First time reader.

[JSWolf]

Hogfather is a great example of a book you will get more of from having read what's gone before.

Niall is just being stupid. Terry has said the reading order is published order. Why would anyone listen to Niall instead of Terry?

[Robert]

Within the history of Discworld there are many individual stories, which can be read in any order, but reading them in sequence can increase your enjoyment through the accumulation of all the fine detail

Yes, the reading order is the published order but nowhere does he say that reading them out of order will spoil the story. That is your own belief.

This entire discussion has been beaten to death.

[Louise]

I would but hey maybe i'm just a stupid reader whoe doesn't understand the whole idea of reading in order of publishing. Or maybe i'm just stubborn enough to read in publishing order and read wathever book i like more

[Niall]

Wolfie old chum, I think you are really starting to show your ignorance, as I gave a quote, that you can check for yourself, from the a Discworld novel. It's not my opinion, it's in the books that you feel you have the only correct view of. I really do admire your dedication to your beliefs, however it's time to collect Eva and head for the bunker so that you can push your toy soldiers about the map of Europe.
I tooth flick my thumb in your general direction Sir

[JSWolf]

Robert wrote: " Within the history of Discworld there are many individual stories, which can be read in any order, but reading them in sequence can increase your enjoyment through the accumulation of all the fine..."

I know it doesn't say that reading out of order will spoil the stories. But just because it doesn't say, doesn't mean it won't. After having read enough of Discworld, I know for a fact that it will spoil the stories.

[JSWolf]

Give it up Niall, you are just wrong. There's nothing correct about your unflagging effort to spoil Discworld for new readers.

[Niall]

Wolfie I just quote the books, not the voices. not everyone is so limited that they need every last detail explained. After all I don't believe there is a rule against re reading books. In fact many authors encourage the practice. Here's a thought, imagine the joy of reading a book and then discovering the source of a joke, like finding hidden treasure. May the universal cookoo bird of happiness forever crap in the sandwich of your dogma.

[Niall]

And for the definitive answer to how Terry Pratchett wants the books read. He doesn't give two hoots how they are read.
You know why he doesn't care?
He is dying from an evil discussing disease, and has bigger worries than the order the books are read in.

[Robert]

UGGGHHHH your whole argument was based on what Terry said, and now that we just proved he doesn't agree with you your argument is suddenly based on how many times you've read the books. Well that's just YOUR opinion. Your constant antagonism and insults towards anyone who doesn't agree with you is as pathetic as it is immature. Ive read every pratchett book dozens of times over so any claim you feel you have that your opinion is somehow based on more experience is groundless. I didn't start his novels in order and no it didn't effect my enjoyment. Your belief that you have to understand every single reference and background of every single character else the story is ruined is complete nonsense.

[Niall]

:)

[Robert]

Beaten.To.Death

[Niall]

With a wizard's staff. It has a knob on the end :)

[JSWolf]

Niall wrote: "Wolfie I just quote the books, not the voices. not everyone is so limited that they need every last detail explained. After all I don't believe there is a rule against re reading books. In fact man..."

To quote Terry...

but reading them in sequence can increase your enjoyment through the accumulation of all the fine detail that contributes to the teeming imaginative complexity of this brilliantly conceived world

So you advocate decreasing others enjoyment of the series. Well done. You see you just lost. Give up. even Terry agrees that you will get more enjoyment reading in order.

[Louise]

i'm completely lost. all i can think of is huh and what? and grrr and aarchhh and pffff and zucht, bah, tjonge (dutch)

[Andy]

My comment is that i have known quite a few people who have started with colour of magic because it is the first and have NOT read any more of the series because they didn't like it (it is a bit more wacky). So they have missed out on the Discworld experience. Most people who do not start with colour of magic think Discworld is fantastic and read more. Therefore i recommend people do not start with colour of magic as they may be put off and NOT READ ANY MORE DISCWORLD which is just tragic. Anyone who loves Discworld normally reads the books more than once so gets the full experience in the end anyway.

