Pratchett's Discworld

stop__dreaming · 12-07-2012, 07:48 AM

Picked up The Hogfather the other day and skimmed through the book realising there are no chapters?! Is this right and does this go for all/majority of the novels in the series?

pdurrant · 12-07-2012, 08:00 AM

Yes, the discworld books don't have chapters, in general.

HomeInMyShoes · 12-07-2012, 10:35 AM

There's lots of little breaks though with double-spaces to indicate shifts in scene. But formal chapters, not so much. I seem to recall actual chapter breaks within The Tiffany Aching books, especially Wintersmith and I Shall Wear Midnight.

I love Discworld. I'm so happy to still have another 23+ books to read in the series.

Witty Username · 12-08-2012, 04:15 AM

Very few Discworld books have chapters and Pratchett has been asked about this before:

Author interview

Quote:

Q: You've said that as "life doesn't happen in chapters," you don't use them in your books. What was different about Going Postal?

A: I have to use chapters in children's books! Apparently it's so mum & dad when they are reading to the child can say "I'll read to the end of the chapter then you have to go to sleep." Going Postal, and indeed it's successor making Money both have a somewhat Victorian feel to them so I thought it might be fun to go back to the glorious era of chapter headings which were practically an index to the book! In the same way I found you could have fun with footnotes, I have now learned that chapter headings can be quite amusing.

stop__dreaming · 12-08-2012, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Witty Username

Very few Discworld books have chapters and Pratchett has been asked about this before:

Author interview

Thanks for the link!

P.s Am not too far from Somerset

Bricorn · 12-10-2012, 05:36 PM

There have been times when I'd have loved to shake Terry warmly by the throat and scream CHAPTERS YOU B*****D.

My problem was that, without somewhere clean to stop reading, I kept reading his books in one hit, and I would have preferred to savour them over a few days.

Bilbo1967 · 12-10-2012, 05:40 PM

You know, I've read all of the Discworld novels (some of them multiple times), and I've never noticed that. I must have been enjoying them too much!

PurpleStar · 12-10-2012, 05:46 PM

I've been wanting to try the Discworld books for years, but geesh, there's so many! I wouldn't know where to begin.

jgaiser · 12-10-2012, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleStar

I've been wanting to try the Discworld books for years, but geesh, there's so many! I wouldn't know where to begin.

Is Jon around??? (Looks under bed)

Most of the Discworld books can be read as standalone novels, though there are story arcs that *probably* should be read in sequence.

Here's a PDF put together by the folks over on L-Space that shows the various story arcs and the books in that arc.

http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-...-guide-1-5.pdf

pholy · 12-10-2012, 09:57 PM

You know he'll hear you if you say his name...

jgaiser · 12-10-2012, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pholy

You know he'll hear you if you say his name...

Crap... Too late now...

HomeInMyShoes · 12-11-2012, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleStar

I've been wanting to try the Discworld books for years, but geesh, there's so many! I wouldn't know where to begin.

I would start with Equal Rites. I love the witches in Pratchett books. Some people find The Colour of Magic off-putting for some reason, but that would be the published order place to start.

AlexBell · 12-11-2012, 11:56 PM

But there are so many 'themes' or series, and I think some are better than others. The Rincewind series are my least favourite, and the Witches and Vimes series perhaps the most favourite.

I really suggest you look at the lspace link in #9

Corkobo · 12-12-2012, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleStar

I've been wanting to try the Discworld books for years, but geesh, there's so many! I wouldn't know where to begin.

As jgaiser wrote, you could pick up any book just to see how you like the style.
The first Discworld book I read was "The Fifth Elephant".

I'm sure each fan of the Discworld books have their own favourite(s) (if I'd be pushed to chose just 1 book it would probably be "The Night Watch") but I would recommend you start with "Guards! Guards!" and go on from there with the whole "Watch" series.

For me "The Watch" series is way above the other ones.
After this comes the "Witches" series.
Special mention outside of the "Watch" series would be for "Thief of Time", "The Truth" and especially "The Monstrous Regiment".

Abtacha · 12-12-2012, 01:07 PM

Small Gods is also a very good standalone novel.
But personally I think it best to start with the first and go on from there (publishing order), how else are you supposed to decide which ones you like best?

12-07-2012, 07:48 AM	#1
stop__dreaming Groupie Posts: 175 Karma: 1211098 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Bristol, England Device: Kindle 3	Pratchett's Discworld Picked up The Hogfather the other day and skimmed through the book realising there are no chapters?! Is this right and does this go for all/majority of the novels in the series? __________________ Twitter: @GagneDouze

12-07-2012, 08:00 AM	#2
pdurrant The Grand Mouse Posts: 24,353 Karma: 73606030 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle 2; iPhone 3G; Bookeen Opus; NOOK ST GlowLight	Yes, the discworld books don't have chapters, in general. __________________ Kai Lung Raises His Voice, now available at Amazon and BooksOnBoard A new collection of ‘Kai Lung’ stories by Ernest Bramah, including four previously unpublished stories. Need professional help formatting your ebook? Send me email.....................Books I've read in 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010

12-07-2012, 10:35 AM	#3
HomeInMyShoes Ginormous Intergalactic Posts: 10,024 Karma: 33642889 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: junkyard Device: Kindle3	There's lots of little breaks though with double-spaces to indicate shifts in scene. But formal chapters, not so much. I seem to recall actual chapter breaks within The Tiffany Aching books, especially Wintersmith and I Shall Wear Midnight. I love Discworld. I'm so happy to still have another 23+ books to read in the series. __________________ Reading Lists: 2011 \| 2012 \| 2013 “Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.” - Diane Duane

12-10-2012, 05:40 PM	#7
Bilbo1967 Not scared! Posts: 6,377 Karma: 18759332 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Solihull, UK Device: Sony 650, Sony T2, Xoom, Nexus 7, Nook ST	You know, I've read all of the Discworld novels (some of them multiple times), and I've never noticed that. I must have been enjoying them too much! __________________ The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. Mark Twain My early and invincible love of reading, . . . I would not exchange for the treasures of India. Edward Gibbon

12-10-2012, 09:57 PM	#10
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,682 Karma: 7050000 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook	You know he'll hear you if you say his name... __________________ Everything in moderation.... except chocolate... and circumvention.

12-10-2012, 05:36 PM	#6
Bricorn Groupie Posts: 183 Karma: 776466 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Cornwall, UK Device: Kindle DXG	There have been times when I'd have loved to shake Terry warmly by the throat and scream CHAPTERS YOU B*****D. My problem was that, without somewhere clean to stop reading, I kept reading his books in one hit, and I would have preferred to savour them over a few days.

12-10-2012, 05:46 PM	#8
PurpleStar Connoisseur Posts: 72 Karma: 501944 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Glo	I've been wanting to try the Discworld books for years, but geesh, there's so many! I wouldn't know where to begin.

12-11-2012, 11:56 PM	#13
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 1,835 Karma: 2836850 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS 650, Kindle3, iPad2, Sony PRS T1, Sony PRS T2	But there are so many 'themes' or series, and I think some are better than others. The Rincewind series are my least favourite, and the Witches and Vimes series perhaps the most favourite. I really suggest you look at the lspace link in #9 __________________ Regards, Alex "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong." Frederick Douglass Circaidy Gregory Press - Earlyworks Press

12-12-2012, 01:07 PM	#15
Abtacha Addict Posts: 204 Karma: 1385570 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Germany Device: Kobo Aura	Small Gods is also a very good standalone novel. But personally I think it best to start with the first and go on from there (publishing order), how else are you supposed to decide which ones you like best?

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