I have read most of the Discworld novels.
While he certainly has a great sense of humour and sharp wit, you cannot get away from his underlying mockery of religion and the greater meaning of life.
The way Death is parodied, the way Small Gods depicts the small mindedness of the gods and the way the meaning of everything is fooled around with with the so called "auditors" being in charge of everything, is far too reminiscent of Douglas Adams's nihilistic masterpiece, the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, for my liking.
Actually, this modern trend of relativism leading to the ultimate message of "nothing really has meaning" strikes me as very similar to Ishamael's supposed philosophical views as depicted in his Age of Legends writings "The Absence of Meaning" and so on.
I far prefer the affirming themes found in Dean Koontz's later books to the nihilistic satirizing of the Meaning of Life found in the works of authors like Pratchett and Adams.
While he certainly has a great sense of humour and sharp wit, you cannot get away from his underlying mockery of religion and the greater meaning of life.
The way Death is parodied, the way Small Gods depicts the small mindedness of the gods and the way the meaning of everything is fooled around with with the so called "auditors" being in charge of everything, is far too reminiscent of Douglas Adams's nihilistic masterpiece, the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, for my liking.
Actually, this modern trend of relativism leading to the ultimate message of "nothing really has meaning" strikes me as very similar to Ishamael's supposed philosophical views as depicted in his Age of Legends writings "The Absence of Meaning" and so on.
I far prefer the affirming themes found in Dean Koontz's later books to the nihilistic satirizing of the Meaning of Life found in the works of authors like Pratchett and Adams.
I actually really enjoy not only the way Death is characterized but Pratchett's idea of death on Discworld in general. It's kind of whatever you want it to be (or rather whatever, deep down, you really think it should be). Maybe, to someone of a religious bent, that's not ideal - there's no ultimate truth, no guaranteed great revelation of an all-knowing and all-powerful God - but then again, maybe there is, for you. Or not. It's deliberately ambiguous and open-ended, which I find somehow very satisfying.
Also, while more often than not Pratchett treats death as humorously as he treats everything else (the reaction of most recently deceased characters to the appearance of the Grim Reaper is a comical "oh" ) there are other instances in which death is treated with respect and solemnity.
He rejects the idea of Ultimate Truth and replaces it with relativism: You make your own truth. What's true for one person may not be true for another.
This is directly opposed to the idea of Truth with a capital "t".
C.S. Lewis describes it beautifully.
The rejection of Truth is probably the defining characteristic of this Age.
And the ultimate cause of the social problems that plague our generation.
Sir Terry Pratchett
- 07/01/2011 05:42:34 PM
1128 Views
I'm torn between my love of Pterry and my inherent laziness.
- 07/01/2011 05:55:25 PM
678 Views
Why do think you don't like unseen academicals as much as the others? *NM*
- 08/01/2011 05:41:30 PM
323 Views
Re: 
- 07/01/2011 05:58:54 PM
825 Views
- 07/01/2011 05:58:54 PM
825 Views
What do you particularly enjoy about Pyramids?
- 08/01/2011 05:44:31 PM
813 Views
Re: It is self contained, it examines its themes and then moves on, it is packaged to my tastes.
- 08/01/2011 07:45:23 PM
845 Views
*NM*
Re: Sir Terry Pratchett
- 07/01/2011 08:21:35 PM
804 Views
Heh. I forgot Good Omens.
- 07/01/2011 10:15:01 PM
692 Views
Humorous. But his underlying nihilism always leaves me somewhat disturbed after finishing a book..
- 08/01/2011 09:21:56 AM
847 Views
Interesting
- 08/01/2011 12:18:56 PM
794 Views
To me atheism = nihilism...
- 08/01/2011 12:47:04 PM
726 Views
Ok, I fundamentally disagree with you, but I respect your opinion
- 08/01/2011 12:49:54 PM
733 Views
Fair enough. However...
- 08/01/2011 12:54:24 PM
764 Views
To quote the Angel line that is in the quotes here...
- 08/01/2011 03:29:33 PM
679 Views
A lovely word confusion (not quite a paradox but I'm not sure what to call it)
- 08/01/2011 05:38:38 PM
589 Views
re: Death
- 08/01/2011 01:33:10 PM
647 Views
That's exactly my point...
- 08/01/2011 01:40:45 PM
854 Views
What nihilism?
- 08/01/2011 04:28:59 PM
667 Views
not really a big fan
- 08/01/2011 04:25:33 PM
948 Views
A couple of new questions;
- 08/01/2011 06:03:15 PM
630 Views