Challenge: 50 Books discussion
This topic is about
The Color of Magic
Group Reads
>
Group Read: The Color of Magic
not me :( couldn't find it
Aw, bummer! You will be missed in this book chat, I hope some others will be joining. I don't know if this is an option for you or not but I found it on Amazon for 4$ including shipping!
ill look. i have a week!
You sure do! If you wind up picking it up later, you can always come back and jumpstart the thread again to talk about it. :D
Mod
I got it out of the library today
im in Tiffani! i guess i did buy it when I heard we were gonna read it. yay! now i have to finish LOTR first!
I so wish I could, but I can't find it... And I live in a tiny village, so it's not like I can just pop out to the local book store to get it. Grrr...
Faye, Mekerei & Alison, yay to all three of you having it and maybe even having time to read it, hehe!Nicole, so sorry you haven't been able to find it yet! I hope you come across it online/in-store someday and get a chance to snag it up. Terry Pratchett is delightful to read!
I'll scoot to the library to try to find a copy so that I can join!!!
Awesome Kate! I hope you're able to get a copy! I've been waiting on the library for The Orphan Master's Son..grrr!
NOTE: I've updated the main post with some reading notes and reading timeline for September! Weee, so close!
Happiness and joy! I found it! I'll be able to join in! Giddiness is most definitely bubbling through me right now. Eeeeee!
I made a reservation in the library, hope to get next week, just as the orphan's son. I really like the monthly bookchoice of this group: gets me off my usual bookchoice.
Nicole & Anja, pleasure that you'll get to join! I hope we all get to have some good fun and laughs reading this one. And maybe some new Discworld fans will be born from it ;)
I'm sure we all will! I've been meaning to read this series, but never had the chance to. This gave me the perfect excuse to really buckle down and find the books and now I can enjoy them with others
I've just downloaded the e book version. Wish a good read for all of us!
I'm in too! I love Pratchett. Should be fun reading this one again.
I'm in. I have had the ebook for a while, so this will be great.
This is so great! I am beyond thrilled to have such a growing group of people for the read, yay! Thank goodness tomorrow is the beginning of September, I don't think I could've waited much longer - haha!
Couldn't wait started it, started it and now am 3/4 done.
Mekerei wrote: "Couldn't wait started it, started it and now am 3/4 done."I'm starting it tonight and have a feeling I'll be doing the same thing! Feel free to post any quotes, notes or opinions about the first 50 pages! :)
Mod
Mackenzie wrote: "Managed to snag it from the library today!"How excellent, Mackenzie! Glad to have you here for this read
First Impressions, Week 1 - Day 1It's a rousing 42 minutes into 2 Sept (here in the Pacific NW of the States) and I know a few people have already cracked open their copies. (Like Mekerei, who is probably already done! haha!)
By page 7, I already had multiple parts that have made it clear I will likely have fun with his book. In his foreward of the edition I'm reading, Terry Pratchett mentions that this is a re-release of the book and states it is a series that will "likely have at least 10". Dated Oct 1989. There are, to date, almost 4 times as many Discworld books. With #38 having been recently published. A tad bit daunting, perhaps? For those of us only just gleaning the top of the pile thus far!
Quotes:
"Fire-raiser, is he?" said Bravd at last.
"No", said Rincewind. "Not precisely. Let's just say that if complete and utter chaos were lightning, then he'd be the sort to stand on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper armor and shouting 'All Gods are bastards.'"
"You can't map a sense of humor". (foreward)
Has anyone else cracked their book and peaked in at a few pages? Maybe already finished week 1 reading? If so, what do you think of Rincewind and Twoflower? The story of the 4 elephants and the giant turtle? Has there been any quotes or bits you've liked yet?
I'm also curious if this is a type/genre of book you normally would read or if this is something that is a stretch for you? For me, it's right up my alley and one I've been meaning to read for ages.
i finished LOTR last night, so i will crack this open tonight! :) cant wait!
Mod
I've cracked it and I've read the first few pages and the intro. I think it might be a stretch for me though. I've read Douglas Adams and other fantasy books before, but this seems really out there. Hopefully it will catch me.
