The first book in the Discworld series. Looking back, it is odd to see how different this book and it's sequel are to the rest of the series. More of a straight up parody of the fantasy genre than the satire Discworld has been known for. Though different, it still holds well on its own. ( )

This was my first Discworld book and at the time I thought it was possibly the most hilarious thing I'd ever read; rereading it now, after I've made my way through most of the series, I can see that it lacks a lot of the subtlety and human insight of the later books.

In The Colour of Magic Pratchett is still clearly trying to satirize fantasy, whereas he later uses fantasy to satirize a more broad base of targets - including other genres, other books, and ultimately human nature in general. Still, it's fun to come back from the later books and see how it all started. What we have here is a proto-Discworld; you can see the world slowly taking shape in Pratchett's brain, and there are some things here that you will see in slightly altered form later as well as some things you will never see again, either because they didn't work or because something better came along.

For all that Pratchett hasn't quite yet hit his stride, this is still pretty funny book. I have a soft spot for Twoflower and the Luggage. If anyone else had written it it would probably get 4 stars, but Pratchett can do much better.

Recommended for newcomers to the Discworld who want to read the Discworld books in order; but if you don't like it, skip to some of the later books and keep reading, because they really do get much better. ( )

well i think my screen name gives away just how much i love the diskworld novels and especially this one, the story of Rincewind the cowardly and inept wizard trying to keep the totally unwordly tourist twoflower safe from a whole cast of villians and currupt heros is hilarious. A truely great fantasy adventure that really sets out one of the greatest fictional worlds ever created. ( )

I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens, so I thought I'd give Pratchett's Discworld series a try. It has a similar voice as Good Omens, but sadly, I didn't find it nearly as entertaining. There were a few moments when I sort of giggled, but I was expecting something along the lines of "laugh out loud funny" when what I got was "slightly smirk because it's kind of humorous."

The basic story is this: Rincewind, the unluckiest wizard ever, must escort the strangely ignorant but very rich tourist Twoflower through Discworld. While doing this, he must evade Luggage, Twoflower's living luggage with square teeth a tongue the color of mahogany, dragons that are only real when their creator is conscious, pirates, barbarians, alternate dimensions, Death, Fate, a god that eats souls, a sea troll, slavery, and falling of the edge of the world. Did I mention he's unlucky?

I loved Death, and I admit the story itself was good, but it didn't grab me the way I expected it to and maybe that was my problem. I went in expecting something completely different. I rated it 4 out of 5 rather than 3 out of 5 because for some reason, I really want to read the next book. The story leaves on a big cliffhanger and, while I didn't enjoy the book in the way I thought I would, I want to know how Rincewind and Twoflower's story ends and that's a sign of a good book.

I will continue with the Discworld series, but probably at a very relaxed pace with many other books in between. ( )

Terry Prachett is just a genuis - he has had me rolling up laughing on the tube, and made me fall of my seat on the bus I was laughin so hard. Seriously he is so good he's bad for your health :-)