Reviews

The Truth by Terry Pratchett

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searoomba's review against another edition

4.0

4/5 stars. Or, dare I say, 45 stars?

" 'Last year a parrot was allowed as a prosecution witness in a serious murder case, and I had to arrange a witness protection scheme for it. I believe it is now pretending to be a very large budgerigar a long way away.' "

With trademark absurdity and gloriously thorough worldbuilding, The Truth is a very enjoyable read. This book is full of biting (yet amusing!) commentary on politics, journalism, and society as a whole. Some of the characters could stand to be more three dimensional - but I do dearly love Otto von Chriek.

alannabarras's review against another edition

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4.0

I don't love the later books in the Industrial Revolution series in Discworld, so I assumed I wasn't going to enjoy this as much. My fears were totally unfounded. William De Worde is the best combination of idealistic and unself-aware, and Pratchett nails the balance of silly and social commentary. The Truth was first published over 20 years ago, but thanks to Pratchett's personal experience in the field of journalism, the moral/ethical quandries found in the book are still applicable today. A great read, and one I highly recommend.

icesloth's review against another edition

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4.0

Writtenaehile a go but very relevant to today.
"You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?"

maxramsay's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

shanab's review against another edition

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adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

macdara's review against another edition

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3.0

My first Discworld novel, and a jolly good one it is too, affectionately satirising print journalism amid a noir-ish whodunnit plot. I'll even forgive Terry Pratchett for refusing to pick an ending (he strings four or five of them together here) because the writing is so charming. Thanks for the tip, Bee.