A Fishy Pratchett Quote

[Aggie]

From Theif of Time (Pratchett):

In the Second Scroll of Wen the Eternally Surprised a story is written concerning one day when the apprentice Clodpool, in a rebellious mood, approached Wen and spake thusly:  'Master, what is the difference between a humanistic, monastic system of belief in which wisdom is taught by means of an apparently nonsensical system of questions and answers, and a lot of mystic gibberish made up on the spur of the moment?'

Wen considered this for some time, and at last said: 'A fish!'
And Clodpool went away, satisfied.

:toadfish:

[Sibling Spoffish]

Yet another gem from the quill of that literary master.

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

I think I should read some Pratchett.  He's a bit scarce in my local library, so I may have to bite the bullet and buy a few books.

[Opsa]

This quote absolutely blew my mind. We are now considering  putting it on the HOT Monastery home page.

:toadfish:

[goat starer]

I think I should read some Pratchett.  He's a bit scarce in my local library, so I may have to bite the bullet and buy a few books.

you will not regret it but buy the right ones! whilst prattchet has become a MUCH beter writer over time and the newer books have more insight and interest the Diskworld can be a confusing place if you dont read things in order (there is also a school of thought that says the earlier bookd were funnier but worse).... Some examples

You really cant get Sam Vimes if you dont read the guards books in order. Start with Guards Guards and work up.

If you dont read early books characters such as CMOT Dibbler, Death etc are a trifle mysterious, you will miss jokes etc.

Much as it pains me to saty it start at the beginning and take it from there.

Cheers

[The Meromorph]

Be aware that the very first one is, in my humble opinion, much inferior to all the rest. So, even if you aren't impressed with the very first one, read at least two before you decide you don't like them (Or start with the second  ).

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I'll add this:

WARNING!  Discworld is ADDICTIVE!

READ IT AT YOUR OWN PERIL - you may find that whole HOURS, sometimes DAYS mysteriously disappear from your life, once you begin reading a Pratchett book.

Of course, you'll ALSO likely find that you develop a propensity to mutter *ook* at odd moments, and a desire to have Death visit on others' when they act particularly obtuse.

Some people notice that they are eating more bananas.

Others notice that they find themselves seeking out very old, dusty bookshops. NOT the ones in the mall, but those old, dusty ones that are sometimes built into an ancient house, full of too-tall creaky shelves, with wooden floors that seem barely able to hold up the displays.  With lots of dim cul-de-sacs, wherein you sometimes find odd people sitting on a stool, lost between the covers of some grey, worn tome. (One MUST be careful about such shops, too.  Sometimes, you don't come out the same day you go in, nor in the same place.  Almost never, do you come out as the same person.)

[Sibling Chatty]

Oook!!

[goat starer]

If you miss out the first one then you had better miss out the second too as they are parts one and two of a story. I would start with Equal Rites and go from there (although you need one and two to have any idea what Interesting Times is on about!)

[Sibling Spoffish]

Personally I read Mort (which is fourth) first and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I've just basically picked up any random one I could find and worked through... some I should have done in order (like the witches!) but mostly, since I read each of them a few times, it all sorts itself out.

[goat starer]

The worst that can happen is that you dont understand all the gags first time round and some of the situations and characters may seem a little odd (er). But it does make sense on rereading and I know very few people who have read them once and not reread them several times.

[Swatopluk]

In case of doubt go to http://www.ie.lspace.org/
and especially to here http://www.ie.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/index.html

[Aggie]

I'm going to try and get Mom started on Pratchett (she's a big Harry Potter fan), and was thinking that Equal Rites might be a good starting point.  I think she'll particularily enjoy the Witches storylines.

I'm mired somewhere around the twenty-somethingth book (on Jingo, but that's backreading a bit; am simultaneously on the Last Hero have to pick off a couple of titles in between).  My first run at Pratchett was totally at random, so some of these are rereads and some are totally new.

[Swatopluk]

I got infected by another Douglas Adams fan who lent Colour of Magic, Mort, Sourcery and Wyrd Sisters to me (in Germany Pratchett is/was promoted as "The Douglas Adams of Fantasy").
I am always waiting for a new one (got Wintersmith a day before it was officially available here but one day after Pratchett came to Berlin, so I couldn't get it signed).

[Sibling Chatty]

I want Wintersmith so badly that i've thought about buying it retail...

Somewhere, I hae a couple of the Hitchhiker's books in German. I don't know why...