Yes, this is a sad week, two great writers and intellectual minds died this week. In the case of CH, at a relatively young age and it makes you realise how precious life is. It’s a great loss of a great thinker. I have his latest book of essays, Arguably, on my Kindle and dip in and out of reading the short sharp views on politicians and authors – always surprising and stimulating.
I have a well-thumbed version of his ‘God is Not Great’ on my bookshelf.
Numerous obituaries and reviews have of course already been published; today there is Henry Porter in the Observer, the NYT published one yesterday, but had to add a correction as the original had inadvertently claimed that he might have considered a dead bed conversion! Unlikely of course and very much against the grain of the man. I very much liked Ian McEwan’s piece for the Guardian on Friday night though; that same night McEwan gave an extended interview on the Channel 4 News.
And today’s announcement of the death of Vaclav Havel is marks another sad passing.
These were men I have always greatly admired.
Related articles
- Ian McEwan on Hitchens’s last days (whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com)
- Christopher Hitchens Leaves the Party (mraybould.wordpress.com)
- Former Czech President and Anti-Communist Icon Vaclav Havel Dies at 75 (foxnews.com)
51stories 
I’ll miss them both. Truly, a bad week . . . no matter what you made of their thinking, these were two prolific arbiters of uncompromising reflection. A bad week most of all, perhaps, for human language and the sheer power of mind behind it.
By: stoirmeil on December 18, 2011
at 11:05 pm
So sorry for the very late response – blame it on the pre-christmas blues…. Yes I agree that it was a very bad week – I am reading some of CH’s essays and you are so right about the language and the powerful analyses. So refreshing to be able ot read something so readable and powerful, whatever he writes about.
By: Corri on December 23, 2011
at 4:41 pm
Sad indeed to lose these two. I just purchased Hitchens’ book of essays about a month ago. I haven’t read any yet but I look forward to dipping in and out of that one, as you say.
By: Kathleen on December 30, 2011
at 9:04 pm