I got to read Monstrous Regiment a couple of weeks ago* and I liked it a lot. I think it has a lot in common with Night Watch in feel and mood (not in plot or characters though).
It’s a little more serious than some of the other Discworld books, but so was Night Watch.
But good. Very very good.
*thanks to an Advance Reader Edition courtesy of my S.O., the bookstore manager
Incidentally, I agree that Small Gods is also a good starting place. I don’t tend to think of it as a starting place 'cause I’d already been reading them for years by the time that came out! But js is spot on – it is a good choice.
Either. Both. Preferably both, actually 
pan
I’ve been asked by friends which Pratchett book to read first and I always reply by saying, “For goodness’ sakes, skip the first two books” (Light Fantastic and Colour of Magic)
I then go on to explain that I found those two books nothing more than a cheap attempt at spoofing the fantasy books…which was TP’s intention all along. But I didn’t find them enjoyable at all.
I didn’t bother to read any of his subsequent Discworld books, that is until 2001 when I felt bored and went and bought The Wyrd Sisters and Small Gods. Never have I had so much fun reading!
I’m now pretty much up to date with TP’s books (I’m still waiting for Monstrous Regiment from Amazon).
So, did anyone else find his first two Discworld novels boring? Rincewind is his weakest character, IMO.
I found Small Gods to be interminably boring. It is not a good starting point. I second Mort, Guards! Guards! or Wyrd Sisters as a starting point.
The Watch line is my favorite, so I’d start with Guards, Guards…either that or a non-Discworld altogether to get a feel for his style, Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman).
On a side note, I just bought and read The Last Hero, an illustrated Discworld Fable. It was a great story, and beautifully illustrated…somehow Rincewind looked just like I thought he would. =)
I saw this thread yesterday, and didn’t bother to open it. Instead, I grabbed my coat and head straight to the bookstore to buy it. (Picked up the new Stephenson, while I was there. Who needs to eat?) Started reading it about 11:00 that night, finished at 5 AM. Six hours. I think that’s a personal best. Thank God I had today off.
And damn me, but this was a good book. Not his best: that still goes to Small Gods or Good Omens, either of which would be my choice for an introduction to Terry Pratchett. But still, really, really excellent. I think I’ll continue in a spoiler box, just in case:
[spoiler]I was a little worried at the beginning, when he started in with the vampire, troll, and Igor again. I thought he was just re-doing the City Watch all over. I remember thinking, “I hope he takes the time to develop the human recruits, and doesn’t just make the same dumb troll/suave vampire/creepy Igor jokes all over again.” Silly me: they were only in there so that he could get away with his (very) clever title. Wazzer and Tonker are among his strongest characters, ever. Tonker gave me chills, talking about their time at the “Girl’s Workhouse.” And Wazzer freaked me right out, when she was talking about listening to the Duchess crying.
I saw most of the twists coming, but he also threw me a few false leads. I figured out about Jackrum being a woman pretty early on, but I was convinced she was going to be the Duchess in disguise. She’d have been about the right age, and it would explain why no one ever saw the Duchess after she went into “mourning.” Initially, I thought Blouse was supposed to be a Disc version of Teddy Roosevelt, but that didn’t get developed the way I thought it would. I also wasn’t sure if Wazzer was supposed to Joan of Arc or the Telly Savalas character from The Dirty Dozen. Could have gone either way, especially with all the mysterious fires.
There was one line, not especially funny on its own, but in context it was me literally paralyzed with laughter for a good five minutes. And I mean literally literally, not figuratively literally. The line was from the court martial:
“‘Lieutenant Blouse tells me he is a man, sir,’ said Clogston. ‘Since he is an officer and a gentleman, I will take his word for it.’”
That’s right up there with “Gentleman, you can’t fight here! This is the War Room!” for terminally hilarious wit.[/spoiler]
And I really loved the book’s title. Fecking brilliant.
I just finished it, and had a question about the Girl’s Work House.
itty bitty spoiler*
Tonker (or was it Lofty? I think Lofty liked fire) mentions that she has no middle gears. Does this mean she was operated on and certain bits, um, removed? I just finished it around 1 am for the first time so I probably didn’t catch everything. When I reread his books I am amazed at what I missed. Onion books, I tell ya 
"Tonker (or was it Lofty? I think Lofty liked fire) mentions that she has no middle gears. Does this mean she was operated on and certain bits, um, removed? I just finished it around 1 am for the first time so I probably didn’t catch everything. When I reread his books I am amazed at what I missed. Onion books, I tell ya "
I’m pretty sure it’s Tonker and I think she means that emotionally she has no middle gears, in that she goes from normal to violent fury without passing through any middle stage. I’m a bit like that, and I thought it was a very good way of putting it. Could be I’m projecting, of course!
Oh, I feel much better now. The way it was worded and the hints about sexual abuses made me worry.