I could not get past the hobbit party at the start of Lord of the Rings (several attempts, and I hadn't read The Hobbit) until I picked up the paperback of The Two Towers in the school library one day and started reading in the middle of a battle--I then read all the way to the end and starte over with Fellowship. Sometimes starting out of order can help.

Also, I'd been aware of Discworld for a while, but hadn't tried any of the books, because they looked like derivative fantasy satire. Then I picked up Small Gods, which was new in paperback in my local bookstore... and, well, I know there are those who recommend starting with Vimes or the Witches, but Small Gods was definitely a *far* better place for me to start than the Rincewind books.

Riderius