All of Terry Pratchett fans - tell me what you love

Submitted by notreadyforhiccup t3_z3dt5y in books

I was amazed when I heard that mh boyfriend would like to try to read Terry Pratchett.

I totally love Terry, I was growing up on his books! But.. I do not remember too much from them. Well, not enough to recommend them to my boyfriend.

I described him main characters as death and he would really like to meet this character closer. Also he loves books with murder and some mystery.

How do you think? How to take somebody sunk into this world? What would you choose? Which books of this author you love and why?

I have only one chance to make him love Terry and I hope to do it right!

EDIT: Thank you everyone for your replies. You are an amazing community ♥.

OK you convinced me I am buying him Mort and then reading it myself (hehe)

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Emergency_nap_needed t1_ixlbnbd wrote

I always recommend starting with Guards Guards. It is a good start to the guards books and the Discworld. Mort is a good one too. I started with Pyramids but that book was a standalone like Small Gods (although SG God appears later in the books). The humour is key but the humanity is the best part of the books.

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Embarrassed-Loss-118 t1_ixltbot wrote

Yep, humor is key and humanity is one of the most important parts of his art. I love it

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Embarrassed-Loss-118 t1_ixlt8gm wrote

I'm reading it! I love that it's funny and easy to read, it's cool and also my first one on Discworld! Also Spanish location is good ;)

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InfiniteSpaz t1_ixms665 wrote

I also started with Pyramids, the absolutely quirky nature of it had me instantly in love with Discworld!

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CmderVimes t1_ixnk72k wrote

Your a good person. Yea, I also tell everyone to start at the guards series and then go from there

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AccoSpoot t1_ixl9muw wrote

My favourite is Hogfather, that a simple analogue for a Christmas story would turn into a deeper pondering on the nature of human imagination and its importance exactly sums up Pratchett to me.

If he likes the character of Death then Mort might be a good place to start, there aren't exactly any murder mystery books but the Watch focused books are almost police procedurals; Guards Guards is the best place to start there.

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Albinate t1_ixo1da4 wrote

Hogfather was my first and it was excellent, it's right on time for holidays as well.

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ThatsNotAZombieBite t1_ixlhlh6 wrote

No love for the witches? Granny Weatherwax is my favorite character. (Vimes is great but the character changes so much from book to book.)

Anyway, I always recommend reading all the discworld books in order starting with #3 Equal Rites (skip the first two about Rincewind and maybe circle back to them later).

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kultsinuppeli t1_ixlqsk3 wrote

I love the witches, and Granny Weatherwax. Her simple yet profound and complex way to look at the world always makes you think.

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herbalhippie t1_ixmhdmu wrote

The witches are mine and my son's favorite books in the series. :)

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Amzuja t1_ixnbmnf wrote

The audible versions are so good, Indira Varma does all the witches voices so well. Highly recommend for both anyone that loves the series and those that are new to it!

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class_warfare_exists t1_ixnzfvy wrote

Awh, why skip the first two? I absolutely love it every time Rincewind or the Librarian come up knowing what went down with them.

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ThatsNotAZombieBite t1_ixo5imx wrote

Those first two kind of don't have much of a coherent plot. They might turn off a first-time reader. Like I said, circle back to them after you've got an idea how discworld works.

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class_warfare_exists t1_ixphl25 wrote

I guess you're right, the writing gets kind of confusing at times. But Twoflower set the stage for the rest of the books for me; I basically feel like him when reading the novels; naively observing the cultural palette of Discworld

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djangoxv t1_ixlay37 wrote

The Tiffany Aching ones are fun... read them aloud to each other

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pasty66 t1_ixnq4jw wrote

'Ships: Tall things that eat grass and go Baa'

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[deleted] t1_ixlayud wrote

Terry Pratchett's primary character is Discworld itself. It's like a toy box he builds his metaphors and parabels with.

And the best way to experience that character is to read the whole series sequentially. To see all of its facets from the rural to the exotic to the urban.

If I had to pick any line of novels, I'd pick the Watch/Vimes and Industrial Revolution novels. because they take Ankh Morpork from a low fantasy setting into the industrial revolution and that's a very interesting and unique process for a fantasy setting. Also the part of discworld that is most relatable to our lives.

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Great_Hamster t1_ixvrcpf wrote

Did you ever read the standalone science fiction book he wrote to where he had the characters visit Discworld? But it was a mechanical Discworld, not magical.

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PunkandCannonballer t1_ixljtwl wrote

There are a few routes I recommend.

Good Omens is nice if you already like Neil Gaiman and want to branch in a Pratchett-ward direction.

