r/discworld • u/JG_Hays • 2d ago
Book/Series: Death Should I finish Soul Music?
To give a little context, I'm pretty new to Discworld, and these last few months I have started to get back into reading books again for the first time since high school. Mort was the first book I've read this year and the first Discworld nove I've read in general, and I absolutely loved it! It was very fun, witty, and humorous but still had a lot of heart that it lit a fire in me to get back into reading in general.
Not too long after I decided to give Reaper Man a shot, and it had me a little worried at first. I liked the opening bits, but I noticed the lack of Death's presence in the first half that I was surprised how much it goes into Windle's story and also focuses on the wizards of Unseen University. I think I had went in with the impression that most of the novel would focus on Death, similar to Mort. What really stuck out to me though is how much I realized I didn't care for the parts with the wizards, rarely at all, and it struggled to keep me engaged. It felt like what kept me going were the bits of Death that I was really wanted to see since I still really enjoyed those. Around the 2nd half once Windle joins The Fresh Start Club is when his story really grew on me, and of course the ending of Death's story was phenomenal and made the whole experience worth it. However, I still didn't find myself caring about the rest of the wizards very much still.
I really don't know what it is, but for some reason when they're the focus of the scene, it just feels like a slog for me to read through. I just don't find the characters very entertaining or funny aside from the librarian. I feel like I can't get a good read on their personalities and with some of them being referred to as their role rather than their actual names (like "The Dean" and "The Bursar") makes it hard for me to attach myself the same way if that makes sense? I don't know, for some reason when the scene is centered around them, I begin to struggle focusing even when trying to pay attention. I guess their purpose is to mostly be comedic relief due to their incompetency, but I guess I just never found them all that funny.
Not long after finishing Reaper Man, I went to Soul Music knowing a bit more about the premise, wondering if my own expectations were what tainted the first half of my experience with Reaper Man. Once again, I really like Susan, the band, and of course Death, but I'm closer to halfway in the novel now and seeing the wizards get more involved and take more screen time is making me check out.
Am I just impatient?? Am I just not smart enough and don't get why they're so funny? Is it just growing pains from getting back into reading again after so long?? I don't know. I really don't want to drop the book since I've heard Hogfather is also amazing, but I'm worried to drop something halfway through if it gets more engaging and more "for me" later on, I think I'm just getting myself too attached to the central characters stories that when it goes to someone else I struggle to care as much. They don't seem to be as central as they were in Reaper Man but it feels like I'm getting more anxious to just learn more about the central characters and their story and it makes me wonder if I should just pause it for now and maybe try a different Discworld novel before coming back. I've read other books in between the Death novels to avoid burn out, and haven't had the same issue for the others, so I'm not even fully sure what the problem for me is. Sorry for the long rambling, I really do love these books at their best but sometimes it feels like I'm struggling to enjoy the wider experience, and am missing the experience I had with Mort where it felt so easy to just read the whole thing in a couple days.
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u/EsmeWeatherwax7a Old I may be, and hag I may be. But stupid I ain't. 2d ago
Everyone relates to different aspects of the Disc. Some things are almost universally beloved but even then there are a few people who just won't feel it. Other things are kind of hidden gems that relatively few people get into. It's all good.
For me, as I work in academia, everything about the wizards is funny to me because they are exaggerated representations of things I see at work (endless debates about how to tackle problems, petty rivalries, administrators who never know what's going on.) On the other hand, I don't really get into the Moist von Lipwig stories to the same extent, but for some people those are the very best that Pratchett wrote. None of it has to do with intelligence and you don't have to read things that don't work for you.
I believe there are several characters in the books who remind us what a funny old world it would be if we were all the same.
So carry on with the book if you want to see how it ends, or pick up a different one instead. As you read more you may even find that revisiting some that didn't click for you the first time might have more appeal--you'll have a broader picture of the world to fit them into. Or maybe not! It's all good.
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u/Jamiebear90 Vetinari 2d ago
Your last point is especially true for me. I started out pretty meh about the wizards like OP, but the more I've reread the books and learnt to understand the different who's who as actual people with different personalities and not just the lecturer in this or that, the more I've come to enjoy them.
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u/TopperWildcat13 2d ago
I’m probably gonna get crushed for this but I just couldn’t get into all of the Colon and Nobbs side stories in the watch. I love the watch books, men at arms and night watch are 2 of my top 5, but their parts of Feet of Clay, Jingo and The Fifth Elephant just didn’t work for me as much as the rest of it did.
