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I am reading the very first Terry Pratchett Discworld book, The Color of Magic right now and really enjoying it. I do have to admit being a little confused by the action at times. I am just wondering how the series evolves from a writing style as it goes on? Does the plots pick up? Do the terms used become more familiar as you read more about them? Really loving the book but as I am new to this genre guessing it will take time to become fully up to speed.

You will get used to the terms after you read a couple of Discworl books. The series does get more interesting as it goes on but, like Vlad I found that I liked some of the books better than others. And there were a few that I just couldn't finish.

Keep reading - it's going much better further. But there are few main Discworld plots and it's easier if you follow their chronological sequence. The one you have started with - Rincewind's - personally i like less than rest /Interesting times is an exception/, moreover these books are like first steps into Discworld not only for us, but for Pratchett as well.
Lancre's witches lines comes next, starting with Equal Rites; 3rd plot is kept for Death and Mort; and of course the City watch novels, beginning with Guards! Guards!.
Apart of the above, there are some stand alone Discworld novels - and here I definitely have to mention such a masterpiece like Small Gods

Thanks everyone for all your insight and thoughts! I am wondering which Discworld books poeple actually could not finish? A bit surprised as they are pretty short books.

Gary F wrote: "I am reading the very first Terry Pratchett Discworld book, The Color of Magic right now and really enjoying it. I do have to admit being a little confused by the action at times. I am just wonderi..."

Series does pick up; the later books tend to be better. You might want to check out The Turtle Moves!: Discworld's Story Unauthorized which gives enough overall.

Loosely, the Discowrld novels are mini-series: THe Wizards, the Watch, the Witches (including the Tiffany books), Death and Family. There are also stand alones, and the Moist books. Most fans have their favorite series. I prefer the Witches and the Watch.

I found that by reading earlier Discworld books , i was given more of a grasp on the 'world'. By the later books he sort of assumes you know some of the 'rules and laws' that govern Discworld. In fact it was Mr. Pratchett was the one wrote that somewhere.
oh, and Monstrous Regiment was one of the best!

I found this chart most useful when attempting to navigate Discworld.

Jeanne wrote: "I found this chart most useful when attempting to navigate Discworld. "

Thank you sooooo much Jeanne for posting this....so helpful. I have read one Discworld book and of course it was out of order so I was confused as heck! I am going to do it right this time...thanks for all the help guys!!!! ^.^

You're very welcome! I still haven't made it through, but at least it isn't so confusing with the chart. Good to know I'm not the only one who appreciates a good "map".

Jeanne wrote: "I found this chart most useful when attempting to navigate Discworld. "

Thanks for posting up that chart! I definitely did not read the Discworld novels in any order (only read the books featuring the character Death; the first novel I've read branching out from him was Going Postal) but it's good to know which books fall into which group and such =)

I just finished my first Pratchett, "Going Postal" - obviously I didn't start at the "beginning", but it didn't seem to matter. After reviewing the above-linked chart, I'm planning on "The Colour of Magic" next. Any suggestions otherwise? Thanks...

K.A. wrote: "I just finished my first Pratchett, "Going Postal" - obviously I didn't start at the "beginning", but it didn't seem to matter. After reviewing the above-linked chart, I'm planning on "The Colour o..."

I just started too. I'm working my way through the Night Watch books. A friend recommended I start with Men at Arms rather than Guards, Guards (turned out to be a very good recommendation for me). I'd highly recommend Men at Arms, then Feet of Clay which followed it. I haven't finished Jingo yet but I suspect I'd recommend that as well. :)

What did you think of Going Postal? I've got that one for after I finish the NW books.

I really liked "Going Postal". There were a few slow spots in the middle, but overall it was great. Now I understand why the guy's so popular!

I actually started it after seeing half of the movie. Now I've got "The Colour of Magic". I can't wait for bedtime so I can sit in bed & read.

I have read all the Disc World books. I also started out of order with "Making Money". My favs are Death and the Witches. Mort is an excellent starter for Death. Equal Rites is the 1st book for the Witches but I much prefer "Wyrd Sisters". Also on a side note, this Christmas I recommend watching the "Hogfather". It's a holiday tradition in my house with my daughter and it's streaming on Netflix.

