Pratchett for the elderly set?

November 30, 2011 6:38 PM

Where on Discworld should I send my grandmother?

While visiting my 80 year old grandmother last week I discovered that my step-grandfather recently bought her a Kindle Fire. I'm thinking about buying her an ebook for Christmas, specifically a Pratchett Discworld novel. Possibly relevant details: she's politically conservative, religious (Christian) but not practicing, and loves detective novels. I like pushing her boundaries a little, and I think she could get into Pratchett's wit and use of language. She loved my gift of James Patterson novels a couple of years ago, except for his one foray into the fantasy genre(?). Which Pratchett novel would you recommend for her, or is this a bad idea? At the moment I'm thinking of Making Money (she follows the markets and is financially savvy), or one of the Nightwatch novels.

If this is a bad idea, I suppose I could fall back on this question, but feel free to let fly with new book ideas as well.

posted by postel's law to Human Relations (28 answers total)

I think it does make sense to start near the beginning of the series, because it is a very rich and detailed world that gets built a bit more in each book. However, the first few aren't the best, by any means. The last time this was discussed here, someone suggested Mort as a good starting point, which is a good idea. If she likes detective novels, then the watch novels are great fun, start at the beginning, though. I got my mother into them a couple of years back - I gave her the first 8 all at once, and she was through them within 2 months. So, one might not be enough!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 6:48 PM on November 30, 2011

I liked Going Postal more than Making Money, and Hogfather is a nice tale about a grandparent and its grandchild in which many people learn IMPORTANT LESSONS.
posted by infinitewindow at 6:53 PM on November 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

Send her to Omnia.

That is, Small Gods. Self-contained, well-written, some of Pratchett's best, in my opinion.
posted by bonehead at 6:54 PM on November 30, 2011 [4 favorites]

If she likes detective novels, you might start her off on one of the Vimes stories. Making Money and Going Postal would be good choices too.

Was just saying Hogfather and then infinitewindow beat me. Hogfather is awesome.
posted by bunderful at 6:55 PM on November 30, 2011

I would probably go with Maskerade or the Fifth Elephant. Definitely start with one of the earlier books.
posted by brilliantine at 6:56 PM on November 30, 2011

oh, yea, small gods is great too!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 6:59 PM on November 30, 2011

Wee Free Men is actually one of my favorites and might be an easy way to introduce Discworld (to someone who might be put off by Nanny Ogg, anyway), provided that she doesn't mind occasionally reading YA books. It not a detective story as such, I guess, so that might be an issue. It is however a great grandmother/ granddaughter story that stands on its own and doesn't require you to have read his other books.
posted by _cave at 7:02 PM on November 30, 2011 [3 favorites]

I think Guards! Guards! is where the main nightwatch characters were intoduced. It touches on a lot of really fun tropes & gets you quickly informed about the mechanics of Ankh Morpork. If you truly think she'll enjoy Discworld, but don't want to start with Rincewind, it's not a bad beginning.

On the other hand, I first got sucked in by The Last Heroe. Beautiful illustrated "coffee table"-style book about badasses gone ederly & how they're dealing with it. Depending on her sense of humor, she might appreciate it. Not sure how it would translate to Kindle.
posted by Ys at 7:10 PM on November 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

Small Gods.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 7:11 PM on November 30, 2011

Seconding The Wee Free Men. If you have kids, it's something she'll probably enjoy reading to them quite apart from the pleasure it will give her to read it on her own.
posted by flabdablet at 7:25 PM on November 30, 2011

Wyrd Sisters is my favorite book for getting people hooked on Discworld.

Guards,Guards! or Going Postal are my next two favorites.

