Thankfulness thing 11 - Terry Pratchett

[abendgules]

Today I'm thankful for Terry Pratchett.
I resisted reading his books for years, suspicious of anything that other folk insist I must read, are you mad? what do you mean you haven't read him? he's brilliant! and so on.  I'm just stubborn that way.
I caved a couple of years ago, after picking up one of Robert's copies, after hearing him laughing out loud while reading - re-reading even - some favourites. At the depths of a depressive period, I could see it was funny, and well-written, even if it didn't make me laugh. But I've laughed plenty since, and admired the tautness, and often the anger, of his best books (Thud! Going Postal and The Night Watch are my favourites, as well as the Tiffany Aching stories).
Knowing that his Alzheimer's must inevitably eventually affect his writing makes his new books all the more bittersweet.

Comments

[mikepictor.livejournal.com]

Thud is my favourite, Feet of Clay, and Wintersmith rank highly as well (I was less fussy on the earlier Tiffany Aching books).

I am halfway through Unseen Academicals (on audio book) now. It's very good, but not the best, still quite happy to have new material.

[bend-gules.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's his best either. It feels like a dull edge, especially compared to the angry sharpness of Thud and Going Postal.
I've wondered how dictating, rather than typing, his book has affected his writing process. I know how much thinking I do in front of the keyboard, how much tweaking and twiddling, how doing the physical typing/writing prompts creativity. It must be like handling fine china while wearing welder's gloves.