The Magic of Terry Pratchett

As a child, Terry Pratchett was easily one of my favourite authors. Now I usually have a rule of not revisiting what I enjoyed as a child, as nine times out of ten it's not the same and I ruin the good feelings that I had. Terry Pratchett books are an exception though - they are that one in ten that are as good as you remember and can still enjoy as an adult. So when Pen & Sword asked if I wanted to read and review The Magic Of Terry Pratchet by Marc Burrows, I jumped at the chance.

The Magic Of Terry Pratchett is the first full biography of the late, great, Sir Terry Pratchett. If you don't know who he is, then shame on you! Best known for his Discworld series, his work has been translated all around the globe. Journalist, comedian and huge Pratchett fan Marc Burrows decided that the world needed to know more about Sir Terry, and so delved into the back story of one of UK’s most beloved authors, telling the story of the British icon all the way from his childhood in the Chiltern Hills to his time as a journalist, through the journey that would see him write more than sixty best-selling books right to an OBE, a knighthood and national treasure status. Surprisingly, Marc never met the legendary author, so the book is the result of painstaking archival research alongside interviews with friends and contemporaries who knew Sir Terry, building up the first full biography the man who has given readers countless hours of joy through his work and humour.

The introduction of the book is an important chapter before you get on to the actual biography. Starting by stating that you've never met or had any connection with who you're writing about during their life is certainly unorthodox, but this openness is honest and actually a good way to start things out. You see why he adores the man so much, especially now that his chance to finally meet him in the flesh has gone. You also learn how the book came about and how it was all put together without any input from Sir Terry Pratchett.

In true Pratchett style, there are footnotes throughout which in most cases add to the text. Footnotes are generally one thing in books that I can live without as it's not too often that I find they add much, but for the most part, they work here. Given the context of the book, they have a useful purpose.

When you get to the chapters that delay with Pratchett's Alzheimer's and death, it's clear that real care went into the pages as they were carefully and sensitively handled. It was the part of the book I was least looking forward to as you read about an author who you've admired for over two-thirds of your life has to deal with a life-changing disease and ultimately death. It's a tough read.

One worry was that a good portion of the book would be dedicated to one of his largest and most popular pieces of work - the Discworld series. They're a wonderful collection of books and rightly deserve to be discussed, but they're not all he's done. Thankfully, those worries were for nothing, as there is some good focus on Terry's journalism, his early works and non-Discworld books. Naturally, there's Discworld discussion in there, it wouldn't be much of a biography if there wasn't considering there are over 40 books in the collection.

Overall, The Magic of Terry Pratchett has clearly been lovingly put together with careful and detailed research. You can really see the love that Marc has for Terry's work and it's a fitting memorial for one of my all-time favourite authors. In a way, it's nice that it's come from someone who was just another fan and not a family member, as it gives you a different perspective from other biographies. The attention to detail and the amount of research that's gone into making this book has to be commended and I finished the book thinking that it was a fitting tribute to a brilliant man, and with a book like this, that's exactly what you want to feel when you've read it.

You can order the book here: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Magic-of-Terry-Pratchett-Hardback/p/17858 

It's a book that will look magnificent on your bookshelf, but more importantly, it's an insight into the life of one of the all-time greatest authors.