Terry Pratchett is a famous English writer whose books have gained extraordinary popularity not only in Great Britain, but throughout the world. His books are among the most widely circulated, with total sales of his works amounting to about seventy million copies. This speaks not just of the writer’s recognition, but of his stunning success. We offer you a selection of quotes and sayings by Terry Pratchett from various books. By creating fantastic stories, he exposed the world around him and clearly pointed out its vices.
A special place in the writer’s work is given to the Disc World cycle. For his special contribution to literature, Pratchett was awarded the Order of the British Empire. Among the most famous novels by Terry Pratchett, it is worth noting The Color of Magic, The Spell Makers, Pestilence, Death's Disciple, The Pyramid, and The Music of Fatality.
Quotes from Terry Pratchett, the best humorist of the twentieth century
15 of Terry Pratchett's books were included in the BBC's 200 Best Books of 2003. Our selection includes quotes from such works as “The Cat Without Fools”, “The Color of Magic”, “The Cat Without Embellishment”, “Mad Star”, “Ladies and Gentlemen”, “Spell Makers”, “Interesting Times”, “Masquerade” , “The Fifth Elephant” and other creations of the brilliant writer.
• Most books about witchcraft say that witches work naked. This is because most books about witchcraft were written by men.
• Evil, as a rule, does not sleep, and, accordingly, poorly understands why anyone should sleep at all.
• The tourist not only looked at the world through rose-colored glasses - he perceived it with a pink brain and heard it with pink ears.
• It's amazing what a kind word can accomplish, especially when you've got a big, strong stick in your hands.
• Truth is a female being because she is more beautiful than pleasant.
• Cats should be given short names that are not embarrassing to shout at night to the entire neighborhood.
• – Ooh. Do you think there is anything edible in this forest? “Yes,” the wizard responded bitterly. - We.
• A real cat dreams of one thing: to live life serenely, and for people to interfere less with it. In this he is not too different from people.
• –...Stay here. If it's not dangerous there, I'll whistle. – What if it’s dangerous? - Zaoru.
• The local gods had a bad habit of going to the houses of atheists and breaking windows.
• – Treasurer? - Yes, Archchancellor? - What, have you joined some secret society? - I? Of course not, Archchancellor. “Then take your underpants off your head.” Doesn't suit you.
• Real cats master the ability to survive in any conditions. Name at least one other animal that is fed not because it is useful, protects the house or chirps loudly, but because, having eaten, it walks around contentedly and contentedly. And it rumbles.
• If you don't give the cat something, he will wait until you turn away and take it himself.
• Nanny Ogg looked under the bed, just in case there was a man hiding there. You never know where you'll get lucky.
• A vital ingredient to success is not knowing that what you set out to do cannot be accomplished.
• Chaos always defeats order because it is better organized.
• Stupid people are capable of doing things that smart people do not dare to think about.
• The old woman moved from a state of sleep to a shooting position, bypassing all intermediate phases.
• You need to boast of your independence and self-sufficiency in front of someone. People who don't need anyone need people around them to see that they don't need anyone at all.
• The dawn of intelligence illuminated the wide expanses of Colon's face.
• And then the dean uttered a magical phrase that for many centuries has served as the engine of science and progress: “Why don’t we mix it all and see what happens?”
• He was mistaken, there was light at the end of the tunnel after all. And its source was a flamethrower.
• Ridcully did not know what fear was because he had no imagination.
• This old world is quite funny. You can't help but laugh at him. After all, if you don't laugh, you can go crazy.
• I return to the same thought again and again: we live in an incredible, fantastic world, although we do not realize it.
Photo: Jeff Morgan/Theguardian.
April 28, 2016
Quotes from Terry Pratchett's books (110 quotes)
Fans of the fantasy genre have probably definitely heard of Terry Pratchett. He was one of the first to write in the style of satirical fantasy, for which many readers truly fell in love with him. Sometimes it’s very interesting to remember again those same popular expressions of the heroes of Pratchett’s books and laugh heartily, and sometimes you can even think about serious topics. Also, quotes from books are an opportunity to understand for yourself whether you like this style. To solve just such problems, you can find on this page Quotes from Terry Pratchett's books.
