Lotus666
06-08-09, 10:53 PM
This is another PTerry review I did in 2007...
...being the Fourth Discworld novel...Mort is the tale of what happens when Death decides to take an apprentice, and the consequences of taking a holiday from the duties of reaping, and letting a raw novice take the reins.
Hogswatch Eve - a time when all the eligible young lads sought employment at the local hiring fair. Mort, an awkward and gangling youth, but whose heart is in the right place, stands with the rest of the crowd hoping to get an apprenticeship. But ending up unpicked, his hopes for a place seem about to be crushed.
However, midnight approaches (as does a rider). It is Death - in need of an assistant, and it is Mort who becomes his new employee. Mort at first is quite a bit hesitant, but when he finds out that being dead is not a job requirement, he accepts the place and rides off with his new Master. His father believes (fortunately) that he is off to become an undertaker!
How a very over-worked Death trains our young hero to usher souls into the next world...how Mort develops a "crush" on a beautiful but ill-fated princess whose time has literally run out, and what Mort tries to do to circumvent her death...and how Death takes a holiday, eats many curries, and seeks to punish Mort for his lax ways all make for a very interesting story indeed. Our lad DOES "get the girl", but it's not quite what you would expect. Mort also grows up, grows a spine, and provides a bloody good read!
Another favourite TP novel of mine (even more so than Equal Rites)...this tale re-introduces Ysabell - Death's Adopted daughter...and introduces Albert (whose real identity I cannot reveal as it would spoil the plot) who features more in later Discworld novels. Rincewind, our inept wizard from the first two books, does make a cameo appearance too.
I found Mort extremely funny, and the character of Death an utter joy to follow through the novel. The interplay between Mort and Ysabell too is very amusing, and you can see how TP's writing is beginning to evolve quite nicely into a rich comic literary style that grows through each of his tales.
*INTERESTING SIDENOTES*
Apparently...if you enjoy this book, then try books 11,16,20 and 26 of the Discworld series.
Also, remember how Death always SPEAKS IN CAPITALS...??? Keep this in mind when reading the book, and look out for who speaks that way later on in the story.
I am deliberately trying not to give too many story spoilers and keep my reviews short (as I have quite a few to do...having read these whilst on replacement buses for The Metro whilst it was undergoing maintenance for the last two months) - something I hope I am achieving.
Yet another excellent TP tale - I rate this one very highly again - 9 out of 10. :cool:
...being the Fourth Discworld novel...Mort is the tale of what happens when Death decides to take an apprentice, and the consequences of taking a holiday from the duties of reaping, and letting a raw novice take the reins.
Hogswatch Eve - a time when all the eligible young lads sought employment at the local hiring fair. Mort, an awkward and gangling youth, but whose heart is in the right place, stands with the rest of the crowd hoping to get an apprenticeship. But ending up unpicked, his hopes for a place seem about to be crushed.
However, midnight approaches (as does a rider). It is Death - in need of an assistant, and it is Mort who becomes his new employee. Mort at first is quite a bit hesitant, but when he finds out that being dead is not a job requirement, he accepts the place and rides off with his new Master. His father believes (fortunately) that he is off to become an undertaker!
How a very over-worked Death trains our young hero to usher souls into the next world...how Mort develops a "crush" on a beautiful but ill-fated princess whose time has literally run out, and what Mort tries to do to circumvent her death...and how Death takes a holiday, eats many curries, and seeks to punish Mort for his lax ways all make for a very interesting story indeed. Our lad DOES "get the girl", but it's not quite what you would expect. Mort also grows up, grows a spine, and provides a bloody good read!
Another favourite TP novel of mine (even more so than Equal Rites)...this tale re-introduces Ysabell - Death's Adopted daughter...and introduces Albert (whose real identity I cannot reveal as it would spoil the plot) who features more in later Discworld novels. Rincewind, our inept wizard from the first two books, does make a cameo appearance too.
I found Mort extremely funny, and the character of Death an utter joy to follow through the novel. The interplay between Mort and Ysabell too is very amusing, and you can see how TP's writing is beginning to evolve quite nicely into a rich comic literary style that grows through each of his tales.
*INTERESTING SIDENOTES*
Apparently...if you enjoy this book, then try books 11,16,20 and 26 of the Discworld series.
Also, remember how Death always SPEAKS IN CAPITALS...??? Keep this in mind when reading the book, and look out for who speaks that way later on in the story.
I am deliberately trying not to give too many story spoilers and keep my reviews short (as I have quite a few to do...having read these whilst on replacement buses for The Metro whilst it was undergoing maintenance for the last two months) - something I hope I am achieving.
Yet another excellent TP tale - I rate this one very highly again - 9 out of 10. :cool: