I’ve often listen to audiobooks on long journeys and fancied trying a discworld one.

I’ve never read a discworld book, but have seen the tv adaptations of Hogfather, colour of magic and Going postal which i enjoyed.

So, out of the all the  books which one would be good to start with?

Mort

Why not do it in order? Although a lot of the books are completely OK in their own right, it’s a lot better to read in order. If you do decide to drop into one, do something like the death series, do Mort, Reaper Man, Hogfather, Soul Music in that order.

Start at the beginning… Or…

https://www.discworldemporium.com/content/6-discworld-reading-order

As early as possible (dunno what’s available on audio book) but avoiding the first two cos they’ll put you off. +1 for Mort if it’s on audio book. The first one I read was Guards! Guards! and it was brill, I think if I’d read either of the first two first I wouldn’t have come back for more.

It’s also worth checking different adaptations – there’s some good BBC versions as well as more traditional audiobooks around.

As early as possible (dunno what’s available on audio book) but avoiding the first two cos they’ll put you off.

Yeah.  The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic are useful reads in so far as they introduce the world.  However, they’re… not very good, shall we say.  If you plan to eventually ‘read’ everything then I’d say start at the beginning with the understanding that the series gets better.  If not, maybe pick one of the themes from the link above and go through those.  If you’re just going to read a couple then something like Mort or Guards Guards would be a good shout.

The Wee Free Men by Tony Robinson. It’s a wonder I didn’t crash on the M6 it was laugh out funny.

However, they’re… not very good

I think even Terry Pratchett has said thatin the past.

+1 mort

+1 Mort, First one I ever read

“Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job”

As per everyone else: ‘Mort’ is the first *good* book of the series.  Or ‘Guards Guards’

This thread reminded me about them – so i just used an Audible credit on ‘Mort’ for the next long car journey with the kids in tow.

Reading in order is fine as long as you avoid the first two. They’re ok but not really like the others. But they also work just as well reading them in a random order in my opinion.

I’ve suggested wyrd sisters in the past but it depends on your taste really. A friend started on pyramids and loved it. I read them in order and really enjoyed them, but on reflection the first two are a little .. different.

I’m not sure I like the idea of reading them in ‘subseries’- I reread most of them recently that way and found it shortens each of the characters stories. Better to come back and feel like they’ve been doing something in the meantime.

Either way OP, you’ve got a lot to look forward to- I came late to pratchett and couldn’t believe I’d not read any discworld before. I started rationing them onve I got to the late 20s, trying to string them out a bit! Not many left now.

thanks all,  looks like Mort it is then for this weekends long car journey!

I could murder a curry!

I’m not sure I like the idea of reading them in ‘subseries’

No, I’m in agreement here.  I like that you get to the end of a book wanting (say) more Rincewind, go onto a book about the Night Watch, then by the end of that you’re wanting more Vimes and then get, oh, cool, Rincewind’s back!  Chopping about keeps it interesting.

Plus Discworld technology evolves over time, take the Clacks for instance, so there’s an argument to at least read them in some vague sense of order even if it’s only “keep the later ones till later.”

Ooo…reminds me I have an audible credit to use. Got to do them in order so book 2 for me at work tomorrow.

Guards Guards first!!!  Mort is ok – but Pratchett was really in his stride when he came up with the Watch

They are quite often on BBC radio, so you can download them from iPlayer. Though none available just now, but worth checking from time to time.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03mz1wb/episodes/guide

As early as possible (dunno what’s available on audio book) but avoiding the first two cos they’ll put you off.

I started with Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, nearly wet myself laughing when I picked up the first one and started reading it in a bookshop. But they did get better, however everyone has to start somewhere.

Thing is, when I read CoM, there were no other Discworld books! Terry hadn’t written any more, I had to wait for each and every new book to be written and published, I never had the luxury of being able to pick and choose which to start with! But I do have most of his books signed, and Good Omens signed by Terry and Neil.

3 people have narrated the disc world audio books. Tony Robinson, Nigel Planer Steven Briggs (we don’t talk about the emelda Staunton Ones) out of these three we’ve found Steven Briggs to be the absolute best, so I’d start with any read by him which is after about book 10ish iirc. Thud was my favourite and very long. I love the wizard ones and the guards ones, don’t really enjoy the granny weatherwax ones or tiffany aching ones either. Pm me your address for a dvd filled with mp3 of them if you like op.

See, I’ve just got into the Tiffany Aching ones and I love them. Ach, crivvens, ye wee scunner! My favourites are the ones with Vimes though, Snuff and Night Watch are **** brilliant. I can take or leave the Rincewind ones :/