The Watch series of Discworld is great if you like urban fantasy with a little mystery and a focus on cops in a Fantasy world. Plus Vimes is one of the best characters in Fantasy.

Small Gods is a great standalone poking fun at religion in a lot of pretty insightful ways. Great for trying out Pratchett's style without feeling the need to devote to a series.

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sosickofandroid t1_ixltroc wrote

Monstrous Regiment is a brilliant standalone (with winks and nods to get the hooks in), a must for mulan fans.

Small Gods is also phenomenal, probably best suited to the non religious

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ShankCushion t1_ixm4fea wrote

As a devoutly religious person I disagree. Loved Small Gods. It's critique of organized religion is spot on, but it also shows the impact that a faithful man can have.

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TishMiAmor t1_ixm963v wrote

I think of Small Gods like how Terry Jones described Life of Brian: it’s heretical, but it’s not blasphemous. In other words, it has plenty of negative stuff to say about organized religion, but no particular problem with the idea of faith or God(s).

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Halloweenie85 t1_ixlgxlo wrote

Love, love, LOVE Pratchett! My fave series of his are the Death books, the Witches books, and Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men. Best ones of all, IMO.

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lurkarrunt t1_ixllqjt wrote

I recently re-read a few of his books and I think Mort and Wyrd Sisters are two good places to start. Avoid Color of Magic - reading in the order the books were written is not the correct way in this case!

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Great_Hamster t1_ixvrm73 wrote

That was the first one I read, and as an elementary schooler I kept getting confused in the scene where the demon comes yelling out of the camera. I stopped reading the book several times until I finally figured out what the heck was going on and then I loved it.

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minder125 t1_ixm3sm7 wrote

Going Postal is a great entry. It introduces a whole new character. With others making appearances.

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CraftyRole4567 t1_ixmgktj wrote

I would second this! Going Postal was the first Pratchett book I read and I think it’s a fantastic one to start with, because you don’t need to know much of anything about the world and the plot fires on all cylinders all the way through.

I know the person who always recommends “guards guards” posted first here, but I find that one of the weakest books in the series for what it’s worth.

The thing is… It sort of depends what kind of books you like. I’m not crazy about murder mysteries, so the guards books don’t do much for me. I love satire and fantasy storytelling, so Carpe Jugulum and Lords and Ladies are faves. I love opera, so right now I’m re-reading Maskerade! If YA fantasy is your thing, the Tiffany Aching books are perfect.

For my money though his best book is small gods, which is an utterly humane satire of all human religion (and atheism). If you were going to read one, I’d say that one – but it’s very much a standalone and an introduction to his writing style more than it is a Discworld novel.

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16F4 t1_ixlq2gw wrote

Maybe “The Hogfather” because it’s the holidays. Besides that, “Guards! Guards!”

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pseudohemoptysis t1_ixm5xnv wrote

Several others have mentioned Guards! Guards!, and I want to echo that. That book and almost all the ones that follow in the Night Watch subseries (Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, etc.) have a "whodunit" element that your boyfriend might enjoy. Plus they're just phenomenal.

Mort is a great one, too! If he likes Death as a character and wants to keep following that thread, the next ones would be Reaper Man, Soul Music, Hogfather, and Thief of Time. The last two are two of my absolute favorites.

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0rphan_Martian t1_ixm32we wrote

They’re all great, but Small Gods has stuck with me more than the others. I had to put it down so many times just from laughing or being in sheer awe.

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anfotero t1_ixmihla wrote

His entire body of work is outstanding. There's no facet of the human condition the man didn't understand and describe with compassion and competence. If your BF likes murder misteries the Guards books are your best bet.

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Fessir t1_ixms410 wrote

As much as I love the stories, the characters and the jokes...

It's the humanity that stayed with me the most.

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PixelDrems t1_ixmyxqe wrote

New fan, have started with Guards Guards and part of The Colour of Magic. His writing is just so effortlessly campy, it's honest and silly and just so endearing. His characters really feel like vibrantly distinct individuals, from their descriptions and motivations to their mannerisms and dialogue

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feochampas t1_ixnvn56 wrote

I like any book with the nac mac feegle.

wee mad Arthur is hilarious.

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Bokbreath t1_ixlb0ms wrote

Interesting Times

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Glitz-1958 t1_ixlcal3 wrote

Why not read them again yourself? A lot of us find new depths when we come back to them. Your enthusiasm will be the best advert for the books. What about starting with Guards! Guards!

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AdamCodesmith t1_ixld1ty wrote

Agree with the others about the Guards set of books, they are definitely some of my favourites. Also the Going Postal, Making Money, Raising Steam set as well.

Mort is also a good one for introducing Death.

