On the twelfth of March 2015, the renowned author, Sir Terry Pratchett, passed away. Predominantly famous for his literary universe of The Discworld, composed of approximately forty novels, though he has, overall, written sixty-six books, Pratchett's style of writing was a clever combination of cynicism, light-hearted humour, and the fantastical. From stories of tiny, violent pictsies, to a Discworldian parody of The Phantom of the Opera, each tale of Pratchett's was able to enchant and inspire, his beautiful words making each fantasy seem that little bit more real. A true national treasure, he will undoubtedly be missed by all, though the notable amount of books he has given the world means that he will never truly leave us.
This article may be slightly tainted by a personal note, which I apologise for, but cannot help. As a little girl, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a tendancy to mispronounce long words which I'd read before I'd heard spoken, I found a story. This story's protagonist was, in fact, a little girl with brown hair, brown eyes, and a tendancy to mispronounce long words, as she'd read them, rather than heard them spoken. Tiffany Aching, the heroine of Terry Pratchett's 'The Wee Free Men' was my childhood idol. Intelligent, calculating, and fierce, Tiffany had realised that in fairytales, princesses never had brown hair and brown eyes, but she was, in no way, going to let herself become a background character. So, she decided, she would become a witch. The four-part series follows Tiffany's journey towards adulthood, a sort-of bildungsroman, describing her battles with fairy-queens, winter-spirits, and unknown villains filled with hate (the fourth book undoubtedly an extended metaphor for racism). These books were my gateway to Discworld, and I practically leapt through, mentally gorging myself on every story-line.
It wasn't just the enchanting stories of Sir Terry, which led me to fall in love with his books, or the beautiful way in which he wrote. The wonderful observations, and deeper messages behind his novels are, to me, the crux of his writings. A quote that I will remember most likely for the rest of my life, for example, is that "a library is essentially a genteel blackhole, which knows how to read", simply because it is so true. Another is the character of Death, who is portrayed as a genteel immortal anthropomorphised concept. He is, as Pratchett wrote, not "cruel, just terribly, terribly good at his JOB". It is not the fault of Death that people die; he simply leads them to their afterlife (In Discworld, what you believe happens after death is what happens to you). Pratchett's works made people think about humanity, the combined hilarity and accuracy of such statements as; "If you put a large switch in a cave somewhere, with a sign on it that read 'End of the world switch, DO NOT TOUCH', the paint wouldn't even have time to dry", are continually presented in all of his works.
I strongly doubt that I've done justice to such a wonderful author. I also doubt that I'll ever be able to thank the man enough for how he shaped by childhood. Tiffany was my heroine, Captain Vimes of the Night Watch my conscience, and Governess Susan and her shovel my protector from monsters under the bed. Most importantly, I think, Pratchett taught me not to fear death. It's just another step in the journey, and though our loved ones may not be with us, they are safe in whatever they believed would happen to them. After Sir Terry Pratchett's passing, Rob Wilkins tweeted the final story.
"'AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER'
Terry took Death's arm, and followed him through the doors and onto the black desert, under the endless night.
The end.'
Image 1:
http://www.dignityindying.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Sir-Terry-Pratchett-Patron.jpg
Image 2:
http://thebooksmugglers.com/2013/02/old-school-wednesdays-the-wee-free-men-by-terry-pratchett.html
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