Quote:
Originally Posted by doubleshuffle
Well, Jon has a point of course. There is a development in Discworld that progresses in the order the books were written.
OTOH, I don't think it is necessary to read the books in the "correct" order to appreciate that. I started somewhere in the middle, and it is perfectly possible to understand each book on its own terms. Sometimes you realize that there must be a bit of backstory that you don't know - the greater the delight to come across it reading an earlier volume later.
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As you yourself point out, that isn't necessary to appreciate the story and it merely serves to add additional interest.
I can assure you, everyone who has ever disagreed with Jon's drive-by assertion is well aware that there is "a development", and that was factored into their decision.
EDIT:
I have absolutely no problem with Jon having "a point".
He doesn't have "a point", though -- he has an assertion he is trying to force on people regardless of whether they value the point or not.
This argument is a fundamental philosophical back-and-forth within the concept of reading, and in the right circles it is as divisive as the emacs vs. vi wars. And for just as much (non-)purpose.