Mod
Alison: Excellent! Congrats on finishing LOTR!Faye: It reads very similar to Douglas Adams when you get a little further in, in my opinion. I had a bit of a hard time getting through the first few pages (though I did chuckle at a few lines). The further I got in (read to 63 and stopped) the easier it got to enjoy it. I hope it will be the same for you!
Mackenzie: Ooo, very good questions about the Rim! I really enjoyed the Big Bang theory portion and the A'Tuin/Elephant scenario, as well. Twoflower kind of reminds me of Arthur Dent, from Hitchhiker's Guide, in that he's on the equivalent of another planet and getting himself into all sorts of silly situations that a townie would not find. And how about that loyal Luggage with hundreds of knees?!
im only on page 33 and its too sci-fi for me, but im not too far in, so ill keep plugging away. i didnt understand the elephant scenario as is pertains to the book though. very weird! i like the characters though.
Because I have the book in epub format, the pages are set a lot differently. I only have 151 pages. Is there a certain point i should be looking for when we stop for this week?
Nicole wrote: "Because I have the book in epub format, the pages are set a lot differently. I only have 151 pages. Is there a certain point i should be looking for when we stop for this week?"Sorry! I totally should've thought of that. Is yours still broken up into the 4 sections? If so, The stopping point would be Part 2 (called, The Sending of Eight) begins. Let me know if yours isn't broken up into parts and I'll post the last thing that happens in that section. Of course, you're always free to read as much as you want ;)
Alison wrote: "im only on page 33 and its too sci-fi for me, but im not too far in, so ill keep plugging away. i didnt understand the elephant scenario as is pertains to the book though. very weird! i like the ch..."Yea, Terry Pratchett is really really out there. I'm glad that you're liking the characters though and haven't given up yet :)
As for the elephant story: the Discworld is a flat disc that rests on the backs of four huge elephants which are in turn standing on the back of an enormous turtle as it slowly swims through space.
It's an old story that has unknown origins and several possiblities. One of my favorites comes from Stephen Hawking: A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, "What is the tortoise standing on?" "You're very clever, young man, very clever," said the old lady. "But it's turtles all the way down!"
—Hawking, 1988
Thank you, Tiffani! Mine is still broken up into parts. I will likely finish before the week is out, but I didn't want to comment on a section ahead of where we are at this week.
thanks for the help there tiffani! that helps me quite a bit actually! and my ebook is laid out the same way too. so ill read to that point! :)
Mackenzie said: " But I keep wandering, how does the water that falls off the Rim get back onto the top side? "Discworld is an absurd world that exists as a flat disc on the backs of four elephants who in turn rest on the back of a giant turtle.
Scientists and philosophers strive to understand this world - I think as readers we are in the same boat - perhaps we should be like pilgrims and have blind faith and JUST believe that things work and if the GODS want us to know they'll roll the dice
Thanks Tiffani for the heads up on where to stop and comment. :) 1. The over-the-top novel is *completely* my cup of tea, but sci-fi for reading is not my favorite.(Although I adore sci-fi movies and tv shows, go figure.) However, several people recommended I read Terry Prachett and this series specifically which is why this book was in my nook before this Group Read.
2. I loved the passage Tiffani already cited about chaos and lightning, but I also loved the passage on my page 18 of 179:
"Being Ymor's right-hand man was like being gently flogged to death with scented bootlaces." What great imagery, and it took a couple minutes for me to try to figure out if that was a pleasant or unpleasant experience.
I also loved this passage from page 41 of 179:
"You spend twenty years learning the spell that makes nude virgins appear in your bedroom, and then you're so poisoned by quicksiver fumes and half blind from reading old grimoires that you can't remember what happens next."
And because I believe that all scifi is political, i enjoyed this at the end of the first section, page 54 of 179:
" 'Well, my point is, you see, that gold also has its sort of magical field. Sort of financial wizardry. Echo-gnomics.' Rincewind giggled."
I am wondering if we will get get back to the elephants on turtles theory of the universe although personally I am really enjoying the absurdity and interplay of the characters rather than the universe set-up, although I did enjoy the idea of the "counter-balance continent".
