I said I wouldn’t write about this until I finished all of the books but, I have decided to write a little bit anyway. It’s good to write especially when you feel in the mood to write. I feel like this is a bit of a betrayal though, since I find it increasingly difficult to read books, I have to listen to audio books, it is the only way I have to keep up with literature. Audio books have saved me from oblivion, and the latest set of audio books that I am listening to, are Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.
When I was younger I had trouble reading fictional stories, yes I read Lord of the Rings, and CS Lewis, but fiction did not interest me in the same way historical, geographical or scientific books interested me. My brother was an avid reader; he loved every kind of book you were supposed to read as a child, I never did. To me it was far more interesting reading the massive; Times - History of the World, than reading the Famous Five. A 1000 Great Events was looked at far more than, the Hardy Boys or even the Hobbit, for that matter. So when my brother started reading Terry Pratchett and telling me they were brilliant I said, “Nah they are not for me.”
So to a few months ago, my depression was getting on my nerves, I find the best way to get though it, is to allow it to pass and just wait. Normally I do this with audio books, and I have listened to quite a few, from Harry Potter, to Lord of the Rings, Dan Brown, Isaac Asimov, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Phillip Pullman’s The Northern Lights, and Artemis Fowl, Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. You name it I have given it ago, and then my brother gave me his collection of Terry Pratchett audio books and mentioned Wee Free Men, said the Nac Mac Feegles were dead funny. They were so funny that they pulled me out of my depression straight away and I got an idea for a children’s book of my own.
From then on I have listened to Discworld novels when I have felt depressed or just in need or some time to relax. I am presently up to the Nightwatch, which follows my favourite story arc, the City Watch. In a way now I think about it, audio books are like a security blanket for me a present, they get me through bad spells in my mental health recovery. They allow me to find time to escape the world I see around me, and to enter someone else’s imagination for a while, and Discworld is great for that.
Discworld is pretty unique I suspect, and the genius behind its creation Terry Pratchett is definitely someone I would love to meet and talk to. He makes lovable characters, which make you want to know more about them. My favourites are Death, the whole City Watch, the Patrician, The Wizards especially Mustrum Ridcully, the Nac Mac Feegles of course, the Igor’s, and the main Witches, Granny Weatherwax, and Nanny Ogg. I think that covers nearly everyone, not so keen of Rincewind, and the more pathetic characters.
Favourite stories so far are; ‘Guards! Guards!’; ‘Mort’; ‘Men at Arms’; ‘Jingo’; ‘Carpe Jugulum’; ‘The Last Continent’ and ‘Nightwatch’.
It would be great if someone would do to Discworld similar to what ITV did to Sherlock Holmes, and Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Miss Marple. I am surprised; there have not been more of his books made into films or TV, especially this day and age. Even more surprising are the choices so far, the Hogfather, the Colour of Magic (possibly the worst book with Witches Abroad), and Going Postal. Better choices would be the City Watch arc in my opinion; you could easily make a great fantasy TV series out of Sam Vimes, and the City Watch.
It is a shame Sir Terry has Alzheimer’s disease, I watched his depressing programme about euthanasia and whether you should have to right to kill yourself, if you deem your life to not be satisfactory. It was sad to see that someone who has brought so much joy to the world thinking in such terms. Not that I blame him, as I have had similar thoughts, though for different reasons.
I now look forward to his next book as I should have finished all of the audio books by then. ‘Snuff’ I think it is called, I will buy it and try to read it, and hopefully I will be able to. Then I will have to go and buy all his other books to read.
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