Colour of Magic, The

Inhoud

The First Discworld Novel. On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet...

Bespreking

The book that started it all

To claim that Rincewind is a great wizard is not really honoring the truth. He wears a pointy head, that's true, and he knows some magic. That is to say: he knows exactly one spell. Even so he is not really cognizable of what would happen if he ever vocalized it. So, being a true coward and loving it, he never tries. No, he wants to stay out of the big spotlight of life. Because he generally feels that that is so much wiser. Alas, he seems to develop a long-term relationship with that spotlight when he meets Discworld's first tourist Twoflowers. And then I even fail to mention the ever loyal Luggage that follows his master everywhere. Coincidently that is also what trouble seems to do for Rincewind.

Having read more than twenty Discworld novels already, I was a bit hesitant when starting to reread the novel that started it all. Terry Pratchett has evolved a lot since that book, and only for the better. I generally advice people to start off with Guards! Guards! if they haven't read any of those wonderful books yet. But then they would miss out on that wonderful coward, named Rincewind. And Luggage. And Twoflower. And those hero's. Nah. Although, Colour of Magic misses a truly exciting storyline –it jumps from over-the-top-situation to another even-more-over-the-top-situation- it still introduces a wonderfully crazy world that makes it all worth the hassle. If you want to read The Light Fantastic, then you must read this first, because it is the only real sequel to a Discworld novel. Enjoy.