So, everything in this world went as it should - with the exception of everything else that was decidedly going awry.
It’s stupid to hope to do something global, for example, to establish peace in the whole world, to create happiness for everyone, but everyone can do some small thing, thanks to which the world will become at least a little better...
For example, shoot someone.
Rumors are information so distilled that it can seep through anything and anywhere. Rumors don't need doors and windows, sometimes they don't even need people. They flutter freely through the air, without touching human lips and flying straight from ear to ear.
In theory, any marriage can be made happy - cut off the newlyweds’ heads as soon as they say “yes” at the wedding, and that’s it.
He always disliked people who “didn’t want to offend anyone.” A convenient phrase: say it and offend whoever you want.
My basic rule: build a dungeon so that you yourself want to spend a night or two in it.
Not every name sticks to a person. The name should be such that it is convenient to wash floors.
Never eat something that might wink back at you.
All crimes in the world fit the definition of theft, because the prey can be not only gold, but also innocence, territory, and even life.
Nobody likes to sit up to their ears in shit, and especially flowers, so they grow.
By the way, as a rule, the names of real cats are quite long, for example: Brysyattuda bastard, Mama podklovatkoy slashilapsya or No need to climb.
Sex, as he once noted to himself, is in some ways akin to cooking. People are addicted to it, periodically buy books with intricate recipes and interesting pictures, sometimes, when they are especially hungry, they arrange real banquets in their imagination, but at the end of the day they happily settle for ordinary scrambled eggs and chips. And if you add half a tomato to this, then the dinner is considered absolutely luxurious.
A vital ingredient to success is not knowing that what you set out to do cannot be accomplished.
- Oh-oh. Do you think there is anything edible in this forest? “Yes,” the wizard responded bitterly, “we are.”
It’s stupid to hope to do something global, for example, to establish peace in the whole world, to create happiness for everyone, but everyone can do some small thing, thanks to which the world will become at least a little better.
Cats should be given short names that are not embarrassing to shout at night throughout the neighborhood.
Cats have this property: as soon as they appear in the house, it turns out that they have always been here - even if an hour ago you didn’t have any cats. They live in their own time stream and act as if the human world is just a stop on the way to something much more interesting.
“If the past is known and the future is hidden, then you are looking in the wrong direction.”
There is always a place for heroic deeds in life. The main thing is to stay away from this place.
A real cat strives to live its life peacefully - so that people interfere with its life as little as possible. In this way, real cats are very similar to real people.
He always disliked people who “didn’t want to offend anyone.” A convenient phrase: say it and offend whoever you want.
People are interesting creatures. In a world full of wonders, they managed to invent boredom.
You'll be surprised how much a woman can understand. The main thing is to find the right words.
“Of course,” Lord Vetinari confirmed. “My motives, as always, are absolutely transparent. Hunon thought that “absolutely transparent” could mean one of two things: either these very motives are visible through, or they simply cannot be seen.
Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading. People love the show.
Most books about witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books about witchcraft are written by men.
Fear is a rather strange soil. Basically, obedience grows on it, and in rows, like wheat, to make it easier to weed. But sometimes it yields tubers of defiant defiance that grow luxuriantly underground.
Hate is love with its back turned.
Yes, I am an ordinary acorn, small and green, but I dream of vast forests.
...a limited intellect cannot obtain absolute truth through comparison, because, being indivisible by nature, truth excludes the concepts of “more” or “less” - thus, nothing but truth can be an accurate measure of this very truth.
Sin is when you treat people like things.
“But it so happened that I have all the aces in my hands.” “But it just so happens that I don’t play cards.”
Forgiveness does not mean forgetting... The role of listeners has always been underestimated. However, it is well known that most people are bad listeners. While the other person is speaking, they take this time to think about their own answer. In countries of oral culture, true listeners have always been treated with respect and this rare gift has been greatly appreciated. Poets and bards are a dime a dozen, but it’s not easy to find a good listener, especially a person who will agree to listen to you again.
