Mort (1987)

It's Pratchett so obviously it's good.

I'm still slightly confused about what happened at the ending. But I don't especially mind. ( )

A good quick read. You can tell that it is an early Discworld novel. Still fun, still laugh out loud funny, it's just missing the thriving world of Mr. Pratchett's later novels. I think it's good and I love his Death character. ( )

When Death takes time off to explore human pleasures, Mort takes over and makes a mistake. ( )

Mort is the kind of guy who fails at everything, is gawky, and the only reason he doesn't disappoint everyone is because they already assume he won't be good at it, whatever "it" is. His father takes him to town to the square on the day apprentices are chosen, for all the trades. After all the vendors and others have gone home, Mort and his father are still there. He even failed at this. Then Death shows up.

Death has decided to acquire an apprentice. Because Death needs a holiday and death never stops.

But Mort is Mort and he is human, so the task of taking over for an immortal being who's been around since the first life began its journey is, to say the least, not an easy task. Or even a likely one. It's not made any easier when Death becomes enamored with living and becomes a short order cook in a pub, so he can cook and play with kittens, leaving Mort to take over, after a single day of solo experience.

Mort falls in love (or infatuation, either way) with a princess he is supposed to take. So he saves her, instead. The universe decides this is not acceptable and promptly begins to suffer the kind of angst that ends with people ceasing to exist, as it works to fix the problem with fate that Mort has caused. This may end with the princess dying anyway and Mort having to face up to Death, for the problems he's caused.

Nothing to do, but attempt to circumvent the demands of Death, death, and fate. If only anyone had any clue how to do that. And before Death finds out what's going on, in his absence.

Yet another fun adventure in the flat Earth of Discworld!

This was ok. I struggled to read the book because it just didn't hold my interest. it was the audiobook that finally got me through it. The puns gave me a few chuckles and a handful of groans. I really disliked tge portrayal of the female characters in the book as well as the relationships between the final "love" matches. ( )