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  1. - Top - End - #121
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    Kato's Avatar

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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by Manga Shoggoth View Post
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    Oh yes... My big problem with them was that they tried to be both Discworld Story and Popular Science Book, and as a result failed to be either.
    Whaaaaaat?! I mean, yeah, the story falls short because it's like 50 pages or so and doesn't attempt to really tell a story I think but how do they fail as pop science?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kato View Post
    Whaaaaaat?! I mean, yeah, the story falls short because it's like 50 pages or so and doesn't attempt to really tell a story I think but how do they fail as pop science?
    Well, for me because they're just not very interesting. Most of the science is stuff I already know, but laboured at immense length. And the parts I didn't already know are leavened with the type of humour that makes me keep thinking "is that really so, or is it just comic effect? Or speculation?"
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  3. - Top - End - #123
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by Lemmy View Post
    One last note I'd like to add, is that while it was already pretty clear before, this books makes it indisputable the fact that Sir Terry Pratchett is REALLY GOOD at making the climax of the story really well... Climatic. The scene of the play, specially the part with the Duke finally succumbing to complete madness with a play-dagger was very intense!
    The Witches books in particular have really great climactic showdowns.
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  4. - Top - End - #124
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    The Witches books in particular have really great climactic showdowns.
    I like Witches abroad there myself.
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  5. - Top - End - #125
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by Kato View Post
    Whaaaaaat?! I mean, yeah, the story falls short because it's like 50 pages or so and doesn't attempt to really tell a story I think but how do they fail as pop science?
    Largely because of the focus, or lack thereof. It spends all of its time trying to do two things (with various degrees of success), instead of doing one thing well. The context switch between chapters doesn't help.

    It's one of those books that I tend to label "worthy effort, even if it failed." - I can appreciate what they tried to do, even if I don't like the result and don't think they succeeded.
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  6. - Top - End - #126
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by veti View Post
    Well, for me because they're just not very interesting. Most of the science is stuff I already know, but laboured at immense length. And the parts I didn't already know are leavened with the type of humour that makes me keep thinking "is that really so, or is it just comic effect? Or speculation?"
    I haven't read it in years, but I could've sworn that there were footnotes with things like "no, there wasn;t really a civilization of basket weaving jellyfish" and so on
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  7. - Top - End - #127
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    My personal favorites are the Night Watch series. And my favorite character is the Librarian.

  8. - Top - End - #128
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by bbgun06 View Post
    My personal favorites are the Night Watch series. And my favorite character is the Librarian.
    Oook.

    And almost everyone understands.
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  9. - Top - End - #129
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    Lizardfolk

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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    I'm surprised Men at Arms doesn't rank higher. It is my favorite by a mile.

    Daring sword fights! A prince in disguise!

  10. - Top - End - #130
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by farothel View Post
    Oook.

    And almost everyone understands.
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  11. - Top - End - #131
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by Tvtyrant View Post
    I'm surprised Men at Arms doesn't rank higher. It is my favorite by a mile.

    Daring sword fights! A prince in disguise!
    This. While Night Watch is really good character study of Vimes, Men At Arms encapsulates the Watch as a whole much better. Guards Guards is good, but as the first Watch book the characters are just a little bit off.

    Plus, Cuddy is just plain awesome.

  12. - Top - End - #132
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by lord_khaine View Post
    I like Witches abroad there myself.
    As I said earlier in this thread, yes absolutely! It's my favourite so far! But I still have quite some books left to read.
    I only have read one guards book so far, and many people say these are the best, so let's see! I have read the one where Sam goes back in time. I think it even was the first Discworld book I read, and it hooked me up, so there's that. I think I prefer Witches abroad, still, but hey, still a good book.

