Book Review: The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
Boom! With this book, I start another new series. I struggle to finish a line of books before jumping into a new one!
With this title, I return to a high school favourite of mine. The Colour of Magic. Written by Sir Terry Pratchett in 1983. It soon became a favourite read of mine, and the setting is imaginative and pretty crazy. Here are the deets.
Title: The Colour of Magic (Discworld #1)
Author: Sir Terry Pratchett
Publisher: Corgi
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 228
Commercial Fluff: The Colour of Magic is Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage through the now-legendary land of Discworld. This is where it all begins -- with the tourist Twoflower and his wizard guide, Rincewind.
On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and, of course, THE EDGE of the planet.
Review
This is a book I haven't read since I was a youngster. Though I loved the series, I stopped reading them in my twenties for reasons unknown, and I was excited to open up this thrift store copy. Straight away I am reminded why I enjoyed it so much, the book is just crammed full of all things, fantasy and sci-fi. Throughout the tale, we are treated to wizards, assassins, pirates and Dragonriders! The theme, it would seem, for this book is mainly Tourism and the destructive influence it can have on others. It is about showcasing the world as much as possible.
The book itself is split into four parts. The first is set in Ankh-Morpork (this world’s version of London with a hint of Rome). Here we meet Twoflower's a wealthy but bored foreigner seeking adventure in the city. For all his well-meaning behaviour, he can't help but find himself in constant trouble, especially if it means the locals are separating him from his gold. Luckily for Twoflower, he soon makes a friend by the name of Rincewind, an Unseen University dropout, a.k .a. failed wizard. Rincewind reluctantly becomes Twoflowers' travel companion and guide. From this setup, we get the other stories as they follow the pair from the centre of the disc to the edge!
What makes this book a good read is Pratchett's humour. Yes some of it is in the style of a cheesy british sitcom, but every few pages I guarantee you will at least smile. Pratchett's writing imagination is second to none, with him taking the standard fantasy themes and making them purely his own. In this book alone, we deal with a thieves' guild, translucent dragons created by thought, alien space trolls made purely of water, and luggage with a hundred feet that never says a word but has some of the best scenes in the book. You are left amused, confused and dazed as the tale continues, but at no point do you wish to stop. It's very addicting to read Pratchett, and I fear I have become an addict again.
I completely loved the book. It reignited my passion for adventure on the Discworld, so now I am searching for the next tale. So expect more reviews soon. Thanks as always for reading.