Credibility is a point of view on the world, the universe and man's place in it, shared only by naive people, as well as by the most capable and advanced mathematicians and physicists.
Prayer is, of course, good. Sometimes it helps to put my thoughts in order. But an ax is an ax, no matter what you believe.
People never see something that seems impossible to them to exist.
It is foolish to hope to accomplish something global, for example, to establish peace in the whole world, to create happiness for everyone, but everyone can do some small deed, thanks to which the world will become at least a little better. For example, shoot someone.
Real cats master the ability to survive in any conditions. Name at least one other animal that is fed not because it is useful, protects the house or chirps loudly, but because, having eaten, it walks around contentedly and contentedly. And it rumbles
A person's status is determined by the strength of his enemies.
It's scary when you find interesting things in your head and don't know what they do there.
Catness is a way of life.
- Oh-oh. Do you think there is anything edible in this forest? “Yes,” the wizard responded bitterly. - We.
Human affairs become much clearer when it is clearly understood that the reason for the great triumphs and tragedies of history is not because people are by nature good or evil, but because they are by nature human.
Before a person dies, his whole life actually passes before his eyes. Actually, this process is called life.
Trymon knew everything about rules and always believed that they existed only to invent them, and not to obey them.
A person who can be bought is usually worth nothing.
A real cat, even from the farthest corner of the apartment, hears the refrigerator opening in the kitchen.
Only people themselves can build a better world for themselves. Otherwise, you get a cell.
There is common sense in this: if crime is inevitable, then at least let it be organized.
- Stay here. If it's not dangerous there, I'll whistle. – What if it’s dangerous? - Zaoru.
Every job looks interesting - until you do it.
“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger!” “And what kills makes us dead!”
How good and calm it is to know that there are gods. And how scary it is to realize that they are already here.
People agree to wait quite a long time for salvation, but prefer to have lunch on time.
Cats should be given short names that are not embarrassing to shout at night throughout the neighborhood.
It is interesting to note that the gods of the Disc World never particularly bothered themselves with any judgments over the souls of the dead, so people ended up in Hell only if they deeply and sincerely believed that this was where they belonged. Which, of course, would not have happened at all if they did not know about his existence. This explains why it is so important to shoot missionaries when they first appear.
People who don't need anyone need people around them to see that they don't need anyone at all.
- Why are they chasing you? - I have no idea. - Come on! There must be a reason! - Oh, there are a lot of reasons. I just don't know which one it is.
This old world is quite funny. You can't help but laugh at him. After all, if you don't laugh, you can go crazy.
If cats were like toads, we would quickly realize what vile, cruel creatures they truly are. Style. That's what people remember.
Never trust creatures that constantly grin contemptuously. There is always something behind it.
Like a juggler spinning eighteen plates at once, like a man trying to program a VCR from instructions translated from Japanese into Dutch by a Korean rice harvester, like a man learning for the first time in his life what complete self-control is, Windy Sdooms moved forward with an unsteady gait.
In general, we have a long history of lack of experience.
Cats can sit at opposite ends of an alley and watch each other for hours, mentally performing maneuvers that would make any grandmaster seem impetuous and impulsive.
Not a single resident of Ankh-Morpork could resist seeing an inscription with three exclamation marks.
When you take a step off a cliff, life instantly takes on a very clear direction.
“Peace to this house,” mother said casually. Witches usually begin all their acquaintances with these words. An extremely successful phrase - it immediately makes people think about what else this woman could wish for this house.
Mrs. Cake always believed that her daughter's invitation was automatically addressed to her mother. Such mothers are found everywhere, and nothing can be done about it.
Sometimes a person laughs because there is no more room for tears in his soul.
Be careful what you wish for, because you never know who might hear it. Or what.
Only people themselves can build a better world for themselves. Otherwise, you get a cell.
Cowards make much better strategists.
— I can’t say that I’m delighted with the gnomes. Although I don’t like trolls, and, to be honest, I don’t like people either, so in my eyes you are all equal.
