The Color of Magic/The Light Fantastic

I am choosing to review The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic (both by Terry Pratchett) together, because they are for all intents and purposes one novel. These are both the first two Discworld novels published, and also the only two novels which have a narrative continuity. There are many novels about the same characters throughout the series, but all the others have a distinct story arc all their own.

That being said, at many times The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic seem more like collections of narratively continuous short stories than true novels. I am not sure whether this is Pratchett just finding his legs as an author, or an attempt to make the novels feel more like a travelogue.

After all this is what they essentially are, the telling of the adventures of Two Flower, the Discworlds first and likely last tourist, and Rincewind the unsuccessful wizard. While both novels do at times feel like a series of short stories, each does contain both a fully realized story arc and the overall plot of the two novels together.

These two novels are much more similar to straightforward fantasy than Pratchett’s later works. I suspect this is for two reasons. Firstly, at the time these were written no one else had taken a satirical look at the genre. Secondly with the main characters being Two Flower and Rincewind there was not much need to stray far from the beaten path. By this I mean these two characters themselves are such a humorous and satirical study in characters that none of the deeper nuances were required.

Granted the very notion of the Discworld, even as it was portrayed back then, is in itself a summation of what Pratchett has become known for. At the same time the structure of the world and its’ characters is much more rigid and closer to a “true” fantasy novel. That is to say the wizards are defined by their “level” in magic and the actual use of said magic is much more pronounced. By the time we reach Unseen Academicals almost no magic is actually “used,” in fact magic is more of a state of mind than an actual occurrence.

What is very interesting going back to these novels is how much of what was yet to come was already in place. In revisiting them I can see the origins of many characters and plot lines, even as far flung into the future as Tiffany Aching. However, the sooner to follow characters like Death and the Witches are much more realized.

While these novels, viewed from the vantage point of today, are clearly not Pratchett at the peak of his skill they are still wonderful novels. I doubt anyone could have foreseen that the Discworld series would grow to become what it is now, but thank goodness they have! Rereading is often the true test of a novel for me, as the first time through I am often in such a hurry to follow the plot line that I miss the nuances and subtleties. I can say with no qualms that The Color of Magic and the Light Fantastic are both worthy of multiple rereads and, it goes without saying, first reads. I give these two books a 3.5/5.