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Title: Mort |
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Review of Mort
Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels are consistent number one bestseller in England, where they have catapulted him into the highest echelons of parody next to Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen.
In this Discworld installment, Death comes to Mort with an offer he can't refuse -- especially since being, well, dead isn't compulsory.As Death's apprentice, he'll have free board and lodging, use of the company horse, and he won't need time off for family funerals. The position is everything Mort thought he'd ever wanted, until he discovers that this perfect job can be a killer on his love life.
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Comments for Mort
- Posted on 2008-05-03
Discworld virgins, start here!
To people who have never read a Discworld novel, I always recommend they skip the first three novels (The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Equal Rites)and start with Mort. Pratchett writes the Discworld novels as a series of threads with a small collection of one-off novels. The novels are not written in chronological order. He may do a sequel to one novel and then some time later do a sequel to an earlier novel.
Mort starts what I call the Death thread and my daughter calls the Susan thread, Susan (Death's Granddaughter) being her favorite character. It continues with Reaper Man, Soul Music, Hogfather, and Thief of Time. Although the events of these novels interact with the events in his other Discworld novels, (Thief of Time, for instance sets up the events in Night Watch) it is not necessary to have read the others to enjoy these. Nor (I stress this) is it necessary, or even desirable, to read the novels in published order.
Why skip the first three published novels? In my opinion, Pratchett started out writing mediocre parody of other fantasy authors, (Fritz Leiber, Anne McCaffrey, Robert E. Howard, among others) but then, something really clicked with Mort - starting out as a parody of Death Takes a Holiday, it takes an abrupt turn and becomes something truly original and compelling -- funny, sad, silly, and truly suspenseful. The Discworld novels after Mort, with only a couple exceptions, got better and better until Pratchett reached his peak with Night Watch, a novel which transcends fantasy and becomes Literature.
If you must know what happens in the first two novels, see the movie The Colour of Magic released early 2008 on British television, which covers both books. The movie is better than the books. :-)
Mort -- Highly recommended, and the start of a journey you will enjoy immensely.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2008-04-05
Even better than the novel
I loved the novel and I think I like this play even more!
My year 12s are looking for a play to perform and I wasn't sure that this play would be suitable but I'm very pleased that it is. We only have 10 actors but I think with a combination of live action and cinematic theatre we will be able to stage it. That's what I love about Stephen Briggs' adaptations: they are so simple and easy to work with! (NB Performance rights are also very reasonably priced!)
Play has a cast of 24 but many are very small parts. Written in a style that is very easy to stage. Retains the discworld flavour without needing a prior knowledge of discworld to enjoy it!
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-02-24
One of Pratchett's best
This book is hilarious! Like all of Pratchett's books, it has that deadpan British humor. In my opinion, the books which involve the Grim Reaper are the funniest, and "Mort" is one of the best.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-02-24
a death novel!
Death:mort, do you know why i asked you to clean the stable?
Mort:(thinking)... becuse they were dirty?
Death:yes.
some of the best moments in the discworld series can be found in this book. a real masterpiece.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-01-06
Death takes an apprentice
Ah, the Disk World series. I have to admit that it's been years since I've read any from Mr. Pratchett's Disk World. My motivator for reading Mort was watching Hogfather on TV and I became fascinated watching Death. To scratch my itch, I decided to pick up one of Mr. Pratchett's books where the main character was Death. That being said... Mort tells when a young man is being forced from home and looking for a job; and Death take him as an apprentice. What could possibly happen?!?
This book is great one if you enjoy a different look at our world (as with everything on the Disk World there's a little satire, a little punning, and a little Pratchett). The concept of Death taking an apprentice and seeing what the apprentice can do is an interesting concept. Taking it further is seeing what Death does when he has time off (Death going about with people...). For me this was a five star book. I love the twists in the story. Watching Mort learning Death's ropes (or is that scythe), the interactions in Death's household and the backdrop of a potentially reality ripping event make for a great story. Death was a constant scream for me. I love how direct and simple Death is. I also love the fact that Death wants to have a taste of life. I was prepared to give this one only four stars, but the last 75 pages or so are so great that it kicked the book to five stars! Mr. Pratchett does a great job presenting the characters and describing the environment they're in, making this a very enjoyable book.
Score: 5