# Discworld: Which book finally hooked you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2015, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808 "2015-08-14T04:47:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/21 "2015-08-14T18:01:37Z")
Hooked from book 1. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/22 "2015-08-14T18:02:39Z")
I’m looking for the hook stilll. I’ve read **Colour of Magic** , **Mort** , and **Guards Guards** so far. I’ve found them to be incredibly clever with the wordplay and social commentary, but I haven’t really bonded with the characters or felt immersed in any of the motivations or plots. It has so far felt to me like a vast detailed template of a universe to tee up all of the cleverness and commentary, but I haven’t been hooked by any plot or story yet. I’ve seen folks mention several times that Pratchett achieves ‘literature’…are there suggestions of what I should try next that is more focused on plot and story, rather than what has seemed to me so far as loosely-tied collections of quips and quotes? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/23 "2015-08-14T18:07:02Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > I’m looking for the hook stilll. I’ve read **Colour of Magic** , **Mort** , and **Guards Guards** so far. > > I’ve found them to be incredibly clever with the wordplay and social commentary, but I haven’t really bonded with the characters or felt immersed in any of the motivations or plots. It has so far felt to me like a vast detailed template of a universe to tee up all of the cleverness and commentary, but I haven’t been hooked by any plot or story yet. > > I’ve seen folks mention several times that Pratchett achieves ‘literature’…are there suggestions of what I should try next that is more focused on plot and story, rather than what has seemed to me so far as loosely-tied collections of quips and quotes? Those three are early Pratchett, when they were more parodies of serious fantasy. Since I had read the books he was parodizing (Conan, etc) I thought they were funny. Great lit? Not so much, but Mort starts on that road. Ok, try Wee Free Men or any of the Tiffany Aching series. Or Reaper Man. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/24 "2015-08-14T18:24:19Z")
I do strongly recommend reading them in order of publication, though. While the novels hop around and feature different sets of characters, many of the stories in the mid and late parts of the series build upon what came before. For example, the beginning/setup of _Reaper Man_ will make much less sense if you haven’t read _Mort_. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/25 "2015-08-14T18:36:11Z")
Monstrous Regiment. The first one I read. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/26 "2015-08-14T18:39:34Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > I’m looking for the hook stilll. I’ve read **Colour of Magic** , **Mort** , and **Guards Guards** so far. > > I’ve found them to be incredibly clever with the wordplay and social commentary, but I haven’t really bonded with the characters or felt immersed in any of the motivations or plots. It has so far felt to me like a vast detailed template of a universe to tee up all of the cleverness and commentary, but I haven’t been hooked by any plot or story yet. > > I’ve seen folks mention several times that Pratchett achieves ‘literature’…are there suggestions of what I should try next that is more focused on plot and story, rather than what has seemed to me so far as loosely-tied collections of quips and quotes? Try _The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents_. It’s a stand-alone, though part of the Discworld. It’s smart and funny, and in it Terry plays with one of his recurrent themes: the power and use of stories. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/27 "2015-08-14T18:40:22Z")
_Wyrd Sisters._ I read them all in order as they came out, but I was truly hooked with _WS_. Then _Guards! Guards!_ happened and there was no going back. _Small Gods_ attempts Literature. With _Night Watch_ Pterry achieves it. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/28 "2015-08-14T18:58:03Z")
I got introduced to Pratchett trough his collaboration with Gaiman on \*Good Omens (great read, btw, read it if you haven’t yet). \*That lead me to picking up Hogfather at random and was hooked from there. I have now read them all except his young adult lines. Even the witch ones that I don’t really get into are better than most anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/29 "2015-08-14T19:03:11Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > _Small Gods_ was my first DW book and still my favorite. [_Small Gods_ was my first DW book and still my favorite. ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNO-TOAD!]([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHU2RlSCdxU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHU2RlSCdxU)) (No, seriously, what he said: first and favorite.) ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/30 "2015-08-14T19:47:33Z")
