Pros: Funny characters, interesting situation and great writing
Cons: Couldn't find a thing wrong with it. It ended? Maybe that's it.
The Bottom Line: This is a great Discworld book if you've never read one before. It's self-contained, it's funny, and it's interesting. Pratchett at his best.
The Truth has the honour of being the 25th Discworld book. I haven’t read all 25, but I have read a fair number of them, and I’d have to say this one is the best in awhile, even better than The Fifth Elephant.
The Story
William de Worde, outcast son of a local rich family in Ankh Morpork, has been regularly supplying (via engraving) a news page to a few select people in the city and the surrounding areas. One day, he is literally run over by the power of the press, in this case allowed to run amok by a group of dwarves. After regaining consciousness, William sees what this press can do and the possibilities it represents to get the news out to people. Imagine, movable type! Thus begins the saga of the Ankh-Morpork Times. William enlists the dwarves, and hires a young lady, Sacharissa Cripslock, to be a reporter. She’s got a nose for headlines and is able to use some feminine wiles to get sources to talk to her. He also hires Otto Chriek, a vampire, as a photographer. Poor Otto has a fascination with flash photography, but every time the flash goes off, he becomes a pile of ash and needs help reforming himself.
When Lord Vetinari, the Patrician of the city, is accused of attempted murder, the City Watch is on the case, followed closely by William. Sometimes, too closely, as Commander Vimes has to deal with not only the crime, but also this new person breathing down his neck and asking questions. William thinks the public has a right to know what is going on. As the investigation continues, things get hotter and hotter for William, as he finds out that the search for the Truth isn’t always a safe one.
What Did I Think?
There are so many things that make this book stand out. The first is the character of William. He’s a crusader, a second son of a rich family. In Ankh-Morpork, only first sons ever really do anything. Subsequent sons are expected to go to school, graduate, and stay out of the way. William doesn’t do that, but instead wants to make a name for himself. He hardly ever lies and has a deep respect for the truth, which is why he’s so dedicated in this book. He’s a wonderful straight man, reacting to some of the absurd events that are surrounding him as if they’re not absurd.
Probably the best character, though, is Otto. He is so earnest in his profession, but he also has the funniest lines and situations. You would think that the repetition of “Flash! Arrrrrrrrrrrrgh!” would get boring after awhile, but it doesn’t. The situations that it happens in are so varied that it never gets old. He’s a very dedicated photographer, innovative (he is able to invent colour photography) and very loyal to William. He’s also “on the wagon,” which means that he doesn’t drink human blood anymore. One of the funniest scenes in the book is when he’s tempted (completely innocently and in a stressful situation) by Sacharissa.
One of the more interesting aspects of this book, at least for long-time Discworld readers, is the City Watch. This is the first book (or at least the first I’ve read) where the Watch is featured very heavily, but it’s not *about* the Watch. There are only two or three scenes that are from the viewpoint of somebody who’s in the Watch. Thus, you get to see them as outsiders see them. You see the strangeness that can happen without seeing the inherent reasoning behind it, and that is refreshing. Vimes is the same as he always has been, but his reactions to William and this new idea of somebody actually trying to tell people what is truly going on are simply hilarious. He doesn’t like it and he doesn’t react well to it.
The book mirrors the rise of newspapers very well, even down to the creation of tabloids (Mayor Stolen by Aliens!). Of course, the whole thing is condensed into a few weeks (and one investigative story), but it’s still a nice parallel. Pratchett goes all out, showing not only the virtues of a free press, but also some of the faults. Most importantly, though, it shows the various reactions to this new medium: some fear it, some welcome it, some will take advantage of it (like the guy with the funny vegetables who wants them in the paper every day). Just like real life, only funnier.
This book is definitely worth a read. It doesn’t matter if this is your first Discworld book or your 25th, you’ll love it.
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