I'd steer clear of Small Gods personally -- Terry Pratchett's atheism might be kind of offputting.
posted by selfmedicating at 7:27 PM on November 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

If she might be offended by the sarcastic take on organized religion in Small Gods, I'd say Masquerade is the next best. It's a mystery, one of his better ones, and no one is what they appear to be. It's a witches book, but not from the witches' point of view. It's got the Guard and Vimes, but as supporting characters.
posted by bonehead at 7:30 PM on November 30, 2011

As a few others have mentioned, Guards Guards would be a good place to start if she loves detective novels. Vimes is one of the most easily accessible characters in the Ankh-Mopork area. But, as _cave mentioned, the Tiffany Aching books might work better as an introduction to Pratchett's style without overwhelming her with the entire Discworld. Plus, if she love love loves it, she might be happier that you started her at the beginning of a series.

As far as other detective recommendations for grandmothers, if you have second thoughts about the hustle, bustle, and over-the-topness of Pratchett (I definitely wouldn't think to leap from James Patterson to Sir Terry), The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency is such a delightful series of books. They're also quite humorous and witty in a way your grandmother might appreciate, with a milder version of that observational wit that the Pratchett has.

“Great feuds often need very few words to resolve them. Disputes, even between nations, between peoples, can be set to rest with simple acts of contrition and corresponding forgiveness, can so often be shown to be based on nothing much other than pride and misunderstanding, and the forgetting of the humanity of the other -- and land, of course. ” -The Good Husband of Zebra Drive

Plus, it has terrific female main characters and a lot of sweetness and tea-drinking mixed in with the detecting.
posted by redsparkler at 7:46 PM on November 30, 2011

Thud! That was my first Discworld that made me hungry for more and is officially my favorite book ever.
posted by Attackpanda at 7:58 PM on November 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

I would love to introduce someone to Pratchett. But I have actively avoided recommending them to my father, who is a staunch high-church Anglican conservative, because he would be offended at Small Gods and the explicitly anti-gun message of Feet of Clay, and he would not be able to keep himself from reading all of Pratchett's books if I gave him any of them.

If your grandma is capable of separating even the pretty blatant propagandizing of those books from the entertainment value, then I nth the suggestion of Small Gods. If she is not, then don't give her any Discworld, or you are doing her a disservice in the long run.
posted by Etrigan at 8:24 PM on November 30, 2011

Going postal.
posted by leahwrenn at 8:32 PM on November 30, 2011

I find I re-read Hogfather, Night Watch, and Reaper Man more than any of the others, though Wyrd Sisters is also pretty thumbed. Soul Music and Holy Wood and possibly the funniest, in an inside-joke sort of way, if you have any knowledge of pop music or film, respectively.

I really like the character of Susan Sto Helit, so Thief of Time is another favorite of mine.

So, Hm. Hogfather if you're going to be giving the gift before everyone is tired of the holiday, or Wyrd Sisters if not.
posted by maxwelton at 9:01 PM on November 30, 2011

Yep, Going Postal. Who can resist a golem? Not me.
posted by crankyrogalsky at 10:04 PM on November 30, 2011

I'd suggest Guards! Guards! because then she has the rest of the Watch canon to look forward to. It's also one of the less convoluted novels. Or Feet of Clay which is a much more direct detective-novel spoof.

I always stick with early to middle period (what I think of as Pratchett's golden age) Discworld when introducing his novels to Pratchett-virgins.
posted by Ziggy500 at 2:11 AM on December 1, 2011

LSpace has a good reading guide Here. I think seeing as she likes detective novels you should start her off with Guards Guards and maybe also book 2 of the City Watch series (Men at Arms). I also think that you can put the linked graphic on her kindle so she can decide which ones to get next.
posted by koolkat at 2:26 AM on December 1, 2011

Wyrd Sisters is a good place to get hooked on Discworld.
Wee Free Men is fun just for the language of the nac mac Feegle.
Night Watch is a good introduction to Vimes and Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, etc. Excellent.
Mort and Reaper Man to get comfortable with DEATH.
(I found Hogfather confusing when I read it before I really "knew" DEATH)
Small Gods is my favorite, but it might offend a religious person.
The same is true for Jingo - it could be uncomfortable for a person who's a proud "patriot."

