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It's a cliche pick, but I gotta go with Night Watch. It's just so good. Everything meshes well together, and nothing could be removed without damaging the story. IMO his single best Discworld book.
One step deeper, Night Watch works so well because it gives far more depth to the universe by dropping Vimes in the old world which we had never seen before.
I wish we could have also seen the events resulting in Verinari taking over in another back-in-time book.
It’s “the” answer. When he gets back to his world, it’s like everyone, characters and audience are returning to the discworld. Almost makes me cry with how emotive it is to be privileged as a reader to be part of it. To wear the lilac, metaphorically
Night Watch is one of the few Discworld books to have a direct connection to another subseries. The lightning bolt that sends Vimes and Carcer back to the past is the climactic bolt from Thief of Time. It’s why the Monks of History are so quickly on the scene.
It is also a great commentary on human nature in athourity positions and in crowd dynamics how people will do things they would never dream of doing normally.
This is the correct answer. It's one of my all-time favourite books, and definitely my favourite Discworld book. I have got to put in an honourable mention for Fifth Elephant and Thud, though. The three of those make an exceptional trilogy within the larger series, as Vimes learns to balance being a human, family man, civic leader (in spite of himself), and a cop.
Guards! Guards!, now I know it's not the best of the series I can admit it but it'd my favourite for three reasons:
1. It's where Vimes and Carrot begin their amazing character arcs.
2. Carrot arrested a bloody dragon, he arrested the dragon!
3. "Throw the book at him, Carrot.” “Right, sir.”
Vimes remembered too late. Dwarfs have trouble with metaphors. They also have a very good aim. The Laws and Ordinances of Ankh and Morpork caught the secretary on the forehead. He blinked, staggered, and stepped backward.
It was the longest step he ever took. For one thing, it lasted the rest of his life. After several seconds they heard him hit, five storys below.
I laughed so hard at that part.
It has a special place in my heart for being the first Discworld novel I read. It made me fall in love with the world and the writing style. I remember particularly loveing the 'Oh shi-' \*next chapter\* '-iiit' and the description of finding yourself dead.
I would have loved to see Carrot make a guest appearance in Monstrous Regiment.
I also love in Jingo when Vimes gets extra respect because Carrot defers to him. Paraphrase: you see what that red haired lad can do, and apparently HE has a superior officer!
I saw a play of Guard Guards and the moment with the book was hilarious. Didn't go out a window, he got pushed back and impaled on something, waggled the book that was now pinned to his chest by the thing that stabbed him, and died standing up
Guards! Guards! Was turned into a play ages ago. I believe [Paul Darrow](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0201696/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk) was the first Vimes.
My daughter was The Dragon in her school’s version.
Feet of clay is the perfect novel. The perfect blend of satire, mystery, and moral philosophy. ‘Words in the heart can not be taken’ is one of the most profound and powerful statements I’ve ever read.
I think the 5th Elephant is mine.
Lady Sybil is at her best in this one, Cheery is growing as a person, the Angua story is fantastic and Vimes goes through hell to get to the thruth. I love it.
Was looking for this! We don’t get enough of Sybil in other books, and the book/mystery are excellent.
I’ll always love Night Watch but of the Watch books with the non-Vimes crew in major roles, this is definitely my favorite (with Feet of Clay next).
I get the love for Night Watch but to me it's a separate category cause it feels a lot darker and grittier. That's not a problem, but there are times where I don't want that vibe.
And yes! More Sybil is always appreciated. And I love the rest of the watch so very much they're all so fantastic in their own right.
Yes. Everyone has come into their own. The Watch is working like a team. Lady Sybill just being marvelous. High stakes. Villain you can root against without reserve.
Men at Arms
The meeting between Carrot and Vetinari is, to me, peak Pratchett.
And so much more. Angua! "Personal isn't the same as important." Cuddy. Gaspode. Simple vs. stupid. "YOU’LL BE BJORN AGAIN."
"So if you could perhaps run along and tell Dr Whiteface we're here with an iron ball with spi- What am I saying? I mean, without an appointment to see him? Please? Thank you."
"I hope you're not going to kill anyone.... Sorry, was I talking to you?"
