. He had given me a book somewhere in the middle of the series. I'd like to try it from the beginning.
Love love loveee this!!!
Small gods was my first Discworld book. It's pretty much a stand alone story and requires basically no previous knowledge of the universe, while giving you the taste of the world and style of the Discworld series.
I’m so happy you started Discworld! Mort was my first ever book too and it’s a good introduction to the series. The philosophical themes are wonderful in Pratchett and I think Small Gods is his best example of that, plus, it’s a standalone so I’d suggest that next for you. Definitely try Guards, Guards! and Wyrd Sisters. They start the best two sequences within Discworld (technically Sourcery is the start of the witches but I prefer Wyrd Sisters). I actually did a video on it a little while back, but I know Daniel Green also has Discworld videos and I’m sure they are miles better 😂
I keep hearing Wyrd Sisters is great!
@@ManCarryingThing it’s Pratchett’s Shakespeare homage - great fun.
Mort was written because Pratchett found that new fans loved the character of Death and wanted more. It's a good book but I think he was trying to get the handle of the character. The guards and Witches series have far deeper and more grounded characters in settings that have real weight. Also the book 'Monstrous Regiment' is really interesting as it can be taken out of the usual progression of the stories. 'Small Gods' would be particularly pertinent for the current day and I would highly recommend it.
May I humbly but STRONGLY recommend to anyone who reads Mort and agrees with everything--or anything--you said to read either Going Postal or Monstrous Regiment next? They're not "traditional" starting points for Discworld, but they do everything Mort doesn't. They're both extremely clever, witty, insightful, they have amazing characters you really become attached to, they have very interesting philosophies, and you really don't need to read any other books before them. In fact, people stress WAY too much about where to start, when Pratchett really wrote every book to be able to stand on its own, and you lose VERY little by not reading them in order.
Guards! Guards! is great, but it suffers from a lot of them same problems (if you view them as problems, of course) as Mort. The characters are a little one-dimensional (though admittedly less so, especially in the cases of Vimes and Sybil), the plot is only barely there to carry the jokes, etc. If you tried Mort and were lukewarm on it, Guards! Guards! should not be your next choice. I love the book, but truly the best thing about it is that it's the first of the City Watch series of books, all of which are better than it (except maybe Fifth Elephant, idk, this is very much my personal opinion). You really can just dive in to the very best of Discworld!
Reaperman and Eric would be a good idea, especially since their main conflicts are far more centered and easily exposed. Night Watch also got pretty deep at the end, Guards Guards, not bad, especially because of the quintessential Night Watch, but Sourcery, would be an amazing add on.
I recommend go for Guards! Guards! next. The Night Watch series gets better and better with each book.
Color of Magic is cool and pretty fun. And It's obviously a great start point as the first book in the series. I also loved the Unseen Academicals as a later, sort of more ambitious and compelling entry in the Discworld. Small Gods is another classic and righly so.
I recently bought Guards! Guards! as my first Discworld book and I'm so excited to start it some time!
I love most of the Discworld books I've read (they are about the only book series that can hold my attention these days) but if you asked me what went down in the books after I've read them - I could not tell you.
Though, I have a good recollection of Small God which I read when I was younger so maybe I am just getting old.
I haven't gotten around to reading my first Terry Pratchett, it's coming up after my current Douglas Adams, but, have you read Good Omens: The Nice And Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch? It remains my favorite book, yet the only book I've read by either of its authors (Pratchett and Neil Gaiman). I think it will have some of that additional seriousness you're looking for - Gaiman is a bit too serious for my tastes (when I have attempted to read his solo works), and personally I think that Good Omens does a good job discussing serious topics in lackadaisical ways, expressing how the artists feel that certain things are taken too seriously, and what's actually important to humanity is thus left on the wayside.
I started as a teen with the Tiffany Aching series and loved it.
But I think all his books are fun, easy-to-read, but still somehow deep and diverse books with very climactic climaxes.
I've been reading the books in order specifically to spite the internet and I've been having a great time. I'm on The Last Continent now and I think Rincewind's story has to be my favorite series but it is hard to pick a favorite. Small Gods was also great, the audiobook is read by Andy Serkis.