As Nanny Ogg would say, when tea is drunk in Orlais, it is still Tuesday.
There is death and there are taxes, only taxes are much worse, because death happens once in a lifetime, and taxes happen every year.
The one who creates a happy ending, as a rule, does not participate in it himself.
Rising above the forest, the witches saw a thin stream of smoke rising above the castle. - I see people dancing around the fire... - This is a dangerous business - renting out real estate.
A normal family man who goes to work every day and takes his responsibilities responsibly is not much different from the craziest psychopath.
At first, you let the cat know with all your appearance that you are deeply indifferent to him, but a little time will pass - and you are already running around with him like a chicken with an egg, because he seems to be unwell.
It's okay to cheat. Almost even honestly.
What kind of life is this when you have to constantly swim to stay in one place?
- Samuel Vimes! You are drunk! - Not yet! But all is not lost!
Words are a litmus test that determines the type of mind.
If you ignore the rules, then half the time people will quietly rewrite them so that they do not concern you.
The cat looked roguish. True, this did not mean anything: she looks like this all the time, she even breathes as if she was secretly stealing air.
The cat looked roguish. True, this did not mean anything: she looks like this all the time, she even breathes as if she was secretly stealing air.
Sometimes you have to do good in order to punish a person.
While the truth is putting on its shoes, the lie manages to run around the whole world.
A true atheist devotes himself entirely to unbelief; all his life he fiercely hates the gods because they do not exist.
Only a person standing firmly on his feet is able to build strong castles in the air.
“Here they are, mortals,” continued Death. - All they have is not many years in this world. And they spend precious years of their lives making everything they touch more complex.
Like many other ancient thinkers, the ephebes believed that thoughts originate in the heart, and the brain is just a device for cooling the blood.
There is nothing more terrible than a person who is going to do the world a favor.
For some, the sky is the limit. And even the sky won’t stop some people.
The work of the Quizition is devoid of even the slightest possibility of error. Suspicion is already proof.
The abnormal always becomes the norm - the main thing is to give it a little time.
The unreal that wants to become real often becomes more real than the real itself.
The unreal that wants to become real often becomes more real than the real itself.
Really important things are never written down, because people always remember and do not forget about the most important things.
How do people come up with ideas? They must be diving into madness and emerging on the other side.
Chain mail doesn't offer much protection against an arrow, especially if it's aimed between your eyes.
Chain mail doesn't offer much protection against an arrow, especially if it's aimed between your eyes.
It is useless to punish Real cats: they in no way connect punishment with crime. Is it any wonder that a two-legged waterskin yells, throws flip-flops at you at a low trajectory, or scolds you loudly and for a long time. Waterskins - they are all offset. In response, you just need to shiver a little, widen your eyes - and then you can take up your task again.
The end of the world will come precisely when people forget about personal responsibility.
The one who created people, whoever he was, made one big mistake in his developments. People are trying to get down on their knees.
The past nodded, smiled and walked further into the future.
I AM DEATH, NOT A TAX INSPECTOR. I ONLY COME ONCE.
A marriage union is concluded between two people who are always ready to swear that only the other member of the union snores.
When in doubt, choose life.
Stupid people are capable of doing things that smart people do not dare to think about.
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Terry Pratchett is a contemporary author who has written thirty and several more Discworld novels.
"The color of magic."
“I hope you won’t think about how to escape your responsibilities and run away from the city?” - Such a thought never occurred to me - Really? If I were you, I would sue my own person. For slander. (Patrician and Rincewind)
Somewhere in the depths of his consciousness an unpleasant feeling arose. He thought about what it would be like for, say, a fox facing an angry sheep. Especially if this sheep can afford to keep wolves in its service. (Aimor and the Merchants' Guild)
The road was picturesque, but completely unsuitable for travel.
Few people suspect this, but at a short distance, a creature moving on two legs usually easily overtakes a four-legged opponent. It's all about the time it takes for a four-legged animal to figure out its limbs.
