The Great Discworld Re-Reading Part One (2023)

 

I have been a fan of the Discworld series by the late great British author Sir Terry Pratchett for decades now. I first discovered the Discworld in a box of books my mother had bought at a yard sale. Feet of Clay was among the books jumbled together in that cardboard box. I was probably seven years old, pulled the book out, intrigued by it's bright blue and yellow cover. I tried to read it, found the prose a bit beyond my reading ability at the time, and tossed it aside. 

Years later, I unearthed the mass market paperback from the back of my closet and I remember thinking, "I should give this another go." I did. I loved it. I devoured that book. I told all my friends about it. I raved and championed that book and immediately went to my local library and checked out every Discworld novel they had, not caring that they didn't have the specific ones I needed to be able to read them in any sort of order. I went to the bookstore and sat in the aisles reading the books my library didn't carry. 

I started collecting them, a book here, a book there, the collection seeming too broad and vast to ever own them all. It delighted me that every book store I went into seemed to have a Discworld novel I hadn't read or didn't yet own. It became a treasure hunt. One that got so large that I actually stopped buying books because I had yet to develop a system of tracking them and thus was always worried I'd double purchase the same book, and wouldn't that be a waste? 

Then I got the heartbreaking news from a co-worker who knew of my love of all things Pratchett and his Discworld: Terry Pratchett had passed away from Alzheimer's. I knew he had the horrific disease and like the rest of his fans, hoped and wished for more novels despite his worsening condition. Surely, a mind like his wouldn't succumb to dementia? But he did. And the world became a little less funny, a little less bright, and little less introspective and fantastic. 

I remember crying as I pre-ordered the last novel he ever wrote, a Discworld novel centered on the character of Tiffany Aching. The Shepherd's Crown arrived at my house and I have yet to crack it open. I could never bring myself to read it. It devastated me to think that signs of Pratchett's dementia could reside on the pages, the last original pages we'd ever see of the Discworld. 

Recently, I decided to actually take seriously this collection of Discworld novels and complete my collecting of them. Surely, I didn't have that many left to find? Well, using the internet and an Excel spreadsheet, I determined that I was about 12 novels short of owning the entire Discworld series. That's definitely surmountable! 

As I write this introduction, on the fifth of June 2023, I only have five more novels that I need to obtain to complete my collection. And that got me thinking: I should do a complete re-read of all the Discworld novels. There are a few I have never read (including The Shepherd's Crown as mentioned earlier). But most of the 40 Discworld novels I have read. 

I wasn't sure how, exactly, to go about tackling this endeavor. Any Discworld devotee worth their chalk would have a hard time defending the idea of reading the novels in published order. They don't have to be read that way, first of all, as there isn't much of an overarching plot that encompasses the entirety of the series. Each novel is standalone, although there are characters and groups of characters that have cohesive story arcs within the larger catalog of novels. 

For example, Tiffany Aching, the character mentioned earlier, appears in five novels that center entirely on her and the story builds in each novel. There are also a subset of novels centering on the City Watch, the group of policemen and women who patrol Ankh-Morpork. Another subset focusing on the character of Death. Yet another subset for the witches and a subset for the wizards, and so on. No matter what type of novel you enjoy, you're sure to find a Discworld novel that fits your fancy. You're sure to find a character that you want to follow on a journey within the Discworld.

For me, that character has always been Death. A self-aware anthropomorphized skeleton in a robe with a scythe, Death is in nearly all the Discworld novels, but there are a subset of novels that focus more on him. Two of my favorite Discworld novels are of this particular sort: Mort and Hogfather. 

But I digress. 

I decided to begin the Great Discworld Re-Reading of 2023 with the Tiffany Aching series. It's five books total. It's YA level reading. And she was my least favorite Discworld character for a long time. Until, that is, I read Wintersmith and couldn't believe I had avoided her story all these years. Tiffany is straightforward. She's brave. She's spunky. She's smart. She's an incredible heroine! Her story, as much of it as was ever written, culminates in Pratchett's final book: The Shepherd's Crown. So It seems somehow poetic, hopefully not the same brand of poetry as the Nac Mac Feegle use for fightin,' to begin the Great Discworld Re-Reading in a place that will end with... well... the end. 

