Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Corgi Adult (2004), Edition: New Ed, 320 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Humor (Fiction.) HTML: Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels are consistent number one bestseller in England, where they have catapulted him into the highest echelons of parody next to Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen. In this Discworld installment, Death comes to Mort with an offer he can't refuse �?? especially since being, well, dead isn't compulsory.As Death's apprentice, he'll have free board and lodging, use of the company horse, and he won't need time off for family funerals. The position is everything Mort thought he'd ever wanted, until he discovers that this perfect job can be a killer on his love life.
User reviews
LibraryThing member bragan
Having finished the final Discworld novel earlier this year, and having recently marked the first anniversary of Terry Pratchett's passing, this seemed like a good time to start a re-read of the series, or at least a partial one. Plus, a friend of mine is currently reading the Discworld books for
I figured I'd start with the Death books, mainly because Death is probably my favorite character in the entire series. Well, OK, maybe it's a toss-up between him and Granny Weatherwax, but I remember liking the Death books, overall, a little more than the witches ones.
I was, however, a teensy bit nervous about revisiting this one. I remembered it as possibly my favorite of the series, but that doesn't seem to be a widely shared opinion, and it seemed very likely to me that the only reason I remember it with such fondness is because it's the point where I fell in love with the series, not because it was actually a standout.
Well, there may be something in that, but if there is, I don't care, because I loved it this time, too. Admittedly, the plot is slighter than most of the others, but that's not at all a problem, as this one is really all about the characters and the world-building. (And the witty writing, of course.) And I don't care if the ending features an almost literal deus ex machina, either, it still left me feeling all warm and fuzzy. There may be a couple of oddities here due to this being very early in the series and Pratchett not having worked out all the details of his world and its inhabitants yet, but they're pretty minor.
My affection for Discworld's Death has only been reinforced by revisiting his first appearance as a major character, too. I confess, I am something of a sucker for this particular character type: the inhuman outsider looking in on humanity with a sort of wistful affection but a limited amount of understanding. And Pratchett captures that in a deft, subtle way that hints at a lot of complexity inside that fleshless skull. (Or, y'know, wherever it is that Death keeps his complexity.)
Much as I enjoyed this re-read, though, there is a note of melancholy to it, too. Because it's impossible not to compare the prose in this one to that of the last few Discworld books, written after a particularly cruel and unfair manifestation of a particularly cruel and unfair disease got its evil hooks into Pratchett's brain. And the contrast is hard to ignore: the more recent books may be perfectly decently written, with occasional flashes of bright wit, but they don't remotely come close to the exuberant, playful linguistic cleverness that's evident in almost every paragraph of Mort. Death has it right: there is no justice.
Anyway. I will definitely be continuing to re-visit the Disc from time to time over the course of, I don't know, maybe the next year or so. Re-reading the entire series is entirely too daunting a project for me, I'm afraid, but I am planning on at least reading through the rest of the Death books, and then the City Watch ones
And I'm still sad that there will be no more Discworld books from Sir Terry, but this exercise has reminded that all the ones he already gave us are still sitting on my shelves waiting to be loved all over again, and that makes me happy.
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the first time, and there's nothing like watching someone else discovering something you've loved to make you nostalgic for it.I figured I'd start with the Death books, mainly because Death is probably my favorite character in the entire series. Well, OK, maybe it's a toss-up between him and Granny Weatherwax, but I remember liking the Death books, overall, a little more than the witches ones.
I was, however, a teensy bit nervous about revisiting this one. I remembered it as possibly my favorite of the series, but that doesn't seem to be a widely shared opinion, and it seemed very likely to me that the only reason I remember it with such fondness is because it's the point where I fell in love with the series, not because it was actually a standout.
Well, there may be something in that, but if there is, I don't care, because I loved it this time, too. Admittedly, the plot is slighter than most of the others, but that's not at all a problem, as this one is really all about the characters and the world-building. (And the witty writing, of course.) And I don't care if the ending features an almost literal deus ex machina, either, it still left me feeling all warm and fuzzy. There may be a couple of oddities here due to this being very early in the series and Pratchett not having worked out all the details of his world and its inhabitants yet, but they're pretty minor.
My affection for Discworld's Death has only been reinforced by revisiting his first appearance as a major character, too. I confess, I am something of a sucker for this particular character type: the inhuman outsider looking in on humanity with a sort of wistful affection but a limited amount of understanding. And Pratchett captures that in a deft, subtle way that hints at a lot of complexity inside that fleshless skull. (Or, y'know, wherever it is that Death keeps his complexity.)
