Hello Readers,
Today is another slight break in the Halloween Spirt as
yesterday was the publication day for A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by
Terry Pratchett. Thank you, Emma, and Transworld Publishing for sending me a
physical ARC of A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett for
free in exchange for an honest review.
Title: A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories
Author: Terry
Pratchett, Neil Gaiman (Foreword)
Genre: Fantasy, Short Story,
Pages: 240
Cover Image:
Synopsis: Far away and long ago, when dragons still
existed and the only arcade game was ping-pong in black and white, a wizard
cautiously entered a smoky tavern in the evil, ancient, foggy city of
Morpork... A truly unmissable, beautifully illustrated collection of unearthed
stories from the pen of Sir Terry Pratchett: award-winning and bestselling
author, and creator of the phenomenally successful Discworld series.
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...
Miniature Review
I am going to blame being in reaction recovery, but this book has made me cry more than I should probably admit. I cried while reading Neil Gaiman’s foreword and I agree with what he said the version of Terry in my head is possibly completely different from the man himself and I had never really thought about that before.
I honestly thought I would never get to read anything new from the wonderful mind of Terry after he died back in 2015. However, the short stories in this book are rediscovered tales that Terry wrote under a pseudonym during the 1970s and 1980s. The short stories to me felt like sitting down with a grandparent and them telling me a made-up story, I think that is due to nostalgia that I get reading Terry’s work.
Slightly nerdy dear Reader but I really enjoyed Colin Smythe introduction and learning about how these stories were rediscovered after having been lost for decades. I would also like to say a huge thank you to the incredible people who made it possible and discovered these short stories and traced them back to Terry.
I consumed this collection of short stories in one sitting. The short stories jump around a bit as you have time travel, ghosts, Christmas, and dragons without giving too much away. These short stories are full of delightful characters, laugh out loud moments and hints of magic that I have come to love through the Discworld series. The stories are short quick reads that are worth reading and there's not a bad one in the bunch and I would struggle to pick a favourite on the spot.
Despite these short stories being some of Terry’s
earliest work, you can immediately see some of the features of his later
writing. Terry’s humour shines though and his talent for worldbuilding in his
later works is still present. This book is a must-read for any fan of Terry
Pratchett or anyone looking to for a starting point to read his works.
L x
Comments
Post a Comment