Then I can pick up at the very beginning and read them all in published order. So that's what I'm going to do. And in this blog post, I'll post my thoughts on each and every book as I read them. The first five, as I've said, will be the Tiffany Aching subseries: The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, I Shall Wear Midnight, and The Shepherd's Crown. Then I'll go back to the very first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, and read them through published order (skipping over the Tiffany Aching novels, of course). 

So, if you've not read the Discworld novels and would like to, give me a shout. I'll help you determine which subset you should start with that might strike your fancy and what you most enjoy reading. For those that have read the Discworld and want to reminisce about these amazing books with me, read on! And yes, you astute readers may have already noticed that I am calling this the Great Discworld Re-Reading and yet have already let slip that there are Discworld novels that I will be reading for the first time. Who needs to be bogged down with such details? Not I! Now, we shall carry on as the Great A-Tuin across the endless flow of space and time.... 

#1 The Wee Free Men

I had tried a few times to start this book before and the idea of miniature men who wear kilts and speak in harsh Scottish burs didn't interest me. In fact, reading their speech was originally a huge turn-off for me and I found them annoying. However, this time 'aroond' I found the Wee Free Men endearing, funny, and a great addition to a fun, poignant story of a young girl determined to be a witch. 

So determined, in fact, that she suspects a creature is lurking in a stream near her house and so she does some research, uses her young brother as bait, and bangs the monster over the head with a frying pan. And thus, the reader is introduced to one Tiffany Aching of the Chalk. 

In a move reminiscent from the film The Labyrinth, the Queen of the Elves takes Tiffany's young brother to the land of the fae and Tiffany, along with the help of the Wee Free Men, must rescue him. 

Entirely entertaining, with many thought-provoking as well as laugh-out-loud moments, this was an incredible start to what is sure to be a new favorite (for me) journey in the Discworld. 

#2 A Hat Full of Sky

It seems I can't get enough of Tiffany Aching, the mountain witches, and the Nac Mac Feegle. This tale picks up with Tiffany leaving her homeland of the Chalk and living with an older witch, Miss Level, who has an extra body... as well as a poltergeist who is OCD and can't stand things being a mess. 

But Tiffany's emerging powers have caught the attention of a creature called a hiver. And it awaits a chance to slip inside Tiffany's mind, and destroy her, and all around her, from the inside out. 

The stakes are even higher in this story than the last, and Tiffany meets them bravely and head on. Literally. The battle is inside her head. 

The Nac Mac Feegle are back in all their kilted glory, we get a bunch of wonderful Granny Weatherwax action, and meet a covern of young witches also trying to find their way. Wonderful worldbuilding as always from Sir Terry and the witticisms, deep thoughts, and hilarity we come to expect. Loved this one. 

#3 Wintersmith

Now, this is the first legitimate RE-READ of the Great Discworld Re-Reading of 2023. And an important lesson I've learned: what I remember of a story is so very different than what I actually read. 

I read this book a few years ago now and remember almost an entirely different story. I remembered the main parts: Tiffany jumps into a Morris dance, catching the attention of the Wintersmith, and he is fascinated with her and brings winter to all the land with the promise of never taking it away unless he has his way, which is Tiffany staying with him as his Queen in his ice castle. 

Would we ever expect the Tiffany Aching to be conducive to these demands? Of course not! Even though I apparently forgot completely about all the middle bits of the novel, the parts with little to nothing to do with the Wintersmith, I enjoyed them on this re-read. 

A bold. fun progression of Tiffany's story, with Sir Pratchett surprising me with side quests for Roland and the Nac Mac Feegles to take on without Tiffany present. I especially enjoyed the references to the Morris dance from Reaper Man as well as Rob Anybody reading Where's My Cow? at one point. If you know, you know, and if you don't, you need to read more Discworld novels.

#4 I Shall Wear Midnight

I was so very excited to read this book, I think it was my most anticipated of the Tiffany Aching books. Everything about it just called to me: the whimsical title, the eye-catching cover with the bright orange flames engulfing a leaping hare, the dark black background and bold typeface for Pratchett's name and book title. 

