Mort (Discworld Novel)

To be honest I was expecting a lot more from this book. I found it very "thin". I like the Witches better

Fourth in the Discworld Series (0/0 people found this helpful)

Terry Pratchett has become one of the most popular authors alive today and his popularity is richly deserved. But not even with his fertile mind could he ever have envisaged the heights to which his Discworld series would rise. This book first published in 1987 is the third of the Discworld novels and the author is really getting into his stride in the series that broke all records and continues to do so with new books being regularly published.

Pratchett's wit and imagination are second to none. Who else would have or could have thought of the Discworld, a world of mystery and magic sitting on the back of four elephants, who in turn are standing on the back of the great turtle A'tuin the whole lot journeying through an eternal void. Are you with the plot so far?

Mort is the fourth book in the Discworld series and encompasses Terry Pratchett's thoughts on death. Surely death is a very serious and not least, final event. Can death be funny? Well, when it gets the Pratchett treatment you may well laugh yourself to death.

Mort is like many teenagers, spotty and growing out of his clothes too quickly. His parents had always said get yourself a trade son, and you won't go far wrong. So Mort does just that, as apprentice to Death himself. The problem is that although he is willing enough, well reasonably willing, he is not very good at his job and bungles more than one fatal visitation.

Having said that taking on an apprentice and delegating a lot of his work has changed Death's `life' completely, if you see what I mean. Drinking and gambling are just two of the human traits that begin to interest Death. He even begins to look into why fun is fun. It could only happen on the Discworld and if you miss it, you will be sorry . . .

"PEOPLE CAN'T EXPECT TO HAVE ME RUNNING AROUND AFTER THEM ALL THE TIME" (0/0 people found this helpful)

Excuse the caps in the title, but the quote comes from Death himself, and as many of you know, the guy always speaks that way. It is really great to have a book in which one of the main characters is Death, my favorite one in Discworld. Death's sarcasm is one of the reasons why I like this series so much. But the old man is getting tired, and has decided to get an apprentice to alleviate some of the burden that rests on his shoulders.

Mort is a youngster that does not show much promise for any profession, so when Death shows up and offers him an apprenticeship, he is happy to take him up on it, and off he goes. Mort is a little thick at the beginning, but soon he shapes up. There is one thing that he does not tolerate, and that is people calling him boy, lad or any other way that is not his name, and he keeps reminding others of this fact. During his commission, he will have to take care of things when Death goes on vacation, and try to figure out the messes he creates by altering reality. Meanwhile Death is living the good life and there is the risk of him deciding not to come back. Imagine the repercussions!

Once again, Pratchett delivers a wonderful product in the Discworld series. Many of you already know the basics: flat world, shaped as pizza, standing on four elephants on top of a turtle, abyss at the horizon, many gods, etc. The parallelisms with our own world are merely coincidences, or aren't they? Anyway, the humor in this installment reaches an all time high, and the author showcases his talent for using different techniques to make us laugh out loud. Satire, pun, tongue-in-cheek, you name it, it is all here. Fans of the series will have a great time, and those that are new to it, what are you waiting for? You can start here, or go back to "The Colour of Magic" and read the books in order, either way you will have a blast.

My First Discworld Novel (8/9 people found this helpful)

i bought this book recently after owning only two previous discworld novels, Thud! and Maskerade. whilst never having read them before as they weren't the start of the series.

i picked mort up as i read online that it is the start of the death series and it isn't nessecary to read any of the other books before it.

was i ever glad the book is hillarious i never thought i'd laugh at a figure that represents death and such but how can a 7 foot skeleton in black robes with a huge scythe doing the conga and eating curries not tickle your funny bones ;)

great read and i can't wait to get the next in the death series

made me laugh (5/7 people found this helpful)

Mort is one of Terry Pratchetts funniest books to date, it certainly had me laughing all the way through it.
Mort and Death are so funny, I would have to say that DEATH is the funniest of the pair and really makes the book funny and an enjoyable read. I loved reading it and I can't read it again!!

Terry Pratchett

Reader Reviews:

I didn't like it..................... (0/0 people found this helpful)

Fourth in the Discworld Series (0/0 people found this helpful)

"PEOPLE CAN'T EXPECT TO HAVE ME RUNNING AROUND AFTER THEM ALL THE TIME" (0/0 people found this helpful)

My First Discworld Novel (8/9 people found this helpful)

made me laugh (5/7 people found this helpful)

Similar Products

Categories