In the Mail: ‘The Compleat Ankh-Morpork City Guide.’

It is a testimony to Terry Pratchett that The Compleat Ankh-Morpork: City Guide – which is, after all, a guide to a city that does not actually exist – can still come across as being a guide (complete with ads) to a city that could exist. Provided, of course, that a city that included dwarves, trolls, vampires, wizards, thieves, assassins, imps, and barbarian heroes among its citizenry could exist, whether sitting on a flat Disc on four elephants on a turtle swimming through space, or not.  Probably not.  Although we may be just not looking with a big enough telescope.

Anyway, if you like the Discworld this would be a handsome addition to your library. Including the map! – Which I don’t know what to do with, honestly: I already have a map of Ankh-Morpork framed, and on the wall.

8 thoughts on “In the Mail: ‘The Compleat Ankh-Morpork City Guide.’”

  1. I have tried, repeatedly, to get into Discworld .. unsuccessfully.
    .
    I regard this as a significant character flaw.
    .
    Mew

    1. start with the later books. i started with the first book, and HATED it. years later i picked up “feet of clay” now i love them.

      1. I strongly disagree with that assessment.
        If you’re going to make another attempt at it, I would suggest “Small Gods”, “Reaper Man” or “Guards! Guards!” as the best spots to jump in.
        .
        He’s gotten back on track with some of his more recent offerings, but there was a pretty significant lull during the “Jingo”-“The Last Continent”-“Carpe Jugulum”-“The Fifth Elephant” streak. I really didn’t enjoy them very much. If it hadn’t been for occasional flashes of brilliance and a hefty dose of nostalgia, I’d have likely given up on him during that period.
        But his more recent good offerings are built on the books that came before. If you try to jump in on the books published this century (“The Last Hero” mostly excepted), you’ll be missing a lot of the background that makes them work.

        1. I think you do agree with my ASSESSMENT; which was “start with later books” just not were to start. I did not say “Start with “Feet of Clay”. I said thats the one i picked up and first loved. The key is just a later book, dont start with “The coulor of magic”

          “Guards, Guards” is probaly okay, but not “Small Gods” nothing really comes of it.

  3. I’m not saying “Small Gods” is a bad book, its just that none of the characters ever show up again, so not a good starting point to get into Discworld.

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