Product Description

Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels are consistent number one bestsellers in England, where they have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody next to Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen.

The Color 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13608 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03-01
• Released on: 2000-02-02
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 210 pages

Amazon.com Review
The Colour of Magic is Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage through the bizarre land of Discworld. His entertaining and witty series has grown to more than 20 books, and this is where it all starts--with the tourist Twoflower and his hapless wizard guide, Rincewind ("All wizards get like that ... it's the quicksilver fumes. Rots their brains. Mushrooms, too."). Pratchett spoofs fantasy clichés--and everything else he can think of--while marshalling a profusion of characters through a madcap adventure. The Colour of Magic is followed by The Light Fantastic. --Blaise Selby

Review
"Ingenious, brilliant, and hilarious." -- Washington Post

"Truly original...Discworld is more complicated and satisfactory than oz...Has the energy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the inventiveness of Alice in Wonderland...Brilliant!" -- A. S. Byatt

"Unadulterated Fun. . . . Witty, Frequently Hilarious." -- San Francisco Chronicle

About the Author
Terry Pratchett is one of the most popular living authors in the world. His first story was published when he was thirteen, and his first full-length book when he was twenty. He worked as a journalist to support the writing habit, but gave up the day job when the success of his books meant that it was costing him money to go to work.

Prachett's acclaimed novels are bestsellers in the U.S. and the United Kingdom and have sold more than twenty-one million copies worldwide. He lives in England, where he writes all the time. (It's his hobby as well.)

Customer Reviews

This one won me over!
I am a high school English teacher who values the classics. I am not a book "snob," but I do get bored with predictable serialized novels. I picked this book up at a used book store because a student had mentioned the author, and I was curious. Now, I am HOOKED on Discworld! The writing, unlike many "mass market paperbacks" is clever, hysterically funny, full of literary techniques, and absolutely addictive. I have read only two other Pratchett novels so far (Hogfather and Wyrd Sisters) and I cannot wait to get more. Anyone who likes to think while reading and who loves to laugh (out loud, at times, and causing the curious stares of others) should DEFINITELY take a little trip to Discworld. I LOVE THESE BOOKS!

Oh magic, how freakishly wonderful are thou...such possibilities!
I've been collecting the Discworld books in no particular order for a few years now, mostly because my father always had an affinity for them and recommended them as hilarious and entertaining at the same time. Now that I finally got to read the first in the series I can see what the fuss is all about! There is plenty of humor, dry wit and magic, extremely complex scientific and fantastic themes and myriad of characters brighter than all the rainbows and flowers in the world combined. My head was spinning after few pages but somehow I couldn't stop reading; this incredible journey that Pratchett invites the reader on takes some time to get adjusted to, but once I let my mind go and read it slow, it all melted into a fantasy like no other. I can't really imagine kids reading it unless they are prodigies at understanding language because their little brains might pop from the amount of information given; I know mine was taken for a spin a few times!

So here we are, visiting a world that exists as a flat disc with water walling over the edges, carried by four giant elephants standing on an ancient turtle, covered in meteor holes and all sorts of space debris, swimming who knows where....In one of it's cities, Ankh-Morpork , a failed wizard by the name of Rincewind comes across Twoflower, a traveling little man with magical luggage, carved out of rare sapient pear tree that follows him everywhere on its tiny feet. Yes walking luggage, with teeth too, guarding his master and providing lots of entertainment through out the story. The two men are the only ones in the whole city who speak the same language and thus their zany adventures start. Hastily hired as a guide the magician, who sucks at magic but it awfully funny and likable, gets into all sorts of troubles with trolls, dragons, islands with lunatics chased by Death itself without trying to loose poor Twoflower who thinks the whole adventure as a great sight seeing trip, they escape all sorts of scenarios that take them form the murkiest depths of underwater caves into far away galaxies in deep space.

Seems like a lot and it is, but the novel takes all sorts of turns ad twists and one never knows what awaits our heroes on the next page. When Gods play magic dice and Fate and Death are in talks of getting them, our characters have a lot at stake and loosing such charming little fellows would certainly be horrible so the reader is constantly kept on a tight leash as the beauty of the story and its intricate pattern morphs into more fantastic scenarios. I can't even clearly say what this book is about other than being simply fantastic, albeit very complex. Folklore, mythology, fairy tales, comedy and drama, it's all here exquisitely woven for those who dare.

- Kasia S.

Let's get started...
Yay! I finally read a Discworld novel. I was introduced when a friend insisted I watch Hogfather, which I did, and I was intrigued (and slightly confused). So I decided to start at the beginning.

The basic premise is that Twoflower, a tourist with perhaps the most dangerous luggage in existence, has wandered into the twin cities of Ankh and Morpork. While there, he meets and hires the failed wizard Rincewind as a guide. As a wizard, Rincewind knows only one spell, though he's not sure what spell and it could mean the end of the world if he were to say it (who knows?). Catastrophe ensues, starting with the twin cities burning down. Rincewind can't catch a break, but it seems he's destined to watch out for Twoflower, mostly because the luggage threatens to swallow him whole if he doesn't.

Okay, that's the short version. If you've read other "classic" fantasy series, or played D&D at all, you'll enjoy the pokes and prods Discworld makes in their general direction. I thought the book was slow to start, and a bit dry, but once I got settled in Discworld, I was really enjoying it.

I've got a long way to go in the series....