Re: Highlights and Lowlights - June 2024

On 7/5/24 10:29 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:

On 04/07/2024 08.13, Tony Nance wrote:

On 7/2/24 10:11 PM, Cryptoengineer wrote:

Most agree that the first few written aren't as good as later ones PTerry
was learning his craft.

 

...I found this to be the case for me as well. Combined with the facts that I need to read humor novels differently (can't read too many pages at once), and space them out pretty far apart, here I am only finishing my 9th Discworld book.[2]

 Back in the early 1990s, I heard (right here in rasw) about this amazingly
funny British author. Not Adams, but Pratchett. I eventually got around to
picking up a couple of his books, and found that they were, for me at least,
mildly amusing.
 Watching the occasional Pratchett thread, I got the impression that it was
only his early work that was hilarious. I haven't encountered any of it on
the shelves yet, although I do keep half an eye peeled. Now, I'm seeing
folks say that his early work wasn't that good.
 So, what's the verdict? Are his early works funny but not very good? Are his
recent works as funny as he gets? Something else altogether?
 

Just adding some (incomplete) data, since I've only read the first 9[1]:
I was told many years ago that the early ones are decent-but-spotty, and they get pretty consistently good at some point.
I've found this to be true, specifically noting that Mort, Guards! Guards!, and Eric are pretty darn good, by my estimation, and the rest are solid.
I expect to read #10 at some point, probably this year.
Tony
[1] What I think are the first 9:
1. The Colour of Magic
2. The Light Fantastic
3. Equal Rites
4. Mort
5. Sourcery
6. Wyrd Sisters
7. Pyramids
8. Guards! Guards!
9. Eric