As Discworld expanded and became ever more complex, Pratchett became increasingly interested in the role of technology within the lives of its inhabitants. One book took on the postal service, another banking. With The Truth, Pratchett turned his pen on print media. I remember being given this one when I was only on book 16 or 17 of the series and it seeming like it took a very long time for me to catch up to it. Yet when I did, The Truth felt like a step change to a lot of the previous books. While Ankh-Morpork is a setting by now familiar to most fans, adding new protagonist William de Worde gives a fresh touch. We catch glimpses of various familiar characters, particularly the City Watch, but a new supporting cast is also ushered in. The villains in this novel are perhaps not the most memorable but the novel remains one of the stronger efforts from the latter half of the series.

It's so hard to pick a favourite discworld novel and if you read the reviews on all of the books in the series, you will see a good handful say that 'this' book (whichever one it is) is their favourite book. I think that's probably because they are ALL so amazing in their own individual way. This is book 25 in the discworld series. The setting and world itself is incredibly developed at this point, the characters are well known and full of depth and despite the sheer volume of books written by Pratchett he continues to provide interesting stories and side notes within each and every book. Humorous throughout as expected. Well-worth a pick up and read.

William de Worde produces a newsletter about events in Ankh-Morpork He then has handwritten copies made by a local artist and sent to subscribed customers. On this occasion there is a delay which frustrates him and when dwarfs offer to print copies on a brand new and unheard of "Printing Press" William reluctantly agrees. Incidentally they print more copies than required and insist on taking the excess out and selling. And so the first newspaper for the Discworld is born.

But it's not all journalism... the paper rocks too many boats, it is found it can be used to influence people, as well as show pictures of funny potatoes.

What seems like a possibly gently-paced story quickly becomes life and death, cutthroat business, with possibly a little love interest thrown in too - all the elements of a good Discworld novel.

Plenty of fun and laughs which we expect in a Terry Pratchett book and well worth a read.

I really enjoyed this book although, to be fair, I haven't found a Pratchett that I didn't enjoy.

It can be read in isolation but it might be nice to understand more about Vimes and Vetinari before reading this - they each have their own most excellent stories in the series.

One of my favourite Discworld novels, in which we observe the birth of the press in Ankh-Morpork. William de Worde makes for a likeable and complex lead character, and Pratchett's own experiences as a journalist really add some grit to the story.

This is the last of my rereads of Terry Pratchett for a while. Not because I do not want to read any more of them, but because I have no more to pick up in hand. I may run into a book I have not read or reviewed on the blog, and then things may change.
I would have given this book a full five stars if not for the almost swearing goon. In this visit to Ankh Mopork, we have two visiting mercenaries who do not understand or want to follow the written rules for misbehaving in the city. The Guilds are unaware of their presence, and they want to keep it that way. One of them swears every second sentence without actually doing it. The dashes in his dialogue got annoying really fast. I would not have appreciated it if actually swearing occurred either, but it was so frequent that I think it coloured my otherwise excellent reaction to the story.
This story is that of the rise of the written word with political intrigue in the background. The manner in which information is spread and how it is treated by everyone who gets a chance to look at it was quite entertaining. It is, as always, fascinating to see how accurately the civilization matches our current behaviour when it comes to 'news' and trusting the facts. William de Worde was only sending out personal missives when dwarves came to town with the ability to manipulate a printing machine to print things out in larger quantities. He is an honourable man who wants to use words to spread actual information, but the can of worms he opens with the 'technology' is not to be controlled that easily.
We have a vampire who loves the light that burns him into ash, a topic that can be dissected in many ways. There is the City Watch who wants to participate effectively in the chaos that is starting to unfold. Then there's the dog that can talk (or can it?). There are so many moving pieces that blend together by the end to produce a very cohesive tale.
I love the random conversations that take place amidst the more serious machinations. I am quite sad that I will not be plunging back into this world any time soon, but someday I might want to own a choice selection of the ones I have enjoyed, to peruse at leisure and maybe debate a point or two with anyone interested.
I actually think this is a good point to jump into the series - one would only miss out on a few of the inside jokes about the members of the City Watch, but sharp eyes and focus can actually find the answers at some point before the end of the book.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

To tell the truth (see what I did there?) I’m not as fond of the later batch of Pratchetts that encompass Ankh Morpork’s industrial (and social) revolution, though that only means a four star review rather than five because Pratchett is always worth reading. This time he’s having a go at the press as William de Worde becomes the editor of the Discworld’s first newspaper. William only wants to tell the truth, but other people have reasons for keeping the truth under wraps. There are perils in publishing. (Incidentally Wynkyn de Worde was a real-life publisher in the early 1500s who worked with William Caxton and popularised the products of the printing press in England. He published – amongst other things – The Canterbury Tales, Robin Hood, and Le Morte d’Arthur)

The Truth By Terry Pratchett is the Twenty-fifth book of his famous discworld series and all of these books I have read have been WoW amazing. I have just adored all of these books and collected this from an early age and still a great fan at 52 years old! (Blimey I am old) But his books never age.........Terry's mind was just amazing and his books are loved by so many.

"William de Worde is the accidental editor of the Discworld's first newspaper. Now he must cope with the traditional perils of a journalist's life - people who want him dead, a recovering vampire with a suicidal fascination for flash photography, some more people who want him dead in a different way and, worst of all, the man who keeps begging him to publish pictures of his humorously shaped potatoes."

I highly recommend all of Sir Terry's book's. They are a must read.

Big Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Corgi for a copy of this wonderful book to read again.

