The Pratchett Portfolio is an impressive little book, but only serious Discworld fanatics will want to invest in acquiring it. It is quite large in format and quite thin in content, consisting of pictures and small biographical vignettes of some of the Discworld's most prominent personalities. Paul Kidby's illustrations are indeed lavish and impressive, consisting of black and white sketches alongside vibrantly colored portraits. I personally envision some of the characters, particularly Rincewind and Magrat, quite differently, but it is certainly interesting to see how a professional illustrator and bonafide Discworld fan envisions the denizens of my favorite flat planet. It must be said that Kidby ably captures the spirit of Pratchett's creations, and any favorite illustrator of Terry Pratchett's is a favorite illustrator of mine. Pratchett's biographical sketches of characters are fun to read, but there is nothing found here that cannot be found in the novels themselves. I would also note the fact that this portfolio was published in 1996, at which time only 18 Discworld novels had been published. If you are not a Discworld fanatic, you will most likely be disappointed by this item. If you are as fanatical as I am, though, the Pratchett Portfolio will take its place as an unusual, eye-catching, one-of-a-kind item in your collection.
