A Bit of an Oddity

[mtvessel]

Jun 2023
Terry Pratchett: A Life in Footnotes – Rob Wilkins – Doubleday, 2022
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This is a somewhat unusual biography in that it is partly written by the man himself. The first half, encompassing Pratchett's early years and career up to his decision to become a full-time author after the success of the first four Discworld books, is based on notes for an autobiography that he would occasionally dictate between bouts of writing. For reasons of stylistic consistency Wilkins has expressed them in third person, but it means that the text has moments of uniquely Pratchettian phrasing that read slightly oddly. It's not that Wilkins is in any way a bad writer, but, as he himself would be the first to admit, he is no Pratchett.

The most striking feature of the early chapters is just how ordinary Pratchett's background was. He grew up in a lower class area of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, the only son of a car mechanic and a secretary. However his precociousness soon manifested itself – at 15 he was going to science fiction conventions and hobnobbing with famous SF authors, and at 17 he blagged his way into a reporter's job at the local newspaper despite having no A-levels. He married when he was 20 and the necessity to support his family perhaps explains his work ethic and the late decision to become a full time writer.

The second half concerning Pratchett's life as a successful author is more conventional. Whilst Wilkins captures the unique charm of the man, he skates over some of his less appealing character quirks - his flashes of temper and tendency not to engage in common politenesses, such as saying thank you. He does not go into much detail about Pratchett's mental decline, which is perfectly understandable but is perhaps a missed educational opportunity. Pratchett's wife Lyn and daughter Rhianna are also kept largely off-stage, making them seem a more minor part of his life than must have been the case.

I don't think that this will be the defining account of Pratchett's life - that will need a more disinterested biographer - but as a reminder of what a wise, witty and humane man he was, this will very much do to be going on with.