Discworld Reading Order

[Manabi]

Sorry for the length, kind of late to replying so there's several people I wanted to reply to.

Originally Posted by davidfor

I haven't seen the later books cheap, which is either a sign that people enjoyed them and kept them, or, an indication of how many people bought the first, but never continued. My son has said exactly the same thing, and, Fantasy plus humour is exactly him.

I believe it's actually because the later books are more likely to be kept for re-reads, so they don't get traded-in or sold to used book stores as often. I found a significant part of the first 35 or so used, but there's a huge used book store in Knoxville, TN that I could go to. I don't think I paid more than $5 for any of the used ones, including a few hardbacks.

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

It was an interesting exercise to watch him find his way into the world he was making. One upside of that for me was reading Mort as my 4th Discworld novel. DEATH is possibly my favorite character ever from any series, so much as I enjoyed the City Watch (LOVE Vetinari), I am pleased I read them in publication order. But join a jihad over it I will not.

You can still experience that by doing a re-read of them in order later. I did that a few years back and it really was interesting watching him find his way into the world, as you put it. Honestly, I think you appreciate it even more in a re-read because you pick up on lots of things you don't the first time, because you know about what happens later on.

Originally Posted by gmw

The last two or three books were not as well edited, it seemed to me, not as tight.

That was mainly due to the Alzheimer's. He wasn't able to do as many polishing passes as usual and on the very last one he died before completing all the polishing passes. However, I think Raising Steam is less a lack of polishing due to Alzheimer's and more of a deliberate change, because that novel takes place over a longer time span than any of the others.

Originally Posted by latepaul

If someone were looking for a recommendation of where to start I'd ask what kind of thing they like to read, and try from there. One possibility might be publication order depending on the person.

That's what I do too, suggest a starting point that seems best for that person's interests.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

When going into a series, I do go in at the first book. I don't want to spoil the series by reading a book out of order.

Depending on the series it's really not a problem to read them out of order. I read the second book in the Ringworld series first, because it was the only one I could find and I was really wanting to read the series. I wasn't confused and it didn't spoil anything of consequence in the first book.

Spoiler:

I did know that Nessus would survive one of his eye stalks being cut off, but I would have known that was coming anyway. He was too major a character to kill off so late in the novel.

The Discworld series is fairly unique in that nearly every single novel is stand-alone. The story is fully finished, any villains are dealt with and no major plot elements continue into other novels. Characters grow in each novel, but that growth isn't critical to understand the next novel. The only exception I can think of is the first two books, which are basically one story. You can pick up and read any Discworld novel besides The Light Fantastic and not be confused about anything that happens in it, because all the characters are introduced and explained in the course of the novel itself.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That chart is for a reread, not a new read.

That's incorrect, it originated on the L-Space fan site and was intended as a reading guide for people wanting to start on the series, and as a help for people working through the novels who wanted to keep track of which book to read next in the various sub-series. I used an earlier version of that particular guide to keep track when I was reading them. All the various reading guides they posted were like that.

I also want to point out that if you try to get someone to read a 41 novel series and are talking about rereads at the same time, you're likely to scare them off. Reading 41 books set in one universe is not a small task, no matter how much you love reading.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by Manabi

[...] That was mainly due to the Alzheimer's. He wasn't able to do as many polishing passes as usual and on the very last one he died before completing all the polishing passes. However, I think Raising Steam is less a lack of polishing due to Alzheimer's and more of a deliberate change, because that novel takes place over a longer time span than any of the others. [...]

Yes, I guess I assumed that was the case (if not directly the disease then the constraints of needing an assistant so on). Still, I'm not complaining. For all that I might say some books are not as good as others, I re-read the lot at irregular intervals and enjoy myself all the way ... I just like hearing his voice.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by davidfor

And that's where I would normally start a new series as well. But, when there are a lot of suggestions that that it is not the best place to start a specific series, I would consider doing something else. And in this case, the evidence is to strong to ignore. Just look at this thread. There is only one person saying you must start with the first Discworld book and only one other even vaguely suggesting it. Everyone else is giving good reasons for a different order.

