discworld reading guide

[fataler]

Here are some basic facts you need to know about Discworld.

☇ This is a big series. It's really huge. It took me years of near-constant reading to finish all of them, even though individually they're all pretty quick reads.

☇ There is, for the most part, a linear timeline - the majority of books follow one another sequentially. There is an up-to-date and in-order bibliography here.

☇ I don't recommend reading Discworld in order, though! In my opinion, the series didn't really hit its stride until Guards! Guards! in the sense that until that point, the world did not feel entirely cohesive. My usual recommendation is start with Guards! Guards!, see if you like it, and then (if you want) read through the City Watch story arc and then start jumping around as you like. Really, though, it doesn't matter what order you read them in; I just picked up whatever books were available at the library or the used bookstore, whatever struck my fancy, and I don't feel I lost a single thing from going about it that way.

☇ What the hell are story arcs? Basically, Pratchett wrote Discworld as a platform in which he could tell a bunch of different kinds of stories and explore a whole lot of different characters. Certain characters' stories intertwine, and thus the books about them can be roughly grouped into an "arc". The clearest example of this is the City Watch arc, which starts with Sam Vimes at his very lowest in Guards! Guards! and follows the progression of Vimes, his Watch, and Ankh-Morpork over the years. I would recommend reading story arcs in order, generally, but again, I don't consider it to be super crucial.

Here are some things you should know about this reading guide!

☇ Anne has Unpopular Opinions. I am not sure how many of these opinions are unpopular, but at least some of them are! So take my opinions with a grain of salt and rub your face on all of these books to get a feel for what you like best. Just because I'm not the world's biggest fan of Tiffany Aching doesn't mean she won't touch your heart.

☇ Every book in this series is starting out at like an 8/10 (with the possible exception of The Color of Magic). Thus the stars basically mean the following: one star = this book is good, read it; two stars = this book is amazing, read it; three stars = if you don't read this book your life has way less meaning than it should; four stars = /foams at the mouth. So, yeah.

☇ Reading guide is organized into arcs, for the sake of everyone's sanity. Story arcs are listed in the order in which they first pop up chronologically in the series, not in order of which ones are my very favesies. (Hint: my very favesies are the Watch and Death books. Aww yeah.)

☇ DO NOT LET THE STANDALONE BOOKS GET LOST IN THE SHUFFLE. I'm super serious. They are super great.

☇ GO NUTS GO APESHIT.

THE WIZARDS § rincewind, ridcully, stibbons, et al

The books about the wizards are a little tricky to rate, for me, because they can be a little hit or miss. I love the wizards as characters, but sometimes I feel they do better as supporting characters. I also think the books that are carried by Ridcully rather than Rincewind tend to be stronger. Overall, I think this arc is the weakest and least cohesive, but also often the most hilarious.

⇒ THE COLOR OF MAGIC; This is just bad, don't read it. v_v
⇒ THE LIGHT FANTASTIC ★☆☆☆
⇒ EQUAL RITES {+ witches} ★★☆☆
⇒ SOURCERY ★☆☆☆
⇒ ERIC ★☆☆☆
⇒ LORD & LADIES {+ witches} ★★★☆
⇒ INTERESTING TIMES ★★☆☆
⇒ THE LAST CONTINENT ★★☆☆
⇒ THE LAST HERO ★★★☆
⇒ UNSEEN ACADEMICALS ★★☆☆

THE WITCHES § granny weatherwax, nanny ogg, magrat garlick, agnes nitt {+ tiffany aching}

All of the characters in this arc are FLAWLESS human being. Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg in particular are a-fucking-mazing and you should all want to be them when you get old. Some of the books still fall a little flat, especially the ones that are a little more spoof and a little less substance, but overall, holy shit, best witches.

⇒ EQUAL RITES {+ wizards} ★★☆☆
⇒ WYRD SISTERS ★★☆☆
⇒ WITCHES ABROAD ★★★☆
⇒ LORDS & LADIES {+ wizards} ★★★☆
⇒ MASKERADE ★★☆☆
⇒ CARPE JUGULUM★★★☆

Blanket warning about me and the four Tiffany Aching books: I've never been able to figure out why people love her so much. I just don't care. I'm sorry. Blanket one-star rating from me. That said, most people adore her and her books, so definitely give them a try.

