A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett (Review #43)

A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett

Blurb

Twenty early short stories by one of the world’s best loved authors, each accompanied by exquisite original woodcut illustrations.

These are rediscovered tales that Pratchett wrote under a pseudonym for newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s. Whilst none are set in the Discworld, they hint towards the world he would go on to create, containing all of his trademark wit, satirical wisdom and fantastic imagination.

Meet Og the inventor, the first caveman to cultivate fire, as he discovers the highs and lows of progress; haunt the Ministry of Nuisances with the defiant evicted ghosts of Pilgarlic Towers; visit Blackbury, a small market town with weird weather and an otherworldly visitor; and go on a dangerous quest through time and space with hero Kron, which begins in the ancient city of Morpork…

Review

I was so excited to read this book and it went immediately to the top of my TBR pile when it arrived. I couldn’t wait to read the words of one of my all time favourite authors again and I was not disappointed.

In all honesty I could have happily read this book in one sitting but sadly these things called work and tiredness rather got in the way. However, it didn’t take me too long to fly through the book and it made a lovely distraction from work.

I know these stories are some of Pratchett’s early work which was written under a pseudonym but as soon as I started reading them I recognised Pratchett’s voice and excellent sense of humour. Each story was excellently written and had me laughing out loud.

The Christmas themed stories had me longing for snow and Christmassy scenes. In fact I might reread the Christmas stories closer to Christmas to get me into the spirit of Christmas. My particular favourites of the Christmas stories were ‘A Partridge in a Post Box’ and ‘How Good King Wenceslas Went Pop for the DJ’s Feast of Stephen’. I loved how Pratchett had used the popular Christmas Carol as part of the story. I found myself trying to sing the story to the words. ‘How Scrooge Saw the Spectral Light (Ho! Ho! Ho!) And Went Happily Back to Humbug’ I also found incredibly clever and a really interesting take on the traditional Christmas story from Dickens because what exactly did happen all those years later once the spirits had left Scrooge alone?

I enjoyed so many of the stories in this book and definitely didn’t find a story that I didn’t like. I loved seeing the beginnings of the Discworld series and Pratchett’s characters and writing style take shape. What I also found fascinating was the story of how this book came about. If it wasn’t for the patience and perseverance of Pat and Jan Harkin we might never have had this wonderful book of short stories.

This book was a joy to read and one I will happily dip into again and again. I give this book 5 out 5 Dragons and it has to be one of my favourite reads for 2023.

🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

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About the author

Sir Terence David John Pratchett OBE (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humorist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his Discworld series of 41 novels.

Etsy

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Mid Week Quote: Terry Pratchett

Hello!

This year marks the 50 year anniversary of the publication of The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett. Pratchett wrote the book when he was 17 years old, but he later re-wrote the book when he was a well established author.

Due to this and because Pratchett is one of my all time favourite authors I have gone for a quote by Pratchett.

“A good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read.”
Terry Pratchett

Happy Reading

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Mid Week Quote: Terry Pratchett

Hello!

Yesterday was Terry Pratchett’s birthday so I decided that a Terry Pratchett quote was required. Pratchett is one of my favourite authors, I have read all of his Discworld books and many others. I used to eagerly await the latest publication and have the book preordered to either be delivered or picked up. In 2013 I read all the current published Discworld novels in publication order and loved every minute, it also helped me get through a particularly brutal Jury Duty case. So here is the quote…

“Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.”

Terry Pratchett (1998)

Happy reading!

A Bookish Confession

A few days ago on the 12th March marked the anniversary of Sir Terry Pratchett’s death in 2015. I still remember the day, I had been teaching all day and my best friend knew I had probably not seen the news so she sent me a text to break the news. Although I knew he was ill and it was going to happen, it was still like a kick in the stomach and I am not ashamed to admit I shed a tear. Sir Terry Pratchett meant so much to me, his Discworld novels were my absolute favourites, that I always relied on to cheer me up and make me laugh. I could not believe there would be no more, that the world of Discworld was over.

I first discovered the Discworld series at the age of 12, when my cousin’s partner recommended them to me, I then persuaded my mom to join a Sci-fi and Fantasy book club to order me a few of the books and from then I got a couple each month on offer. In year 9 at school during quiet reading, my teacher attempted to confiscate my copy of The Colour of Magic because he thought it an inappropriate book for a girl of my age, happily my mom intervened and I was allowed to continue reading them.

In 2013 I decided to read all the Discworld novels in order of them being written and it was wonderful. During this time they helped me cope with a particularly harrowing two-week session on jury duty and it was comforting to know that in my handbag there was always a Terry Pratchett novel.

Anyway, that’s a brief description of my history with Discworld, now on to my confession. The very last Discworld novel The Shepherd’s Crown I have never read! I pre-ordered it, I even got the special edition that Waterstones did so I have two copies but I have never read either. The reason, I just could not bring myself to read it, because in my mind once I read it I would know for sure that there would never be another Discworld book and that Sir Terry Pratchett was gone for good.

Over the last few days I have been thinking of The Shepherd’s Crown and yesterday I collected both copies from my parents house and brought them home. Now they are sat in my living room looking at me and I think I have made a decision. Sir Terry Pratchett wrote this book for people to read and the fact that I have not read it yet is not what he would have wanted. So on Terry Pratchett’s birthday on the 28th April I plan on starting to read The Shepherd’s Crown and I must admit that thought scares me a little, as I do not want to be disappointed and I know I will not want the book to end. Even just writing this brings all those memories back from 2015 and the sadness.

That is my bookish confession and I hope I can go through with my plan. Apologies to Sir Terry Pratchett for not having read your last Discworld novel sooner.

Lady Book Dragon.