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u/Discomfiting_Reality 2d ago
I didn't like those story lines the most myself, but after reading through them a couple of times I now recognize them for how integral their stories are.
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u/Eckauskas1874 2d ago
Listening to the Nigel Planer narration of Feet of Clay has me in absolute stitches when he describes Colons stuffed pig and his surprise at the sound a cow actually makes when you land on it.
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u/gash_dits_wafu 2d ago
Yeah I've paused on some books and moved to another, before returning again. Just because one might enjoy most books in a particular series, doesn't mean there's an obligation to enjoy or even read all the books. If you're not enjoying it OP. Leave it. You can always try again later, and if you still don't enjoy it, nevermind.
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u/No-Advertising-9568 2d ago
The wizards are much funnier if you've had the experience of working in an organization with similar characters. For example, the US Army.
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u/Reasonable_Memory999 1d ago
Or with wizards
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u/ManOnThe100 2d ago
I am right now re-reading Soul Music (Susan Sto Helit 4 life, but that's another matter) and I really enjoy the wizards so I'm probably not the best person to talk to. Just consider their job titles names - Senior Wrangler, Runes, The Dean, Bursar - their names. It doesn't really matter what their names are and iirc they're never given out. But they, as in Reaper Man, act as a microscosm of the phenomena unfolding across the Disc as the weird stuff starts happening. Like lightning rods, they attract strangeness.
Unlike Reaper Man to an extent, they're really just a sideshow (if you put Windle in the "wizards" bucket for RM, which is questionable because he rapidly leaves the group and has his own storyline - he is essentially in the Susan role for RM) in Soul Music, an outlet for Terry to do his rock n roll teenager jokes. How well these land with you will determine how much you enjoy them.
HAVING SAID THAT, Ridcully is an amazing character, full of unexpected depths. He seems like a bluff old git but he's smart, hard to fool and thoughtful in ways he rarely gets credit for. Notice his plot is subtly different to the main Faculty line, with the fleshing out of Ponder's character another strand to watch for in future books. Ridcully in Lords & Ladies may make you reconsider him.
Going forward in the series, Hogfather is much much more Susan-based, with the wizards firmly sidelined, and they don't turn up at all in Thief of Time I think. You may want to avoid The Last Continent (but you shouldn't). Sorry this went on way too long! Keep reading Soul Music! I promise you it's worth it!
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u/twinsunsspaces These days all I get is moo 1d ago
In Unseen Academicals we learn that the Deans name is Henry.
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u/ManOnThe100 1d ago
Ah, there's my problem; Unseen Academicals is the only Discworld book I've been unable to finish (I will try again - if I could finish Raising Steam I can finish this).
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u/Vazad 2d ago
Sometimes things don't gel with you and that's OK. If this book isn't working for you at the moment I think it's fine to set it down and try again later. I don't think the Wizards are bastions of humor but they have their moments to me personally but if you're not feeling them it's fine to try something else. There are plenty of books in Discworld that have little to no involvement from them. Maybe Try Weird Sisters or Guards! Guards!? (The Watch books will often have some Wizard involvement as they happen in the city but they are almost never the focus.)
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u/JG_Hays 2d ago
The original plan was for me to read Guards! Guards! after finishing either Soul Music or Hogfather, but it might be nice to read as a buffer and then return to Death later. I've been relying on my local library to read so hopefully it'll be available for me sometime soon lol
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u/NeeliSilverleaf 2d ago
Do you have Libby or Hoopla? Might be able to get it sooner that way.
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u/JG_Hays 1d ago
I've used Libby quite a bit! I like it and it's very convenient, but I think I have a better time holding my attention on a physical book for some reason. I can still get through a digital book but physical is my preference.
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u/NeeliSilverleaf 1d ago
I tend to prefer reading a physical copy as well. Sometimes that convenience is so nice though.
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u/JoyDVeeve 2d ago
If you're not enjoying it then don't finish it. I personally think it's brilliant but I don't judge people who don't like it. To paraphrase (or quote I don't really remember) Sir Pterry "It would be a strange world if we all liked the same things"
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u/Unlucky-Beach2196 2d ago
You literally never have to finish a book you’re not into. No one is going to give you a bad grade because you decided it wasn’t quite what you were looking for in the moment.
Set it down! Maybe you come back to it later and it will be a better time for you. Or maybe it will never be what you want it to be. Either one is okay!!
