Book Review: Mort by Terry Pratchett

Review: Mort
Series: Discworld #4, Death #1
Author: Terry Pratchett
No of Pages: 272
Release Date: February 6th 2001
Publisher: HarperTorch

Synopsis:

Death comes to Mort with an offer he can’t refuse — especially since being dead isn’t compulsory. The position of Death’s apprentice is everything Mort thought he’d ever wanted, until he discovers that this perfect job can be a killer on his love life.

What’s happening:

Mort is a lanky, uncoordinated kid that nobody wants to train. His father is left looking after him until he can get him into some kind of profession. But getting him into a professions seems difficult until they meet Death and Death offers Mort a job for longer than life. Mort realizes right away that what he is hearing and what his father is hearing are two completely different things. His father thinks he is going off to be a grave digger. A respectable occupation to be sure and Mort will never be in need of a job, what with people dying every day.

What Mort is really doing is going to train as Death’s assistance.

Things get a little hairy when Death decides that Mort can go off on his own while Death takes a small vacation, cooking for a small restaurant and feeding cats. But Mort is making all the wrong decisions. With nobody to turn to but Death’s daughter Mort tries to take everything into his own hands. Creating a much bigger mess.

My thoughts:

Poor Death. I love him! I know that sounds strange if you’ve never read any of the Discworld novels but Death just wants to live like humans do. Maybe not exactly but at least get to enjoy the things we do. Like

Mort (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

cats. While Death is off looking for another job, Mort is left behind and thinks he is in love with someone, Keli that he was supposed to take. Instead of letting her die he interrupts her assassin and kills him instead. All the while Death’s daughter, Ysabell acts as if she hates him so he doesn’t know who to turn to for help.

Keli finds a wizard, Cutwell and insists on him helping her. And it just gets more and more hilarious from there. With Death no where to be found, Mort trying to take on the job but failing miserably and now Keli forcing her kingdom to realize she isn’t dead. It’s hilarious!

Only downside I see is the relationship between Ysabell and Mort. There isn’t much to it sadly and I would have liked to see more between them to explain what was going on. But the rest of the characters I absolutely am in love with, Death most of all of course. He is hilarious for an anthropomorphic personification and I just can not read enough of him!

3.5 because it is a really interesting plot that you just can’t find your way out of. Easy to read of course and hilarious and the twists and turns are a plus. But there are a few missing character traits. Death makes up for it all though! Of course 😉

Love Terry Pratchett? Want more?

All my reviews and a reading order of the Discworld novels. Upcoming Terry Pratchett reviews: Eric and Reaper Man.

As you guys know, I love satirical like this and I can read Terry Pratchett forever. Any other authors out there like this or other reading suggestions?