‘DON’T THINK OF IT AS DYING,’ said Death. ‘JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH.’ – Good Omens
This morning when I work up I was greeted by the news of the death of Terry Pratchett. I’m still in shock, and filled with sadness at the loss.
I first came across Terry Pratchett in 2002 when a friend lent me a book of his saying I must read it. I’ll never forget the book or the friend, for it set me a off on a tangent.
The book was 'The Last Continent’, a part of the Disc World series and Pratchett’s take on Australia. It opened a new world for me, a world of humour, satire and hidden meanings.
Pratchett wrote with a depth that would be read at surface level or the reader could choose to deep dive and look into the dark abyss. He wrote stories that would make you sit up and listen, make you scratch your head and think.
I remember reading somewhere that he didn’t believe in chapters, he believed that stories have a beginning and and end. So, most of his books don’t have chapters, you just go through and through the book and then it ends.
Pratchett’s life and even his death doesn’t seem very different. He was diagnosed with a rare form of Azheimers in 2007. This didn’t stop him, it only made him fight more and write more.
It all ended on 12 March at the age of 66 due to complications from his Alzheimer’s and a severe chest infection. He passed away in his home with his cat sleeping on his bed and his family surrounding him.
Even in death he seems so him. Here are his last few tweets -
Good bye Sir Terry, you will be sorely missed.
‘Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?’ – Going Postal
With over 70 books, his name will be spoken for a long time to come. I've read a lot of his books, a lot of the Disc World series and yet I have so much more of Pratchett to read.
To assuage my sadness, I’m dedicating this year to Pratchett, I’m going to read all his works again. Wish me luck, Sir Terry. :)
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