Everybody wants more time, which is why on Discworld only the experts can manage it — the venerable Monks of History who store it and pump it from where it’s wasted, like underwater (how much time does a codfish really need?), to places like cities, where busy denizens lament, “Oh where does the time go?”While everyone always talks about slowing down, one young horologist is about to do the … horologist is about to do the unthinkable. He’s going to stop. Well, stop time that is, by building the world’s first truly accurate clock. Which means esteemed History Monk Lu-Tze and his apprentice Lobsang Ludd have to put on some speed to stop the timepiece before it starts. For if the Perfect Clock starts ticking, Time — as we know it — will end. And then the trouble will really begin…
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Terry Pratchett is one of my all-time favourite authors. Every Christmas, up until his tragic and untimely death, his latest hardback would be one of my Christmas presents. He was a true genius of an author. His writing is effortlessly and hysterically funny, and underpinned with an encyclopedic knowledge of history, science, art, and human nature. In my opinion he is one of the most underrated authors of all time, and the more I learn about the world, the more I bow down to his monumental talent and intellect.
His novels are impossible to put down, and I have read his books multiple times each. One of my all time favourites is Thief of Time. This ticks all my boxes. It has a monk, Lu Tze (an homage to Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu), a kick-ass heroine who is the daughter of Death as well as a primary school teacher, a love story, and chocolate.
18th century English poet and dramatist Edward Young came up with the quote ‘Procrastination is the thief of time’, and Pratchett takes this quote and runs with it. He invents the history monks, who live up in the mountains, storing and releasing time using giant spindles called procrastinators to keep the world in balance. When a figure with no shadow commissions a clockmaker with uncanny abilities to construct the ultimate timepiece, the race is on to stop him before he stops all time itself.
Thief of Time is one of the most beautifully written, subtle, clever, funny and heartwarming books I have ever read. I am supremely biased because I have read so many of Pratchett’s books and am so attuned to his humour and writing style. However, even just thinking of this book now makes me incredibly emotional and once I’ve posted this blog I’m going to start reading it again.
‘Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible to do it. If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying ‘End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH’, the paint wouldn’t even have time to dry.’
the History Monks have another difficult day.
As always, I had a lot of fun watching Pratchett explore what happens when you mess with time. This was my third re-read, I think, and this time I saw the seams in the story. The ostensible main character(s) don’t come together until close to the end, and are rather less interesting than Lu-Tze and Lady LeJean. But there are still some inspired visuals – I can still see orange blur zipping away into the deepening twilight of ever-slower time.
Pratchett is a great Creator.
Pratchett has never written a bad book. Some are better than others, but if you get a chance to read anything by him, take it.
One of the best Books in the series. Although Pratchett can be read in any order, if you haven’t read any Discworld novels get a chronological list and treat yourself starting with the first novel The Colour of Magic, I wouldn’t be surprised if you started tearing through the entire series.
One of my all-time favorite Pratchett books, and that is saying something!
Huge Terry Pratchett fan. I read all of his Discworld books at least once a year.