Tiffany's story to this point has progressed and she's steadily grown and I couldn't wait to read more. Interesting how she went from my least liked, not even tolerated, Discworld character to now one of my absolute favorites. As with most things in life: they are only worthwhile when it is the 'best' time to experience them. And clearly, for some reason, I had some growing to do before I could, incidentally, enjoy Pratchett's YA level series within the adult Discworld. 

What I found very striking about this tale was that it was so much darker than not just the previous three books, but in all of the Discworld that I've ever read. I don't want to spoil much, but in the very first chapter there is harrowing domestic violence and even infant mortality explored. It's absolutely the darkest I've personally seen Pratchett go. And seeing it through the eyes of a young girl who feels that handling these dark things is her duty and she musn't fuss over it... it was deep and profound. 

I don't imagine this book especially to be for a Young Adult audience. I'm not sure how I would have handled such themes when I was 13, 14, 15, even. Setting the darkness of it aside, I overall very much enjoyed the story. I've grown to adore Tiffany Aching and seeing her come into her own, to take on the Chalk steading as a proper witch, was satisfying. 

I can't lie, that I was a bit disappointed in the villain on a surface level. But the more I sit with the book the more I can appreciate, especially in today's political climate, what a formidable foe is one who spreads discontent and falsehoods about another in order to turn everyone against them. I've seen folks railing against the ending not being epic enough, but I felt it was just right.

#5 The Shepherd's Crown

This book... before I give my thoughts I just need to rehash some feelings and memories and emotions attached to this book first. Terry Pratchett passed away in March 2015, five months before this book was released. I remember pre-ordering it and anxiously awaiting it's arrival, knowing it would be a book I probably wouldn't read for a long time. Why? It was difficult to accept that it would be the last original Discworld work ever created. That Sir Terry Pratchett had passed away affected me so much more than it had any right to. He shaped me as a reader firstly, as a writer secondly, and as a thinker thirdly and most importantly. 

His sense of humor, his insights, his satirical points of view... he meant so much to me for so much of my formative years. And still means a lot to me. Completing my Discworld novel collection has made me so very happy that I finally had the strength to read this book. It sat on a shelf for eight years, and as you know, eight is a magical number on the Discworld.... 

Did the book disappoint? Was it worth the wait? I very much think it was. The conclusion to Tiffany's story and to the Discworld was touching, tear-jerking, inspiring, beautiful, poetic. I cried, I swooned, I laughed, I reminisced, I enjoyed. I let the book carry me through my grief and show me the magic I had fallen in love with all those years ago when I read my very first Discworld novel. 

Was it entirely Pratchett's voice? Not exactly. But the shadows of him were there. Was it a good sendoff for Tiffany and for the Discworld? I think so. Gosh, I enjoyed it immensely. 

I thought I might take a brief break from the Discworld and read something to cleanse my mental palette. But no, I've already cracked open The Color of Magic and am even more eager to read the entirety of the Discworld in publication order. So many of the books will be re-reads, but some will be new discoveries, like the Tiffany Aching books were. I couldn't be more excited!  

 #6 The Color of Magic

So here we are, back at the beginning. The first Discworld novel, originally published in 1983. The first few Discworld novels get flak these days because after reading later books in the series where Pratchett has solidified his voice as a writer, deepens his concepts, and expands his world, this book and the immediate sequel, The Light Fantastic, can be slight letdowns. 

But I still find this book entertaining and fun, and it's inspiring to see the birth of Pratchett's Discworld and some of the characters already taking shape. There's a lot more Death in this one than I remembered (not folks dying, no, no, but the character Death....) He's not quite the Death he becomes in later books, but the bones are there (ha!) and it's apparent that Pratchett always had a characterization of Death in mind that involved puns, sarcastic humor, and an entertaining interest in humanity and its affairs. 

The character Rincewind gets a lot of flak, too, because he's not the type of character to propel the plot. Meaning, lots of things happen TO Rincewind, he doesn't DO much. But for the first glimpse of the Discworld, I'm fine without deep wanderings through a subconscious mind pondering their place in the universe. It was fun watching Rincewind be swept into an adventure propelled purely by his own greed and desire to remain alive and in one piece. Twoflower is hilarious as the first ever tourist on the Discworld, rich and naive, he stumbles through adventures trying to capture pictures of everything and never turning away from a chance to experience something new. Coupled with Rincewind's straight playing, Twoflower makes a fun foil. 