Much as I enjoyed this re-read, though, there is a note of melancholy to it, too. Because it's impossible not to compare the prose in this one to that of the last few Discworld books, written after a particularly cruel and unfair manifestation of a particularly cruel and unfair disease got its evil hooks into Pratchett's brain. And the contrast is hard to ignore: the more recent books may be perfectly decently written, with occasional flashes of bright wit, but they don't remotely come close to the exuberant, playful linguistic cleverness that's evident in almost every paragraph of Mort. Death has it right: there is no justice.
Anyway. I will definitely be continuing to re-visit the Disc from time to time over the course of, I don't know, maybe the next year or so. Re-reading the entire series is entirely too daunting a project for me, I'm afraid, but I am planning on at least reading through the rest of the Death books, and then the City Watch ones
And I'm still sad that there will be no more Discworld books from Sir Terry, but this exercise has reminded that all the ones he already gave us are still sitting on my shelves waiting to be loved all over again, and that makes me happy.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
One of his early classics and often a recommended starting points for reading Terry's works.
On the Discworld Death is an anthromorphic personifications - an embodyment of a metaphysical concept, hence he rides a horse an has a sythe becasue that's what people believe death does. Mort is a farmer's
Unfortunetly mort still has glands - those things that enable you to feel, and so the Princess isn't dead, but has still died and much confusion results!
Great fun. Still not upto the best he can achieve but a worthy read, for more than just the jokes.
On the Discworld Death is an anthromorphic personifications - an embodyment of a metaphysical concept, hence he rides a horse an has a sythe becasue that's what people believe death does. Mort is a farmer's
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son all knees and elbows, steadfast and stubbon. When the nobody will take him as an apprentice he waits until the last stroke of midnight before going home. Fortunately death is never late. Death is slowly discovering what it means to be human - a reoccuring theme in Pratchett's work - and so he hires mort to be an apprentice while he goe soff to enjoy the four pleasures of being human: Drinking, fishing gambling and dancing?!Unfortunetly mort still has glands - those things that enable you to feel, and so the Princess isn't dead, but has still died and much confusion results!
Great fun. Still not upto the best he can achieve but a worthy read, for more than just the jokes.
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LibraryThing member SamuelW
Having never read a Terry Pratchett novel before, I was in for quite a treat when I first picked up Mort. It is not hard to see how the Discworld novels have developed such a massive following – Pratchett pokes fun at every little bit of the fantasy genre, developing delightfully absurd
The strongest point of Pratchett’s humour, in my opinion, is the way he expertly blends description with comedy, making a joke, but at the same time painting a very clear picture. Sentences like ‘. . . by the time it (the river) got to the Shades even an agnostic could have walked across it,’ are good examples of his skill. Also commendable is the way he pokes fun at fantasy steresotypes – for example: lots of candles, incense and circles drawn all over the floor in wizardry, when really, Pratchett explains, it’s all just for show.
The characters in Mort are delightful mis-caricatures of wizards, princesses and tragic, romantic women. Pratchett playfully exaggerates the parts of their personas that might not be mentioned in a regular novel – for instance, the way Ysabell’s stomach bulges through her impractical dress due to a diet of too much chocolate. There are no characters in this book who are just normal characters; they all have fascinating traits and idiosyncrasies that make them appealing and lively, helping to create the humour. The more extravagant the personalities, the more absurd the personality clashes!
Mort isn’t going to win any awards for superb writing, or change your life with its powerful messages about anything in particular, but if you want a book that will make you laugh until your family members give you odd looks and whisper to each other, then they don’t come much better than this! Recommended for light-hearted readers of thirteen years and above.
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situations which give rise to some of the best laughs I’ve had in quite a while. What is especially commendable is that the pace, energy and humour of Mort do not deteriorate towards the latter half of the novel – (a common failing with humorous books) – they just keep getting stronger and funnier.The strongest point of Pratchett’s humour, in my opinion, is the way he expertly blends description with comedy, making a joke, but at the same time painting a very clear picture. Sentences like ‘. . . by the time it (the river) got to the Shades even an agnostic could have walked across it,’ are good examples of his skill. Also commendable is the way he pokes fun at fantasy steresotypes – for example: lots of candles, incense and circles drawn all over the floor in wizardry, when really, Pratchett explains, it’s all just for show.