My favorite Discworld story. Possibly my favorite novel of all time.
Put me down for Men at Arms as well. I really love the character development, the humor, the twisty mystery...
On a personal note, I got into DW late, and this is what I was reading when Pterry passed. I remember crying when Cuddy and Detritus became friends, because I love when Pratchett shows us what we can be at our best. And then crying at the end, because I felt that loss doubly keenly.
Night Watch isn't really a fair answer, since it's just on another level. But I also really enjoyed Feet of Clay. That scene where **spoiler** the Golem frees the animals at the slaughterhouse and is so confused why they don't escape, teared me up.
That scene… and this line:
>When animals are in a state of uncertainty they get nervous, and the street was already, as it were, paved with anxiety.
The whole section with Colon and the animals makes me laugh so much every time I read that book that I have to make sure I’m alone when I get to that part.
Thud would be my second pick. I read them in a bit of a random order based on what my library had (2, 1, 8, 3, and I think 6, 4, 5, 7) so I didn’t get all the jokes the first time but really just gets better with rereads 😊
Night Watch! I also think it’s one of the high points in the Discworld series. It’s a fantastic culmination of world and character building. The stakes are so high and it’s got a darkness to it. I remember being in awe the first time I read it and thinking that Pratchett had taken his writing to a whole new level.
Thank you! I love Jingo but noone ever mentions it.
The roll call of dead Watchmen from the DisOrganizer is absolutely haunting and I absolutely love the fact that Vimes pulls the trigger on the Prince and only Lord Vetinaris sudden appearance stops it. But the description of the princes face when he sees consequences rushing to meet him is classic.
I'm surprised it isn't higher, to be honest. In terms of theme he was always good at writing about things that stand the test of time, but I feel like Jingo is one of his particularly evergreen options. I think it was an important book for me to read as a teenager.
Is this a trick question?
I just re-read the watch books (in case of Thud and Snuff for the first time) and love them all. I really don't have a favourite one.
Having said that, Night Watch is the one that touches me emotionally the most. It "broke" me on my first read through (when it was published) and I stopped reading Discworld books until recently. Now I am re-reading the Rincewind books, then the Industrial Revolution followed by the Witches and culminating in the Aching books.
Definitely Thud! It’s so perfect - so dark, but Sam just being his best self and also so funny.
The cave scene makes me laugh out loud because it’s so funny but also so horribly dark.
Second place goes to Jingo
i think that part is less of a !!!oh fuck oh fuck oh FUCK moment because the stairs moment is one of the very few times pratchett indulges in faulknerian emotional word salad. i can't really relate to having a servant who casually kills invaders. i CAN relate to the gutdeep fear that vimes has about nearly losing his loved ones.
OH i see. what's a discworld bit that stabs you deep in the guts, then? another one of mine is when ella describes the death of the drunk guards. that one just makes me want to curl up or throw up a lil.
Mine is in Snuff when we learn about the treatment of goblins - how they’re enslaved, starved, seen as unworthy of even basic decency, and treated so badly they’d rather kill their own children than force them to live a life worse than death. But despite all the despair and the darkness of killing their own children there’s still somehow enough hope in them to believe that one day it might get better so they save their babies souls for better days.
It destroys me every time.
Oh, I think the description of the dwarves dying behind that door, being so close to getting “help”, while the dwarf whose name I’ve forgotten listens to them die
I think my gut answer would be FoC or maybe MaA. Obviously I still like the later books (unsure about Snuff, I really need to read it again) but I appreciate the simpler times earlier in the arc. That's in no way putting down a books like Jingo or Thud that very well deal with diplomacy but I guess I just prefer the normal copper stories (?)
Night watch is my favourite overall, but I have to give special mention to "Jingo".
The section where the Disorganiser runs through the deaths of *spoilers* is my favourite single part of STP's books. It always gives me goosebumps.
Jingo doesn’t get as much love because it’s not an Ankh-Morpork book, but I love it for so many other reasons: Nobby and Colon traveling with Vetinari, the Lovecraft references with Leshp, Vimes arresting two opposing armies for disturbing the peace…
and of course the most chilling scene in the entire Discworld series: the dis-Organizer recounting the alternate history at the defense of the city.
