The Colour of Magic [Audiobook, Abridged] [Audio CD]

 

 

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If you haven't travelled Pratchett's Discworld yet, you're not alone. Mr. Twoflowers hasn't travelled it yet, and he lives there. Feel free to join him and his reluctant guide, Rincewind, as they sample Discworld's dives, tavern brawls, dragons, assassins, pirates, and a charming assortment of near-death experiences.

Twoflowers has the tourist's implacable confidence that every demonic temple, every hero with a magic sword, every brigand, and every catastrophe of nature was placed and scheduled for his amusement - and will hold still for a picture. He's also quite convinced that, as a tourist, he's immune to any possible harm.

That premise give Pratchett's comic genius plenty to work with. Even Death - the Reaper himself - is just a straight man in this world. (There's also The Luggage, but I'll let you discover that for yourself.)

This is the first book in a long-lived series, and gets it off to a great start. I have to warn you, though, there's no such thing as one Pratchett book. Even one is enough to cause addiction.

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This is a great book by many things, for one, the whole world and characters are a cartoon of our own world and beliefs, and then Pratchett uses simple, intriguing plots without undermining the strenght of the characters. This has an important effect in avoiding a simple uneventful plot as a way to make the book light and funny.

What Pratchett creates is a hilarious story in which he portrays and exagerates many of the situations of our modern world in a world filled with magic and fantasy. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good satire.

In The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett introduces us to the Discworld, a flat planet held aloft by four great elephants, all of which ride on the back of the cosmic turtle called Great A'Tuin as he (or possibly she) purposely plods through the universe toward his (or her) unknown Destination. Having read many of the Discworld novels, I was rather struck by the fact that so much of what was to come was incorporated into this original novel, not only in terms of the characters but also in terms of the unique geological, geographical, and meteorological characteristics of the most unique world in the multiverse, from the grandeur of the Rimfall "close to the edge" to the singular city of Ankh-Morpork to the previously mythical Counterweight Continent. In terms of characterization, which is one of Pratchett's most gifted abilities, many of the individuals we encounter here are easily recognizable and described in the same exact terms in later novels. The humor, which is really what makes the Discworld series so wildly popular, is also here in great abundance. Pratchett can make something very funny with a mere word, deftly structuring sentences in a seemingly simple yet utterly brilliant way that few writers can match even on their best days. This book isn't as funny as most of the Discworld books that followed, but it can still make you laugh out loud at any given moment. One thing this book does lack, in comparison with its younger Discworld brethren, is Pratchett's brilliant and heavy use of satire. It may be wrong of me to judge this novel in comparison with other Discworld novels, but I certainly think the absence of constantly biting satire explains why this book is only incredibly funny rather than downright hilarious.

In terms of characters, we meet many important denizens of the Discworld. First and foremost among these is Rincewind, the most inept wizard ever to walk the halls of Unseen University. He is not even very good at failing, which says a lot in itself, but he somehow keeps managing to elude Death, which is fortunate because his attempts to stay out of trouble virtually always backfire to land him in hot water. Rincewind is a fairly taciturn individual, living his life for the sole purpose of not dying. Thus, when he finds himself serving as a tour guide of sorts to Twoflower, Discworld's first tourist, a man who finds enjoyment in the most precarious situations for no other reason than his belief that no harm will come to a tourist, he is in for a hard time indeed. Of course, he is helped as well as hindered by the Luggage of Twoflower. The Luggage is made of sapient pearwood, which means it will follow its master anywhere (and I do mean anywhere), employing a multitude of little feet for its transportation and unhesitatingly attacking any one who gets in its way. The novel basically relates four adventures of this unlikely trio of characters, taking us from Ankh-Morpork to the temple of Bel-Shamharoth, the hideous Sender of Eight, to the inverted mountain Wyrmberg where dragons exist (well, sort of anyway) and finally to the land of Krull right on the edge of the disc. Along the way, we are introduced to such wonderful characters as the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, Hrun the Barbarian, and Tethis the water troll.

It is difficult to describe Pratchett's humor; it is simple yet complex, sarcastic yet meaningful, flippant yet philosophical, and often deviously subtle. Certainly, there will be some who don't "get" Pratchett or who honestly do not find him amusing in the least--such poor souls are to be pitied. Pratchett's popularity is ample proof of the fact that most people who pick up one of his books do find it highly amusing. The Colour of Magic isn't Pratchett's best work, but it sets a beautiful table for the huge buffet of laughs and joy to come from the Discworld books that would follow it.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets fantasy
The title of my review pretty much says it all. This is a whitty, satirical book like the Hitchiker series, only it draws upon fantasy cliches and ideas. Read more

Published 5 months ago by A. Volk

5.0 out of 5 stars Love It.
It's awesome satire. Satire at it's best. Well done Terry Pratchett.The Color of Magic: A Discworld Novel

Published 20 months ago by Mark Twain

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone
I generally like fantasy literature. The fact that there are so many novels in the Discworld series amazed me so I tried to give a try to the first book of the series. Read more

Published on Mar 3 2010 by S. Lavigne

4.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding !
"The Color of Magic" is the first book in Terry Pratchett's hugely popular Discworld Series. He has gone on to win the Carnegie Medal for "The Amazing Maurice and his Educated... Read more

Published on Jan 26 2007 by Craobh Rua

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic silliness
If you haven't travelled Pratchett's Discworld yet, you're not alone. Mr. Twoflowers hasn't travelled it yet, and he lives there. Read more

Published on Oct 18 2005 by wiredweird

3.0 out of 5 stars Colorful "Magic"
Terry Pratchett is now a publishing superstar, thanks to his witty, wonky Discworld series. But the Discworld series didn't start off on such good ground. Read more

Published on Sep 9 2005 by E. A Solinas

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulously funny book that reminds me of Xanth books
Combine a great reader with a great author and you can't go wrong. The style of comedy employed in these books reminds me of the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. Read more

Published on Aug 22 2002

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't read this one first
I don't think that this book should be the first in the series you read, even though it is the first book. Read more

Published on May 22 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Great beginning to an equally great series!!
"The Color of Magic" is Terry Pratchett's introduction to the now near-famous-yet-delightfully-bizarre planet of Discworld. Read more

Published on May 20 2002 by Chess Heart

5.0 out of 5 stars Pratchett-y
The Color of Magic is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read and definitely the best humor-fantasy book I have ever read. Read more

Published on April 18 2002

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