Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett really is an extraordinarily versatile chap. If you're not yet a reader of his work you might find this difficult to believe, given that the vast majority of his output are comic fantasy novels based on a flat planet called Discworld. After all, how long can he keep writing those and still be saying something fresh?

In answer, it's because Discworld really isn't all that different from our world. Certainly there are ...
...and more; but fundamentally, it's populated by people you know. At the heart of the comedy lies a rich cast of people with problems, dilemmas, anxieties, traumas, joys and sorrows. It makes for a potent comic brew, but also for something deeper - a selection of often extraordinary stories, most of which carry themes far deeper than the comic art covers suggest.

Unusually, the worst place to start reading the Discworld novels is at ... more

Terry Pratchett really is an extraordinarily versatile chap. If you're not yet a reader of his work you might find this difficult to believe, given that the vast majority of his output are comic fantasy novels based on a flat planet called Discworld. After all, how long can he keep writing those and still be saying something fresh?

In answer, it's because Discworld really isn't all that different from our world. Certainly there are trolls, dwarves, witches, talking dogs galore, heroes, vampires, werewolves, magicians, and more; but fundamentally, it's populated by people you know. At the heart of the comedy lies a rich cast of people with problems, dilemmas, anxieties, traumas, joys and sorrows. It makes for a potent comic brew, but also for something deeper - a selection of often extraordinary stories, most of which carry themes far deeper than the comic art covers suggest.

Unusually, the worst place to start reading the Discworld novels is at the beginning. For my money, the first three efforts ('The Colour of Magic', The Light Fantastic', and 'Equal Rights') are warm-up exercises that come nowhere near the complexity and solidity of later works. It's his fourth novel, 'Mort', where Pratchett begins to hit his storytelling stride. The tale of a simple lad who becomes the apprentice of the Grim Reaper himself, this is a coming of age tale unlike any other. You can read it for the slapstick, the witty dialogue, the social satire, or just for the story. Any approach will reward you in spades.

As the novels continued, certain characters became recurring. First up, we have the novels dealing with Rincewind the wizard. He doesn't know any magic, but he has a pointy hat with the word 'Wizzard' on it. He's proud of his hat. A profound coward, Rincewind seems unable to keep himself out of trouble. Of Pratchett's growing body of characters, he's the explorer. Taking us to a variety of different countries on that fictional world, he allows Pratchett to spoof other cultures with aplomb. Most interestingly though, as absurd as the other nations seem through his eyes, it's often the views of the traveller himself which are most held up to question. Those foreigners might appear odd at times, but there's a certain sense to them nonetheless. Books featuring Rincewind include the first two, 'The Colour of Magic' and 'The Light Fantastic', then the later works 'Sourcery', 'Eric', 'Interesting Times', and 'The Last Continent'. As I've mentioned, the first two are a little weak - the Discworld, back then, was very much a work in progress. There remain some delightful scenes and moments, but it's all a bit patchy. Pick something else first, then go back and read these two for completion's sake. I particularly recommend 'Sourcery' from the Rincewind oeuvre, in which the nature of cowardice versus responsibility is explored in classic Pratchett fashion, with an ending that broke my heart with it's courage and power.

The second set of characters can be broadly summarised as the witches. The formidable Granny Weatherwax, the matronly Nanny Ogg, the flimsy Magrat, and later the thoroughly confused Agnes. Set in the rural mountain country of Lancre, these tales poke fun at superstition and psychology in equal measure. More likely to use suggestion (headology) and intimidation than actual magic, the witches rule with an iron rod. Justice in the mountains is swift and direct, and more often than not the witches, particularly the terrifying Granny Weatherwax, are the dispensers of justice. Ready to risk all (strictly on her own terms) to defend right (as she sees it), Weatherwax is a deliciously grey character, and her cohorts are such a vastly contrasting group that their conflicts and dramas have a dazzling range. In order, the books featuring these characters are 'Equal Rights' (for which see my notes on 'The Colour of Magic' and 'The Light Fantastic'), 'Wyrd Sisters', 'Witches Abroad', 'Maskerade', 'Lords and Ladies', and 'Carpe Jugulum' (literally 'Seize the Jugular' - this is a vampire novel!). Difficult to pick a favourite here - I'm tempted to go for 'Wyrd Sisters', the brilliant comic revamp of 'Macbeth', but instead I'll plumb for 'Witches Abroad'. About the true meaning and horror inherent in fairy tales and folklore, the novel also covers a lot of ground about the nature of storytelling itself. No simple analysis this, but a deep and insightful look at the fundamental tales that get rewritten again and again, and why this is so. Also, more simply, I think this is just the funniest of the witches tales.