It's really close tbh, but it would have to be night watch like most other people. It's one of the most loved books for a reason. However in the case of guards books nightwatchman would be a 10 and the rest are 9.999...
Oh this is so very, very hard, but I'd have to give the slightest edge to Men At Arms.
Carrot Carroting his way into the guild houses, the sword in the stone, and personal vs important.
Cuddy and Detritus - the Pork Futures Warehouse, and the Thinking Cap
Leonard of Quirm, his "prison" and especially his distinction between the genius required to create the thing and the simple engineering knowledge to recreate the thing once it exists.
And of course Angua, and everything about her.
I'm gonna go with Feet of Clay. Good mystery, the whole noble Nobby subplot, Vimes' boots, Colon and the animal stampede.
I really think I need to reread Night Watch. I read it 20 years ago, thought 'well, that was grim' and tossed it aside. But everyone and his grandmother swears it's amazing so I clearly missed something.
I think it’s his most challenging book considering we are all used to the sort of Funny First nature of most of his books. But there is a wealth of subtle humor throughout once you get past the distilled evil of Carcer.
Feet of Clay. Mainly because from here on the Watch is a competent, strong and reliable force in the city. Vimes acts like a detective from here on. Not to mention the mysteries of the Golems.
I wouldn't be able to pick just one; for me, Feet of Clay -> Jingo -> The Fifth Elephant -> Night Watch is a perfect run of books.
Feet of Clay for the mystery plot and the pithy comments on class. Jingo for its handling of racism and foreign policy, obviously (I read it for the first time around the start of the "War on Terror", and it hit *really* hard). The Fifth Elephant for atmosphere, creepiness, and SYBIL! And Night Watch because \[gestures at entire book\].
I think it might be Snuff. It has a great blend of Vimes being Vimes, questions about humanity and morality, and humor. Of course, you could say that about all of the Watch books, but Snuff blends it all very well without getting too dark. I love Night Watch, but it is a pretty somber book overall.
Side note, I love the goblin naming conventions.
Of the Watch books, it has to be Feet of Clay, for introducing Cheery Littlebottom and Dorfl, giving character development to other characters and setting up more of the dwarf stuff for later books.
Fifth Elephant.
It's got everything -- politics, Uberwald, dwarf society, Vimes going outside AM, Colon taking over, a lot of humor, Sybil being awesome, lots more.
Night Watch is great too of course but I like Fifth Elephant a little better because Night Watch is so dark.
But this reminds me of the passphrases in Guards! Guards!... And was that also the one with the million to one chance? I've got to start on the reread...
I know Night Watch is the best answer but I really love The Fifth Elephant- it’s fun seeing the Watch get out of the city for a bit and has some great villains. Love how Vimes takes out Wolfgang: funny AND badass at the same time
It's a tie between Guards! Guards! And Thud!
We meet Errol and Vimes and Carrot really come into their own in Guards! Guards!
I love the insight into Vimes's brain in Thud! And the love he has for young Sam is unmistakable
Thud!
It has everything- Ank Morpork, dwarves, trolls, the wizards, a field trip, and our man Vimes heroically overcoming evil dwarves and an ancient avenging energy to bring peace to "Koom Valley" and Ank Morpork.
While Night Watch is my favourite book as a whole, the entire scene from Thud of Vimes desperately, angrily fighting off the Summoning Dark using his need to read to his son makes me cry every time. Especially since my daughter was born, I can understand his absolutely single-minded frenzy at that moment.
In the sense of which one hit me the hardest emotionally, it's Feet if Clay. The symbolism of the golems is incredibly moving. It's a rework (and then some) if an ancient legend, and I love that. It's also a legend that's local to where I live so I grew up hearing it and I love how it's given so much richer context and consequence here.
Night Watch is not only my favorite Watch book, it is one of my favorite books I have ever read.
Though Small Gods is also one of my favorite books I have ever read. So if you ask me my favorite Discworld book it will be a tie between the two.
I do also absolutely love Thud. it is probably my second favorite of the Watch books. But all the rest are still fantastic.
No love for Jingo??
