Terry Pratchett (was: Smell of Cabbage)

[ecceq]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "bluesqueak" <pipdowns at e...> 
wrote:
> 
> Wee Free Men's a very good book, btw. I suspect the publisher's 
> willingness to let Terry experiment with children's novels owes a 
> certain amount to good old JKR. PoA and GoF proved that children 
> will read fantasy novels dealing with big serious subjects and, 
more 
> important to a publisher, said novels sell by the bucketload.
> 
 
> Pip

I think C S Lewis proved that with his Narnia series... he tackled a 
number of serious subjects, with his characters having to make some 
very difficult choices.  His work is still much loved by children 
today and still selling well.

I think too that Pratchett's publisher would have been more than 
willing to let him experiment with a children's book dealing 
with 'serious' subjects regardless of JKR, because he's already a 
successful writer for adults and has written six successful novels 
for children.

Not that I want to detract from JKR's achievements, but she, I feel, 
had success partly because the way had already been paved for her by 
other writers.  

EcceQ:- who's been reading fantasy novels for children tackling 
serious subjects for decades. Well, just shy of two decades... I 
wouldn't want anyone to think I'm as old as Dumbledore... nowhere 
near it, oh dearie dearie me no...

All unusual spellings and jarring grammatical quirks are the product 
of my own fevered imagination and any resemblance to those of other 
people (and heaven forbid, real spellings and correct grammar) is 
purely coincidental.