The Last Hero: A Discworld Fable was my introduction to Discworld, and it was a great place to start, for me.

I just ordered Hogfather on Netflix myself...

I just watched the movie that was done from "The Color of Magic" and didn't think it was very good. I read the book first. So, maybe I'll give up on the movies (although I enjoyed "Going Postal") and stick with the books...

I like to read authors in chronological order so I started Discworld with The Color of Magic and fell in love. I've made it up to Guards, Guards! now, I think, so I have a long way to go yet.

I also really enjoyed the films: Hogfather & The Color of Magic. Glad to hear Netflix renewed their contract. :-)

That reminds me...they never sent me "Hogfather". Hmmm...must have been popular around Christmas.

I'd have to say the Watch and Death are my favorite story lines. A couple of the one off books were not as much to my taste. I think the only one I never actually finished was Pyramids, but the completionist in my really wants to go back and finish it. I've actually been re-reading these in chronological order, they get interspersed among the other books that I read.

Enjoy the journey, Pratchett is a genius!

It's hard for me to choose among the Witches, the Watch and the Wizards, although I've just re-read Guards! Guards! because I was homesick for Ankh Morpork on a cold wintry night, and so that's my favorite right now. Until I pick up another one. Some of the stories are paced a bit slow for an American reader. There are no car chases, gun battles, or 2-minute wrap-ups, and hardly any love scenes. But I like them because they are true to their world, and it's a world like our own in that there's no chance for an easy case for the cops, a life-changing discovery for the wizards (except maybe Ponder Stibbons) or a happily-ever-after for anybody because there's always tomorrow on the horizon.

I've read Discworld from start to finish in chronological order. I've read all of them several times now, some I've reread many times, lol.

The only one I never really enjoyed that much and only read it twice, is The Truth. For some reason I just couldn't get into William de Worde and Sacharissa, the two Thugs, etc.

The rest of Discworld though, are fantastic! Some more so, some less so, but all good.

My favourite story-arcs are Death, the Witches, and I adore the Wizards!

Also loved the Science of Discworld 1, 2 & 3. Waiting for no. 4 to be delivered, very excited.

I envy some of you that are only now starting on your Discworld journey, have great fun! :D

I saw this and decided to comment... I got into Discworld in the 90s. My first book was Interesting Times and it is still one of my favorites. I more or less read the books in the order I could obtain them - they weren't published in the US until 2000. I think my second book may have been Moving Pictures. I didn't read the opening trilogy until much later and found it slightly disappointing, but still lovely. I have to say The Watch is my least favorite series by a significant margin, but I really love them all. I also struggled with Small Gods, Pyramids, and Soul Music. But all the books have their moments. I can also recommend all Terry Pratchett's other books.

I've only read The Colour of Magic of the Discworld series, but I absolutely loved it. It had a fun episodic structure that kept it fresh and fast paced and I liked the little nods, and maybe jabs, at other fantasy series like Fritz Leiber's Swords and Deviltry, Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné and Robert E. Howard's Conan of Cimmeria (or at least the less successful Conan clones). Which are some of my favourite fantasy series.

Plus the original and absurdist plot (and setting) and underlying philosophy that I enjoyed. Like a fantasy version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

I hope to read more sometime soon.

Dan wrote: "I've only read The Colour of Magic of the Discworld series, but I absolutely loved it. It had a fun episodic structure that kept it fresh and fast paced and I liked the little nods, a..."

You really need to read more. Most don't need to be read in order, and after the first 2 Pratchett really hit his stride and they get really great (up until the last few, which are pretty dark, given he knew he was dying as he wrote). I'm not a big fan of the Wizards novels, but really like the Witches and the City Watch books. Different people have different recommendations for reading order, a good resource is the chart here:

Yeah I definitely want to read more. My TBR stack is getting a little teetering at the moment though, so who knows when that will happen. But it is nice to break up the more serious reads with something lighter and more humorous. So who knows it may be sooner rather than later.

I read them in chronological order of publication, but they are one of two series for which I don't necessarily recommend that.

Colour is great fun, but the world-building changes a lot as he got a grip on it. Also, the satiric aspects were front and center in Color.