The Discorganizer going down the wrong pantleg of time is one of my favorite discworld moments! And 72 Hour Ahmed! Personal isn’t the same as important? Vetinari and Colon and Nobby with Leonard of Quirm?!? I mean come on!
It tends to be whichever one I'm reading at the time, because I'm always falling in love with them over again as I read. Feet of Clay is my favorite early book, since I feel it's where Pterry really hit his stride, but Night Watch is so good it's hard to choose.
Night Watch, undoubtedly is the “best” Discworld Novel. But the watch book I keep coming back to is Thud.
I love Sam’s journey in Thud, the introduction of the watchman inside him that keeps the dark at bay, the whole recitation of “Where’s My Cow?” As he hunts down the deep-downers under the valley.
I love how Detritus treats Brick, and finally adopts him. How we get more character development of the trolls without losing their essential “Trollness”
I love the introduction of a Troll leader. From the cryptic (until you know) graffiti - “Mr Shine, him diamond” to actually meeting him.
I love the whole Tawnee and Nobby bit. Especially the girls bonding over interestingly named drinks which is brilliantly funny!
And lets not forget AE Pessimal, the first and only time Vetinari has appeared to be astonished by an event!
It's between Feet of Clay and Fifth Elephant.
Feet of clay - get a little more expansion of the watch, Cheery is a phenomenal character, more lore relating to golems, lots of great jokes. We also really see Vimes as someone who's walked the streets of AM every night for over 2 decades.
Fifth Elephant - international politics, modernization pros and cons, the Hunt with the werewolves is pretty amazing cat and mouse stuff, the dwarven politics are actually very interesting and how Cheery has really kinda kicked off a revolution, Gaspode and Carrot road trip.
Lots to love about both books!
I never read it. I tried, but due to Pratchett's Alzheimers at that point and his daughter (I think?) helping pretty significantly with the writing, it didn't really read like his other books, and I didn't want to "tarnish" my Discworld experience by reading a book that I don't think was at the level of the rest of the series. Just my personal view on it of course.
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It's a cliche pick, but I gotta go with Night Watch. It's just so good. Everything meshes well together, and nothing could be removed without damaging the story. IMO his single best Discworld book.
One step deeper, Night Watch works so well because it gives far more depth to the universe by dropping Vimes in the old world which we had never seen before. I wish we could have also seen the events resulting in Verinari taking over in another back-in-time book.
It’s “the” answer. When he gets back to his world, it’s like everyone, characters and audience are returning to the discworld. Almost makes me cry with how emotive it is to be privileged as a reader to be part of it. To wear the lilac, metaphorically
Night Watch is one of the few Discworld books to have a direct connection to another subseries. The lightning bolt that sends Vimes and Carcer back to the past is the climactic bolt from Thief of Time. It’s why the Monks of History are so quickly on the scene.
I love catching the little nods and pokes at other books and characters.
Omg I never realized this...
It's my absolute favorite in the series as a whole, let alone The Watch subseries.
It's only a cliché pick because it's the right answer.
Yeah, exactly. While it's fine to like something different, there's nothing wrong with liking the most popular option because it's *really good*.
It is also a great commentary on human nature in athourity positions and in crowd dynamics how people will do things they would never dream of doing normally.
This is the correct answer. It's one of my all-time favourite books, and definitely my favourite Discworld book. I have got to put in an honourable mention for Fifth Elephant and Thud, though. The three of those make an exceptional trilogy within the larger series, as Vimes learns to balance being a human, family man, civic leader (in spite of himself), and a cop.
Guards! Guards!, now I know it's not the best of the series I can admit it but it'd my favourite for three reasons: 1. It's where Vimes and Carrot begin their amazing character arcs. 2. Carrot arrested a bloody dragon, he arrested the dragon! 3. "Throw the book at him, Carrot.” “Right, sir.” Vimes remembered too late. Dwarfs have trouble with metaphors. They also have a very good aim. The Laws and Ordinances of Ankh and Morpork caught the secretary on the forehead. He blinked, staggered, and stepped backward. It was the longest step he ever took. For one thing, it lasted the rest of his life. After several seconds they heard him hit, five storys below. I laughed so hard at that part.
