So, you've discovered Discworld...

[Margi]

Thanks for sharing, guys!

Hey Margi - does this place look familiar?

Well actually...errr... no.
It's a posed shot somewhere else. I'm only guessing here, but it could be behind the Cunning Artificer; I don't recognise the wall behind them. The road signs are the wrong way round: Peach Pie is on the right and TM on the left and behind them is the builder's sales office in the real world.

I probably shouldn't have a rant in these pages, but I'm going to because the picture reminds me of the time.

When about 9 houses were occupied on the new estate, including ours (with us in it), Terry Pratchett came to put his handprints in the concrete and officially open the estate. None of the residents were told it was going to happen. We only discovered what was happening when my husband, while walking home from the shops, came across a group of Discworld residents about to leave after the ceremony. A newspaper reporter was there, but no 'public' at all. I was incandescent. They didn't even have the decency to put a note through the measly nine doors of the occupied houses. When I asked about it, it turned out that Bernard at the Cunning Artificer hadn't been involved in organising it, and he was cross too, and lady in the sales office told me that the thing had been mentioned in one of the local papers beforehand, although not the paper that is the 'bible' for anything going on in our area, so that was a bit like the Vogon who said in 'Hitchikers' that it was the earthlings' fault that they hadn't seen the planning notice hidden in a basement on some far off planet. I was jumping for weeks after that and still am. They kept it completely private as if the people who live here had no interest in the official opening of our little corner of Ankh Morpork in this mundane round world. I'm still jumping mad two years later. Even though I had not read any of the books at that stage, I was, and am, very enthusiastic about the twinning and all it involved. I was a fan before I read them.

 

[Tonyblack]

I don't blame you Margi! I'd be annoyed as well.

I'm pretty sure you're right about the signs. That was before they were actually put up and, if i remember correctly, that was a picture that was used in some of the newspapers.

If it's any consolation - they were filming the Christmas episode of Doctor Who in the cemetery across the road from me a few weeks ago, and no one bother to knock on my door and rell me. :snooty:

 

[Margi]

Well, I guess filming is not something that gets publicised, but a public opening of something usually is and involves lots of crowds of enthusiasts, but there we are...

Yes, when the signs went up, Treacle Mine road went up first because it existed for a while before Peach Pie came into existence. It was very confusing to visitors because the original sign was put right in the middle and it looked as if the whole street was TM. When you approach the estate the roads fork round a curve with TM one side and PP the other: everyone used to get lost. And satnavs! They don't stand a chance! They still either take people to the main road across the top or to the approach road and they think we live in a field. I guess it comes of living in a different dimension: it takes sat navs a while to catch on and work out how to step through the portal.

 

[lidia25]

Hi! I'm new to the forum, but not to Discworld, however:

1. How did you come to read your first Discworld book?
I received one as a gift, when I was ten, but I did not like it much. then, two years ago, when I was 26, I read "The Fifth Elephant" (a friend gave it to me) and it was love at first sight.
2. What was your first Discworld book?
the first first was "Morty" (in Italian) but I consider that I really started with "The Fifth Elephant" (read in English it's far better than in translation)
3. Will you read more?
Of course! Every single one
4. Which one do you intend to read next?
Mmh...I am presently reading "Snuff", then I don't know. Maybe Going Postal, as I've already read Making MOney, actually...
5. If you didn't start with Colour of Magic, how easily did you find it to get into Discworld? Did you feel that some background knowledge was necessary?
Well, I did not feel I need any background, but after having read few of them I've decided to go in chronological order...just because you really begun to love the characters. I had some problems with Nobby going around dressed as a woman in the Fifth elephant, though, as it was my first Watch novel, and, since I had not read Jingo, I was puzzled about Nobby's dressing code

 

[Tonyblack]

Welcome to the site, lidia and thanks for sharing.

 

[RSoak]

1. How did you come to read your first Discworld book?
I'm not that old, but back when email was becoming mainstream I found the email address of an author I'd been reading - Dave Duncan. I thought I'd just jot down a little letter saying more or less, 'Hey, liked your books. Here's what else I read. Thanks.' I was a bit surprised when he wrote back and said, 'Glad to hear from you and you might like this Pratchett guy.' So on my next trip to the bookstore I saw a shelf full and grabbed two effectively at random.

2. What was your first Discworld book?
I know I picked up Soul Music and Small Gods, and I think I read Soul Music first, but possibly it was the reverse.

3. Will you read more?
Can't. Read 'em all.

4. Which one do you intend to read next?
You mean re-read? I figure I've read all the DW books at least two or three times. Mostly if I'm bored I'll stand in front of the bookshelf and pick the one I can remember the least about.

5. If you didn't start with Colour of Magic, how easily did you find it to get into Discworld? Did you feel that some background knowledge was necessary?
I do recall being a bit adrift for a while. Possibly starting at the beginning might have provided some DW framework, but when I recommend DW books I don't ever start people at the chronological beginning.

