This Easter Day we have a double treat - dramatisations of books from series by two of my favourite authors.
Firstly, there's The Colour Of Magic by Terry Pratchett, one of his amazingly inventive, funny and clever Discworld novels. Here's David Jason as the wizard Rincewind.
Then there's The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, with Jill Scott playing Mma Ramotswe, the "traditionally-built" heroine. Set on earth, in Botswana, quaintly, Mma Ramotswe calls her husband-to-be Mr J. L. B Matekoni, and continues to do so even when they are married. Shades of Jane Austen and Georgian England.
Sadly, last year, aged 59, Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. He has to learn to use the keyboard every morning so that he can continue writing. He's given £500,000 to research into this Cinderella medical condition that affects so many lives, yet receives only a fraction of the money cancer research receives.Bastard illness for depriving the world of so many unwritten Discworld novels.
I've lost an uncle to early onset Alzheimers and a grandmother to ... well ... I guess you'd call it "regular" Alzheimers. At any rate, the cycles/stages of deterioration are most tragic ... and heartbreaking. Not a disease I would wish on anyone, even that "Wallce/Hitchens" character.
ReplyDeleteDevastating! Alzheimer's is a terrible illness whenever it strikes but early onset is twice as heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteThe other sobering thing is that "The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency" BBC serialisation was directed by the late and much lamented Anthony Minghella :(
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