The characters in Mort are delightful mis-caricatures of wizards, princesses and tragic, romantic women. Pratchett playfully exaggerates the parts of their personas that might not be mentioned in a regular novel – for instance, the way Ysabell’s stomach bulges through her impractical dress due to a diet of too much chocolate. There are no characters in this book who are just normal characters; they all have fascinating traits and idiosyncrasies that make them appealing and lively, helping to create the humour. The more extravagant the personalities, the more absurd the personality clashes!
Mort isn’t going to win any awards for superb writing, or change your life with its powerful messages about anything in particular, but if you want a book that will make you laugh until your family members give you odd looks and whisper to each other, then they don’t come much better than this! Recommended for light-hearted readers of thirteen years and above.
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LibraryThing member ed.pendragon
I don't know why it's taken me so long to get round to Terry Pratchett. Maybe it's because the comic fantasy I've sampled up to now has elicited a lukewarm response, humour being such a personal thing. I like word play as much as the next reader, along with left-field concepts, but key literary
Pratchett's Mort I've discovered has both substance and sheen. Fourth in his celebrated Discworld series he skilfully blends whimsy, high fantasy, allusions and, yes, wordplay with a rattling good story, peopled with characters that despite some caricature keep the reader interested right through to the end. Death (yes, the one with a skull face, black cloak and scythe) seeks an apprentice, finding one in sixteen-year-old Mortimer. It adds to the fun if the reader is aware that young Mort's name is a pun on Death's own name, but it is never alluded to despite Mort's irritation that he's nearly always referred to as 'boy'. There is love interest, but is it the headstrong Princess Keli or Death's daughter the prickly Ysabell who grabs Mort's attention? There is an enigmatic figure, Albert -- what is he hiding? There is a comic bumbling wizard, Cutwell, but he isn't the archetypal aged figure with a white beard. There are also various potential villains but the real interest is in the interplay between Death and his apprentice, who progressively seems to be taking on his master's characteristics along with Death's night shift while his master seeks to appreciate the pleasures of the, ah, flesh.
One essential difference between SF and fantasy that I've noticed is this: SF's science-based world of cause and effect can be hugely affected by chaos theory -- the metaphorical spanner in the works is a common plot-driver -- while fantasy's chaotic worlds are equally often predicated on prophecies that need to be fulfilled -- in other words Predestination Rules, meaning no-one can avoid their fate. Now, while it's said that in our own world nothing is certain but death and taxes, in Discworld Death is the only certainty: in Death's library each book writes out real lives in real time and Death with his scythe arrives at the appointed time as indicated by a handy hourglass. But -- and it is a crucial 'but' -- what if, somehow, someone's lifespan is not cut off as preordained? What are the consequences to Discworld's unfolding history? Will Discworld itself slowly unravel?
It doesn't sound much of a barrel of laughs, does it? But Pratchett sounds just the right note for me by his dead-pan narration. He doesn't say 'Hey, I'm telling a joke and you must laugh here...' but keeps plot and characterisation right at the forefront of his novel. He slips in his humour through, for example, vivid similes ("Mort and his gold had about the same life expectancy as a three-legged hedgehog on a six-lane motorway") and violent anachronism (Death in his recognisable medieval guise tells a job-broker that he is an 'anthropomorphic representation'). In fact Death has a particularly individual way of speaking in capitals: asked if he has any particular skills he replies I SUPPOSE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF EXPERTISE WITH AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS? Out of context this may seem as funny as a forgotten online password, but within the narrative it works very well. What works less well for me is whimsical exaggeration, and luckily Pratchett confines these to the odd footnote. These still contain the odd laugh-out-loud gem, however:
Ankh-Morpork had dallied with many forms of government and had ended up with that form of democracy known as One Man, One Vote. The Patrician was the Man; he had the Vote.
I mentioned word play as not being a substitute for plot and characterisation, but it is something I appreciate. Here I will mention only a couple of examples, based around the aforementioned Princess Keli. First, her full name is Kelirehenna, as we only discover in the closing stages; I believe this might be a compound of Kelly (at its peak in 1984 the 15th most popular girl's name in the UK) and the novel's dedicatee, Rhianna. Secondly, she is princess of a city-state called Sto Lat, which I fancy is a reference to the city of Astolat in Arthurian legend. However, unlike the Lady of Astolat (also known, thanks to Tennyson, as the Lady of Shalott) who dies because she is snubbed by Sir Lancelot, the Princess of Sto Lat is instead saved from death because a young apprentice is smitten by her, thereby subverting the original.