You can see Terrys experiences of working in the news and media here, sometimes too scarily true, this highlights the ridiculous nature of the media and the controls they have but also living up to family expectations

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

The Truth is one of the funniest Discworld novel, ihmo of course, but it's also full of food for thought and it's a great satire of the world of news.
We are suffering from an overdose of news and sometimes find hard to understand if they are true or propaganda. This is a book about what news are and it talks about a very serious topics in a very funny way (Otto above all).
It's strongly recommended as any other book in Discworld series.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Probably one of Pratchett's best…. A wonderful and incredibly rich novel . . . I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, and the characters...

This is the 25th book in the Author's fantastical Discworld's series and is well worth reading .

William is the accidental editor of Discworld's first newspaper , however perils come with publishing ........... some people want him dead for uncovering a plot to remove Lord Vetinari - staying alive becomes a priority .

This is one of the funniest and quirkiest Discworld stories I have read ...... the Author has such a vivid worldbuilding mind with eccentric , diverse characters that really pulls his stories into one entertaining whole .

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Terry Pratchett makes great use of his experience of the world of newspapers in this entertaining Discworld novel. Not only does this book look at journalism, but it highlights some of the absurdities of the media, and what it means to not live up to family expectations.

I really enjoyed this Discworld snapshot. This time, Pratchett is examining exactly what the benefit of the news media service is and what duty towards honesty and integrity people who report the news have towards those who receive it. Peopled with quirky, rich and likeable characters, this is fun and thought-provoking with a new angle on Anhk-Morpork and Discworld as a whole.

William de Worde is the first editor of the first newspaper in Ankh Morpork. With the help of the Dwarves and their printing press, his assistant editor Sacharissa Cripslock and the newly appointed vampire photographer Otto, de Worde manages to uncover a plot to remove Lord Vetinari by a cabal of wealthy men and two almost Dickensian killers.
This is one of the smartest and funniest Discworld novels and is up there with the best of them.

The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret!

So when someone is introduced to Pratchett and Discworld, 41 books can seem overwhelming - add in the idea that these 41 books can be read in many different ways and some folk might just back away from the thought of reading anything. The Truth is one example of a stand alone 'dip your toes in' book of the Discworld. Yes it is book 25, and I believe it is part of a sub-group - but you won't lose any context from jumping into this book as a standalone. You meet characters that are introduced in previous books, but the focus is on William. It is one of the best Discworld novels, and a great example of Pratchett's work.

If you are interested or are in the field of journalism, this is definitely a must read - "In short, what people think they want is news, but what they really crave is olds." - William de Worde just wants to report the truth....but politics, the truth, and media don't always mix.

Even 22 years on from publication, where media and "news" is available at our fingertips, The Truth still displays the truth of journalistic media. With plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, a zombie, a vampire, and a mystery what is not to love?

Another gem by Mr. Terry Pratchett. An interesting take on press/mass media within Discworld. For me with certain interest in that field it made the book even more curious.
Loved the characters, the twists & turns and small stories within.
Also, that vampire iconographer! Pardon me, photographer.. Oh!
Go, read this, it's good, really good.

I know Discworld books are designed to be read in any order. But, I felt with this one that you need prior knowledge to fully enjoy it. I can best describe this instalment as bring like a soap opera featuring the interlinking stories of several characters, both returning and new. I've been randomly dipping into the series over the past couple of years and while I'm aware of some of its lore, it didn't seem enough here.
Now, I don't want to put off those of you who want to #pickupapratchett. It could just be me. Terry Pratchett has an insightful and satirical way with words. It never ceases to amaze me the work and love he put into creating his wonderful Discworld. So, I have no hesitation in giving four stars for the writing I have become fond of.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Terry Pratchett makes great use of his experience of the world of newspapers in this entertaining Discworld novel, another reread for me, in which he hilariously skewers the 4th Estate and its oft dubious relationship with the truth and its audience, the public, and what they want to read about. William de Worde has decided not to follow in his aristocratic family's footsteps, choosing instead to write a newsletter for the movers and shakers, but everything changes with the revolutionary printing press, leading to the birth of the Ankh-Morpork Times. Soon William, intent on publishing the truth, is employing people, such as Sacharissa Cripslock, a woman reporter, and Otto, the vampire. William find obstacles and trouble heading his way, there is a plot against Lord Ventinari, a competitor in the form of The Inquirer, included are a wonderful set of new characters, such as Pin and Tulip. So much fun to immerse myself in this again. Thanks to the publisher.

trigger warning
<spoiler> cruelty towards animals, xenophobia </spoiler>

William de Worde has been compiling a letter of news for notable personalities to keep them informed of what goes on in Ankh-Morpork - but circumstances happen, as they usually do, and suddenly he finds himself with enough new things for multiple letters and has to decide how to proceed.

In this one, two plots eventually come together: William de Worde's work and a crime that has been commited and that baffles everyone. Well. Not the people responsible for the crime, but that kind of thing is only to be expected.

As it was the case with Mort, this one is a perfect point to start with the Discworld. You meet certain characters that are introduced elsewhere, but the focus really is on William. You might not know the personel of the watch, but you know what the watch is supposed to do, and that has to be enough for now.

And again, I am not happy with the editing of the footnotes. They were to be found at the end of the novel, where it did not care about them anymore, since my e-reader is slow when it comes to jumping from page x to page y, and I didn't bother.

The Discworld is so much fun that I can only recommend them!
The arc was provided by the publisher.

Probably one of Pratchett's best, The Truth takes the idea of newspapers and turns it on his head. Absolutely adored it.