I started with the first one and continued in chronological order, and it wasn't until years later that I discovered all the debate about reading orders. Maybe it's because I'm a fast reader, but those first 3-4 books are so short that it feels like more work to figure out the best place to start than it is to just start from the beginning and go.
I love this so much!
I started with Small Gods and liked it, then I read Jingo and was completely pulled in and then proceeded to read the Watch series from that point forward and backwards. Then eventually everything.
I also started with Mort, by pure luck (was given it when I commented "oh, never did read Pratchett, is it good?") and I believe Small Gods was the 2nd I read, as I just went through whatever I could find at my local library. Guards Guards and other books in the Night Watch series are what I fell in love with, especially as they do have that serious core which checks more boxes of what entertain me.
I know that this is probably too late to help, but I think that Guards, Guards! is a pretty good place to continue your Discworld journey, as it helps to establish a lot of reoccurring concepts and characters while still telling its own complete story. The watch novels are also probably my favorite "series" of Discworld books, so that also ties into it.
Well my first book was a "double feature" containing "MORT" and "Guards! Guards!" that was a good start. For just enjoying the fun of it Going Postal would also be a good starting point. Even though you might lack some funny background about some of the "supporting characters". Which will pull you deeper into their stories.
Pratchett is the master of comic fantasy with heart ❤
If you are familiar with Macbeth, then Wyrd Sisters is one that might be what you found missing in Mort. It is technically the second Witches book, but I see it as the proper first book. It is early enough that there are not too many running jokes, but late enough that he has found the tone that carries forward.
Small Gods is one of his best ever! That's definitely when Discworld got fully into satire and out of the parody
The essential Discworld books are all the books. It's permissible to leave the last one on the shelf unread because you know you'll never get to read a new Pratchett book again, and you're still grieving.
While everything he wrote is excellent, the sequences like The Guards books, and The Witches have some chronology within them. Mort is a standalone so the only Death re-occurs IIRC. You would find that The Colour of Magic is amazing but also completely different to Mort or Pyramids and is much more about poking fun at fantasy whereas the later books tend to reflect the real world. I tend to think the Guards sequence is the most coherent, so it's a good place for newbies to get invested.
But for those who will the do the right thing, and keep reading, I'd just go chronological. You will certainly get a better introduction to recurring characters like that, but if you're going to be put off by the different tone of The Light Fantastic or Equal Rites, that's not helpful. If you didn't find those first books utterly amazing, and stopped, you'd be the poorer for it. It would be like watching all the MCU except for Infinity War and Endgame, and not getting the pay off of the arc. :)
And by chronologically I mean in the order they were published. I'm so old that's how I read them and it has the advantage that you're seeing the world develop as Sir Terry wrote it. But the downside that you have to wait longer for more Granny Weatherwax. Reading just the Guards books would be great for your second to fiftieth readthroughs.
The farther you get into Discworld, the more serious it gets and the fewer jokes are told. I started with book one and have been reading them in order. Where to go next really depends on what you're looking for. If you want something more serious, I'd recommend Guards Guards.
Great series, I've read the hole thing and every single book will make you laugh
My favourite Prachett joke is when Death is told that diamonds are a girls best friend so he presents his lady friend with a diamond "TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOU"
I'm guessing the comment at 2:47 was resolved when you read the Guards books!
Really enjoyed this, rather nostalgic.
I started with Mort a few years after release, was disappointed with TCOM & TLF, and have appreciated Equal Rites more in later readings than back then. Nightwatch is my favourite, and I loved The Amazing Maurice. Honoured to meet the man twice, last time in a cathedral at the Dodger launch, pictured grasping my daughters copy of "Where's my cow?"
Miss you TP. You truly were unique.
Hogfather is my 'next book' rec, especially if you want to continue with Death. If you liked the philosophy bits in Mort, this one has even more.
I actually just read my first Pratchett after missing out on it most of my life. And it was Mort.
Is it possible I am also carrying Thing?
Well dang! If it reminded you of space balls then I’m reading this next!
*You have the ring, and I see your schwartz is as big as mine!*
Yeah - I thought that was an interesting parallel. Some of the earlier books poke fun at the best fantasy tropes more, whereas later ones are more of a comedy that reflects some aspect of reality, that happens to be set on Discworld. For instance, Going Postal is based around the quaint notion of writing letters, using stamps as a secondary currency, collecting stamps and growing a business. It's not just an excuse to tell jokes about where all the letters go that didn't get delivered. :)
Great review, dude! I've been looking for the right entry point into Discworld for a while. based on your thoughts i think you convinced me this would NOT be the right place for me to start. looking for something a bit more serious and character driven to draw me in. so thanks for the useful review, look forward to seeing your thoughts on other books in the series!