My first TP was **Carpe Jugulum** , which caught my eye on the new book rack because I love wordplay. I enjoyed it, but wasn’t really hooked. **Wyrd Sisters** hooked me. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/31 "2015-08-14T21:15:17Z")
I really can’t remember the order I read them originally.☹ I think I really got hooked on the “technology” ones. Perhaps _Moving Pictures_ or _Thief of Time_. So when _Going Postal_ came out I was quite happy. OTOH, I am going thru some of the early-ish ones. Many that I only read once. (Avoiding the wizards/witches ones.) Of those, the best is _Mort_. Big fan of Death and family. Better book than _Reaper Man_ or _Soul Music_ (of those I’ve just re-read). (In recent weeks I’ve read the two recent collections: _A Blink of the Screen_ and _A Slip of the Keyboard_. The last essays in the latter are depressing. One can’t read a bunch of essays about dementia and assisted suicide and not feel that way.)) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/32 "2015-08-14T21:34:41Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > I got introduced to Pratchett trough his collaboration with Gaiman on \*Good Omens (great read, btw, read it if you haven’t yet). \*That lead me to picking up Hogfather at random and was hooked from there. I have now read them all except his young adult lines. Even the witch ones that I don’t really get into are better than most anything else. My favorite scene from Hogfather was, unfortunately, left out of the movie version. It’s the scene where Death, posing as Hogfather, comes across a king providing a rich meal to some peasant. A mockery of “Good King Wenceslas”, I suspect. I just loved the way that scene played out. I lived for eight years in a homeless shelter, and I was all too aware of the condescending attitudes of the “rich” folks who came around during the holidays to “help” us. That really made me appreciate that scene. Anyway, the reason I started this thread is that I’m on my second read-through of the series. So I re-read through the first ten books, and was surprised to discover that it was like reading them all for the first time. I had completely forgotten, for the most part, what each book was about. Then I started reading _Reaper Man_ for the second time, and I wasn’t too far into it before I realized, “Oh, I remember the ending of this one!” That was kind of my clue that _Reaper Man_ was the book that completely roped me in. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/33 "2015-08-14T23:33:27Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > I got introduced to Pratchett trough his collaboration with Gaiman on \*Good Omens (great read, btw, read it if you haven’t yet). \*That lead me to picking up Hogfather at random and was hooked from there. I have now read them all except his young adult lines. Even the witch ones that I don’t really get into are better than most anything else. Me, too. As I recall, my progression was: the _Sandman_ graphic novel series \> _Good Omens_ \> whatever Discworld novel the library had available (I think it was either _Moving Pictures_ or _Feet of Clay_. I’m pretty sure _The Fifth Elephant_ was the second one I read.) I liked them well enough - even enough to endure _The Color of Magic_ and mildly enjoy _The Light Fantastic_ - but **silenus** called it: _Small Gods_ showed me that Pratchett wasn’t just a funny writer, but actually had something important to say. _Carpe Jugulum_ confirmed that, and _Night Watch_ was Terry at the top of his game. I will put the whole Tiffany Aching series up there with _Night Watch_, especially _Hat Full Of Sky_ - I’d call the Chalk novels his best work. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/34 "2015-08-15T00:34:12Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > I got introduced to Pratchett trough his collaboration with Gaiman on \*Good Omens (great read, btw, read it if you haven’t yet). \*That lead me to picking up Hogfather at random and was hooked from there. I have now read them all except his young adult lines. Even the witch ones that I don’t really get into are better than most anything else. Read them. For my money the Tiffany Aching books are some of the best and most serious books he’s done. I work in Public Health, and there is so much in his ethos of doing the job that’s in front of you because it needs to be done that resonates. And this quote {by an older witch to a promising nine year old girl} ought to be pinned up in every classroom and workplace in every land: > [@](#): > > Miss Tick sniffed. “You could say this advice is priceless,” she said, “Are you listening?” > “Yes,” said Tiffany. > “Good. Now…if you trust in yourself…” > “Yes?” > “…and believe in your dreams…” > “Yes?” > “…and follow your star…” Miss Tick went on. > “Yes?” > “…you’ll still be beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren’t so lazy. Goodbye.” ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/35 "2015-08-15T01:25:49Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > _Small Gods_ was my first DW book and still my favorite. This is the one that got me. It was the first I read also, got the hardcover for about 2 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/36 "2015-08-15T01:38:11Z")
