More than YA?

After years of hearing about the Discworld series, I decided to take the plunge and start reading them. Based upon recommendations, I began with Wee Free Men and Mort. While both were enjoyable stories, and well written, they struck me more as YA books than as books for adults, which frankly surprised me. Are these books representative of the whole Discworld series (i.e., is it all YA?) or are there books with more depth that I should try next? Thanks in advance for any recommendations (and I hope my question makes sense and isn't taken as being snooty or anything as that's not my intent)!

I'm never quite clear about the definition of YA. I see the Discworld novels as accessible, not difficult to read, a fun story. However, there are usually at least three levels of story in them. There is the superficial story happening in the Discworld, often there is a shadow story from our world, such as Macbeth or Phantom of the Opera, etc. in the background, and woven in amongst them both is generally a biting social commentary on the way things are.

If that is YA, it is YA at its best.

Edit: Oh, welcome to the group! :)

>1 tnilsson: Discworld evolved as the series went on, so an early novel like Mort is lighter weight than later books in the series are. And Wee Free Men *is* a novel written for young adults, although that subseries, too, gets weightier as the heroine ages.

I'd recommend Monstrous Regiment, Small Gods, or The Truth next.

First, thanks Amanda for the recommendations. I will check them out.

And MrsLee, I don't entirely disagree. They were both great stories and very well written. And yes, they both made apt criticisms of our world. I guess it's just that, given all the adults I've heard rave about the series, I expected even more multidimensional characters and more complicated situations than what I have seen in many YA books I've read with my kids.

And don't get me wrong about YA/kids' books: many of them are very well written, great stories, and involve more than cardboard cutout characters. I loved the Fablehaven series, several of Holly Black's books, Greenglass House, Neil Gaiman's YA books, the City of Ember books, Heinlein's YA books, John Christopher's YA books, the Harry Potter books (well, I had lots of issues with those, but it was an interesting world), etc. They just aren't books I tend to read anymore when left to my own devices.

>4 tnilsson: the books you read aren't ones Id recommend for new readers. My first books were small gods soul music and wyrd sisters those got me hooked. I didnt read the YA books till I was well into the series
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>3 amanda4242: although that subseries, too, gets weightier as the heroine ages.

this

there was a chart somewhere that showed reading order by interests ie, Death, Witches, Wizards ,Night Watch...cant find it now. .

Thanks all. I'd seen the charts, but a lot of people recommended starting with Mort or Wee Free Men so that's where I started. None of the charts I saw mentioned that they were YA-level books. But I've ordered both The Truth and Small Gods so we'll see!

"The Wee Free Men" is considered YA, as well as the rest of the Tiffany Aching Series.
The rest not so much, and it gets funnier when you're older.

I was pondering last night who is the modern Charles Dickens? Is there any writer who can write a popular story, that many will read, which also has a purpose of addressing the failures of humankind and has hope for the future? I wonder if Pratchett would fit the bill? Or are his stories only popular with a small segment of society?

I realize these questions don't quite address the YA question, but I wasn't sure where else to post it, and in a sense, I think all of the stories would have great appeal to teens, etc.

I think a lot of readers mistake Pratchett's humor and direct language for YA material. While Wee Free Men, being part of the Tiffany Aching subseries, is YA, Mort really isn't especially with the themes it covers and in context with the other Death subset of books. I have really found that Pratchett gains depth on multiple rereads and as part of the bigger picture of the Discworld.