Thank you! Glad I could help :)
guards guards & equal rites are my favourites, but I have only read up to moving pictures. I have to admit that mort, although I too started with it (in 2011) is a bit weird and that the characters don't quite get you invested. But it's good none the less. It was my first too. And really, rincewind is fun too, even if the city watch and witches get you more invested :P Unseen university is just so much fun if you've been to or are going to university yourself.
I kind of grew up on the Tiffany Aching series - it’s sort if it’s own story but is still very much intertwined with the rest of the diskworld
other personal favourites include Going Postal and Moving Pictures - also The Last Continent bc im Australian
You could easily continue reading the Death series now that you’ve started Mort. (Reaper Man, Soul Music, Hogfather and Thief of Time.) It’s a valid reading route. The Discworld Emporium even suggests it.
Personally, though, I’d recommend a detour before coming back to the series. The Death books can be repetitive. Especially if you're reading them one after the other. Instead, given your critiques on Mort, I would read some combination of:
• Guards, Guards!
• Small Gods
• The Truth
• Going Postal
Hope this helped you out! :D
Thank you! I think I'll read Guards Guards next :)
These books were very formative for me when I was young. The message I got across all books was "don't take things at face value and don't accept that things are just the way they are and can never change."
The first two books are a great starting point for most purely because they're thinly veiled comedic parodies that go in unexpected directions - for a casual read the graphic novel adaptations are fantastic, they have a gritty Moebius/Boris Vallejo-like art style that really lends itself to high fantasy and the scenes of Gods playing with the Disc like it's DnD are gorgeous.
Also shout out to Monstrous Regiment for being a nuanced Band of Brothers style war story centered around trans identity in a fantasy medieval setting.
Go with the Watch books. All of them are brilliant. I'm currently re-reading the Tiffany Aching books.
Mort is one of my favorite in the series. That one and the first two
When I said earlier that Mort was my fave Discworld book, I was actually confused and meant Reaper Man! Big oopsie. That's the one you should read next!
We need an update on your journey into Discworld.
I also hope you have read Small Gods (my favorite book in the series) and Reaper Man.
Guards guards.
The series has some great flashes of true seriousness and based on what you were after I predict night watch will be your favourite book
This is actually a great review! please try small gods, I think you’ll love it
Mort is the first book Terry said he was totally happy with - it's the book I always recommend people to start with.
The Death himself appears in most Discworld books at some point or another, but the books centered around him is my favourite part of Discworld. I think the idea that Death is kind and cares for the creatures (not only people) at the end is very soothing. He's goofy and sometimes awkward, obviously not human but somehow relatable. Oh, and he loves cats.
I think the later books about Moist von Lipwig (Going postal, Making money and Raising steam) are fun. Guards Guards have kind of slow start which can be boring, but it's worth reading trough, too.
I just finished my first Pratchett novel Guards! Guards! and it was cool but I had to kinda force myself to get thru it... I suspect I've just been too overstimulated lately to appreciate a chill, low-stakes book, because I did find a lot of his writing to be very witty and creative, despite mostly being eager to start a new book the whole time...
I bounced off Pratchett a few times, mostly from trying to read what others were recommending. I barely got very far into Guards, Guards! and Small Gods before giving up, but when I gave Going Postal a go it hooked me, absolutely excellent read. I then read Making Money afterwards wwhich was pretty good, but I couldn't get into Raising Steam and gave up again.
I'm currently on The Amazing Maurice, which is super good so far; the great thing about Pratchett is there's so much material, if you don't like a book you can just put it down and grab another. Eventually once I've gotten more into Discworld I'm sure I'll go back and try the books I gave up on again 😄
I would say that Susan and the Death serious you don't invest in much character wise, as they commonly do center around philosophical paradigms, so the characters are more engines to drive the concepts.
The Night Watch series is where you want to go for character investment and book to book development.
Can't wait to hear your take on Vetinari.
