The Truth by: Terry Pratchett

 

“At last, like some oracle that speaks once a year, Vimes said, “I don’t trust you Mr. de Worde.  And I’ve just realized why.  It’s not just that you’re going to cause trouble.  Dealing with trouble is my job, it’s what I’m paid for, that’s why they give me an armor allowance.  Butt who are you responsible to?  I have to answer for what I do, although right now I’m damned if I know who to. But you? It seems tot me you can do what the hell you like.” “I suppose I’m answerable tot the truth.” “Oh really? How exactly?...If you tell lies dos the Truth come and smack you in the face? I’m impressed.  Ordinary everyday people like me are responsible to other people.  Vetinari always had—has one eye on the Guilds.  But you . . . you are answerable to the Truth.  Amazing.  What’s it’s address? Does it read the paper?”” – The Truth, p. 175-176.

 

I don’t typically open my reviews with lengthy quotations from the book I am reading, but often Terry Pratchett books has one sequence that it becomes incredibly difficult not to quote due to how it ties into the main theme of the novel.  The Truth is the 25^th Discworld novel, on the original cover it was advertised as such and the first to be published in the 21^st century.  This context is perhaps important along with Pratchett’s history as a journalist, the above quote being one of many musings on the nature of the press.  The main plot is the invention of the printing press leading to the establishment of The Ankh-Morpork Times under William de Worde, a minor noble who doesn’t get along with his noble family.  De Worde is already an interesting character as Pratchett uses him to explore the class aspect of the character, not getting along with his father yet still being a noble.  I’d hesitate to call it naivety, since William de Worde is not a naïve man, he's incredibly intelligent, I’d instead call it privileged.  Certainly there is a lot about equality in the Discworld, often with other races standing in for certain social issues, and William de Worde is a man who has come from private law and therefore understands how to manipulate those around him.  The idea that he is beholden to the truth is correct on the surface, but the sensationalism and investigative journalism warps things and provides something for the world to read.  Despite protestations to the contrary, the climax of The Truth shows that de Worde is still a rich man from privilege, reflecting his father in several ways.  Lord de Worde is only in the final quarter of the book, yet he is genuinely a terrifying presence that reflects the upper class who doesn’t have to worry about the law or the rules that filthy commoners.  William confronts his father himself instead of going to the Watch because that would be something that the lower classes do.

 

The Truth isn’t all class analysis, however, a lot of it is an examination of the news in general, drawing on perhaps the most famous case of investigative journalism, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward’s investigations into the Watergate scandal.  This is a Discworld book full of references to that particular scandal if you’re familiar with the history.  The invention of the printing press also allows Pratchett to expand on the rise of the 24 hour news cycle as well as the internet which would have just begun to become the force we know it as today at the time Pratchett was writing The Truth.  There are several diversions into the sensational stories and the rise of tabloids.  There are two mercenaries hired to take down the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork who make up perhaps the weakest portion of the book and the only thing that’s stopping this from being perfect.  Mainly because the plot is something that doesn’t really get going until the Patrician’s dog is brought into the picture and the double act of Pin and Tulip doesn’t ever actually work as well as some of Pratchett’s other double acts.  Far more interesting is the hiring for the times of several dwarfs who own the printing press, a vampire teetotaler photographer, and Sacharissa Cripslock (the daughter of de Worde’s original engraver when the paper was a small newsletter).  This means that the two primary villains are simply overshadowed by everyone else involved.

 

Overall, The Truth has some of Pratchett’s absolute best lines and ideas that’s only really let down by one plot not quite working.  There are fascinating parallels to the current state of journalism and where its failings are coming from a genuine place of love.  All of the protagonists while sadly only being focused on here deserved a second book plus extended sections with the Watch characters only add to what makes the book work.  9/10.