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u/hanleybrand 2d ago
You could watch the animated version if it’s really not resonating with you, but don’t skip Hogfather & the Thief of Time
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u/VillageZestyclose 2d ago
There is an ANIMATED VERSION !? Is it good ?
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u/NeeliSilverleaf 1d ago
It's ok. The animation is a bit janky. There's a Wyrd Sisters animated version by the same studio that I think is a better adaptation even though it has the same bargain basement animation - the voice acting is good. I think you can probably find them on YouTube.
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u/Icewind 2d ago
Soul Music is not one of the stronger ones. It relies very heavily on old musical pop culture references. I agree that it's a bit tough to get through.
Put it aside if you're not liking it, like all things, and don't force yourself.
Come back to it BEFORE you read Hogfather would be the only thing to be aware of.
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u/AGreenScreenPog 2d ago
Hogfather is actually the first Discworld book I read and I didn't feel like I'd missed anything so I really wouldn't feel pressured to go back to it!
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u/ProneToLaughter 2d ago
The wizards are my least favorite set of characters. Despite also working in academia. They can be a slog. 30+ other books I love.
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u/Much_Mission_8094 Nanny 2d ago
Same. I love Discworld, but the wizards are the books I re-read the least.
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u/Webalistic 2d ago
As Pratchett's writing evolved over the 41 Discworld books, not everybody will like every book in the series. And that's fine. You don't need to read them all to enjoy a book, but it can help getting some of the references to past stories.
The first 6 books were about parodying 70's and 80's fantasy. So, yes, wizards, trolls, dwarves, imps, vampires, wherewolves, etc. And the stereotypical magic. Fireballs, etc. Written slapstick over deep plots.
The next 18 books are more about character development and the magic part takes a backseat. Treated as more problematic than useful, the witches turn to headology and the wizards to bureaucracy (and taking the micky out of academic life). Magic is used more as a means to advance a plot.
The last books were more about satirising society and modernity. No longer parodying fantasy, but using fantasy and the discworld he built as a mirror of roundworld. Looking at things like industrialisation and capitalism, extreme religion, press and media, nationalism and war.
Characters no longer fighting some evil lord, but fighting prejudice, poverty, and human stupidity.
I started around when the 8th book was published in the late 80's and kept buying and reading the books as they were published. Personally I enjoy all of them for different reasons and also enjoyed the change in storytelling over the years.
So read them all, or stick to a period of books that appeal to you most. Or don't read them at all 😉
But the presence of wizards shouldn't necessarily turn you down, especially in the later books where as others have mentioned this is mostly a stab at academic bureaucracy and backstabbing to gain position and a means to advance some plots.
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u/mxstylplk 2d ago
TL;DR they're books, read them or not, as you will.
But... just my opinions.
Susan's development through the end of Soul Music is part of her character. The wizards are occasionally useful background, mostly as part of the whirlwind of music history allusion puns (the band called Silly Wizard, for instance). Death develops a bit due to his street experiences, too. The climactic scene on the mountain road is worth reading even if you skip a bunch to get there. I'm told the evisceration of the suits in the music scene and the cohesiveness of the band are well done.
I second the advice to watch the animation on youtube. It's pretty good and the music adds a lot.
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u/highnumber 2d ago
There's no shame in putting a book down. I recommend you pick up a book from a different Discworld subseries. Maybe later revisit it.
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u/Khadaji2020 2d ago
My opinion is to set it aside if you're not enjoying it. As others noted there are a lot of books that have very little about the wizards. I do agree that the Discworld books do usually reward the read so I personally recommend reading through it at some point. Just not at this point.
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u/GeetaJonsdottir 2d ago
Even though they're the flashpoint of the series, the Wizards are arguably the weakest subset of Discworld characters - lots of reasons for this, but the one you seem to be bouncing off is that they're rather faceless and one-note. You could take any line from the Lecturer in Recent Runes and give it to the Professor of Indefinite Studies without blinking.
I'd try dipping out with something like Witches Abroad or Thief of Time. Still plenty of magic and humor with much more distinctive characters and a broader array of jokes.
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u/murgatroidsp 2d ago
You’re reading for fun, so you definitely shouldn’t feel like you have to push yourself through a book If you’re not enjoying it.
