Reading from Terry Prachett...help!

[TenMinutesLate]

My darling Nan passed away last week and her funeral is this Friday. She was a huge part of my life and I miss her dreadfully already, and felt I should read at her funeral. My Dad is talking about her and her life so I thought a reading from her favourite Author would be suitable for me to blub through.

But now I'm not sure where to start! Is there anyone who could point me in the right direction or anyone used Terry Pratchett writings at a funeral?

It's a small ceremony, about 25 of us, and our immediate family have a dark sense of humour, as did my Nan so I'm open to ideas.

Thank you!!!

[CMOTDibbler]

I'm sorry to hear about your Nan. Did she have any particular favourite characters?

[MrsCakesPremonition]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

There is a section in Reaper Man about the life of a Mayfly. It does stand alone and I recently heard it read on R4 and it doesn't lose anything from being out of context.

Here's a link to the bit I mean. Do you think it would be OK for a funeral? Or maybe a bit dark in context?

[worldgonecrazy]

There's a bit at the end of Reaper Man which always makes me cry. Death dances at a barn dance with a very sweet old lady. She makes some comment that he will dance her to death, and he points out he just did. The scene is written with so much love and humour. I will have a look and see if I can find the exact page.

[TenMinutesLate]

That was quick!!

CMOTDibbler, thank you xx She liked 'Death'.....?!! But to be honest, she gobbled up his books time and time again, she thought they were wonderful. I've never read them so I'm flummoxed.....although been reading some quotes on goodreads and I think I'm going to have to start reading him.

MrsCakes, thank you. Not too dark at all, in fact....if I can pronounce some of those words it may just be perfect!

Love Mumsnet!!!

[TenMinutesLate]

Worldgonecrazy, that's just choked me already...!

[TenMinutesLate]

I'm just having to run out but will check these his afternoon....on a shopping nightmare...need something green to wear for my Nan's funeral....green? Sounded a good idea at the time until I realised I do not wear green.....ever!

[MrsCakesPremonition]

There is also a section in Chapter 1 of Hat Full of Sky about Granny Aching being buried on her beloved Downs. It starts "Yesterday, Tiffany had said goodbye to Granny Aching". The whole book is really about the granddaughter, Tiffany, coming to terms with the loss of her grandmother and what sort of person her grandmother was.

[pleaseaffixstamps]

You could also have a recording of "All the little angels" from the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Nightwatch, and have lilacs on her coffin, the important symbol of solidarity from Nightwatch.

(I thought lilacs might be out of season by now, but interflora still does them: www.interflora.co.uk/product/scented-summer-garden-hand-tied/?=;search=1;)

I'm really sorry for your loss, TenMinutesLate, and think this thread is lovely. I'm glad you had such a warm relationship with your nan and I'm glad your nan was the kind of person who enjoyed Pratchett. I'm sure we could all wish for someone like you in our lives putting as much thought into our memorials when we go!

[CMOTDibbler]

I love the Mayflies passage.

I'll have to go and look at some books and come back.

Wearing green is making me think of Tiffanys hills, and about the bit about the chalk being made of the bones of millions of tiny creatures. Granny Aching was buried in the chalk, so her bones became the chalk, and the chalk her bones (she was a shepherd who lived out there all the time). Theres a bit about her wearing a hat made of sky

[HerrenaHarridan]

“Once we were blobs in the sea, and then fishes, and then lizards and rats, and then monkeys, and hundreds of things in between. This hand was once a fin, this hand once had claws! In my human mouth I have the pointy teeth of a wolf and the chisel teeth of a rabbit and the grinding teeth of a cow! Our blood is as salty as the sea we used to live in! When we’re frightened, the hair on our skin stands up, just like it did when we had fur. We are history! Everything we’ve ever been on the way to becoming us, we still are. Would you like the rest of the story?
[…]
I’m made up of the memories of my parents and grandparents, all my ancestors. They’re in the way I look, in the colour of my hair. And I’m made up of everyone I’ve ever met who’s changed the way I think.”
— Tiffany Aching in “A Hat Full Of Sky” - Terry Pratchett

[TenMinutesLate]

Grrrrrr....just lost all my typing....bloody iPad.

These are just perfect,I think Nan would be happy with any of these. I'm going to pick one tonight and start practising this evening so hopefully I'm a little coherent on Friday. You've all saved me so much time, thank you x

My Brother has designed her order of service to look like an old copy of a Penguin book and we've popped this quote in the back

“There is a rumour going around that I have found God. I think this is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.”

She was forever losing something so thought it quite apt.

Pleaseaffixstamps; the lilacs are a gorgeous idea and I do believe we have got some in her main arrangement. She wasn't one for formal flowers so we have got a lot of moss, twigs and bundles of wild flowers, as if we've just strolled through a huge meadow and collected armfuls as we went.

I'll let you know how I got on and what I chose. Huge thanks again x

[CMOTDibbler]

The order of service sounds lovely, and such an apt quote. Your nan would be proud

[pointythings]

This is the most moving Terry Pratchett thread I have seen on MN. I hope your Nan's service ends up being everything you and she would have wanted it to be. You both sound like wonderful people.

[TenMinutesLate]

I went with the mayflies.....it reminded me of a story I told my children 4 years ago when my MIL died suddenly without any warning. We were, and are still heartbroken but the story of these dragonflies explained death in a gentle way...something my then 3 year old DD could understand. I felt comfitable reading it and managed to keep it together,even though I'm sure I spoke way to fast!

Thank you so much for all your kind words and suggestions, you all really made an awful quest so much easier xxxx

PS....we had lilacs :-)

[TenMinutesLate]

Too, not to!

[pleaseaffixstamps]

Thanks so much for telling us all how it went. You and your nan sounded very lucky to have each other in your lives.


(Have now got a lovely Pratchett earworm: All the little angels, rise up, rise up...)