I'm afraid to admit that this was my first Discworld book, though not my first go at it. I tried reading The Colour of Magic about ten years ago, but apparently for some unfathomable reason I was unsuccessful.
Now that Death has finally collected his creator, I couldn't help but learn more about both of them.
Mort was quite a delightful read. I enjoyed reading it altogether and I think I will continue with Reaper Man and pave my own path through the Discworld.
This is #4 in the Discworld series, and takes the recurring character of Death to the center stage. Death always makes an appearance in each Discworld novel, but this is the first (but not the last!) one in which he is a main character. We learn more about how Death does his job, where and how he lives, etc. He needs an apprentice and finds one in Mort. The problem though is that Mort is not satisfied to let everyone die on schedule and tries to change fate. This will of course go wrong in hilarious ways.
This was another fun addition to the Discworld series but I can only read so many of these in a row before yearning for novels of a little more substance.
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?"
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.