    So I just read Wyrd Sisters and Mort.
    Which comes next, chronologically?
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  13. - Top - End - #133
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    Griffon

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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by Mightymosy View Post
    So I just read Wyrd Sisters and Mort.
    Which comes next, chronologically?
    Did you skip Sourcery? That comes between the two. Regardless, after Mort comes Pyramids - the first stand alone story about all new characters, and one of my favourites.
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  14. - Top - End - #134
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    If I have to name favourites:

    Rincewind: Interesting Times (Sourcery comes second)

    The Watch: Men at Arms (Feet of Clay and Guards Guards are very good too, I was disappointed by Night Watch maybe because it was too much hyped to me)

    Witches: Maskerade

    Death & Family: Hogsfather (with Soul Music a close second)

    Moist: Going Postal (the other two really can't compare)

    One-shot characters: Small Gods

    Special mention to the Last Hero who doesn't really fit any of the above category but is too awesome to pass up.
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  15. - Top - End - #135
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    since we seem to have a high concentration of Pratchett veterans.. I have another question:
    which are the books you like re-reading the most?
    for me it's probably thief of time, then jingo, the fifth elephant and the last hero... I routinely re-read most of the other books, but these three tend to be my first pick very often.
    The one I can't be bothered re-reading is Nation.
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  16. - Top - End - #136
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    Griffon

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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Some of Pterry's non-Discworld novels are really good - Dark Side of the Sun was the first that I knew about and read and I till enjoy it now. I agree with you that I also didn't care much for Nation, and in many ways it's put me off getting into the Long Earth trilogy.

    I've read Feet of Clay about six times, and Hogfather about 8; I tried making a tradition of reading it over Christmas but was never able to keep to that idea. I still pick up The Last Hero every so often, since it's quick to get through for a short dose of Discworld.
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  17. - Top - End - #137
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    Flumph

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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by Wraith View Post
    Some of Pterry's non-Discworld novels are really good - Dark Side of the Sun was the first that I knew about and read and I till enjoy it now. I agree with you that I also didn't care much for Nation, and in many ways it's put me off getting into the Long Earth trilogy.
    The Long X books read a lot more like Stephen Baxter than Pterry anyway.

    (The one I think I've reread the most is Lords and Ladies, with Men at Arms a close second.)

  18. - Top - End - #138
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    I think Hogfather is my most read, because it's fun over the holidays.. But I can't claim to have repeatedly re-read many, since it's just not a thing I tend to do (too many books I haven't read yet)

    Speaking of non-Discworld books, I feel Nations big problem is it being even more of a children / YA book than the Aching books. It's good in that regard but it is much less interesting to an older audience.
    The Long X series has an interesting premise and interesting ideas but the story is.. Okay.
    I also quite liked Dark Side and Strata. You can clearly see many things that would later come in the DS books.
    Also, I really should read the Bromeliad again, I think it's been over a decade.
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  19. - Top - End - #139
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by dehro View Post
    since we seem to have a high concentration of Pratchett veterans.. I have another question:
    which are the books you like re-reading the most?.

    The ones that I have re-read the most are Lord's & Ladies, Carpe Jugulum, Equal Rites, Guards! Guards!, and Wee Free Men.
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  20. - Top - End - #140
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    The Rincewind books are my favourite for rereading. Lots of good hearty laughs that don't weaken with repetition. Right now I'm rereading The Last Continent, and it still makes me laugh out loud over and over.
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  21. - Top - End - #141
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Pyramids

    So... I finally finished "Pyramids" yesterday. Took me longer than the other books because... Well... It's not very entertaining.

    I mean... It's certainly not a bad book, but it kind of... drags on. I wasn't bored like I was with "Equal Rites", but I wasn't looking forward to finishing it either. It's a shame, because early on, it looks super interesting (a Egyptian prince training to be an assassin?! Cool!"), but then it skips almost straight to his final test... Then the books loses some steam, but still looks interesting ("An assassin suddenly becomes pharaoh?! Cool!"). But after that... I can't exactly put my finger on why, but I simply wasn't having much fun with the story. I wasn't bored or annoyed, but I wasn't enjoying it much either.

    I enjoyed the time-bending shenanigans and got a laugh out of the world's greatest mathematician being a camel named "You Bastard"... But the story around Pteppic, Dios, Ptraci and the dead pharaoh simply wasn't doing much for me... The "reveals" at the end were a bit too predictable as well... But at least the climax confrontation was once again pretty intense, with the dead pharaohs coming back to life, the destruction of the pyramid and whatnot...