⇒ THE WEE FREE MEN
⇒ A HAT FULL OF SKY
⇒ WINTERSMITH
⇒ I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT

DEATH § plus susan sto-helit & assorted

Here is a true fact that will sound completely ridiculous to you now but which you will know to be true once you've read this arc: DEATH is the kindest and most compassionate character on the Disc. He is just a good dude, ain't that strange? His story is possibly the most beautiful of any character's, and it's because of him and his strange relationship with his apprentice, adopted daughter, and granddaughter that this is my second favorite story arc - because of the characters, not the tropes or the spoofs. They are very, very real, while also being completely unrealistic, and I love each and every one of them.

⇒ MORT ★★☆☆
⇒ REAPER MAN ★★★☆
⇒ SOUL MUSIC ★★★☆
⇒ HOGFATHER ★★★★
⇒ THIEF OF TIME ★★★★

THE CITY WATCH § sam vimes & assorted

It's hard to quantify why Sam Vimes's Watch makes the most compelling story arc. A big part of it is Vimes's sheer force of will and incredible strength of character and (let's be real) assholeish stubbornness that make him so appealing and such a strong character to base an arc on. There's also the fact that he provides a window through which the reader can watch not only the city-state of Ankh-Morpork in its changes, but the entire Disc in its changes. But I think what really brings the greatest strength to this arc is the passion not just of Vimes, but of his Watchmen and -women, including but not limited to Angua von Uberwald, Carrot Ironfoundersson, Detritus, Cheery Littlebottom, and Sally von Humpeding. Plus I guess Sergeant Colon and Nobby Nobbs are in there too. Start with Guards! Guards! If you don't wander off the last page with gross feelings and want to continue right away, then I got nothin'.

⇒ GUARDS! GUARDS! ★★★★
⇒ MEN AT ARMS ★★★★
⇒ FEET OF CLAY ★★★☆
⇒ JINGO ★★☆☆
⇒ THE FIFTH ELEPHANT ★★★☆
⇒ NIGHT WATCH ★★★★
⇒ THUD! ★★★★
⇒ SNUFF ★★☆☆ (real talk: haven't finished this one yet. whoops. TWO STARS BASED ON WHAT I'VE READ THUS FAR.)

MOIST VON LIPWIG § plus civic functionality

Moist von Lipwig is a con man forcibly turned entrepreneur, and another unpopular opinion: I don't think he's very interesting. I do enjoy his supporting cast, particularly Adora Belle, but most people love him, so again: grain of salt.

⇒ GOING POSTAL ★★☆☆
⇒ MAKING MONEY★☆☆☆

STANDALONE § disc cultures

In my opinion, these books are what flesh out the Disc, because while the story arcs are great and can be very revealing of the world as a whole, sometimes it's so amazing to step away from the characters you know and lose yourself in a whole new set. Some of the standalones I don't like much, but some of them - the ones I'm gonna write a shit ton of words about below? - have touched me incredibly deeply.

⇒ PYRAMIDS {djelibeybi} ★★☆☆
⇒ MOVING PICTURES {holy wood} ★☆☆☆
⇒ SMALL GODS {omnia} ★★★★; This is the first Discworld standalone that I read, and it's still the Discworld book that made me cry the most. In ten words or less: divinity, faith, culpability, cruelty, and extreme human kindness. This book is about the best and worst of people, the best and worst of religion and of faith, and the power of an individual's strength to turn the tide against tyranny.
⇒ THE TRUTH {the ankh-morpork times} ★★★★; An ex-noble with a good heart, daddy issues, and a big ol' you tried star takes it into his head kind of by accident to start a newspaper, and then everything blows up in his face. You know what I said about the power of an individual's strength to turn the tide? Well, this is the same deal - on a slightly smaller scale, but William de Word is nevertheless an extremely powerful character surrounded by equally compelling BAMFs. Best take on the nature of truth and the power of the written word.
⇒ THE AMAZING MAURICE & HIS EDUCATED RODENTS {pied piper + talking cat like idk what else you want tbh} ★★★☆
⇒ MONSTROUS REGIMENT {borogravia} ★★★★; Okay, so. Being as unspoilery as possible: This is a book about a girl who cuts off all her hair and runs off to join the army. It's a pretty common trope, and a decent hook for a story. The thing you need to know, though, is that the characters in this book are so lovingly and subtly crafted that by ten pages in you will be in love with each and every one of them, and you will not be able to stop reading until the end. Every one of them is so strong and so weak at the same time, and they will latch onto your heart and not let go, and when you turn the last page you will be left breathless as to what they've managed, despite everything, to accomplish. And you will miss them.

This is my favorite Discworld novel. (Obviously.)