The best first book?
After watching me spend an entire 5 hour road trip giggling over my discworld novels (part of my Insidious Plan to Convert New Readers) my boyfriend has finally decided to try one of them, "to see what all the fuss is about".
What do you think would make a good starter book for someone totally unfamiliar with pratchet? I was thinking of going with Small Gods or Gaurds! Gaurds! What do you think?
Mrs Grim Commandress of the City Watch
(11/5/02 8:53 pm) Reply
Re: The best first book?
Hmm...Well, I'd have to say Guards Guards or maybe a Rincewind one...Light Fantastic (or Colour of Magic)? But you prob'ly don't want to take my word for it...
Mrs Grim
"Now gods, stand up for bastards!"
-- Edmund,King Lear
Patrician with faithful Luggage
(11/7/02 2:40 pm) Reply
Re: The best first book?
WELCOME!!!
As far as first books... personally I wasn't too fond of The Color of Magic, but other people like it so you never know. I'd have to vote for Guards Guards, Grim and I made a friend of ours read it and she loved it.
robcraine Out of mind, be back... sometime
(11/9/02 3:22 pm) Reply
Re: The best first book?
hello and welcome Crysma.
First book.... its a tricky question, but this time there's an easy answer: Night Watch. Use this as an excuse to buy it.... you'll have to read it yourself first, of course, so you can answer any questions he might have.
hmm... seriously, it *is* a tricky one. It depends on the person. I'd recommend Moving Pictures to a film buff; Soul Music to a pop fanatic; and Masquerade to an opera lover. Try and pick one you think he'll get the most out of, but The Last Continent has more laugh out loud moments... especially if you have any knowledge of Australia. As a general introduction to the series Guards! Guards! or Reaper Man are good.... I wouldn't recommend The Colo(u)r of Magic of The Light Fantastic... or even Equal Rites as I feel they (the first two in particular) are written very differently to the rest.
I started off with Truckers, Diggers and Wings at the tender age of nine, all of a bakers dozen years ago. I then spotted Equal Rites in the Adult section of a book shop, and gobbled up the other 6 or so available at the time over the following birthday and Christmas. I've spent the rest of my life impatiently waiting for the next to be published.
hmm.... a bit rambling, so if you want a direct recommendation I'll say Reaper Man. It includes Death, the Wizards and Ankh-Morpork, with a brief offering of the guards... an ideal starting point- but there could be a better option depending on the person.
hope this was of some small help
hope you'll hang around after your query has been answered
Re: The best first book?
I'd say MORT. It's my favorite of the ones I read so far. I read REAPER MAN first, and it was good, but there was one point that completely threw me. When Death referred to his daughter. I was lost, and it kinda ruined the rest of the book for me. But upon reading others, it now makes sense, and I like it much better, having just read it for a 2nd time.
best first book
i would have to say the best first book for me was mort as death is such a great character and here was his introduction as a character himself (is that possible for an antromophicpersonification?) and comes to the fore and lead to some more great moments in reaper man and soul music i did manage to get a friend hooked by getting them mort to read and now am missing half my collection to them as they are now determined to read then all 'sigh' i suppose that'll teach me
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