The Truth (Terry Pratchett)

[Carolyn Hill]

I just finished reading Pratchett's The Truth. It's the second Pratchett book I've ever read (the first was Going Postal), and I absolutely loved it. I laughed out loud and felt quite jolly, even during the occasional gruesome bits.

Amid all the chuckles and zippy plot threads, Pratchett manages to say sage things about the printed news media and the public's relationship to those media: what's important and what's not, what the people will believe and what they prefer not to believe, what obligations the press have to the truth and what obligations they do and don't have to those in power, and what might or might not be in the public's interest.

Something I very much enjoyed in both Going Postal and The Truth is that both protagonists get swept up by events and find themselves building by bits and pieces what we in the real world see as established institutions. Lacking definite plans, the protagonists cleverly stumble onto methods and ideas that are new to them but old to us, progressing from one method or idea to the next in a somehow simultaneously random and inevitable series of cause and effect. In seeing through their eyes, those methods and ideas become new again to readers.

I'm definitely going to add a few more of his novels to my list of books to read. If any of you have suggestions, let me know, OK?

 

[Joel007]

Both of the ones you've read so far make good standalone novels. If you're into reading his books because of the message behind them, I'd suggest Jingo, as this one is about war, and is Hilarious!
I also enjoyed the Truth, it made me think about the way people often take what's written down as a given truth, and also the amount of power a big newspaper might have over public opinion.
"What's in the public interest isn't necessarily what the public's interested in."

 

[akfarrar]

Monstrous Regiment - judging by the two you have enjoyed so far.

 

[Joel007]

I'd also recommend Feet of Clay, although to be honest I'd recommend all of them

 

[Allegra]

It's difficult to recommend a few as his books are constantely good -he's been the bestselling author in the UK for the past 20 or so years. But I'll mention Interesting Times and Moving Pictures anyway.

 

[Carolyn Hill]

Thanks, Joel and Akfarrar and Allegra! I'll add all your suggestions to my list.