I personally didn't care so much for Going Postal or Making Money, but that's just me. Terry Pratchett is a small god to me.
posted by aryma at 3:27 AM on December 1, 2011

I agree with the suggestion of Thud. My brother had been talking to me about Pratchett for ages and I'd started a few but Thud really got to me. She's into dectective stories so if this appeals to her then you've got all the previous Night Watch books to pass on.
posted by h00py at 5:43 AM on December 1, 2011

I judged Fifth Elephant by the cover and title and bought it on a random book shopping binge. It was my first Discworld novel. I agree with those who suggest you should start her out with one of the Nights Watch novels. My vote's for either Fifth Elephant or Guards Guards as an introduction.

But if you just want to give her the best Discworld book there is, give her Jingo.
Or Small Gods. Or Going Postal. Sooo many good books...
posted by bluejayway at 7:31 AM on December 1, 2011

Many of the above suggestions are great, but for the love of god do not start her off with The Colour of Magic or The Light Fantastic. My vote's for either Mort or Guards! Guards!
posted by zoetrope at 7:40 AM on December 1, 2011

I'll nth the Tiffany Aching books and Hogfather, but _Feed of Clay_ is a hell of a detective novel. Darker than a lot of his stuff, but it is the first one I read and it totally hooked me.
posted by QIbHom at 8:06 AM on December 1, 2011

I introduced my mother to Discworld and she now ADORES it and has read all of it (although she does NOT like Small Gods, more for the torture than for the atheism, but still) and she sounds a lot like your grandma in her beliefs. I started my mom with Wyrd Sisters (because most folks know Shakespeare, and it's a lovely riff on that, plus it's nice that the heroes are a couple of old ladies (and a young lady of course). She then went to Guards Guards and then quickly read all the other Witches and Guards books and then went on to read all the others; her favorite character remains Vimes, with Granny and Co a close second. She's not fond of Rincewind but will read him, and she likes Moist and such, and the wizards of UU always get a laugh. Now when there is a new one we fight over who gets to read it first, and the well-worn hardcovers of her favorite Discworlds are on the very small shelf with her favorite reads-rereads. :)
posted by The otter lady at 10:27 AM on December 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

I concur with the suggestion to start with the Vimes stuff. I actually first read Men At Arms and loved it right away, and I agree with QIbHom that Feet Of Clay is fantastic and maybe the best of the Watch series. I didn't read Guards, Guards! until much later, and in comparison it's not as good, but if I'd started there I might have a different opinion. Small Gods is very, very liberal in its religious contemplation, so that may be a bit of a dealbreaker. No one's ever gone wrong by starting with Mort. I like to start out my musically-inclined friends with Soul Music, especially if they know about the early days of rock n'roll, because the jokes and puns are right up their alley and easily obtainable. So if she's an Elvis or Beatles fan, it works as a standalone (I know it's not, but it works as one).

I wonder though: if she liked all the Patterson books except for the fantasy one, is she going to enjoy Pratchett's fantasy pastiche?
posted by Errant at 5:01 PM on December 1, 2011

Response by poster: These are all great answers. Small Gods is out because of her religiosity. Hogfather is out (at least to start) because Death takes some getting used to, and I don't want her to wonder what I'm trying to tell her.

I mentioned the Patterson books because I haven't read him, so I don't know if his fantasy novel was any good. If it was, then that suggests I might need to rethink this plan. If it was bad, maybe she'll give fantasy a second chance. The Patterson fantasy also might just have suffered from being unexpected. She has read LOTR, and seen the movies.

At the moment I'm leaning towards Guards!Guards!, Going Postal, and Making Money, telling her to read them in that order. I may need to run to the library to get a copy of Guards to reread, just to be sure.
posted by postel's law at 9:16 AM on December 4, 2011