Mort (Discworld, #4; Death, #1) in SpecFic Buddy Reads

Sep 13, 2014 Lyn rated it really liked it

Literarily speaking, Sir Terry Pratchett is one of my best friends.

It’s as though I met Terry Pratchett at a party and we hit it off immediately. You like Monty Python, I LOVE Monty Python! Seinfeld, WHAT???, I’ve seen them all “Art Vandelay, nice to meet you.” No way! What about The Big Lebowski? “How’s the smut business, Jackie?” To which he replied, “I wouldn’t know, Dude.”

Ha!

And so it was with me when I read my first Discworld novel, in this case Mort (#4 on the list). Discworld is Terry Pra ...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017-shelf, humor, 2024-shelf, fantasy

Re-Read 2/18/24

YA Discworld? Check. New Job? Check. Making mistakes? Check.

TAKING ON THE PERSONIFICATION OF DEATH? Check.

So funny, so clever. A fantastic re-read.

Original Review:

Being one of the first and the latest of all the Pratchett reads, I'm really surprised just how much I loved this one. I'm upping the star count to a full five just because I think I liked Mort, the character, even better this time around.

DEATH on DISCWORLD. :) Seriously, there's nothing quite like it. Him. The personif ...more

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Aug 14, 2017 Trish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Introducing: DEATH

Aw, ain't that smile warming your heart? Or is that the adrenaline rush because you, too, just want to get away from him? Severely misunderstood guy, that fellow.
He's a beekeeper, a gardener, cat-lover, admittedly not very good with colours but his shades of black are very original! And he's active too! Never lazy, our protagonist, always riding around on his faithful mount, Binky.

In case anyone was wondering: the scythe is for us normal mortals, whereas royalty gets the deluxe Introducing: DEATH

Aw, ain't that smile warming your heart? Or is that the adrenaline rush because you, too, just want to get away from him? Severely misunderstood guy, that fellow.
He's a beekeeper, a gardener, cat-lover, admittedly not very good with colours but his shades of black are very original! And he's active too! Never lazy, our protagonist, always riding around on his faithful mount, Binky.

In case anyone was wondering: the scythe is for us normal mortals, whereas royalty gets the deluxe deal and therefore the sword you see him carrying in the picture above.

So what is this old chap up to? Well, he's always looking out for the little guy (in this case it's a very tall and skinny boy). For in this 4th Discworld novel, that is the first to feature Death as a main character, Death takes on the afore-mentioned young lad as an apprentice. Mort (the lad in question) is an outsider since he always wants to help his family (farmers) but is very clumsy and good intentions only get you so far. After agreeing to the apprenticeship, Mort travels with Death to his domain and meets his servant, Albert, as well as his daughter, Ysabell (don't ask). After a while, he even gets sent to do 3 jobs on his own. Aaaaand you guessed it: that is where the trouble starts. Especially since Death decides to take a holiday shortly after (to do some fishing, dancing, gambling, drinking, and even tries a new profession). *lol*

A number of inhabitants are being met in various corners of the Discworld (there is even (view spoiler)) during this fantastic romp to set things right and we learn a ton while we're at it. Because Pratchett is not only impeccable in making us laugh, but a champion in using INTELLIGENT humour and using it to address serious topics of our world. In this case: mortality, justice/compassion, death in all kinds of incarnations (depending on the culture), but also - importantly - life and that existing doesn't necessarily equal LIVING (that we need to make it count)!

This was the very first Discworld novel I've ever read and even the German translation back then was fantastically funny. It became instantly dear to me, prompting me to immediately buy the English original and reading it once again, but I had almost forgotten just HOW GOOD this was. After this re-read it is clear that it shall remain one of my all-time favourite books.

...more

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Aug 15, 2017 Veronique rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read2017

Discworld Book 4

“Oh. I see. People don't want to see what can't possibly exist.”

Carrying on with my Pratchett education. Although Death appeared in the previous books, this is the one where this rather uncommon character gets more screen time to great effect. I mean it is not every day you see the Grim Reaper hankering for a curry or trying to get drunk and have fun!

Once more, we get a crazy tale of adventure, this time following Mort, gangly, awkward boy, who becomes Death's apprentice. Queue ...more

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Aug 24, 2017 Vavita rated it really liked it

Great book! Death trying to have fun! Death cooking! Hilarious!
And Mort! Loved it more than all the others together

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Aug 12, 2017 Linda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017

This series just keeps getting better!

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Jun 11, 2015 Suzanne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, humor

“It would seem that you have no useful skill or talent whatsoever," he said. "Have you thought of going into teaching?”

I liked it even more the second time through - after reading some subsequent Death books.
...more

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Feb 01, 2014 Jackie rated it liked it

Shelves: e-books, 2014-read

After reading a few reviews for this book, I went in with lesser expectations than I had the previous ones. I don’t know if that helped, but I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I was going too. Granted, it’s not as funny as Equal Rites and doesn’t have Granny Weatherwax, but Death was an interesting and hilarious character in his own right.

Death interested me since he first made an appearance in the series, so I was looking forward to getting to know his story. Turns out he’s just a skel ...more

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