Mort is a fun treatment of the familiar trope of the Sorcerer's Apprentice (Aarne-Thompson folktale motif AT 325 'The Magician and his Pupil') which has persuaded me that I've missed too much by remaining aloof from Pratchett.
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ingredients such as plotting, a sureness with words and above all characterisation are a must for me; their lack becomes a triumph of superficiality over substance.Pratchett's Mort I've discovered has both substance and sheen. Fourth in his celebrated Discworld series he skilfully blends whimsy, high fantasy, allusions and, yes, wordplay with a rattling good story, peopled with characters that despite some caricature keep the reader interested right through to the end. Death (yes, the one with a skull face, black cloak and scythe) seeks an apprentice, finding one in sixteen-year-old Mortimer. It adds to the fun if the reader is aware that young Mort's name is a pun on Death's own name, but it is never alluded to despite Mort's irritation that he's nearly always referred to as 'boy'. There is love interest, but is it the headstrong Princess Keli or Death's daughter the prickly Ysabell who grabs Mort's attention? There is an enigmatic figure, Albert -- what is he hiding? There is a comic bumbling wizard, Cutwell, but he isn't the archetypal aged figure with a white beard. There are also various potential villains but the real interest is in the interplay between Death and his apprentice, who progressively seems to be taking on his master's characteristics along with Death's night shift while his master seeks to appreciate the pleasures of the, ah, flesh.
One essential difference between SF and fantasy that I've noticed is this: SF's science-based world of cause and effect can be hugely affected by chaos theory -- the metaphorical spanner in the works is a common plot-driver -- while fantasy's chaotic worlds are equally often predicated on prophecies that need to be fulfilled -- in other words Predestination Rules, meaning no-one can avoid their fate. Now, while it's said that in our own world nothing is certain but death and taxes, in Discworld Death is the only certainty: in Death's library each book writes out real lives in real time and Death with his scythe arrives at the appointed time as indicated by a handy hourglass. But -- and it is a crucial 'but' -- what if, somehow, someone's lifespan is not cut off as preordained? What are the consequences to Discworld's unfolding history? Will Discworld itself slowly unravel?
It doesn't sound much of a barrel of laughs, does it? But Pratchett sounds just the right note for me by his dead-pan narration. He doesn't say 'Hey, I'm telling a joke and you must laugh here...' but keeps plot and characterisation right at the forefront of his novel. He slips in his humour through, for example, vivid similes ("Mort and his gold had about the same life expectancy as a three-legged hedgehog on a six-lane motorway") and violent anachronism (Death in his recognisable medieval guise tells a job-broker that he is an 'anthropomorphic representation'). In fact Death has a particularly individual way of speaking in capitals: asked if he has any particular skills he replies I SUPPOSE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF EXPERTISE WITH AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS? Out of context this may seem as funny as a forgotten online password, but within the narrative it works very well. What works less well for me is whimsical exaggeration, and luckily Pratchett confines these to the odd footnote. These still contain the odd laugh-out-loud gem, however:
Ankh-Morpork had dallied with many forms of government and had ended up with that form of democracy known as One Man, One Vote. The Patrician was the Man; he had the Vote.
I mentioned word play as not being a substitute for plot and characterisation, but it is something I appreciate. Here I will mention only a couple of examples, based around the aforementioned Princess Keli. First, her full name is Kelirehenna, as we only discover in the closing stages; I believe this might be a compound of Kelly (at its peak in 1984 the 15th most popular girl's name in the UK) and the novel's dedicatee, Rhianna. Secondly, she is princess of a city-state called Sto Lat, which I fancy is a reference to the city of Astolat in Arthurian legend. However, unlike the Lady of Astolat (also known, thanks to Tennyson, as the Lady of Shalott) who dies because she is snubbed by Sir Lancelot, the Princess of Sto Lat is instead saved from death because a young apprentice is smitten by her, thereby subverting the original.
Mort is a fun treatment of the familiar trope of the Sorcerer's Apprentice (Aarne-Thompson folktale motif AT 325 'The Magician and his Pupil') which has persuaded me that I've missed too much by remaining aloof from Pratchett.
