There are many reasons why one should adore Terry Pratchett. Here’s another, for me. He can speak for me. Like he did at 1985. Sample this.
I had a deprived childhood, you see. I had lots of other kids to play with and my parents bought me outdoor toys and refused to ill-treat me, so it never occurred to me to seek solitary consolation with a good book.
Rings a bell? Oh yeah it does. See, books were never my escape route. Football was. Cycling was. Cricket was. Books were the despite of…. Books were the stuff that I also did. Just like writing. I was a normal kid, even somewhat plebian, you might say … And here’s another question. What are the chances that a kid will grow up to be a regular reader, is he/she was reasonably good at sports when small?
And also, you should seriously read the transcript of (this talk) by Pratchett. There are wonderful things he discusses, like Merlin’s death, like literary the distinction (and even discrimination) between wizards and witches, and the brilliant Ursula Le Guin….