Moist Von Lipwig is a series where you see more character expression as well, though it also can be seen as a political or philosophical engine.
Keep in mind, many of the books have that one off feeling where the characters are meant to drive concepts, instead of characters reacting and developing in the world. Not entirely, but I think the discworld is meant more to drive concepts instead of grow characters. Nightwatchman being the main exception. The Witches perhaps too, but I don't remember that one too well.
Thanks for the recs -- yeah based on what others are saying too, I think I'll enjoy the night watch most
Pratchett's one of the authors who had motivated me to start learning english initially
This came up in my feed again, so I just wanted to add this: You know how everyone has a favorite author and a favourite book by said author that they recommend to everyone? The problem is when someone finally reads that book, loves it too, and then finds all the other books a disappointment because the first thing they read was the best book of the whole catalog?
Read book 3 next, then carry on from book 5, after a few more, you will encounter most of the groups (city watch, witches, wizards) and then if you don't want to to follow a certain group, you can skip it as you go.
The other advantage is that you get to see how TP's writing gets so much better, and deeper, the further you go.
Mort was also the first (and only) Pratchett book I've read. I enjoyed it at the time, but I never thought about it much afterward. Been meaning to circle back to his works. I kinda read Mort by accident after taking it from a friend who was reading through them all. I'd like to do Color of Magic next maybe.
You GOTTA make a video when you read the Tiffany Aching books. They, I feel, have the best mix of whimsy and serious depth and character development that you're looking for. The Nac Mac Feegles are the best ever
I just went publication order. Was the best way for me.
Same, I'm on mort rn
For me i started with color of magic, the light fantastic and then sourcery. I attempted to read it chronologically as how it was published. I think it appealed to me in the same way One Piece manga appealed to me. It's funny but goes hard with some issues or questions about life. When i first read it i think i saw some parts of myself with Rincewind, it got even more confirmed when I got to Sourcery. I think Sourcery is one of my favorites...it convinced me I should get to reading Discworld per section/grouping? Idk what to call it lol. I think Mort comes next after sourcery... I can't wait to buy copies.
Anyway idk i fondly compare One Piece and Discworld a lot. So happy you got bullied into reading it
+1 for small gods, he was kind of an angry guy at a certain point in his career and this sort of both highlights and is a product of that. Snuff is a really good one because its a book that he himself said he couldn't written as a younger writer and it feels like it's a short story does a lot while still feeling comfortable which was really interesting. I wouldn't recommend reading snuff on it's own though it's better to get to it organically through the sam vines arc.
I'm looking forward to Death. Only started Discworld this year with The Night Watch. Absolutely hooked.
Go for small gods next
(i finished mort like 3 days ago and I'm starting small gods so maybe i can hear you thoughts about it when we finish)
I read Mort first too, then i went into following rincewind chronologically. As that path opened up a lot of the in-jokes knowledge you would like later. After that it was witch's starting with equal rites then night watch. That said I thought Pratchets early Sci-fi book was fun too, it was my first intro to that style of English comedy, after Hitch hikers Guide to the Galaxy
.
Well, if you want a Fantasy book that has comedy and pokes fun at Fantasy tropes, but also has interesting characters with depth, you should check out The Blade Itself.
David not missing an opportunity to recommend some Abercrombie, lol
@@ManCarryingThing Never. lol
I'm reading the whole Discworld series in order and currently on book 30! The first two books did a great job of orienting me to Discworld. The books actually build the Discworld narrative when read in order, the introduction of characters, places, events, etc. One thing I found is that most of them are NOT children books. I really like the City/Night Watch books best and love the characters. I like Death and his very interesting granddaughter Susan and the Witches. I like how Pratchett plays with language and words, so cool. Ii don't like when there are characters who speak with a dialect and he writes it phonetically which I find tedious like in The Wee Free Men. But over all I love the Discworld books. I disagree that you can start reading anywhere for example if you start with one of the later City Watch books you will have no clue to the background of established characters.. I really like Mort
I heard so many good things about Discworld and when I read this I was disappointed because I think it might have been too silly for me. I’m not sure what that says about me as a person, but I hope I can get into the other entries.
Jump in a bit later. *The Truth* perhaps. Its book 25, so he's definitely settled into the whole writing thing, and the main characters in the book are new to the series.