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LibraryThing member Snukes
So it turns out I'm a huge fan of books about Death as a character. If anyone know of others, let me know. (It turns out googling for "books about Death" doesn't get me anywhere.) This makes three I've read, after Piers Anthony's On a Pale Horse and Christopher Moore's A Dirty Job. Yum.
The ending
Oh, Terry Pratchett...
The ending
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of this one was abrupt and sort of baffling, but I can't think of any particularly good reason to complain about it. Oh, Terry Pratchett...
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LibraryThing member Chelinda
If you are new to Discworld, this is the book you should read First. It is actually the 4th book in the series but Pratchett is beginning to settle down into his style by this book; the puns, jokes, and references fly freely in this novel and the flow of the story is much better than the previous
I actually keep two copies of Mort at all times. One for myself and one to lend out to friends or people I run across who want to begin reading Discworld. This way I still have my own copy should Mort not return after being borrowed.
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three. If you enjoy Mort, make sure to read the next Death book: Reaper Man. After that, go ahead and start reading Discworld from the beginning if you like, the first two are an introduction to our hero Rincewind the Wizard and his fabulous luggage; or try the third book about the witches in Equal Rites. I did not read the series in order (did anyone?) and it does not really matter if you do or not, although some are grouped (Witches, Death, Rincewind/Wizards, Guards) and those should be read in order of being published so you get more of the references and jokes.I actually keep two copies of Mort at all times. One for myself and one to lend out to friends or people I run across who want to begin reading Discworld. This way I still have my own copy should Mort not return after being borrowed.
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LibraryThing member briefmissives
I finished reading Mort a couple of days ago (January 24th), and perhaps the way to best indicate how much I enjoyed it is to say that I requested Reaper Man right away, book 2 in the Death series. I had a lot of fun reading this one.
The book focuses in on the Death character of Discworld, who
While I enjoyed Mort’s character, what really made this book for me was the character of Death. There were some scenes in the book that literally had me laughing out loud, something I don’t do that often when reading a book. Many of the scenes that made me laugh were ones which dealt with Death’s peculiar character. He’s a mix between a humorless, all-work-and-no-play god, and a small child who is clueless of how the world works, due to his rather abnormal working conditions. This becomes readily apparent when he tries to do things that humans do, like going to the bar:
“I don’t see the point,” the stranger said. [Death]
“Sorry?”
“What is supposed to happen?”
“How many drinks have you had?”
“Forty-seven.”
“Just about anything, then,” said the barman. . . .
I burst out laughing at “Forty-seven.” In the book, Death also has a soft spot for kittens - go figure.
I loved this book, but a word of caution to those who might be inclined to read it after reading my post here: if you don’t like silliness mixed in with your fantasy, don’t read this. I’ve read that the Discworld series has developed over the years to not have such large amounts of gag humor in it, but this being one of the early Discworld novels, it runneth over with silliness. There’s a lot of stuff that just makes no sense, and if you’re someone who’s going to get caught up going “that’s silly” or “that wouldn’t work like that”, you probably won’t enjoy this.
However, if you think you’d like a kitten-loving Death, or a world that is held up by four giant elephants riding a 10,000 mile long turtle who’s floating through space, you’ll love this. Read it.
The book focuses in on the Death character of Discworld, who
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looks like your basic Grim Reaper - skeleton, black hooded robe, scythe and sword. At the beginning of the book, Mort is “all elbows and knees”, and his father believes that he thinks too much. For this reason, his father ends up taking Mort to the village, in the hopes of Mort finding an apprenticeship. Death obliges, and takes Mort under his wing - or robe, as it were. When Death takes a day off and gives Mort a couple of jobs, Mort of course makes a mess of things. He has a crush on the young princess he’s supposed to be “ushering into the next world”, and so instead he kills the princess’s assassin. The rest of the book deals with how Mort tries to “fix” history, which continues to trundle along as if the princess were dead, and how Death tries to get in touch with his, er, human side.While I enjoyed Mort’s character, what really made this book for me was the character of Death. There were some scenes in the book that literally had me laughing out loud, something I don’t do that often when reading a book. Many of the scenes that made me laugh were ones which dealt with Death’s peculiar character. He’s a mix between a humorless, all-work-and-no-play god, and a small child who is clueless of how the world works, due to his rather abnormal working conditions. This becomes readily apparent when he tries to do things that humans do, like going to the bar:
“I don’t see the point,” the stranger said. [Death]
“Sorry?”
“What is supposed to happen?”
