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simon326's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A light-hearted and fast-paced introduction to the Discworld and the menagerie of characters that call it home.
The story of the failed wizard, Rincewind, and the world's first tourist, Twoflower as well as his luggage is an amusing adventure full of colourful characters and bizarre locations to explore as our heroes (although they certainly don't feel very heroic themselves, one out of ignorance and the other out of pure terror) find themselves thrust into the role of prota onists in a game played by gods and find themselves dodging Death at every turn (sometimes quite literally).
The imagination on display by Pratchett in creating this world and its characters is very enjoyable and the world seems to fit together with its own curious logic which can be very pleasing. It's an excellent read for those who enjoy this style as well as those who need a bit of fresh air after reading more serious stuff.
The story of the failed wizard, Rincewind, and the world's first tourist, Twoflower as well as his luggage is an amusing adventure full of colourful characters and bizarre locations to explore as our heroes (although they certainly don't feel very heroic themselves, one out of ignorance and the other out of pure terror) find themselves thrust into the role of prota onists in a game played by gods and find themselves dodging Death at every turn (sometimes quite literally).
The imagination on display by Pratchett in creating this world and its characters is very enjoyable and the world seems to fit together with its own curious logic which can be very pleasing. It's an excellent read for those who enjoy this style as well as those who need a bit of fresh air after reading more serious stuff.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Violence
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This was just okay. The early parts dragged, in the end it was pretty good but not fantastic. A lot of language was quippy but it just felt off. It was smarmy, showing off how clever it is, but it didn’t have a ton to say beyond its own cleverness. It spent entirely too long hinting at a word or phrase that people weren’t quite understanding, and by the time the word was said in a way that made it discernible, I had spent long enough being annoyed at the running gag that I didn’t care that I got the answer. It’s the very first book published in the series, and it’s probably skippable. It does conclusively establish the pretty cool shape of the world that was explained at the very beginning, and is reiterated throughout the series, so there’s that at least. I like the dragon bits, but also I just like dragons.
I've read other books in the series so I know I like where they end up, but this definitely isn't up to that level since it's the first one.
I've read other books in the series so I know I like where they end up, but this definitely isn't up to that level since it's the first one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual content and Slavery
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