The book reads more like a collection of shorter stories (in fact, it has chapters, at least... the edition I own does, and that's something that doesn't happen in any other Discworld novel except for the Tiffany Aching series. Even The Light Fantastic doesn't have chapters and it's a direct continuation of The Color of Magic! It makes me wonder if perhaps the tales of Rincewind and Twoflower started as possible short stories, standalone adventures seeking publication in magazines or elsewhere. 

I look at the The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic as satires on the fantasy genre. The Color of Magic especially directly satirizes Lovecraft style monsters, heroic barbarians saving buxom ladies, tavern brawls, and so on. It's fun and I enjoyed it even more this go-around. 

#7 The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic is the second Discworld novel and is really a direct continuation of The Color of Magic. It picks up directly where The Color of Magic ends. Rincewind and Twoflower and the Luggage are reeling from an unexplainable survival of their launch off the edge of the Discworld in a sculpted bronze fish (read: spaceship). 

Sound ridiculous? Of course it is, it's the Discworld. In The Light Fantastic we get even more of Pratchett's commentary about the fantasy genre, satirizing it to its fullest. Some of my favorite bits include how Pratchett describes a female heroin named Herrena, pointing out that usually she'd be described in attire that would leave the author needing a drink of water and a lie down, but that she was in fact sensibly dressed in chainmail and sturdy boots because logically that's what a swordswoman would need to wear. 

I always love when Pratchett breaks the fourth wall and gives nods directly to the audience. For me, these are laugh out loud funny moments that make me appreciate the books so much more. They aren't everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine, but it definitely makes me super happy and is why I'm such a huge fan. 

This book had a great conclusion, with an epic battle against a greedy power-hungry wizard, and it was foreshadowing of the great depth and hilarity later Discworld books will bring. I understand why The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic get a bad rap, but honestly, I had a lot of fun reading them again. I can't quite remember if Twoflower ever shows up again in the Discworld. I know Rincewind does, but I hope Twoflower does, too. I grew attached to the naive bright-eyed tourist. I also was fond of Cohen the Barbarian and Bethan. Cohen, I know, plays more in later books, but I can't recall if Bethan does. I hope so! I quite liked her. 

All in all, these are wonderfully epic hilarious novels satirizing the fantasy genre. Think what Douglas Adams did with sci-fi, but for fantasy. On to the third Discworld book, the eighth of my re-reading order...... Equal Rites. Appropriately the eighth book in my re-reading since it's about the eighth "son" of an eighth son.... 

#8 Equal Rites

It's so interesting to go back and re-read these novels which have lived in my memory a certain way for a long time, only to be revealed that I remembered the story so much differently than how it actually was. For this book, I don't remember Granny Weatherwax having played such a large part, but she's in 90% of this book! One could argue it's as much a story about Granny as it is about Eskarina. 

I very much enjoyed the exploration of male-dominated wizarding magic versus female-dominated witch magic. I appreciate how Pratchett is clear regarding his perception of the powers of man and the powers of woman. 

Having just read the Tiffany Aching books, I can see parallels in Eskarina and Tiffany, and I find it interesting how much Granny grows and becomes a wholly fleshed out character throughout the Discworld series. So much of her character is born in this book, her relationship with bees, her distrust of city life, and so on, and it's wonderful to see her introduced knowing how almighty a presence she will become throughout the series. Top notch adventure, I quite enjoyed it again. 

#9 Mort

I'm not going to lie, I was nervous going into the re-read of this book. Why? Mort has been a beloved favorite book of mine for too many years to count. It was the Discworld novel that turned me into a diehard fan and has been in my top three favorite books longer than any other. I usually re-read it at least once a year, but it's been a few years. When I spend a lot of time away from something I've loved, it can happen that returning to it comes with a painful realization that I've outgrown it, or it's no longer something that stirs my soul. I may even find fault in it, gasp! 