But we have to remember, there are those who think some books in a series are standalone because they have a beginning, middle, and end. That does not make a book standalone. Standalone is when there is nothing that connects it to any other book in the series. a book like Guards! Guards! does have a connection to other book(s). Also, a lot of people do like the first few books. Given that you know the series is good, there's no reason not to start at the beginning and go from there. You know you'll get to what some are calling the better books. You don't know what it is you missing. I do think you are missing a lot from not starting at the beginning.

The thing is, these people saying not to start at the beginning, did they start at the beginning or are they just parroting what other have said? I don't think you can say how good or not the the first few books are if you have not read them yourself.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Just to really throw a simian spanner in the setup, although I don't regret reading them in publication order, my Discworld mantra is "if you only read one, make it Small Gods" - I must be triskaidekaphilic.

Given all the different suggestions, I think it would just be easier to read in order. This way, you get a mix of locations, main characters, and secondary characters.

I feel that the locations and the secondary characters is what makes reading in order better. You do get lines in the books that you would not get had you not read in order.

Terry Pratchett is very subtle and that subtlety gets lots if you don't know what's going on. While you can read out of order, you lose a lot by doing so on the first read.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Given all the different suggestions, I think it would just be easier to read in order. This way, you get a mix of locations, main characters, and secondary characters.

I feel that the locations and the secondary characters is what makes reading in order better. You do get lines in the books that you would not get had you not read in order.

Terry Pratchett is very subtle and that subtlety gets lots if you don't know what's going on. While you can read out of order, you lose a lot by doing so on the first read.

"...I find it now rather embarrassing that people beginning the Discworld series start with The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, which I don't think are some of the best books to start with. This is the author saying this, folks. Do not start at the beginning with Discworld."
-- Terry Pratchett.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The thing is, these people saying not to start at the beginning, did they start at the beginning or are they just parroting what other have said? I don't think you can say how good or not the the first few books are if you have not read them yourself.

Terry Pratchett wrote all of them them. I think he knows what he's talking about.

"...I find it now rather embarrassing that people beginning the Discworld series start with The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, which I don't think are some of the best books to start with. This is the author saying this, folks. Do not start at the beginning with Discworld."
-- Terry Pratchett.

[DiapDealer]

I too suffer from only being able to read a series in published order. Not even the advice of the author can sway me in that regard. Unlike some, however, I will zealously defend anyone else's right to read a series as incorrectly as they choose. It's no skin off my nose.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I too suffer from only being able to read a series in published order. Not even the advice of the author can sway me in that regard. Unlike some, however, I will zealously defend anyone else's right to read a series as incorrectly as they choose. It's no skin off my nose.

Citing the author only shows there’s another point of view anyway. Once a book’s been written, it’s out of the author’s hands. (J.K. Rowling, take note. Please!) I don’t really want to hear it and I don’t think it matters. As I said way upthread when I first quoted the Pratchett, surely no one thinks that starting the Narnia books with The Magician’s Nephew is a good idea, no matter what C.S. Lewis said.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by issybird

surely no one thinks that starting the Narnia books with The Magician’s Nephew is a good idea, no matter what C.S. Lewis said.

I sure don't. My own personal OCD aside; I've never understood the compulsion some have that drives them to attempt to force others to experience things the exact same way they first experienced them. Are we really so petty that we'd take issue with someone loving something we do the "wrong way"? Baffling.

[JSWolf]

If you don't want to read in published order, give Discworld a read in chronological order.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I too suffer from only being able to read a series in published order. Not even the advice of the author can sway me in that regard. Unlike some, however, I will zealously defend anyone else's right to read a series as incorrectly as they choose. It's no skin off my nose.

What do you think of others telling others to skip the first two books and give the series a read in a random order?

[latepaul]

It does seem like the person being recommended to has become secondary to the likes/desires/foibles of the person doing the recommending.

[latepaul]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What do you think of others telling others to skip the first two books and give the series a read in a random order?

Is anyone here doing that?

[haertig]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

It's no skin off my nose.

You don't have a nose. At least your avatar doesn't.

[JSWolf]

The problem of starting in a random place in the series is that you may be spoiling character arcs. Do you want to find out something you aren't supposed to know because you've not read some previous book or books?