“How many drinks have you had?”
“Forty-seven.”
“Just about anything, then,” said the barman. . . .
I burst out laughing at “Forty-seven.” In the book, Death also has a soft spot for kittens - go figure.
I loved this book, but a word of caution to those who might be inclined to read it after reading my post here: if you don’t like silliness mixed in with your fantasy, don’t read this. I’ve read that the Discworld series has developed over the years to not have such large amounts of gag humor in it, but this being one of the early Discworld novels, it runneth over with silliness. There’s a lot of stuff that just makes no sense, and if you’re someone who’s going to get caught up going “that’s silly” or “that wouldn’t work like that”, you probably won’t enjoy this.
However, if you think you’d like a kitten-loving Death, or a world that is held up by four giant elephants riding a 10,000 mile long turtle who’s floating through space, you’ll love this. Read it.
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LibraryThing member maximnoronha
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Loved the metaphors. My first Terry Pratchett book. Better late than never. Reminiscent of Douglas Adams, Wodehouse and the like. Genuinely delighted and can't wait to start and finish with the rest in this series and more.
LibraryThing member TheBoltChick
This is an absolutely delightful read. I am not a huge fantasy fan, so my fantasy is usually served up best with a heaping helping of humor. This book did just that.
The story revolves around a young man who is just coming of age. He needs to get a job, and ends up being the apprentice to Death.
I will definitely be reading more Pratchett in the future!
The story revolves around a young man who is just coming of age. He needs to get a job, and ends up being the apprentice to Death.
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Death is somewhat burnt out on doing his job day in and day out and has a "mid life crisis" of sorts. That leave Mort with the most of the regular duties. He promptly messes up, causes a rift in time, and everything goes to hell in a handbasket! I will definitely be reading more Pratchett in the future!
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LibraryThing member John5918
Death is looking for an apprentice. He ends up with an awkward, gangling lad, whose name happens to be Mort. Walking through walls, falling in love with princesses, interacting with Death's daughter, cook and horse, and interfering with the basis of reality are all part of Mort's new life with
Not as hilariously funny as some of the Discworld books, but still pretty good. As always, Pratchett manages to comment obliquely on various aspects of our world with a dry humour.
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Death.Not as hilariously funny as some of the Discworld books, but still pretty good. As always, Pratchett manages to comment obliquely on various aspects of our world with a dry humour.
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LibraryThing member iftyzaidi
Having read this many years ago and remembering little about it other than that I thought it was one of the best of the early discworld books, I decided that Mort was up for a re-read. The basic plot revolves around one of my favourite dsicworld characters - Death - who takes on an apprentice to
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whom he hands over the grim job of reaping souls. Overall I found the characterisation more superficial than in Pratchett's more reccent works. The storyline, once the plot device of Death taking on an apprentice is put into play, is rather mediocre (with a rather disappointing resolution to the story at the end). Pratchett is on song as far as the humour and the jokes are concerned. Overall this doesn't stand in the top rank of discworld novels, but in delving in the character of Death its still an essential read for Pratchett fans. Show Less
LibraryThing member Helenliz
This was my introduction to the discworld and is still (just about) my favourite.
Death comes to all of us, when he came to Mort, he offered him a job. This is the first in the series to feature Death. The death of the disk world is, in his own words, AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC PERSONIFICATION, meaning
Where he gets the idea of hiring an aprentice is never quite explained, but he end up hiring Morrtimer (Mort for short). There is a host of trouble, which starts when death takes the evening off and leaves "the Duty" to Mort - the part of his body that does the thinking isn't his brain. Reality becomes confused in a mess of teenage emotions and misunderstandings. Captures that awkward phase in life very well and turns it into a hilarious disaster of epic proportions.
You know what? it doesn't matter how many times I read this, I still love it. I tried reading it a bit more critically this time, but it still had me under its spell. I get the impression that Pratchett is an intelligent & erudite man, and that his does his readers the credit of assuming that they are equally intelligent. He doesn't explain all of the references he makes between that reality and this, he just assumes you're going to recognise them. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would - 11 out of 10 every time.
