Hardcover, 224 pages
Published Dec. 31, 1987 by Orion Publishing Co.
Terry Pratchett's hilarious fourth Discworld novel established once and for all that Death really is a laughing matter....
'He is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style' Daily Telegraph
'His spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction' Mail on Sunday
It is known as the Discworld. It is a flat planet, supported on the backs of four elephants, who in turn stand on the back of the great turtle A'Tuin as it swims majestically through space. And it is quite possibly the funniest place in all of creation...
Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job.
After being assured that being dead was not compulsory, Mort accepted. However, he soon found that romantic longings did not mix easily with the responsibilities of being Death's apprentice.
Terry Pratchett's hilarious fourth Discworld novel established once and for all that Death really is a laughing matter....
'He is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style' Daily Telegraph
'His spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction' Mail on Sunday
It is known as the Discworld. It is a flat planet, supported on the backs of four elephants, who in turn stand on the back of the great turtle A'Tuin as it swims majestically through space. And it is quite possibly the funniest place in all of creation...
Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job.
After being assured that being dead was not compulsory, Mort accepted. However, he soon found that romantic longings did not mix easily with the responsibilities of being Death's apprentice.
Me ha gustado muchísimo. La saga de la Guardia ha conseguido que me adentre en este mundo asombroso, y la forma en la que el autor te sumerge en el Mundodisco, esa forma de enlazar las cosas, los personajes... es que no me puedo quejar, me impresiona muchísimo. Además, se disfruta más cuando ya le has cogido el truco al sentido del humor. No puedo hacer otra cosa más que recomendarlo. Próximamente, review en la web.
Enjoyable read. Not my favourite of the first five, but had plenty of good moments.
Story revolves around Death taking on a (human) apprentice.
Of course, humans feel compassion and love and so on - so are not especially well-suited to the job of Death. Which is where the drama for the story comes.
But Sir Terry does a good job of 'humanising' Death - yes, he does not really experience life, and he seems to be trying to learn by copying what he sees - but he comes across as a very lonely creature indeed who cares greatly for those entrusted into his care, and it is quite poignant to read this after he took Sir Terry in the end.
Enjoyable read. Not my favourite of the first five, but had plenty of good moments.
Story revolves around Death taking on a (human) apprentice.
Of course, humans feel compassion and love and so on - so are not especially well-suited to the job of Death. Which is where the drama for the story comes.
But Sir Terry does a good job of 'humanising' Death - yes, he does not really experience life, and he seems to be trying to learn by copying what he sees - but he comes across as a very lonely creature indeed who cares greatly for those entrusted into his care, and it is quite poignant to read this after he took Sir Terry in the end.
The ending of this book really doesn't make justice for the whole setup and build-up.
One of the Pratchett books that certainly gets worse on the re-read. I will dare to say that both Colour and Light were significantly better as a whole than this one.
The ending of this book really doesn't make justice for the whole setup and build-up.
One of the Pratchett books that certainly gets worse on the re-read. I will dare to say that both Colour and Light were significantly better as a whole than this one.
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