Thirdly, bring on the guards. The City Watch of Discworld's premier city, Ankh-Morpork, have to be my favourite of the characters Pratchett works with. A vast cast, including the one-time alcoholic, and now uncomfortable Lord, Samuel Vimes, head of the guards, the heroic and dazzling charismatic Captain Carrot, the werewolf Angua, the sub-human Corporal Nobbs, and many, many more, these guys play on the Discworld's biggest canvas. Ankh-Morpork is the best and worst of cities. In direct contrast to the rural witch tales, this metropolis is overflowing with bureaucracy. Nothing is ever as it seems, and nobody can ever quite be trusted. From the toffs to the footpads, everybody has an agenda, and it's usually up to the Watch to work out what that is. I'm a city boy myself, and perhaps that's why I love the guards books the most - I see so much of what Pratchett points out around me. In order, the books are 'Guards! Guards!', 'Men-At-Arms', 'Feet of Clay', 'Jingo,' and 'The Fifth Elephant'. These ones really should be read in order for my money, given the rewarding continuity involved. My favourite has to be 'Jingo' (nearly went for 'Guards! Guards! though). As well as being a guards book, this is a much broader look at war, and why it happens (and who it happens to). Beneath an action-packed plot, bursting at the seams with top comedy, there are some wonderful introspections on war to be had.

Of the recurring characters, the last is none other than the Grim Reaper himself, Death. It's with this character that Pratchett finds himself at his most introspective, I feel. The Death books are often about discovering yourself and your purpose, about fighting for the individual (admittedly at the same time as saving the world). Death is a lost and friendless… erm… anthropomorphic manifestation. At times he longs for what everyone else has, which he does not. Now I know dozens of people are going to disagree with me here, but it's usually the Death books that I find don't quite hit the mark. Too many of them, I feel, repeat these same themes, covering much the same ground. In this respect, I feel that Pratchett has run out of things to say when it comes to this one character. Death, as far as I'm concerned, is a better supporting player than lead character (he's appeared in every single Discworld book to date in his more traditional role of Grim Reaper). That said, 'Mort', the first book to concentrate on Death, is simply brilliant. It's the place where the Discworld really coalesced into something unique and special. I summarised it briefly above, but I'll add that as Mort takes on more of Death's chores, Death decides it's time to sample a little bit of life now he has time on his skeletal hands. Dazzlingly funny, and sometimes achingly sad, this novel is utterly recommended. 'Mort' started it off, followed by 'Reaper Man', 'Soul Music', and 'Hogfather'.

Most of the groups above interact to some degree, appearing in the books of their fellow creations, and this makes the Discworld a wonderfully healthy place. It feels almost real sometimes, and given the outright comedy of the novels, this seems odd. I'd like to, if not live there, maybe vacation there every once in a while.

I mentioned above the various 'groups' of characters Pratchett has running. However, some of his most interesting works are stand alone pieces. 'Small Gods', which I've reviewed elsewhere on Ciao, is a bewilderingly intelligent satire on religion. Quite how so much intelligent criticism fits into the same book as so much dazzling comedy is beyond me. As I've said before, the author might have landed himself in trouble with that book if it wasn't such bloody good fun. Then there's 'Moving Pictures', a witty look at Hollywood. Much fun is to be had from picking out the references to dozens of films, yet there remains a thoroughly ripping plot with some strangely sinister touches. Or 'Pyramids', in which an assassin becomes a god by proxy, and responsibility is once again nit-picked over with vast style, while several mummies of the Karloff variety mix it up.

Discworld, for all its fancy trimmings, is our world, and that's why it works so well. Pratchett is on record as saying there's no story he could imagine that wouldn't fit his creation, and that's probably true. The humour comes too often from bizarre situations and characters we recognise and identify with. Pratchett knows there's nothing funny in fiction that real life can't better, and uses this to his benefit. He is also a master storyteller - his work has almost mainstream literary elements that attract a wide reading audience. People read Discworld who wouldn't normally touch fantasy with a barge pole. Part of this is the humour, and part of it is for the stories, themes, and characters. While being a fantasy novel, a Discworld book can also be a whodunnit, a political thriller, a religious statement, a war novel, a romance, a boy's own adventure, or just about anything else you can think of. You never know until you're halfway through.

Try him. Pick up one of his novels (you have enough to choose from - the man redefines 'prolific') and see if you don't sink into the Discworld as thoroughly as I did. Oh, some novels aren't quite as good as his best work, but we can live with that. Every time he seems to be losing his touch he comes out with another blinder like 'The Truth'. Hell, he's the UK's top selling living author, so you probably know all this already. If you're not reading him yet, perhaps because you feel him over-hyped, ask yourself this - what do all these people know that I don't? Can they all be wrong?

You'll like him. Trust me.
 

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