    So... All in all, not a bad book, but not a great one either. Feels very forgettable. I don't see myself coming back to re-read it... I guess they can't all be winners, huh?

    - - -

    Next is "Guards Guards"... I'm told it's the first city guard book, which seems to be the favorite sub-series of many people... So I'm looking forward to it!

    Let's see what Sir Terry Pratchett has in stock for us.
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  22. - Top - End - #142
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    I remember having a right laugh at the whole "Pootle" business..
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  23. - Top - End - #143
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    I found Pyramids an ok book. Then ten years later I was in college taking a Humanities class and happened to reread it. Suddenly the Ephebe stuff was hilarious because I actually got the references.

    That's really why I keep re-reading the books. The surface humor and writing and characters are quite good, but I also keep noticing new jokes or old ones will suddenly hit the sweet spot. The books change as I get new experiences.
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  24. - Top - End - #144
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by Wraith View Post
    Did you skip Sourcery? That comes between the two. Regardless, after Mort comes Pyramids - the first stand alone story about all new characters, and one of my favourites.
    Thanks! Pyramids sound good, I like this old egyptian stuff!

    I started with Discword yeary ago with a couple of the middle books in German, and later read a couple of the newest ones, also in German. And watched the movie (is it Postal?).

    Recently I was convinced that the originals were so much better in English, so I started the series from the start, in English.
    I read The Color of Magic, Light Fantastic, Equal Rites and Sourcery.
    With a little break, I have now just read Wyrd Sisters and Mort.

    So, next up will be Pyramids.

    Thanks for the information!
    Last edited by Mightymosy; 2018-08-04 at 05:33 PM.

  25. - Top - End - #145
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    Flumph

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lemmy View Post
    So... I finally finished "Pyramids" yesterday. Took me longer than the other books because... Well... It's not very entertaining.
    The big hook in Pyramids is that the Assassins Test at the beginning is a direct mickey-take of the older British driving test - down to namedropping some of the pieces such as the emergency drop (== emergency stop). After people read that they were generally engaged enough to keep going.
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  26. - Top - End - #146
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Quote Originally Posted by Manga Shoggoth View Post
    The big hook in Pyramids is that the Assassins Test at the beginning is a direct mickey-take of the older British driving test - down to namedropping some of the pieces such as the emergency drop (== emergency stop). After people read that they were generally engaged enough to keep going.
    I didn't catch that... But I did find the assassin training very fun to read... But it's just so damn short.
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  27. - Top - End - #147
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    PirateGuy

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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    It's Pratchett; if someone says "good morning" it's probably a reference to some old British comedy gag that 5% of readers will get.
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  28. - Top - End - #148
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    if I remember correctly, there's something akin to a wiki, called L space, I think..where the books are analised and all the gags, easter eggs, inside jokes and references are explained
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  29. - Top - End - #149
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    Default Re: Reading Discworld!

    Yes it is. I think I've put the link somewhere before in this tread. Anyway, Pyramids is certainly not my biggest favourite, but it's not the worst either. I like it when the country dissapeared and Ephebe and Tsort go to war. Just like in roundworld they're basically refighting the last war all over again.

    I tend to reread the books around every two years before the convention (where I'm right now). Out theme is guards! Guards! and I can tell you that's a great book.
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  30. - Top - End - #150
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lemmy View Post
    I didn't catch that... But I did find the assassin training very fun to read... But it's just so damn short.
    The good news is, you're just about past what I consider the "awkward adolescent" stage of Discworld. There's Guards! Guards!, which is excellent but has a bit of early weirdness in the characterization of the Watch characters, and then there's Eric, which is just plain odd due to it being practically a novella rather than a proper Discworld story.

    After that, you're into what I consider the Golden Age - he's nailed down the personalities of all his characters, gotten the worldbuilding settled, and firmly established the writing style for the rest of the series.

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