You know how to pray, don’t you? You just put your hands together—and hope.
Going Postal, Chapter Twelve: "The Woodpecker"
Discworld is a series of novels written by the late great Sir Terry Pratchett. I've been reading the series since 2024. I cannot recommend it enough.
Reading List
Read
Presented in order of completion.
- The Colour of Magic (April 2024)
- The Wee Free Men (January 2025)
- Going Postal (August 2025)
- Guards! Guards! (January 2026)
To Read
In my library, but not yet read.
- Equal Rites
- Monstrous Regiment
- The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
My Thoughts
My thoughts on each book, in chronological order as I read them.
Spoilers ahead!
The Colour of Magic
The first Discworld novel, and it shows. This was easier for me to watch than to read, and I did watch it: the BBC adaptation is absolutely fantastic. It actually made me finish the book. Haven't read The Light Fantastic as of typing this, but I expect the BBC's adaptation left some stuff out that I'm missing. It did leave out a lot from The Colour of Magic, but I got to see the Wyrmberg, which was fuckin awesome.
Rincewind and Twoflower are just... so silly. I love Twoflower's insistence on seeing the sights and exploring, and Rincewind's reluctance to follow him around (even with Vetinari's ruling).
Score: 6/10
The Wee Free Men
Going from Colour of Magic to this was writing whiplash in the best way possible. I had to will myself through Colour of Magic, but I read this in a few weeks. I didn't devour it, but it was the quickest read so far. I love Tiffany Aching so, so much. She's such a great character, a practical soul who does what she can with what she has. She whacks the Queen of the Fae in the face with her frying pan. I love her.
I also loved the Feegle so very much. Rob Anybody and Daft Wullie are my favorites so far, and I love how they're sorta like a hive of bees that need a qu- Kelda. I'm very excited to read more of Tiffany's adventures.
This book did something else, though: it changed my view of selfishness. It made me take a new perspective on my own selfishness, helped me come to terms with it and accept it as part of me. To use my selfishness as a tool to better the world around me. It blindsided me on a Thursday in January and I haven't been the same since.
Score: 9/10
Going Postal
This one's utterly fantastic. I fell in love with it from the concept alone - a criminal surviving his hanging to become the postmaster general. Criminal scum is best meant for government work, Vetinari supposes. Well, Moist von Lipwig does exactly that, and the post office gets back up and running. I loved every character - Mr. Groat, Stanley, Tiddles, Miss Maccalariat, Miss Dearhart, and of course Moist himself. They're all wonderful characters, though I did feel a bit of my autistic heart die when Stanley abandoned pins for stamps and declared them childish. I'm in this book and I don't like it.
I'd have to say my favorite characters here to think about are the golems. Mr. Pump is a delight, of course, but Anghammarad made me really sit down and think when they died. Their conversation with Death made me think for a good half hour. The ideal for a golem is to not have a task, but still be animated. To exist without purpose and... rest. It may be the retail worker in me talking, but... yeah, that hits hard.
Score: 9/10
Guards! Guards!
A proper bit of fun going through the streets of Anhk-Morpork once more. I really want to crack this city open and see what it's like to live there. I sure as hell wouldn't want to live there considering it burns down every other month, but I'm quite certain boredom would be a stranger before long. Vimes and the Watch endeared themselves to me rather quickly, especially Carrot. The world's most autistic teenager is also the only cop to ever do the job like one sees in the movies. I love how Vimes goes from "fuck that noise" to "okay FINE i'll do the damn job because no one else will". I also love the ending gag of them getting a $5 raise and a dartboard as compensation for dealing with the dragon.
Of course, in the end, my favorite character of all is Sybil Ramkin. She's an icon. I love her. A noble lady that's forgone the whole prim and proper lifestyle to care for the humble swamp dragon? And she's canonically big and boisterous? Be still my heart. That scene where she dolls herself up thinking Vimes is at the door made me laugh so hard. The fuckers that answered the door are COWARDS and cannot handle her. Vimes please let me hit once. And you're next after her.
Score: 7/10
GNU Terry Pratchett
What's this mean? Well, I'm not explaining it, because it's all explained in Going Postal. Go read that and become part of the hidden knowledge.