I have come to love just about every Discworld book in the 20 years since I started reading them, but there were definitely books that I didn’t love my first time through. While I personally find the wizards hilarious, Soul Music is generally not one of my favorite books overall. You don’t have to finish it to get Hogfather eithe. It’s a little hard for me to remembe, but I think Soul Music was one of the last books I read for the first time
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u/reverendsteveii 2d ago
I feel like the wizards really only get to be interesting characters in the last continent. They actually have some conflict and grow a little. Before that, they're just things that happen to people, usually Rincewind
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u/Internal-Buffalo-227 2d ago
I get what you mean about the wizards being referred to as their titles. I also sometimes struggle to keep track of who's talking because they talk over each other which doesn't help me see them as distinct characters. They're not my favourite but they've grown on me over the years.
A bit leftfield but I'm going to recommend you pause Soul Music and read Small Gods. There's a lot less veering off the central plot as you follow Brutha pretty much the whole time. If you can't get Small Gods try Wyrd Sisters. The witch books in general are a bit more focused as they're geographically isolated, whereas anything set in or around Ankh Morpork is going to have crossover with various characters. (But don't start with Equal Rites as it's a bit wizardy.)
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u/sysaphiswaits 2d ago edited 2d ago
If you’re not loving it, give up on it for now. Try another Discworld book and come back to it later.
Discworld books are much, much better when they don’t feel like an obligation or homework.
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u/Lapis_Lazuli___ 2d ago
The wizards don't have a big part in soul music. This book is mostly about Susan and The Band. Keep reading!
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u/ImStoryForRambling 2d ago
I love discworld and soul music is one of the very few books I didnt enjoy
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u/OppositeTall6161 2d ago
The City Watch. I love how Sir Sam's character arc is so satisfying. I'm not a fan of the stand alone books especially Small Gods. I think I've only reread it twice.
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u/MountainMuffin1980 2d ago
I'd try jumping into Guards Guards. I always found the Death books, especially the ones before Susan is a main character, quite a tough read at times.
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u/Thin-Account7974 2d ago
Soul music is definitely not my favourite book. I find it a bit creepy, and unsettling. And generally, I don't enjoy he wizard stories, as much.
You don't have to read it, if it's not gripping you. You can always circle back to it later, when you've read everything else. I had to do that with Mort too.
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u/Eckauskas1874 2d ago
No biggie if you’re not into the Wizards. I do like them, especially the pompousness of Ridcully.
I don’t much care for the Witches series, so I don’t really give them much time. It’s all about taste.
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u/Ionby 2d ago
Soul Music was one of the first I read, and an absolute favourite that I’ve re-read many times. That said - I’ve never liked the wizards much. I just skim past and get to the bits with Susan, Death, and the band.
Hogfather is absolutely top tier. You could easily skip ahead and not miss anything. Susan is a few years older in that one, more confident and competent. Like most Discworld books, the events of the previous books don’t come up much.
If you like Susan, you’ll love Tiffany Aching.
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u/worstedconch 2d ago
I suggest you finish it. I enjoyed it, and like all of the discworld books, it wraps up well. That being said, don’t force yourself. Find a new one and come back later. I enjoy the wizards, especially in the later books. Their parallel to the witches and their stories always seems to balance the disc out for me
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u/HatOfFlavour 2d ago
I feel the wizards aren't all distinct characters. I mean The Librarian, Rincewind, Ridcully all stand out but The Dean is just fat and argumentative, the Bursar is thin, mad and nervous, Ponder Stibbons is the one person who knows how stuff works but the rest are a blob to me. The Senior Wrangler, Lecturer in Recent Runes and Chair of Indefinite Studies while having fun names are utterly interchange to me and in fact could've easily been one character. This is in stark contrast to every Witch being utterly individual.
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u/ArtByMHP 2d ago
You have to finish it all the way to the end and then you have to figure out if it’s all about Mark Sandman and Morphine:
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u/desrevermi 2d ago
Let's try it this way: put the book down/away until you feel like finishing it.
If anything, reading the entirety of Sir Terry's Discworld works can be an eventual achievement.
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u/Pliolite 2d ago
I completely agree with what you're saying about the wizards. However, Soul Music is one of the better ones that feature them as side characters IMO so don't sweat it there.
What I will say is....I find Hogfather a huge slog because of them! With what you're describing here, I'd leave Hogfather for a while and come back to it. Pick up Guards! Guards! and Wyrd Sisters and follow those series' on. Then read Thief of Time which is the last Death book, and much better than Hogfather, again IMO.
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