Book recommendation for October 2025: “The Colour of Magic” by Terry Pratchett
The start of the iconic, and hilarious, Discworld series. It’s not everyone’s recommended starting point for the series but I fell in love with Terry Pratchett’s stories from the moment he redefined the Big Bang Hypothesis in the opening prologue. Who doesn’t need more humour in their lives?
What’s it about: The story follows Rincewind, an inept and cowardly wizard who only knows one spell—a spell so powerful it stops him learning any others, and so powerful he cannot even use it himself—as he becomes a reluctant guide to a naive tourist called Twoflower, who carries his belongings in a surprisingly ferocious and indestructible chest on legs (hundreds of little legs!) known as the Luggage, as Twoflower goes sightseeing around the Discworld. A world carried on the backs of four giant elephants, who stand on the shell of the giant space turtle, A’Tuin (sex unknown).
Why I love it: It’s not everyone’s recommended starting point but it was my introduction to the Discworld (I am someone who HAS to start a series with the first book). It’s more a parody of fantasy books from the 1930s to 1970s, rather than the satire the later Discworld books became known for. It’s funny, irreverent, with a cast of wild and amusing characters, from trolls employed as tavern bouncers, dragons that exist only if you believe in them, Death (WHO SPEAKS IN SMALL CAPS), barbarians and an adventure that leads Rincewind and Twoflower to the (literal) edge of the world. It’s just great fun and, honestly, who doesn’t need more humour in their lives? I also love the Discworld cover art, starting with (and my favourites) by Josh Kirby, and later Paul Kidby after Josh Kirby died. Check this short BBC article out if you’re interested in the art.
Beyond the book: My mum posted a copy of ‘The Colour of Magic’ to me when I was teaching English in China. It was a care package of sorts because the bookshop in the city I lived in only had had three English language books and I’d run out of reading material. (In fairness, I’m not aware of any Chinese language books sold in Swansea either.) This was in the days before Kindles and ebook readers. I’m a voracious reader (or was before I had children when I had something called ‘free time’) and I had been left just reading online newspapers (that were not blocked by the Great Firewall of China). I opened it up and was hooked from the moment Pterry (not a typo, if you know you know) redefined the Big Bang hypothesis in the opening prologue. I confess I haven’t yet read all 47 Discworld novels, but one day I will. ‘The Colour of Magic’ was also one of the table names at my wedding, though I have since forgotten what book themed favours we left on that table.
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