Let me explain: Pratchett has always enjoyed filling his books with references to other works, but in this case he did it very explicitly. The parodic intent of each of these sections is also clear, something which would become much less evident as the saga progresses. The Colour of Magic is more fragmented than most of the following ones in the saga, so much so that one could speak of four separate adventures, one for each place visited by Twoflower and Rincewind. A few words are also spent on the city guards who would give life to one of the most beloved subseries of the entire Discworld (starting with Guards! Guards!). The book also introduces Hrun the Barbarian, the archetype of the barbarian hero in search of virgins to fall in love with, just the first of a series of barbarians who would also appear in subsequent books (above all, in Interesting Times and The Last Hero). The gods stand out among the various characters introduced in The Colour of Magic, as they affect the actions of the protagonists and would reappear several times in the saga (especially in Small Gods).
1ĭuring their journey, Twoflower and Rincewind (and Luggage: after all, he’s a sentient being) visit various places in addition to Ankh-Morpork: Quirm (similar to continental Europe, even if here it’s not developed that much), Wyrmberg (an upside-down mountain with imaginary dragons), and Krull, a nation on the edge of the Discworld where some mad scientists want to discover the sex of Great A’Tuin, the giant tortoise with the four elephants on it supporting the whole Discworld. Rincewind agrees to be his guide for a high fee and, above all, due to the fact that he’s asked to do so by Lord Vetinari, Patrician of the city and also the only man able to guarantee order, if one can speak of true order, in a chaotic place like Ankh- Morpork. Twoflower is very rich, but only because gold is very common in his country: he’s a simple insurance salesman. The naive Twoflower arrives there with his traveling Luggage and his camera, or rather his picture box. The first part of the book takes place in the largest city in the entire Discworld, Ankh-Morpork. Yet, the book introduces very well many of the elements that would then become recurrent in the subsequent books of the saga. I’ll write it right away: the saga doesn’t start with a bang, and if you haven’t read any Pratchett book before, I probably wouldn’t recommend this one to start reading his works.
Published in 1983, it’s the first part of the story of the tourist Twoflower (a native of the Agatean Empire) who, together with the wizard Rincewind, discovers Ankh-Morpork and its surroundings. The Colour of Magic is the first book of the Discworld saga.
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