download the colour of magic first edition

Rincewind tried to force the memory out of his mind, but it was rather enjoying itself there, terrorising the other occupants and kicking over the furniture. But the captain had long ago decided that he would, on the whole, prefer to achieve immortality by not dying. Some achieved immortality by amassing great wealth. Some pirates achieved immortality by great deeds of cruelty or derring-do. I’m going to give in to it, because those quotes are so much fun: The temptation, as always with Pratchett, is to start quoting at length.

The book contains, as the author himself once put it, some “ boffo laughs”. It’s still more than worth reading in and of itself. And partly, because this book is still good. Partly, because it’s already so fascinating to see the origins of the Discworld and the source of so many other stories.

I say yes partly because it’s going to be so interesting to compare this book to one of his later masterpieces and to see how Pratchett developed his writing as the years went on. Even more so now that I’ve re-read The Colour of Magic, almost 30 years after it first introduced me to the delights of the Discworld. But I’d still answer yes to both those questions. I wouldn’t introduce someone to the Beatles with Please Please Me, I’d go straight for Revolver.

Download the colour of magic first edition