 

[The Mad Collector]

Well actually...errr... no.
It's a posed shot somewhere else. I'm only guessing here, but it could be behind the Cunning Artificer; I don't recognise the wall behind them. The road signs are the wrong way round: Peach Pie is on the right and TM on the left and behind them is the builder's sales office in the real world.

It looks like the courtyard of The Dolphin to me

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Now that you mention that Mad, the white outbuilding in the background cobble stones and wossis name with the pint glass. :clap:

 

[polythenegirl]

It occurred to me that many of the new members joining here have only just discovered Discworld and Terry's books. Maybe you've just read one and wanted to know more. Or you found the experience so intense, you wanted to share your experience with other junkies.

I must confess that, as someone who has been following the series right from the start, it's a bit difficult for me remember what that experience of reading Discworld for the first time is like.

So - a few questions for new readers:

1. How did you come to read your first Discworld book?
2. What was your first Discworld book?
3. Will you read more?
4. Which one do you intend to read next?
5. If you didn't start with Colour of Magic, how easily did you find it to get into Discworld? Did you feel that some background knowledge was necessary?

1. I picked it up randomly in teh Library when I was about 15/16... I ran out of Stephen King books and it was on teh recentyl returned shelf. The cover attracted me and I thought "sod it" and gave it a go!
2. Colour of Magic
3. I have done! I *think* I've read them all now, with the exception of some of the young adult books
4. I think I'm going to start again at teh very beggining and read them in order cos I'e never actually done that
5. I started with COM, but didn't follow the chronological order fo the books. It was ok, you do need to go back and forth reading other ones for some of it to make sense, but on the whole 99% of the Discworld books can be read as enjoyable stand alone books as well as part of a series for me.

 

[Tonyblack]

Thanks Polythene Girl!

The Young Adult books are really well worth reading by the way.

 

[polythenegirl]

I've read a couple. And I enjoyed Wee Free Men, but just didn't find them challenging enough for me (and thats not meant a s a derogatory thing, that's just personal to me, I like to challenge myself)

 

[=Tamar]

I've read a couple. And I enjoyed Wee Free Men, but just didn't find them challenging enough

What kind of challenges are you looking for? Advanced vocabulary? Plot convolutions? Hard-to-love characters? Philosophical differences to contemplate?

 

[Alanz]

I first came across Disc world, in would you believe a second hand shop,I was in there with my wife at the time so while she browsed i looked at the books and there was 6 paperbacks by Sir Terry at £1 each so i bought them and the first one that i read was Night Watch, I am currently nearly at the end of Jingo and i'm getting through any that i can obtain, i keep looking as you never know what you will find..they're all brilliant i'm so glad i went into that shop with her as i normally wait outside..

 

[Tonyblack]

Six in one shop? Wow, you hit the motherlode!

I regularly scour charity shops and have noticed that second hand Pratchetts tend to be scarce these days. I buy most of the books as first edition hardbacks, but like to have a second hand copy that I don't have to worry about keeping pristine.

Every time I see a Pratchett in a charity shop these dyas I'm always tempted to buy it and save it from being pulped, but I stop myself and think - no! Leave it there for someone who hasn't read it before.

 

[Alanz]

Yea they are paperbacks in very good condition, As i said i've not read many but slowly getting through them, I may well read some twice as you get a better understanding the second time.

 

[Tonyblack]

Yea they are paperbacks in very good condition, As i said i've not read many but slowly getting through them, I may well read some twice as you get a better understanding the second time.

Absolutely! I've read most of them about five times or more and I still find new things each time.

 

[polythenegirl]

I've read a couple. And I enjoyed Wee Free Men, but just didn't find them challenging enough

What kind of challenges are you looking for? Advanced vocabulary? Plot convolutions? Hard-to-love characters? Philosophical differences to contemplate?

No need to be like that!

Just challenge my brain to read, so I suppose I mean in plot and vocab.

Sorry if that upsets people

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

The last one is more adult and a bit darker. but then I like them all.

 

[Alanz]

I'm just starting Book no 15 (Sourcery) tonight, still a long way to go.

 

[=Tamar]

(snip) I enjoyed Wee Free Men, but just didn't find them challenging enough

What kind of challenges are you looking for? Advanced vocabulary? Plot convolutions? Hard-to-love characters? Philosophical differences to contemplate?

No need to be like that!
Just challenge my brain to read, so I suppose I mean in plot and vocab.
Sorry if that upsets people

I'm not upset, just curious. Lots of people have a favorite series among the various books and it's pretty easy to guess what attracts them (witches, police procedurals). Because, I think, there is a fairly wide variety among the so-called children's books, I'm interested in why they you rejected all of them. My guess is that The Amazing Maurice is intended for a slightly older audience than The Wee Free Men and Truckers, but turned out to be written for a younger audience than I Shall Wear Midnight and the Johnny books. On re-reading TWFM after my 10-year-old great-niece gave up on it (and she has read some rather long popular books), I was surprised by how advanced the vocabulary is in TWFM, despite the deceptively simple plot.