Mod
Discworld is an absurd world that exists as a flat disc on the backs of four elephan..."
LOL I see what you did there with the dice! :p I asked a friend who had read the book about it and they said that, like just about everything else on Discworld, it was magic!
So far, I am loving this. It's right up my alley and I keep giggling and laughing with every page turned. I find all my favorite quotes have already been posted, so I'll not do a repost of those. So far, I can't stop reading! It's funny and wonderful! I'm so glad I joined this.
Great quotes, Diane! This book is filled with fabulous quotes and character nuances.Nicole, I'm so happy you are enjoying the book! I haven't gotten to read to past the first part yet, hopefully I will get to eat it up this weekend.
Moderator Note: I'm going through some medical stuff right now and have had to spend more time at the doctor this week than expected. I'll be gone from Saturday morning (the 8th) until Tuesday evening (the 11th). Please feel encouraged to keep sharing quotes and favorite parts and questions with each other while I'm gone! Happy readings to all :)
i know how doctors go Tiffani. hope you get better!
Hope everything goes well, Tiffani!I'm already nearly done with the book and I am absolutely in love with it. I imagine I'll be done with it by tonight. It's going to take some self-restraint to hold off on reading the second book until next month.
I'll be finished this book this weekend (been dragging it out) - I'm ahead of the schedule that I hope I remember to put the right quotes in the right places LOL
LOL I know what you mean Mekerei! I've only got 40 more pages to go and I've been stalling as much as I can on reading.
Mod
this book is way, way too out there in fantasyland for me, but im surprising myself and actually enjoying it! I love the suitcase! :) i know it doesnt talk but its just so funny to think of a suitcase with legs!
The suitcase is actually my favorite character in the book lol
message 49:
by
KenziTheRagin, Group Read Curator
(last edited Sep 11, 2012 09:33PM)
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Mod
Ummm... Kinda? Lol There are not many ladies in the story, but the one that pops up in the third part isn't what I'd call a "good female role model." Well, then there's The Lady. She's cool. Oh and those other ones... The ladies in part two are not whores.
I know this is vague but I don't wanna give anything away.
Mod
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Color of Magic (other topics)Catch-22 (other topics)
The Color of Magic (other topics)
The Eyre Affair (other topics)
The Color of Magic (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Terry Pratchett (other topics)Anne McCaffrey (other topics)
Terry Pratchett (other topics)
H.P. Lovecraft (other topics)
Terry Pratchett (other topics)
Raise your hand and light your book lights in honor of some Terry Pratchett magic.
16th September - Announcement:
Due to unforeseen happenings, I will likely not be able to moderate for the remainder of the month as I will be undergoing a second hand surgery in a short time and will be unable to type much.
I just wanted to take a moment to apologize for not being able to uphold my end of the deal this month but hope that those who are reading will continue to chat to each other on here, or at least, not quite give up on the book yet! I was really looking forward to this read, so I am disheartened to have to forgo it for now. Thank you and have a wonderful rest of the month, Everyone!
READING TIMELINE: In my copy, there are 210 pages and 4 parts. So to keep on pace, I figure we can read minimum of one part per week and we'll be at perfect timing for the end of the month!
Please be mindful of this when posting comments, questions, quotes or any discussions about the book. Try not to go beyond the pages we are in for the week as not to accidentally spoil something!
Week 1 (Sep 1st-8th):
Part One: The Color of Magic, pages 1-63
Week 2 (Sep 9th-15th):
Part Two: The Sending of Eight, pages 64-102
Week 3 (Sep 16th-22nd):
Part Three: The Lure of the Wyrm, pages 103-152
Week 4 (Sep 23rd-30th):
Part Four: Close to the Edge, pages 153-end
Come here to chat about it, post your favorite quote of the week, questions, anything. Pratchett is meant to be enjoyed and laughed over, let's do him justice.
(Sidenote: It is oft mentioned that books 1 & 2 of the Discworld series should be read together for fluidity of story. So I hope many of you will like the first book enough to continue on to the 2nd book before deciding about the series! =D)