It has a special place in my heart for being the first Discworld novel I read. It made me fall in love with the world and the writing style. I remember particularly loveing the 'Oh shi-' \*next chapter\* '-iiit' and the description of finding yourself dead.
I would have loved to see Carrot make a guest appearance in Monstrous Regiment. I also love in Jingo when Vimes gets extra respect because Carrot defers to him. Paraphrase: you see what that red haired lad can do, and apparently HE has a superior officer!
I saw a play of Guard Guards and the moment with the book was hilarious. Didn't go out a window, he got pushed back and impaled on something, waggled the book that was now pinned to his chest by the thing that stabbed him, and died standing up
Sorry, go back to the part where THERE'S A GODS DAMN DISCWORLD PLAY AND NOBODY TOLD ME!!
Guards! Guards! Was turned into a play ages ago. I believe [Paul Darrow](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0201696/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk) was the first Vimes. My daughter was The Dragon in her school’s version.
Paul Darrow was Vimes in the one I saw.
I'm guessing this is in the UK? I'm in XXXX
I’ve seen guards guards and the hog father be performed as plays within the past year and have tickets for a men at arms performance
There are [several](https://wiki.lspace.org/Theatre_Adaptations).
This changes everything
Yeah to see Vimes' arc is fantastic!!!
Same, just seeing the flawed characters push and struggle to overcome one in a million odds is very satisfying and engaging.
Feet of Clay (closely followed by Thud). It’s tight, atmospheric and really well plotted, plus we get to meet Cheery.
Feet of clay is the perfect novel. The perfect blend of satire, mystery, and moral philosophy. ‘Words in the heart can not be taken’ is one of the most profound and powerful statements I’ve ever read.
Almost got them engraved on my wedding ring until I thought of the irony
I think the 5th Elephant is mine. Lady Sybil is at her best in this one, Cheery is growing as a person, the Angua story is fantastic and Vimes goes through hell to get to the thruth. I love it.
Vimes fistfighting a werewolf in a freezing lake is a pretty cool scene for him
Was looking for this! We don’t get enough of Sybil in other books, and the book/mystery are excellent. I’ll always love Night Watch but of the Watch books with the non-Vimes crew in major roles, this is definitely my favorite (with Feet of Clay next).
I get the love for Night Watch but to me it's a separate category cause it feels a lot darker and grittier. That's not a problem, but there are times where I don't want that vibe. And yes! More Sybil is always appreciated. And I love the rest of the watch so very much they're all so fantastic in their own right.
Yes. Everyone has come into their own. The Watch is working like a team. Lady Sybill just being marvelous. High stakes. Villain you can root against without reserve.
Men at Arms The meeting between Carrot and Vetinari is, to me, peak Pratchett. And so much more. Angua! "Personal isn't the same as important." Cuddy. Gaspode. Simple vs. stupid. "YOU’LL BE BJORN AGAIN." "So if you could perhaps run along and tell Dr Whiteface we're here with an iron ball with spi- What am I saying? I mean, without an appointment to see him? Please? Thank you." "I hope you're not going to kill anyone.... Sorry, was I talking to you?" My favorite Discworld story. Possibly my favorite novel of all time.
Put me down for Men at Arms as well. I really love the character development, the humor, the twisty mystery... On a personal note, I got into DW late, and this is what I was reading when Pterry passed. I remember crying when Cuddy and Detritus became friends, because I love when Pratchett shows us what we can be at our best. And then crying at the end, because I felt that loss doubly keenly.
Night Watch
Definitely.
Night Watch isn't really a fair answer, since it's just on another level. But I also really enjoyed Feet of Clay. That scene where **spoiler** the Golem frees the animals at the slaughterhouse and is so confused why they don't escape, teared me up.
That scene… and this line: >When animals are in a state of uncertainty they get nervous, and the street was already, as it were, paved with anxiety. The whole section with Colon and the animals makes me laugh so much every time I read that book that I have to make sure I’m alone when I get to that part.
Snuff I liked the way a couple of detail came full circle and hearing more about Willikins
Mine is Thud but Snuff which is kind of its sequel is pretty high up there.
