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Original poster

Saddest Terry Pratchett Discworld book

36 replies

WelshMoth · 22/09/2019 20:17

What's the book that's provoked the most sadness in you?

I have to do a work-based project on Empathy. Too long to explain here.

TP is my No 1 author and his last book (Shepherds crown) when Granny dies, is the one that provokes the most tears in me.

What's yours?

OP posts:
ZeldaPrincessOfHyrule · 22/09/2019 21:17

I haven't had the nerve to read Shepherd's Crown, I know I will one day but I can't yet. TP was incredible. If I think about the fact that when he died, so did all my favourite characters, it makes me so sad. I love Thief of Time, I know it's not the saddest, but Unity and the vat of chocolate gets me every time.

Original poster
WelshMoth · 22/09/2019 20:50

@flashingbeacon Snuff! One of my favourites.

When I try to convert tell people to give Discworld a try, it's really hard to describe how a 'fantasy fiction' genre can provoke so much emotion in the reader. I wish I'd highlighted all sections that touched me so that I could flick back and appreciate them once more. He was amazing at weaving decency and humanity into all his main characters. Even death itself.

I think I'm going to have to read them all again!

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PhysaliaPhysalis · 22/09/2019 20:47

The Shepherd's Crown felt like one long goodbye to me. Cried throughout.

Night Watch for same reason as above. Vimes tries so hard to make it all turn out better by doing the right thing, even though it might affect his future with Sybil, and then the heavy weight of inevitability falls. Night Watch is probably my favourite Pratchett.

Peppinana · 22/09/2019 20:44

Night watch for me. All the little angels... sets me off every time. It’s the futility of the revolution for me and Vimes being powerless to stop the events.

flashingbeacon · 22/09/2019 20:42

Ahem, I actually meant Snuff. I can never keep them straight. The goblin pleading for “just ice” (justice) just really spoke to me.

Original poster
WelshMoth · 22/09/2019 20:39

@Grannybags I pre-ordered Shepherds Crown from Ama*on and it was delivered at 1am the morning of its release. It stayed, in the brown packaging, for about 3 months before I could face opening it and reading it (knowing that it was The Last). When it and to her passing, I felt winded, despite knowing it was going to happen - and I had to put the book down while I sobbed.

That said, a reader has had to follow the series I think, in order to love the character and feel the loss.

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Original poster
WelshMoth · 22/09/2019 20:34

@ClashCityRocker and @flashingbeacon yes, re Nightwatch. That makes sense to me.

@flashingbeacon which part of Thud?

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Original poster
WelshMoth · 22/09/2019 20:33

@Grannybags. Thank you. So touching to read.

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Grannybags · 22/09/2019 20:26

Shepherds Crown made me cry. Granny was such a huge character that, even though I knew it was going to happen, it was still sad.
Most TP books are fairly happy and tend to make you laugh rather than cry. Good Omens (not strictly Tp I know) is very thought provoking.
The book that is guaranteed to make me cry is a book called Scattered Seed by Maisie Mosco. It’s the middle one of a trilogy about a refugee Jewish family setting up hone in Manchester. Towards the end of the second book, a central character knows he is about to die. His wife has asked him to oil the gate. He goes to do so and she watches from the window, knowing it is the last thing he will ever do for her. It’s so incredibly real. I’ve actually made myself cry just by typing this.

flashingbeacon · 22/09/2019 20:24

I came on to say Nightswatch or Thud. Both make me cry

ClashCityRocker · 22/09/2019 20:19

Night Watch for me.

When he knows that many of his colleagues are going to die for pretty much nothing and tries to stop it, but can see it happening anyway.

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