Times for the Truth (The Truth - Terry Pratchett)

Member Name: wyrdsister

Product:	The Truth - Terry Pratchett
Date:	14/04/02 (62 review reads)
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Pratchett’s Discworld series has over the years become a bit of an institution and the fandom has grown with the books. Many will boast to have read all the novels and to be, as it were, on first name basis with all the characters. In order to satisfy the fans, it seems that Pratchett opted a long time ago to write specifically for them. The stories generally concern the most popular characters of the series, Rincewind, the City Watch, the Lancre Witches or Death, and although the stories retain their Discworld traits, they tend to be lighter in quality. So what did the twenty-fifth novel bring to the readers?

The Disc is a flat world, resting on the back of four giant elephants carried endlessly through space on the back of the great A-Tuin, the sky turtle. It is a world saturated and held together by magic. At the centre is Cori Celesty, the home of the gods and at the Rim the oceans trickle gently into the emptiness of space. Every imaginable creature has a place on the Disc: dwarves, trolls, vampires, zombies, wizards and of course humans. All species inevitably end up in the great sprawling twin city that is Ankh-Morpork to find their fortune, well... mostly.

William de Worde is one of those men. Having renounced his family’s fortune and his upbringing, he now makes a reasonable living by writing a newsletter to a few influential clients. But his luck is about to change, possibly not for the better, when he’s run over by a printing press. As a mean of apology, the dwarves who own it print his letter for him. But there’s going to be trouble: they use movable type, which, as everyone knows, is banned by the Guilds. And as a result of their helpfulness, William has accidentally become the editor of the disc’s first newspaper and a very unpopular person.

Just as William was getting worried about there not being nothing more than humorous vegetables to fill the Ankh-Morpork Times, the big story hits: the Patr
ician, Lord Vetinari, has tried to murder his secretary and embezzle the city funds, or at least, someone has gone to great lengths to make it look that way. William can feel it and takes it upon himself to unravel the mystery for his readers, whether or not they're interested, and it’s proving a lot more dangerous than he expected. The only good thing his father ever taught him was to tell the truth, and William is determined to get to the truth before anyone gets to him.

Pratchett’s twenty-fifth Discworld novel comes as a bit of a surprise for the long-standing fan. It is mainly because for the first time since possibly “Soul Music”, the author does not rely completely on established characters to sustain the story. Although the usual suspects make their welcomed entrances, the story is supported almost entirely by new characters. This means of course that Pratchett offers a more detailed and elaborate background than normally associated with his later novels.

William is presented as a slightly naïve character, struggling to let go of his elitist and privileged upbringing. His shyness and innocent outlook make him a perfect candidate to be the unwilling hero of the piece as he’s largely swept away by events. This, as well as his obsession for the truth, is somewhat reminiscent of another Discworld character: Carrot (Guards! Guards!), although I feel Pratchett tends to treat William in a less caricatured manner than he initially did with Carrot. His evolution is well detailed and his character is nicely explored as the story progresses.

Other newcomers are a little more akin to the Discworld way of characterisation, Sacharissa, the main female protagonist, retains the slightly comical disc quality, with a very pure mind, no nonsense approach and a big bust. Perhaps more interesting, yet slightly predictable is Otto, the vampire iconographer (photographer) on the “wagon”. His suicidal ob
session with light provides some humour, as well as a bit of mystery to the story. The main villains of the piece are quite entertaining, and although they offer a light comic relief, they also come across as very sinister. Mr Pin and Mr Tulip are to the Discworld what Travolta and Jackson were to Pulp Fiction. Both characters are well drawn and thoroughly explored which really adds to the enjoyment of the piece.

There are of course, as always with Pratchett, the inevitable guest appearances of well know Discworld characters, the Watch and their cynical Commander Vimes turn up at intervals throughout the book, as well as Death. The fans will also recognise Cut-My-Own-Throat Dibbler, Foul Ole Ron and Gaspode the wonder dog amongst others. Although their histories are not dwelt upon, they provide a nice continuity and link to previous Discworld novels, which will not hinder the new reader’s understanding or enjoyment.

The Truth is a good detective story and the concept of journalism is well integrated in the Disc ethos. The story is well crafted and remains interesting all the way through. There is a good balance between suspense, mystery and comedy. The humour, although still very much present, is quite subdued here, which suits the darker mood of the novel.

The Truth is one of the best Pratchett in recent years. It is certainly well thought out and detailed and it is refreshing to see a little more substance and depth in the story. If you like the mood and style of the Watch novels, you are likely to enjoy this book. The Truth could easily have been a Watch story and feels very much like one in places. It is however, seen from a different angle, which is part of the novel’s appeal. The mere fact that the main protagonists are new to the reader provides the rest.

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