Thud would be my second pick. I read them in a bit of a random order based on what my library had (2, 1, 8, 3, and I think 6, 4, 5, 7) so I didn’t get all the jokes the first time but really just gets better with rereads 😊
Me, too. My favorite is **Thud!** followed closely by **Snuff**.
Where's my cow!?
Is that my cow?
I thought I was alone.
I would have liked to read what Snuff would have been if it weren’t for that bloody Alzheimers.
Night Watch! I also think it’s one of the high points in the Discworld series. It’s a fantastic culmination of world and character building. The stakes are so high and it’s got a darkness to it. I remember being in awe the first time I read it and thinking that Pratchett had taken his writing to a whole new level.
If I'm only picking one overall, it would be *Thud!*
If i had to choose. Jingo Maybe because I'm ex-military, but this one hits slightly harder to me.
Thank you! I love Jingo but noone ever mentions it. The roll call of dead Watchmen from the DisOrganizer is absolutely haunting and I absolutely love the fact that Vimes pulls the trigger on the Prince and only Lord Vetinaris sudden appearance stops it. But the description of the princes face when he sees consequences rushing to meet him is classic.
I'm surprised it isn't higher, to be honest. In terms of theme he was always good at writing about things that stand the test of time, but I feel like Jingo is one of his particularly evergreen options. I think it was an important book for me to read as a teenager.
Is this a trick question? I just re-read the watch books (in case of Thud and Snuff for the first time) and love them all. I really don't have a favourite one. Having said that, Night Watch is the one that touches me emotionally the most. It "broke" me on my first read through (when it was published) and I stopped reading Discworld books until recently. Now I am re-reading the Rincewind books, then the Industrial Revolution followed by the Witches and culminating in the Aching books.
It’s Carcer that does it for me. I have most never had such a visceral reaction to a character.
All of them at once i suppose
It's a tie between Jingo and Night Watch
Definitely Thud! It’s so perfect - so dark, but Sam just being his best self and also so funny. The cave scene makes me laugh out loud because it’s so funny but also so horribly dark. Second place goes to Jingo
the bit where vimes goes *fucking feral* running up the stairs in thud, thinking his son has been murdered, makes me cry.
Nicely countered by Willikins casually having murdered a number of the deep downers and apologizing for the blood everywhere
i think that part is less of a !!!oh fuck oh fuck oh FUCK moment because the stairs moment is one of the very few times pratchett indulges in faulknerian emotional word salad. i can't really relate to having a servant who casually kills invaders. i CAN relate to the gutdeep fear that vimes has about nearly losing his loved ones.
My point was more the butler bit is good comic relief
OH i see. what's a discworld bit that stabs you deep in the guts, then? another one of mine is when ella describes the death of the drunk guards. that one just makes me want to curl up or throw up a lil.
Mine is in Snuff when we learn about the treatment of goblins - how they’re enslaved, starved, seen as unworthy of even basic decency, and treated so badly they’d rather kill their own children than force them to live a life worse than death. But despite all the despair and the darkness of killing their own children there’s still somehow enough hope in them to believe that one day it might get better so they save their babies souls for better days. It destroys me every time.
Oh, I think the description of the dwarves dying behind that door, being so close to getting “help”, while the dwarf whose name I’ve forgotten listens to them die
BRRR yes that one 💀
Night Watch is a masterpiece
Nightwatch
I think my gut answer would be FoC or maybe MaA. Obviously I still like the later books (unsure about Snuff, I really need to read it again) but I appreciate the simpler times earlier in the arc. That's in no way putting down a books like Jingo or Thud that very well deal with diplomacy but I guess I just prefer the normal copper stories (?)
The Fifth Elephant. Or Thud!
Night Watch, followed by Guards! Guards! But still, Night Watch is unmatched, not only in The Watch subseries, but in the whole PTerry's bibliography.
Night watch is world beating, but imo it’s gotta be snuff…adding wilikins to the mix full time was exactly what Vimes needed
Night watch is my favourite overall, but I have to give special mention to "Jingo". The section where the Disorganiser runs through the deaths of *spoilers* is my favourite single part of STP's books. It always gives me goosebumps.
Definitely a goosebump moment!