I’m one of those sorts who has to read series in their publication order. But if you’re not one of those sorts, then the best place to start with Discworld is probably _Small Gods_. It’s one of the better ones, and it’s also relatively disconnected from the others due to taking place hundreds of years prior to most of the series. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/37 "2015-08-15T01:55:25Z")
The ones I use to hook students are _Guards! Guards!_ and _Wyrd Sisters._ ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/38 "2015-08-15T02:43:22Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > Read them. For my money the Tiffany Aching books are some of the best and most serious books he’s done. I work in Public Health, and there is so much in his ethos of **doing the job that’s in front of you because it needs to be done** that resonates. And this quote {by an older witch to a promising nine year old girl} ought to be pinned up in every classroom and workplace in every land: (bolding mine) OMFG, what you said there totally resonates with me. I was recently promoted to the head of my department at work, and now I’m the manager of a bunch of fucking teenaged girls who don’t understand what “having a job” means. Here I am, killing myself, trying to make sure my customers are happy, because I wouldn’t still be doing what I do after 32 years if I didn’t care. And I have to deal with these teenaged twits who are just working for pocket money, and trying to make them understand that serving the customer is the most important fucking thing. Goddam, I’m printing this out and posting it. > [@](#): > > Miss Tick sniffed. “You could say this advice is priceless,” she said, “Are you listening?” > “Yes,” said Tiffany. > “Good. Now…if you trust in yourself…” > “Yes?” > “…and believe in your dreams…” > “Yes?” > “…and follow your star…” Miss Tick went on. > “Yes?” > “…you’ll still be beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren’t so lazy. Goodbye.” ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/39 "2015-08-15T03:58:06Z")
It’s hard to remember; probably somewhere around _Guards, Guards!_–Vimes and Carrot are characters that I really enjoyed reading about and wanted to see more of. I started reading Pratchett because a girl I was dating at the time read his books, so I started to as well. I read them in publication order, starting with _The Colour of Magic_, because that’s the only way that I can read any series. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808/40 "2015-08-15T04:39:11Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m one of those sorts who has to read series in their publication order. But if you’re not one of those sorts, then the best place to start with Discworld is probably _Small Gods_. It’s one of the better ones, and it’s also relatively disconnected from the others due to taking place hundreds of years prior to most of the series. As I’ve already mentioned, _Small Gods_ is my favorite book in the series. If it had been my _first_ book, I think I would have found the rest of the series to be a bit of a letdown. I appreciated and loved Small Gods purely because I’m a born-and-raised Christian who grew up to have a mind of my own … and still remained Christian after thinking things through and making up my own mind. About the same time I read _Small Gods_, I was developing an interest in history, which included Church history. I recognized what Pterry was going for, and so much of the way he wrote the story matched up so well with my own “thinking for myself”. I’m thankful, since I didn’t pick up the series in the 1980s, when it started, that my first Discworld novel was _Going Postal_, the first appearance of Moist von Lipwig. I picked that book completely at random, after seeing Discworld mentioned multiple times here on the SDMB. So I didn’t get dumped into the middle of the Witches or Wizards or the Watch with no backstory. I got a great story that convinced me that I should look further into the Discworld. So I ent back to the start, and eventually, _Reaper Man_ sucked me in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-which-book-finally-hooked-you/727808.md?page=3)