Death comes to all of us, when he came to Mort, he offered him a job. This is the first in the series to feature Death. The death of the disk world is, in his own words, AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC PERSONIFICATION, meaning
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that he looks how people imagine he does, So he's a skeleton that walks, talks (in block capitals like lead being dropped on granite), eats curry and rides a horse called Binky. Which only goes to show you never can tell. Where he gets the idea of hiring an aprentice is never quite explained, but he end up hiring Morrtimer (Mort for short). There is a host of trouble, which starts when death takes the evening off and leaves "the Duty" to Mort - the part of his body that does the thinking isn't his brain. Reality becomes confused in a mess of teenage emotions and misunderstandings. Captures that awkward phase in life very well and turns it into a hilarious disaster of epic proportions.
You know what? it doesn't matter how many times I read this, I still love it. I tried reading it a bit more critically this time, but it still had me under its spell. I get the impression that Pratchett is an intelligent & erudite man, and that his does his readers the credit of assuming that they are equally intelligent. He doesn't explain all of the references he makes between that reality and this, he just assumes you're going to recognise them. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would - 11 out of 10 every time.
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LibraryThing member bemidt
Great! Death is one of the most endearing and truly terrifying characters ever. Pratchett paints a portrait of Death's personal life that makes the grim reaper a relatable and at times very tragic character. This is a story of new beginnings and self discovery. It's a story of love and devotion.
destroyer of all things.
Also, the rest of Disc World is amazing!
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But mostly it's a story why Death is the Death we all know and love. Really, you'll embrace the coming of oblivion with open arms when you get to know this lovabledestroyer of all things.
Also, the rest of Disc World is amazing!
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LibraryThing member Matke
With this book the Disc World Series really starts to come alive. Death is looking for an apprentice, and manages to take on the most awkward hopeless young fellow ever: Mortimer, known as Mort or Boy.
Mort’s growth into the, er, gravity of his position is something to behold. Death makes mostly
Mort’s growth into the, er, gravity of his position is something to behold. Death makes mostly
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pathetic attempts to understand humans and their mysterious ways. This is a feel-good little book with lots of humor and satire. Recommended for anyone who needs a break from the weariness of the world. Show Less
LibraryThing member wirkman
The best of the Discworld books, by far. Well worth several readings, which is something you cannot say about most of these installments. The story and the characters, in this one, match the quality of both the silly humor and sly wit. A great fractured fairy tale, of Death taking a holiday, and
Who knew?
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his apprentice not being quite up to the job. All Life breaks loose . . . and that's not a good thing, apparently. Who knew?
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LibraryThing member sara_k
Mort by Terry Pratchett
The life of Death's human apprentice. Funny, punny. A Discworld novel.
The life of Death's human apprentice. Funny, punny. A Discworld novel.
LibraryThing member Ferrous
Simply hilarious. Like the other Discworld books, Mort is full of humorous references to real life and original jokes. Death, the anthropomorphic personification, is charming, as always, with some of the best lines in the book. This is one of the shortest Discworld books and has less humorous
The sequel is Soul Music.
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dialogue than the other Discworld books; it's very plot oriented.The sequel is Soul Music.
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LibraryThing member anne07
My favorite Terry Pratchett book. The character, Death, is my favorite. Hilarious.
LibraryThing member gercmbyrne
When Death takes an apprentice it can only go badly wrong. An early Pratchett, one of the first to start exploring deeper themes and with a cracking plot. Enjoy!
LibraryThing member sa54d
Death takes a holidy. But first he takes on an apprentice. And the Librarian saves the faculty of Unseen University from unthinkable horror (waking up early in the morning). Hilarious all the way through.
LibraryThing member miketroll
Droll fantasy in which – inter alia - Death (the Grim Reaper) delegates his duties and discovers temporary happiness as a short order cook.
LibraryThing member name99
Still early Terry Pratchett, light, mildly amusing but not much more.
LibraryThing member Crowyhead
I thought this was a re-read, and then I realized that I've read the other Death books, but never actually read this one! I loved it; Death has always been one of my favorite Discworld characters.
LibraryThing member benfulton
The most amazing thing about Terry Pratchett is how he just keeps getting better. Look at other long series authors, like Robert Asprin, or Piers Anthony. After a while, the books tend to, well, suck. But Pratchett's worst books by far are the first few he wrote.
LibraryThing member 391
I really enjoyed Mort. This is the first book where Death - sorry, DEATH - became a major character, though he still isn't quite up to his ultimate potential (I think that comes through in Hogfather, with Susan). Mort is quite a cool character, too, and Ysabell is awesome. Now we know where Susan
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got her no-nonsense attitude from! Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Prix Imaginales (2002)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1987-11
ISBN
0552152617 / 9780552152617