The Colour of Magic: Discworld, Book 1

I had this book in my wish list for several years, finally took some time this summer to read it and it was very enjoyable. It reminds me a bit of Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy meets fantasy. I have read several others in the series and I agree with many of the reviewers, the writing and stories get better as you go along (I think this is true with most writers, I liked the "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" better than the first two Narnia books). But I did enjoy both "The Color of Magic" and "The Light Fantastic" enough to keep going. "Mort" has been my favorite so far . . .I am going to focus on the different editions you can purchase.A+ - the hardback copies by Gollancz, very high quality. The paper is a nice feel, the print is very good, the covers are a soft cotton, they do not have dust-jackets (like all their hardback books), but the covers are designed very uniquely. I hope they have the entire series, looks like they have a lot of them.B+ - the paperback copy by Harper. This was the first copy I obtained, it is also very good, the paper, cover, and print are very high quality. The only down side to these, is there is no uniform editions. I believe they only printed the first three books, then after that another publisher stepped in and so the appearance of the books look very different from the others.C+ - the mass market paperback copy by Harper Collins. This was a very cheaply produced book. The first two books I got, were good quality (all ordered new from amazon, btw), paper was good, cover, and print were all good. Then the third and fourth books were definitely low quality. The print was poorly done, some passages appeared blurry, poor print job. The upside to these are the uniform look. The downside, terrible quality production.If you are looking for an interesting set of fiction, I absolutely love Pratchett's imagination and writing style, I bought all his other story collections, then I would definitely check out this series. I don't have any preference about where you start, some reviewers really are not fans of the first two, I thought they were good enough for me to keep going, but I definitely think they get better. I also like the stand alone nature of the stories, so I can pick the themes I enjoy the most to focus on and read.As far as which edition to buy, you might want to start with the mass market, they are cheaper, then if you like them, go with the other paperbacks. I have enjoyed the first five or so that I have read, I am now buying only the hardback editions.Enjoy! . . .

Great entrance in the Discworld! Wonderful writing and a great sense of humor. Can't wait to dive into the next!

If there were any justice in this cold, dark, giant turtle-free universe, I would’ve discovered the Discworld series long ago. When The Colour of Magic came out in 1983, I was a voracious fantasy reader, played D&D regularly, and loved my swords and sorcery with a side of snark and slapstick. This book would’ve been my soulmate.Thankfully, middle-age me still reads plenty of fantasy, I still play D&D every week, and perhaps more than ever, I have a strong appreciation for the value of humor. So, who cares if I made my way to Discworld a few decades behind schedule? A soulmate is a soulmate.If you’re debating whether to jump into the novel (and possibly the entire series), here are a few of the book’s best features, which might sway your decision:1. The world is familiar. Absurdities aside, the surface of Discworld is a pretty straightforward fantasy setting, complete with its own magic system and the vaguely medieval feel that we’ve come to associate with fantasy fiction. If you’re the kind of person (like me) who enjoys that sort of environment, you should be right at home here.2. Pratchett is clever, but not too clever. In lesser hands, this novel could’ve devolved into a series of hollow jokes and winks at the audience. The absurd physics (a flat planet, a turtle all the way down), the wordplay (think Douglas Adams turned up to 11), and the references to classic fantasy works (stand-ins for Fafhrd, the Gray Mouser, and Conan all make appearances) could easily turn The Colour of Magic into a nearly 300-page-long SNL skit. Thankfully, Pratchett makes sure that there’s a compelling story at the heart of it, which saves it from itself.3. It’s funny. Personally, I think most fantasy and sci-fi takes itself far too seriously (looking at you, Malazan Book of the Fallen). That’s fine if you’re a writer like Tolkien or Le Guin or Jemisin and you can pull it off, but most author’s can’t. Their writing becomes laughably over the top, pulling the reader out of the narrative. Pratchett has taken the opposite tack, leaning into the ridiculous and camp, and in the process, he’s created a unique, memorable universe.I admit, I’m always apprehensive about jumping into series—especially long ones like this—but with one book under my belt, I’m really looking forward to more.

Well, it’s a book that definitely has me thinking. I’m just not sure if they are good thoughts or bad thoughts? The writing is so hard to follow and the settings so bizarre that my imagination can’t quite picture what is happening. I was lost and confused most of the story.Rincewind, an inept or very adept (we aren’t sure which) magician finds himself the caretaker of Twoflower, the world’s first and only tourist. Twoflower is remarkably relaxed or just naive in the face of the constant danger he puts the two of themin as they explore, or rather stumble blindly around, Discworld, a made up land on the backs of turtles carried by elephants. It’s asinine yet somehow quite intelligent. The satire is humorous but I’m not sure I like that it’s more satire than story at points. This certainly isn’t straightforward fantasy where we dive into a world and get a fantastic story. I’m wondering if reading more of the books set in this world will bring it all into focus. It bounces around so quickly without enough detail and explanation of each place. It was too chaotic and choppy to fully enjoy in my opinion.I think I’m going to skip forward and try Wee Free Men next because I hear that one is stellar.

Estoy muy satisfecho con mi compra. El producto llegó en perfectas condiciones y antes de lo esperado. La calidad es excelente y cumple con todas las expectativas que tenía. Lo he estado utilizando desde que lo recibí, y hasta ahora no he tenido ningún problema. La relación calidad-precio es inmejorable, y definitivamente volvería a comprar este artículo o cualquier otro similar en el futuro. Recomiendo este producto a quienes estén buscando algo de buena calidad y funcionalidad. ¡Muy contento con mi compra!

Well packed.

Buch kam pünktlich und entspricht meinen Erwartungen

It took me a little way into the book to ‘get’ the concept. It was all magic from then on. A wonderful introduction to a fascinating world. Sir Terry Pratchet draws in readers just as effectively today as when this book was first published, ENJOY IT. I did.

Read it. Thank me later!