Chelle reviewed Mort by Terry Pratchett
Review of 'Mort' on 'Goodreads'
Taking a break from the Witch series.
Paperback, 272 pages
English language
Published Nov. 28, 1989 by CORGI ADULT.
Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job. Death is the Grim Reaper of the Discworld, a black-robed skeleton carrying a scythe who must collect a minimum number of souls in order to keep the momentum of dying, well . . . alive. He is also fond of cats and endlessly baffled by humanity. Soon Death is yearning to experience what humanity really has to offer . . . but to do that, he'll need to hire some help. It's an offer Mort can't refuse. As Death's apprentice he'll have free board, use of the company horse - and being dead isn't compulsory. It's a dream job - until Mort falls in love with Death's daughter, Ysabell, and discovers that your boss can be a killer on your love life . . .
Taking a break from the Witch series.
Really funny, intriguing. This is my first book from the Discworld series, infact my first fantasy book. Now i can't wait to read them all. Death as a character is not only funny, but surprisingly human. Pratchett certainly puts words together in a way unlike others. I loved the little gems like
> "Sodomy non sapiens," said Albert under his breath.
> - "What does that mean?"
> - "Means I'm buggered if I know."
>"It would seem that you have no useful skill or talent whatsoever," he said. "Have you thought of going into teaching?"
My favourite discworld book so far. Who would have guesses DEATH can be so much fun.
In this installment of his Discworld Series, we meet Mort, a rural lad who is seeking some kind of apprenticeship or training for a future career, but is having trouble fitting in anywhere. His luck finally changes, though, when Death taps on his shoulder.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME, BOY?
Uh, Mortimer...sir.They call me Mort.
WHAT A COINCIDENCE...
Ah, don't worry; Mort doesn't die, but Death could use an assistant. In fact, Death is dead tired, beginning to question what it's all about, and would like to try something else, for a change. So, Death takes a holiday, and lets Mort stand in for him.
Unfortunately--and hilariously--Mort finds himself in some trouble right away, but he can't find his master anywhere. He doesn't know that Death is currently working as the fastest short-order cook Ankh-Morpork has ever seen, turning out menu items in the blink of an eye and lining the business …
In this installment of his Discworld Series, we meet Mort, a rural lad who is seeking some kind of apprenticeship or training for a future career, but is having trouble fitting in anywhere. His luck finally changes, though, when Death taps on his shoulder.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME, BOY?
Uh, Mortimer...sir.They call me Mort.
WHAT A COINCIDENCE...
Ah, don't worry; Mort doesn't die, but Death could use an assistant. In fact, Death is dead tired, beginning to question what it's all about, and would like to try something else, for a change. So, Death takes a holiday, and lets Mort stand in for him.
Unfortunately--and hilariously--Mort finds himself in some trouble right away, but he can't find his master anywhere. He doesn't know that Death is currently working as the fastest short-order cook Ankh-Morpork has ever seen, turning out menu items in the blink of an eye and lining the business with saucers of milk for all the strays(CATS ARE NICE).
Mort almost does some serious damage to the universe, and when his eyes start to glow strangely and he starts to talk LIKE THIS, he knows that events and changes are spiraling out of his control. Fortunately, Death does come to his senses and realizes that he can't live any kind of human life. Death has accepted his fate and all is swell in Discworld.
I must say, the funniest Discworld novels are those that take place right in Ankh-Morpork; it's an urban creation that is so ripe for comedy. Well, Pratchett would say that Ankh-Morpork is ripe in, um, much more immediately noticeable ways. This novel only has a few scenes in that most populated of Discworld cities, and those are the funniest ones. I was particularly pleased that Rincewind, a comically inept wizard, made an appearance in Mort. Rincewind must be one of the oldest characters in the series and it was fun to have him bungling around again. I must admit that I missed The Watch, though. Since not much of Mort takes place in the city, we don't get treated to Ankh-Morpork's finest.
Discworld. Always a world of fun
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