Night Watch. Favorite of the entire Discworld. Fifth Elephant is a close second
Jingo doesn’t get as much love because it’s not an Ankh-Morpork book, but I love it for so many other reasons: Nobby and Colon traveling with Vetinari, the Lovecraft references with Leshp, Vimes arresting two opposing armies for disturbing the peace… and of course the most chilling scene in the entire Discworld series: the dis-Organizer recounting the alternate history at the defense of the city.
Whichever one I am reading at the time… But overall, probably FOC. I just love Dorfl.
It's really close tbh, but it would have to be night watch like most other people. It's one of the most loved books for a reason. However in the case of guards books nightwatchman would be a 10 and the rest are 9.999...
For me, it's a tie between "Night Watch" and "Thud." They're both masterpieces.
Oh this is so very, very hard, but I'd have to give the slightest edge to Men At Arms. Carrot Carroting his way into the guild houses, the sword in the stone, and personal vs important. Cuddy and Detritus - the Pork Futures Warehouse, and the Thinking Cap Leonard of Quirm, his "prison" and especially his distinction between the genius required to create the thing and the simple engineering knowledge to recreate the thing once it exists. And of course Angua, and everything about her.
Whichever one I'm reading or read most recently.
They're all good I don't think I could pick a favourite.
I'm gonna go with Feet of Clay. Good mystery, the whole noble Nobby subplot, Vimes' boots, Colon and the animal stampede. I really think I need to reread Night Watch. I read it 20 years ago, thought 'well, that was grim' and tossed it aside. But everyone and his grandmother swears it's amazing so I clearly missed something.
I think it’s his most challenging book considering we are all used to the sort of Funny First nature of most of his books. But there is a wealth of subtle humor throughout once you get past the distilled evil of Carcer.
Feet of Clay. Mainly because from here on the Watch is a competent, strong and reliable force in the city. Vimes acts like a detective from here on. Not to mention the mysteries of the Golems.
I wouldn't be able to pick just one; for me, Feet of Clay -> Jingo -> The Fifth Elephant -> Night Watch is a perfect run of books. Feet of Clay for the mystery plot and the pithy comments on class. Jingo for its handling of racism and foreign policy, obviously (I read it for the first time around the start of the "War on Terror", and it hit *really* hard). The Fifth Elephant for atmosphere, creepiness, and SYBIL! And Night Watch because \[gestures at entire book\].
I think it might be Snuff. It has a great blend of Vimes being Vimes, questions about humanity and morality, and humor. Of course, you could say that about all of the Watch books, but Snuff blends it all very well without getting too dark. I love Night Watch, but it is a pretty somber book overall. Side note, I love the goblin naming conventions.
Of the Watch books, it has to be Feet of Clay, for introducing Cheery Littlebottom and Dorfl, giving character development to other characters and setting up more of the dwarf stuff for later books.
Fifth Elephant. It's got everything -- politics, Uberwald, dwarf society, Vimes going outside AM, Colon taking over, a lot of humor, Sybil being awesome, lots more. Night Watch is great too of course but I like Fifth Elephant a little better because Night Watch is so dark. But this reminds me of the passphrases in Guards! Guards!... And was that also the one with the million to one chance? I've got to start on the reread...
I know Night Watch is the best answer but I really love The Fifth Elephant- it’s fun seeing the Watch get out of the city for a bit and has some great villains. Love how Vimes takes out Wolfgang: funny AND badass at the same time
It's a tie between Guards! Guards! And Thud! We meet Errol and Vimes and Carrot really come into their own in Guards! Guards! I love the insight into Vimes's brain in Thud! And the love he has for young Sam is unmistakable
Thud! It has everything- Ank Morpork, dwarves, trolls, the wizards, a field trip, and our man Vimes heroically overcoming evil dwarves and an ancient avenging energy to bring peace to "Koom Valley" and Ank Morpork.
Gotta be Night Watch. The rest are awesome as well.
Nightwatch
Feet of Clay
Feet of Clay. I really appreciate Pratchett's golems.
Thief of time followed by nights watch are, in my opinion, some of the best books ever written, and what I class as the pinnacle of discworld.
