I've read Pratchett now: it's more entertainment than art

My dismissal of the literary merits of the late Terry Pratchett raised hackles among fans. Now I am better read, and can admire his clever wordplay. But I still believe the best prose lives in the real world

When it comes to reading fiction, we are all fans. We read and reread the authors we love, and with whom we may have fallen in love decades ago. The process that connects a reader and an author is as mysterious as the spark that brings two people together – and the passions are as intense.

One of my proudest moments was when I looked at the British paperback edition of Philip Roth’s novel Nemesis and saw praise from my Guardian art blog quoted on its cover: “A mesmerically imagined work of realism...” I have been addicted to Roth for decades. Having my homage printed on one of his books was a fan’s fantasy come true.

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