I've only read Consider Phlebas, and it was pretty good. I think the reason someone would tell you to skip it is that it's narratively detached from the other books.
They're all narratively detached from one another - the only commonality is that they take place in the Culture universe, but you almost never see familiar characters or places.
If you had to skip any it would probably be Inversions which is essentially not even a Culture novel, save for a brief segment towards the end that implies that it is.
spoiler
It's story about middle-ages kingdoms going to war with one another, forming trade agreements and assassinating one-another.
One of the kings has a personal doctor, and another has a bodyguard - both of which are implied to be Culture citizens who are interfering in this alien society due to differing perspectives on how the Culture should manage contact with more primitive societies.
I've only read Consider Phlebas, and it was pretty good. I think the reason someone would tell you to skip it is that it's narratively detached from the other books.
deleted by creator
They're all narratively detached from one another - the only commonality is that they take place in the Culture universe, but you almost never see familiar characters or places.
If you had to skip any it would probably be Inversions which is essentially not even a Culture novel, save for a brief segment towards the end that implies that it is.
spoiler
It's story about middle-ages kingdoms going to war with one another, forming trade agreements and assassinating one-another.
One of the kings has a personal doctor, and another has a bodyguard - both of which are implied to be Culture citizens who are interfering in this alien society due to differing perspectives on how the Culture should manage contact with more primitive societies.
The later books from Look To Windward on have kind of a loose plot and characters start to reoccur more often.