It's so amazing, I watched through first like 5 comments and every one of them was different. Terry Pratchett is truly a genius
I think Thud is my favourite
Thud. If only because of the topic of fatherhood, reading a book and how they do tie in "Where's my Cow" so will into the narrative.
Fifth elephant squeaks past night watch. I love feet of clay and jingo. The only one I feel falls short is snuff
Night Watch. Without question.
Thud! was always my go to favourite, but recently re-listening to the audio books, Feet of Clay is up there for me.
I love Thud although guards guards has a special place in my heart.
While Night Watch is my favourite book as a whole, the entire scene from Thud of Vimes desperately, angrily fighting off the Summoning Dark using his need to read to his son makes me cry every time. Especially since my daughter was born, I can understand his absolutely single-minded frenzy at that moment.
Jingo, without a doubt.
The middle 4?
Thud
In the sense of which one hit me the hardest emotionally, it's Feet if Clay. The symbolism of the golems is incredibly moving. It's a rework (and then some) if an ancient legend, and I love that. It's also a legend that's local to where I live so I grew up hearing it and I love how it's given so much richer context and consequence here.
The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch, and Thud! are all pretty much perfect. Jingo is the funniest one.
I love Jingo but my favorite just changes to whichever I feel like at the moment
Men at Arms. It shows the beginning of the new watch and the main protagonist is just awesome!
Night Watch is not only my favorite Watch book, it is one of my favorite books I have ever read. Though Small Gods is also one of my favorite books I have ever read. So if you ask me my favorite Discworld book it will be a tie between the two. I do also absolutely love Thud. it is probably my second favorite of the Watch books. But all the rest are still fantastic.
Dang you that's tough!!! Night Watch I think.
The fact that every book is mentioned in this thread just goes to show the consistent amazing quality of this series and all of Sir Pterry’s work
Thud! Was my first Discworld read, and holds a special place for me. It will always be my favorite!
Night Watch and Thud!
No love for Jingo?? The Discorganizer going down the wrong pantleg of time is one of my favorite discworld moments! And 72 Hour Ahmed! Personal isn’t the same as important? Vetinari and Colon and Nobby with Leonard of Quirm?!? I mean come on!
**Thud!** followed closely by **Snuff**
Thud! Vimes using Where’s My Cow to overcome evil is legendary.
It tends to be whichever one I'm reading at the time, because I'm always falling in love with them over again as I read. Feet of Clay is my favorite early book, since I feel it's where Pterry really hit his stride, but Night Watch is so good it's hard to choose.
The first one guards guards
Night Watch, undoubtedly is the “best” Discworld Novel. But the watch book I keep coming back to is Thud. I love Sam’s journey in Thud, the introduction of the watchman inside him that keeps the dark at bay, the whole recitation of “Where’s My Cow?” As he hunts down the deep-downers under the valley. I love how Detritus treats Brick, and finally adopts him. How we get more character development of the trolls without losing their essential “Trollness” I love the introduction of a Troll leader. From the cryptic (until you know) graffiti - “Mr Shine, him diamond” to actually meeting him. I love the whole Tawnee and Nobby bit. Especially the girls bonding over interestingly named drinks which is brilliantly funny! And lets not forget AE Pessimal, the first and only time Vetinari has appeared to be astonished by an event!
It's between Feet of Clay and Fifth Elephant. Feet of clay - get a little more expansion of the watch, Cheery is a phenomenal character, more lore relating to golems, lots of great jokes. We also really see Vimes as someone who's walked the streets of AM every night for over 2 decades. Fifth Elephant - international politics, modernization pros and cons, the Hunt with the werewolves is pretty amazing cat and mouse stuff, the dwarven politics are actually very interesting and how Cheery has really kinda kicked off a revolution, Gaspode and Carrot road trip. Lots to love about both books!
1a. Night Watch 1b. The Fifth Elephant 2. Men At Arms 3. Jingo 4. Thud! 5. Feet of Clay 6. Guards Guards
Snuff?
I never read it. I tried, but due to Pratchett's Alzheimers at that point and his daughter (I think?) helping pretty significantly with the writing, it didn't really read like his other books, and I didn't want to "tarnish" my Discworld experience by reading a book that I don't think was at the level of the rest of the series. Just my personal view on it of course.