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tamarant4's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
3.5
...it was frequently said that no train anywhere in Britain was permitted to run until it was established that at least one passenger on board was reading a Terry Pratchett. [loc. 370]
Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes, by his assistant and friend Rob Wilkins, is always honest, sometimes sentimental and frequently very amusing. It shows us a man fuelled, to some extent, by anger, and perhaps by a sense of class inequality. He was told at school that he'd never amount to anything. Indeed, he left the education system to take up a full-time job as a reporter for a local paper -- but by then he'd already been published in John Carnell's 'Science Fantasy' magazine, at the age of 15. Some familiar names in the chapters about his teenage years: Rog Peyton, Christopher Priest, Dave Langford... and the British Science Fiction Association.
The early chapters focus on Pratchett's career as a reporter, and his work as a PR man for the Central Electricity Generating Board: but the book really becomes interesting after he gives up the day job and begins writing full-time. Some interesting insights into his process -- a combination of self-discipline and distraction. From the sound of it, he just wrote. (‘A 60,000 target, that means 212 days. No, let’s say by Christmas which means 370 words a night. Aim for 400!’ [loc. 3441]). Rob Wilkins started work as his assistant in 2000, and shows no reluctance in documenting Pratchett's less dignified moments -- argumentative, irritable and unreasonable. But it's also clear that there was great affection between the two of them. And Pratchett remained deeply in love with his wife Lyn, and devoted to his daughter Rhianna, until the end. (I still think he had the best possible death: at home, surrounded by family and with his cat on his bed.)
Wilkins' account of the Embuggerance -- Pratchett's term for the posterior cortical atrophy that killed him at 66 and affected him for at least a decade before that -- is moving and terrifying. Wilkins went from font-fixer and technical support to piecing together scraps of dictation -- as well as looking after Pratchett in more practical, physical ways. Dementia is horrific in its sheer randomness; the moments when Pratchett's brain failed him, leading to panic or incoherence or rage; the feeling of helplessness in the face of a disease for which there is as yet no cure. I watched my father's personality fragment and erode in the face of a similar illness (though he was much older, and had suffered multiple strokes). I hope it does not happen to me.
I can carry a grudge as well as anyone, and Terry Pratchett was once rudely dismissive of me, so I haven't read any of his books for many years. (Apart from rereads of Good Omens.) This is my problem and my loss. And hey, the books are still there waiting... I suspect I'd have enjoyed A Life With Footnotes even more if I'd been more of a Pratchett fan: I think it's about time I got over that long-ago dismissal and got reading. So many books! And who knows how much time any of us have?
Fulfils the ‘Nomination’ rubric of the Annual Non-Fiction Reading Challenge, on the rather shaky basis of this quotation: "...the idea of getting shortlisted for prizes and not winning them was worse to Terry than the idea of not getting shortlisted for them in the first place. This had been his mindset since at least 1989, when Truckers was nominated for a Smarties Book prize, only to be ruled out on the contentious grounds that the story seemed to be inviting – as indeed it was – a sequel." [loc. 3979]
For as long as he writes, he is still Terry Pratchett. So, for as long as he needs me to, I will help him to write. [loc. 6628]
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
ursineultra's review
5.0
Cried pretty much non-stop throughout the last 100 pages, and a good while after.
note to self: if you want do so something with your life, fucking get on with it.
note to self: if you want do so something with your life, fucking get on with it.
roelia's review
5.0
"Of all the dead authors in the world, Terry Pratchett is the most alive." – John Lloyd
The Discworld series, as authored by Sir Terry Pratchett, is a phenomenon. It was the first series of books with a dedicated fandom that I was aware of, growing up. It is pure magic, created by a prolific storyteller with sharp wit and an extraordinary imagination. The 41 novels that forms part of the Discworld universe are not Terry Pratchett’s only creations, but surely it is the most notable and familiar to the average reader.
