On Reading Book Series in the Wrong Order

[james_davis_nicoll]

 On Reading Book Series in the Wrong Order 

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

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

[kathmandu]

Mmmm. I remember holding Wyrd Sisters in my hands, reading the back cover, thinking that based on the description, it could be stereotypes and cardboard humor, or it could be really good. I wouldn't have ventured even one dollar on it at that point.

Because it was a library copy, I took it home. Being able to try it out for free meant I became a fan and eventually bought the whole series.

[elusis]

Back in the days of alt.fan.pratchett and the Annotated Pratchett File (aka afp and apf), there were many conversations about how best to begin the series. Starting with "Small Gods" was a popular suggestion.

[jazzfish]

ha! I also started Tolkien with The Two Towers, though in my case it's because that was what the library had at the time. Worked out alright except for a lot of confusion over who Saruman was for the first half of the book.

[arethinn]

I started Tolkien with the Silmarillion. This wasn't because I am hardcore but because I didn't own any, and the boyfriend I had moved in with at the time had a copy of Silm, but not any other Tolkien, for some reason (I think he got it from his dad). I remember liking bits of it but feeling very lost until I finally read LOtR a few years later.

[dormouse1953]

When I was at university, various friends recommended Lord of the Rings so I ordered it from the public library, and also The Hobbit. I think they did send me The Hobbit First, but next they sent The Return of the King, which after The Hobbit did not make any sense. I finally bought the thing complete in one volume and read it that way.

[arethinn]

I determined to read each of the subseries in their proper order and started with The Colour of Magic. I wasn't put off continuing because I had already decided to read them all anyway, but I could see why someone might be.