[Niall]

Wolfie darling, sweetie, lovey. If you read my posts you will see that I have never said it is not preferable to read the books in the publication order. What I have done is disagree with your silly position that there is no other way to read them. As far as I'm concerned the more people that discover the Disc, the better the world will be. You're a silly man for being so stuck in you ways, but I think I speak for everyone when I say, we wuv oo, ya big silly sausage xx

[Niall]

Louise wrote: "i'm completely lost. all i can think of is huh and what? and grrr and aarchhh and pffff and zucht, bah, tjonge (dutch)"

I so hope that was something dirty in Dutch. :O

[Robert]

No considering you've backed your argument from 'being spoiled' to 'decreasing the enjoyment'. Which is still based on the strange assumption that you know better about what people enjoy more than than they do themselves from first hand personal experience.

Lets take Andy's post as an example. Say a guy new to discworld walks into a library and sees two books by pratchett. One the colour of magic and the other small gods. After reading the first chapter of each he finds hes more drawn to smallgods but finds the colour of magic boring. You, Wolf wander by and instruct him that he must start with the colour of magic regardless of his own tastes. He listens, takes it home, reads it, doesn't enjoy it and decides not to continue with the series. How is this preferable to him starting with smallgods, enjoying it and gaining the incentive to continue. Your belief taken to its logical conclusion is that its better for him not to read the discworld at all.

[Louise]

i have to dissapoint you it was sigh, oh boy and something like yuk? i told you i was lost. i had to get it out of me and i could not find enough english words.

[Niall]

Louise wrote: "i have to dissapoint you it was sigh, oh boy and something like yuk? i told you i was lost. i had to get it out of me and i could not find enough english words."

that sounds like an average night out for me, Oh boy! sigh, yuk :)

[Andy]

Robert wrote: "No considering you've backed your argument from 'being spoiled' to 'decreasing the enjoyment'. Which is still based on the strange assumption that you know better about what people enjoy more than ..."

That is my point exactly. In the past i have recommended that people read Discworld, they have gone away and started with colour of magic and quite a lot have come back and said they couldn't get on with it it was too wacky, they have not then read any more. So now when i recommend Discworld i advise people to NOT start with colour of magic and i have EVERYONE since think Discworld is great and they read a lot more including colour of magic.

[Robert]

Which is kind of the purpose of introducing people to the cult of Pratchett. Wolf would force them to drink the koolaid before theyre even inducted as fans.

[Becky]

A friend linked me to this thread and I've been kind of stalking it with interest... But I had to join just to say one thing.

Niall, I ♥ you.

[Becky]

Now that the ice is broken, I can say that I am sort of one of the people who tried Color of Magic (since I generally do believe in reading in order), but didn't really get it. I think that could be because the ebook formatting I had was really not great, but also I think I was just a wee bit confused.

I do plan on trying again one day though. :)

[Robert]

Hi Becky, would you like some Koolaid?

[Becky]

Only if it's grape! That's the BEST flavor. ;)

[Niall]

Becky wrote: "A friend linked me to this thread and I've been kind of stalking it with interest... But I had to join just to say one thing.

Niall, I ♥ you."

I am very lovable. this is true :)

[Louise]

haha and likeable too.

[Niall]

and wise, and very handsome as well

[Niall]

OH, and very modest :)

[Becky]

Obviously. *nod*

[Niall]

It's ok Robert I have enough love to go round :)

[Louise]

Well this is one way to get out of an discussion.

[Niall]

Hate the game, not the player :D

[Louise]

lol

[Warmdarksky]

I started with the movie version of Hogfather on Netflix, thinking it was wonderfully odd. Then listened to Thief of Time in audio, was very entertained. Read Going Postal, fell in love with AM, and never looked back. I have read about half the entire oeuvre, since last year. I did not enjoy Rincewind's arcs very much! ((The first two books are endless reference fests to other fantasy series entirely. Many of which I have never read.)) Nor Sourcery, nor Equal Rites. So if I had started there, I wouldn't have been hooked. ;3

[Peta]

I started with the first two books then went onto mort then wyrd sisters and I picked it up ok :)

[Leyah]

You don't like Rincewind...?...?

[Marian]

Nevermind Rincewind, The Luggage is the greatest in those first books. My first book was Wyrd Sisters which I enjoyed but was also a little lost so then I read Color of Magic followed by The Light Fantastic. Fell in love with the luggage. My view is that you miss a lot if you start in the middle. It's not only the jokes, Discworld gets more and more solid and the characters get fleshed out if you read in order. Otherwise, to start with a later book is like visiting a foreign country that you haven't read up on. You'll still enjoy the scenery, but the experience would be much richer and more fun if you had the background.