But, let me also note that you don’t have to be a devout Terry Pratchett fan or Discworld geek to appreciate this wonderful biography. It is the story of a man who made a significant contribution to the literary landscape, a man who changed the way we read about enchanted fantasy. We all can do with a little magic in our lives, don’t you agree?
'Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.' - Terry Pratchett
“Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes” is a delightful, intimate portrait, written by Terry’s long-time personal assistant and friend, Rob Wilkins. Seeing that this book was published 7 years after Terry Pratchett’s death, I appreciated the care, love and respect Rob showed in the authoring of this biography. In a time where sensationalism and instant gratification is often the driver for biographies and autobiographies, this is a treasure.
Terry’s life story is told in chronological order, with his childhood and rise to prolific author as shared with Rob by Terry himself. Rob also tells the delightful story of how he came to be Terry’s personal assistant, confidant, and friend. I could not help but wonder how intimidating, but also inspiring, it was to be so close to this icon.
I did not know, for example, that Terry Pratchett published his first story at the age of 15 already, and that the extraordinary talent for writing was pretty much in his blood form a very young age. Anecdotes of where his childhood inspiration and fascination with a magical world and creatures came from, his life as journalist, a Public Relations practitioner and the drive and dedication it took this workaholic to get to the position of world-renowned author was extremely enlightening.
It is emotional, funny, and reflective. I loved reading about his relationship with anther one of my favourite authors, Neil Gaiman, as well. As you probably know, together they wrote “Good Omens”, which is absolutely delightful and it was also Neil who inspired him to write about Death, as a character.
Through most of the book, I just could not stop smiling. Yes, the joy of grinning like an idiot while reading a book. The wit, the humour, the satire, the footnotes! Rob Wilkins also don’t sugar-coat the fact that Sir Terry Pratchett was a bit of a quirky, moody grump as well, which wasn’t a secret anyway. He was quite stubborn, so I can’t imagine that every day was just rainbows and candyfloss, working for him.
There are numerous hysterical, laugh-out-loud moments, this being one of my favourites:
“Terry didn’t really do deference around famous people. I was once in a position, in Dublin, to introduce him to Bono from U2, explaining, as I did so, that Bono owned the hotel we were standing in. ‘Ah, good,’ Terry said to Bono. ‘Can you get me a milkshake?’ Which he did.”
I don’t care if it sounds like a cliché, but this well-written and charming book had me laughing and crying – I experienced my full emotional range.
The last chapters, from the time when Sir Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer’s, broke me. The frustration, the cruelty of the disease, the irony. To read about the harsh progression of the illness (as he called it “The Embuggerance”), is gut-wrenching.
When I finally closed the book, I was deeply emotional and experienced an utter sense of heartbreak, sadness, and profound loss. He passed away in 2015 already, but it was another reminder of what we are missing out on, but also thankful for the magic he gave us.
This insider view of a phenomenal man is moving, insightful and charming. Thank you for sharing this celebration of life him us, Rob.
“Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?” Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
May we never stop speaking about Terry Pratchett and the legacy he left us. And I am finally ready to read the entire Discworld series, and everything else the iconic author gifted the world.
With thanks to Penguin Random House SA for the opportunity to read this book.
The Discworld series, as authored by Sir Terry Pratchett, is a phenomenon. It was the first series of books with a dedicated fandom that I was aware of, growing up. It is pure magic, created by a prolific storyteller with sharp wit and an extraordinary imagination. The 41 novels that forms part of the Discworld universe are not Terry Pratchett’s only creations, but surely it is the most notable and familiar to the average reader.
But, let me also note that you don’t have to be a devout Terry Pratchett fan or Discworld geek to appreciate this wonderful biography. It is the story of a man who made a significant contribution to the literary landscape, a man who changed the way we read about enchanted fantasy. We all can do with a little magic in our lives, don’t you agree?
'Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.' - Terry Pratchett
“Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes” is a delightful, intimate portrait, written by Terry’s long-time personal assistant and friend, Rob Wilkins. Seeing that this book was published 7 years after Terry Pratchett’s death, I appreciated the care, love and respect Rob showed in the authoring of this biography. In a time where sensationalism and instant gratification is often the driver for biographies and autobiographies, this is a treasure.
Terry’s life story is told in chronological order, with his childhood and rise to prolific author as shared with Rob by Terry himself. Rob also tells the delightful story of how he came to be Terry’s personal assistant, confidant, and friend. I could not help but wonder how intimidating, but also inspiring, it was to be so close to this icon.
I did not know, for example, that Terry Pratchett published his first story at the age of 15 already, and that the extraordinary talent for writing was pretty much in his blood form a very young age. Anecdotes of where his childhood inspiration and fascination with a magical world and creatures came from, his life as journalist, a Public Relations practitioner and the drive and dedication it took this workaholic to get to the position of world-renowned author was extremely enlightening.
It is emotional, funny, and reflective. I loved reading about his relationship with anther one of my favourite authors, Neil Gaiman, as well. As you probably know, together they wrote “Good Omens”, which is absolutely delightful and it was also Neil who inspired him to write about Death, as a character.
Through most of the book, I just could not stop smiling. Yes, the joy of grinning like an idiot while reading a book. The wit, the humour, the satire, the footnotes! Rob Wilkins also don’t sugar-coat the fact that Sir Terry Pratchett was a bit of a quirky, moody grump as well, which wasn’t a secret anyway. He was quite stubborn, so I can’t imagine that every day was just rainbows and candyfloss, working for him.
There are numerous hysterical, laugh-out-loud moments, this being one of my favourites:
“Terry didn’t really do deference around famous people. I was once in a position, in Dublin, to introduce him to Bono from U2, explaining, as I did so, that Bono owned the hotel we were standing in. ‘Ah, good,’ Terry said to Bono. ‘Can you get me a milkshake?’ Which he did.”
I don’t care if it sounds like a cliché, but this well-written and charming book had me laughing and crying – I experienced my full emotional range.
The last chapters, from the time when Sir Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer’s, broke me. The frustration, the cruelty of the disease, the irony. To read about the harsh progression of the illness (as he called it “The Embuggerance”), is gut-wrenching.
When I finally closed the book, I was deeply emotional and experienced an utter sense of heartbreak, sadness, and profound loss. He passed away in 2015 already, but it was another reminder of what we are missing out on, but also thankful for the magic he gave us.
This insider view of a phenomenal man is moving, insightful and charming. Thank you for sharing this celebration of life him us, Rob.
“Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?” Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
May we never stop speaking about Terry Pratchett and the legacy he left us. And I am finally ready to read the entire Discworld series, and everything else the iconic author gifted the world.
With thanks to Penguin Random House SA for the opportunity to read this book.
gassyhaggis's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
4.0
callysutherland's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
flawed_ghost's review
medium-paced
5.0
"Of all the dead authors in the world, Terry Pratchett is the most alive", John Lloyd said at Pratchett's memorial in 2015, and it is still true today. Reading Discworld novels and his other works keeps Pratchett's thoughts and influence alive in the world. This biography also manages to breathe life into who Terry Pratchett was as a person - his early life, his work as a journalist and press editor, and his leap into massive fame as an author. Would be that we could have had him for longer - but what a great luck that he could give as much as he did to the world.
This biography strolls through Terry Pratchett's life, and is filled to the brim with funny anecdotes, wry side notes and excellent tall tales. And, of course, the required amount of footnotes. The book never ceases to be interesting, and it had me at points laugh, read sections out loud to my partner, and burst into tears, sometimes in quick succession. Hats off to Wilkins!
This biography strolls through Terry Pratchett's life, and is filled to the brim with funny anecdotes, wry side notes and excellent tall tales. And, of course, the required amount of footnotes. The book never ceases to be interesting, and it had me at points laugh, read sections out loud to my partner, and burst into tears, sometimes in quick succession. Hats off to Wilkins!