I've seen an interesting life, and I've seen boredom. Boredom was better. (Rincewind)
- If you could plot a course... - If you could hold the steering wheel properly... (Rincewind and Twoflower) - What the hell is this? - Beautiful... (Rincewind and Twoflower)
"Crazy Star."
A tree that has been a good tree and has led a clean, honest and smooth life can look forward to life after death. Having lived a truly green life, it will eventually turn into five thousand rolls of toilet paper. (The main tenet of the first tree religion of the Disc World) - What are the greatest values in human life? — Hot water, good dentists and soft toilet paper. (Chief of the Nomad Tribe and Cohen the Barbarian)
- This crazy guy doesn't have a lot of money. “Then he can’t be crazy.” If a person doesn’t have a lot of money, then he’s simply eccentric. (Rincewind and Cohen on Twoflower)
Nobody goes crazy faster than a completely normal person. (Magic Shop Seller)
- A star will crash into us on Christmas Eve, the seas will boil, the countries of the Discworld will disintegrate, kings will be overthrown, cities will become like lakes of glass. I'm going to the mountains. - What, will this help? - No, but the view is better from there.
"Spell Makers."
- She will have a lot of problems. — AS far as I KNOW, THIS IS THE MEANING OF LIFE. (Billit and Death)
She knew how to handle babies. You pour milk in at one end and keep the other clean. It’s even easier with adults, because they feed and keep themselves clean themselves. (Mother Weatherwax) Aphorism is the last refuge of adults besieged by children.
A vital ingredient to success is not knowing that what you set out to do cannot be achieved. A person who is unaware of the possibility of failure can become a stone standing in the way of the bicycle of history.
Good predictors are rare, and people themselves prefer bad seers, from whom they can be guaranteed to receive the required dose of vigor and optimism.
"The Fifth Elephant"
Sex, as he once noted to himself, is in some ways akin to cooking. People are addicted to it, periodically buy books with intricate recipes and interesting pictures, sometimes, when they are especially hungry, they arrange real banquets in their imagination, but at the end of the day they happily settle for ordinary scrambled eggs and chips. And if you add half a tomato to this, then the dinner is considered absolutely luxurious.
"Is it true"
He always disliked people who “didn’t want to offend anyone.” A convenient phrase: say it and offend whoever you want.
"Mor, disciple of Death."
People never see something that seems impossible to them to exist.
"Pyramids".
- Stay here. If it's not dangerous there, I'll whistle. – What if it’s dangerous? - Zaoru.
"Eric."
This old world is quite funny. You can't help but laugh at him. After all, if you don't laugh, you can go crazy.
"Witches Abroad"
Only people themselves can build a better world for themselves. Otherwise, you get a cell.
"Small Gods"
Words are a litmus test that determines the type of mind.
A true atheist devotes himself entirely to unbelief; all his life he fiercely hates the gods because they do not exist.
"Feet of Clay."
Detritus was pretty good at asking questions. He had three main types of questions. The first is direct (Did you do it?), the second is insistent (Are you sure you didn’t do it?) and the third is cunning (You did it, didn’t you?). While these weren't the most skillful questions in the world, Detritus' talent was that he would ask these questions for hours until he got the right answer, usually something along the lines of, “Yes! Yes! I did it! I did it! Now please tell me what I did?!”
I AM DEATH, NOT A TAX INSPECTOR. I ONLY COME ONCE.
Stupid people are capable of doing things that smart people do not dare to think about.
“To arms! To arms!
Sham Hargi's coffee tasted like molten lead, but had one advantage: you felt an incomparable sense of relief when you finally drank the entire cup.
Series of messages “Quotes and Aphorisms”:
Part 1 - Quotes from Ray Bradbury Part 2 - Mrs. Latynina Part 3 - The Past Part 4 - Quotes from Clifford Simak Part 5 - Terry Pratchett. Quotes and aphorisms. Part 6 - Robert Asprin. Quotes Part 7 - Robert Sheckley. Quotes and aphorisms. ... Part 17 - Quotes from great people, celebrities and fictional characters Part 18 - Keep silent... Part 19 - It's worth thinking about