I always re-read and re-watch Hogfather around this time of year too so would recommend that as well.

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SpectacularB t1_ixljw5z wrote

Love discworld, all the ones with death are really good. Or Samuel Vines. I really like the Thief of Time as well..

I just picked up a book called Dodger, not discworld but I enjoy his writing and humour so much.

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NdyNdyNdy t1_ixlkcct wrote

He has a very humane world view. Night Watch is my favourite of his because this comes across most clearly, parts are political in nature in truth. However his books are, in the main, not political. But nevertheless they are always on the side of the underdog, he wants to represent the common man or woman (or dwarf or troll!) In the street, he treats all his characters with affection and he has contempt for the powerful who use their power irresponsibly. I think this is especially true in the Watch novels. His books are never mean spirited or overly cynical, they are ultimately warm and celebrate the person.

They are also really, really funny a lot of the time.

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Ineffable7980x t1_ixllzmf wrote

I've only ever connected with the Watch books. I think they are great.

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skullfullofbooks t1_ixluanj wrote

Good Omens was great, I've read it twice and would probably give it a third go around. I know it is a co authored book but Terry Pratchett is all throughout it. Also Mort or Guards, Guards are great launching pads. I loved Guards, Guards so much I didn't stop raving about it for a few months. 😂

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SgtMajor-Issues t1_ixlzu1g wrote

Thief of Time is one of my favorites, and works as a standalone novel as well!

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rricenator t1_ixm0wn7 wrote

His ability to write believable characters. Especially how his writing, and the characters, evolve and grow.

Re: the dwarves, Nobby, even Vetinari who started off 2 dimensional and became a respectable, amd necessary, despot.

Edit: the Watch series features a lot of what I described. But I seriously love the Witches as well, Nanny Ogg is my favorite character (and Casanunda is a riot). And over time, we come to understand Granny so well.

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tmiwi t1_ixm4b8j wrote

Thief of time. The fifth elephant. The truth.

This is my favourite three however anything with death in is always a a winner, reaper man has a special place in my heart x

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MisterD90x t1_ixmtlcz wrote

I listened to my first TP book the other day .. Monstrous Regiment

Was good fun from start to finish

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supernovadebris t1_ixmuvi4 wrote

I'm in the process of rereading all of them in the order they were published. You get to see how his ideas and style develop.

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SCWashu t1_ixmzycm wrote

You can also find the Hogfather movie on youtube if you don't mind looking (use filters to look for the longer videos) They did a good job with it but honestly, I love Mort so much, and I read the book before watching Hogfather, and liked it. I love the Tiffany Aching series, though, so if you want to have something about bad*** female protagonists, it's a trilogy.

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Active-Cranberry9756 t1_ixn74pw wrote

My absolute fav is Lord Vetinari, who is only an autocrat because everyone else is incompetent. Start with Going Postal.

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lupafemina t1_ixnjeav wrote

Given my personal obsession with female werewolves, finding out he had not one but two of them, and that Angua was a prominent character, got me invested again after listening to the Thud! audiobook. I also love the Moist books as both of those are a lot of fun. I have a worgen called Captain Angua in World of Warcraft to honour her, though they still don't have a blonde worgen fur colour. I wish I could have experienced her becoming Captain of the Nightwatch in a book instead of reading about it on the wiki. I still don't know what the source of that info is.

Edit: I Shall Wear Midnight mentions it.

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miyucats39 t1_ixntvwn wrote

You could read Good Omens and then watch the series together!

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khajiitidanceparty t1_ixnuccb wrote

If he like murders the Night's Watch books sometimes have that kind of plot.

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dregsofgrowler t1_ixo20h6 wrote

I would love some sapient pear wood beer.

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ExaBrain t1_ixo7r86 wrote

The City Watch stories are where I would start. It's some of the best writing, the best character in Sam Vimes, some of the best individual stories (Nightwatch), better positions the secondary characters like Death in the Discworld and also murder mystery as your boyfriend likes.

  • Guards! Guards!
  • Men At Arms
  • Feet of Clay
  • Jingo
  • The Fifth Elephant
  • Night Watch
  • Thud!
  • Snuff
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Beelzis t1_ixo8uuh wrote

His way of phrasing absurdity in normal ways amuses me.

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free_candy_4_real t1_ixtx4ph wrote

I just ordered the first 3 books partly because of this post. Now really sure what to expect but looking forward to it.

In hindsight I have seen something of Pratchett's years ago. The Hogswatch story was on the telly a few years ago at christmas. Never seen it before, thought it looked weird. It was amazingly fun!

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bgb372 t1_ixmn635 wrote

I love pastrami.

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