But I am happy to report that Mort.... is not that sort. It held my attention just as much as it ever has, the story is so fantastical and fun and exhilarating. I'm on the edge of my seat, each and every time, even though I've read it more times than I've probably read any other book. The dynamic of the Discworld Death truly blossoms in this book and comes into its own. The humor surrounding him, the sarcastic wit, the love of cats, the curiosity about humankind... it's so great. 

This book kicks off the Death sub-arc of the Discworld and it's prime. Every other book I will read from here on out that isn't centered on Death will be slightly less amazing for me, because he is my all-time favorite character not just in the Discworld but probably ever created. Yes, I love Granny Weatherwax, Vimes, Angua, Carrot, and the rest of the Watch, all the characters in Monstrous Regiment, Tiffany Aching, etc. but Death is one character that is always soothing and comforting to me. He always manages to make me laugh and not only laugh, but to think long and hard about life, and well... the other thing, too. I'll never get enough!

The book held up, and I'm so thankful to Sir Terry Pratchett for writing it. Long live my adoration and love of Mort.

#10 Sourcery

I'm not ashamed to say that the books centering on Rincewind were never my favorite of the Discworld. While I do find him a funny character, his cowardice giving way to out-of-character sweeps of heroism is entertaining to read, but can get repetitive. 

My main issue with this book is it feels so disjointed from Equal Rites just a few books prior. The Unseen University is back to being exclusively all-male, and Eskarina Smith isn't even mentioned! I've never quite pinned down where things happen in Discworld history, maybe Eskarina is after the events of this book, even though Equal Rites came out before. I'm not sure. And maybe we're not supposed to be sure. 

Beyond that hiccup, pinning Rincewind with a pair of barbarians, both of whom are not typical of their classification, one being a woman and the other simply inept, it made for very hilarious moments. 

Overall, this story won't be one that stays with me and I don't see myself revisiting again.

#11 Wyrd Sisters

Somehow I'm an English major and I've never read Macbeth in it's entirety. Shameful, isn't it? I'm sure if I had, I'd get even more about of this novel, as the plot of it is a satire of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Regardless, I did enjoy this one a lot, even though at times it felt.... beyond my ability to comprehend. I'd find myself lost one or two times, but not enough to ruin it for me. That happens occasionally to me in Pratchett novels, he's just more clever than I'll ever be, so sometimes I struggle to catch all the meaning, double meaning, and even triple meaning of some of his passages. 

This book is a delight though as we spend a lot of time with Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick. An incredible trio of Ramtops witches who are just hilarious to watch interact. And I even highlighted a few paragraphs involving Death because they moved me: 

"His eyeless skull took in the line of costumes, the waxy debris of the makeup table. His empty nostrils snuffed up the mixed smells of mothballs, grease and sweat. 

There was something here, he thought, that nearly belonged to the gods. Humans had built a world inside the world, which reflected it in pretty much the same way as a drop of water reflects the landscape. And yet... and yet...

Inside this little world they had taken pains to put all the things you might think they would want to escape from--hatred, fear, tyranny, and so forth. Death was intrigued. They thought they wanted to be taken out of themselves, and every art humans dreamt up took them further in. He was fascinated."

#12 Pyramids

Alright, this is not something I'm happy to type out... but I have yet to finish this book. I've moved on to non-Pratchett tomes and finished out the year and still couldn't bring myself to go back and pick this one up. I'm not sure what it is about it that's putting me off. I like the protagonist well enough. I'm curious to see where the story is going, but not curious enough to actually keep reading! Will this be my very first DNF (did not finish) of the Discworld? 

Seeing as I'm typing this January 6, 2024, I've already missed my goal of re-reading the entirety of the Discworld in 2023 (a lofty and frankly unattainable goal). I still intend to read them all! Sprinkling them in throughout the year. But I may have to bite the bullet and accept that Pyramids just won't make it! I don't want to be hung up here forever when masterpieces like Guards, Guards; Reaper Man, Witches Abroad, and Small Gods are so close behind.... 

I am going to go ahead and publish this post so that it can be linked to in my Books I Read in 2023 post. I'll start a Part Deux where I continue the Great Re-Reading of... whatever year I manage to finish.