A tribute to the master.
Well, the great project has been completed! Last week I finished re-reading the whole DW canon in the order of publication, which is more or less internally chronological too.
Most of these things I'd thought before, but now they sort of crystallized together, so here you go: What I Really Think About Terry Pratchett.
The man is an incurable optimist!
Some may think him cynical, but when you just stop and analyze it...
All right, so Ankh-Morpork has a Tyrant. None of your democracy. But he's
1) genuinely devoted to the city's well-being and development in the right direction
and 2) competent!
I cannot even decide on which of the two is more remarkable. And Lord Vetinari even isn't heartless, although he may simply be growing old.
Oh, they do have crime on DW. Haven't we got some, too? And there, evil scoundrels have some sort of honour, some things they would never stoop to. Those few that haven't, meet a bad end almost as soon as the reader is convinced they deserve it, - quite frequently at the hands of the first-mentioned honourable villains.
And his women! (Obviously I mean his women characters.)
They are all tough underneath, every one a tower of strength when really needed. Even quite secondary characters, such as - at random - Mrs. Plinge, have it in them to bear the blow and give a couple of good ones as well.
All I can say, Pterry's grandmothers, mother, wife and (probably in consequence) daughter must be remarkable women indeed. I couldn't have fitted into one of his novels, I know that...
Pratchett's characters have lots of troubles, certainly. But it only helps them find themselves, and they do. And it never turns out at the journey's end that the shop is closed, sorry, guys, no enlightenment available today. They suffer, and strive, and they gain. If that's not an optimistic message to the world, I should like to know what is.
Most of these things I'd thought before, but now they sort of crystallized together, so here you go: What I Really Think About Terry Pratchett.
The man is an incurable optimist!
Some may think him cynical, but when you just stop and analyze it...
All right, so Ankh-Morpork has a Tyrant. None of your democracy. But he's
1) genuinely devoted to the city's well-being and development in the right direction
and 2) competent!
I cannot even decide on which of the two is more remarkable. And Lord Vetinari even isn't heartless, although he may simply be growing old.
Oh, they do have crime on DW. Haven't we got some, too? And there, evil scoundrels have some sort of honour, some things they would never stoop to. Those few that haven't, meet a bad end almost as soon as the reader is convinced they deserve it, - quite frequently at the hands of the first-mentioned honourable villains.
And his women! (Obviously I mean his women characters.)
They are all tough underneath, every one a tower of strength when really needed. Even quite secondary characters, such as - at random - Mrs. Plinge, have it in them to bear the blow and give a couple of good ones as well.
All I can say, Pterry's grandmothers, mother, wife and (probably in consequence) daughter must be remarkable women indeed. I couldn't have fitted into one of his novels, I know that...
Pratchett's characters have lots of troubles, certainly. But it only helps them find themselves, and they do. And it never turns out at the journey's end that the shop is closed, sorry, guys, no enlightenment available today. They suffer, and strive, and they gain. If that's not an optimistic message to the world, I should like to know what is.