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tishywishy's review against another edition
3.0
While the first three books of Discworld were engaging, I found Mort to be quite dull in comparison. I like DEATH's character but found Mort and the other surrounding characters to be lacklustre (no one can really outshine DEATH I suppose...).
This is part of my Read All the Discworld Books undertaking.
This is part of my Read All the Discworld Books undertaking.
maddie_reads_stuff's review against another edition
4.0
An awkward boy discovers being Death's apprentice to be a bit more than he can handle.
I love Discworld logic. 4.5 stars
I love Discworld logic. 4.5 stars
rebeccabadger's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
raisa's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
midici's review against another edition
4.0
Death in the Discworld is consistently one of the best characters to read about. An actual, skeletal representation of a concept as a being, one who stalks in and out of various novels, and is notably an ALL CAPS CHARACTER.
In Mort, Death has decided he needs an apprentice and chooses an otherwise very normal boy named Mort to fulfill this role. Mort is taken to Death's realm to learn the ins and outs of the business. In this realm he meets Albert, a 2000+ year old wizard who cheated death by becoming Death's servant and Ysabell, Death's daughter (adopted).
It becomes clear that Death has decided to take an apprentice so he can have a vacation, going to the Discworld to act human for a time. He leaves Mort in charge of his duties, and Mort screws up just about all of reality by saving the life of someone who is supposed to die at a specific point in time, the princess Keli.
While Mort's mistakes and frantic attempts to fix them are the major plot point of the story, it's the exchange between Death and Mort that is really interesting. As Death acts more human he starts gaining more human characteristics. As Mort takes on more of Death's duty he becomes more like Death.
"You are what you think you are" and "You are what I think you are" is something Ysabell yells at Mort when he is most in danger of becoming death, and both are true. You alone determine who you are, and your actions follow from that. You are what people think you are - and usually what people think of you follows from what they see of you, ie. your actions.
When Mort takes on Death's duties, and acts as him, he believes himself to be Death and people around him respond accordingly. When Keli is saved from her timely death, the universe reacts to what it 'knows' (that Keli IS dead, or at least should be) and treat her as nonexistent, which leads her to accept her death as inevitable.
The two plots come to a head when Death is made aware of Mort's errors, and Mort has some sense smacked into him by Ysabell. Mort and Death fight - but it's not really a fight that Mort can win. It's not about winning anyway. Mort does not want immortality and does not want the job of death. And while Death had been lonely and attempting to forge human connections, He decides that human emotions and meddling is what caused the problem in the first place. Death fully takes back his mantle, reorders the universe to fix the temporal disorder Mort caused, and kicks the humans out of his realm.
Fast-forward (years?) later and Keli is queen, Mort and Ysabell are getting married and Death, an invitee drops by to give them the gift of a potential reality and to give them his blessing.
In Mort, Death has decided he needs an apprentice and chooses an otherwise very normal boy named Mort to fulfill this role. Mort is taken to Death's realm to learn the ins and outs of the business. In this realm he meets Albert, a 2000+ year old wizard who cheated death by becoming Death's servant and Ysabell, Death's daughter (adopted).
It becomes clear that Death has decided to take an apprentice so he can have a vacation, going to the Discworld to act human for a time. He leaves Mort in charge of his duties, and Mort screws up just about all of reality by saving the life of someone who is supposed to die at a specific point in time, the princess Keli.
While Mort's mistakes and frantic attempts to fix them are the major plot point of the story, it's the exchange between Death and Mort that is really interesting. As Death acts more human he starts gaining more human characteristics. As Mort takes on more of Death's duty he becomes more like Death.
"You are what you think you are" and "You are what I think you are" is something Ysabell yells at Mort when he is most in danger of becoming death, and both are true. You alone determine who you are, and your actions follow from that. You are what people think you are - and usually what people think of you follows from what they see of you, ie. your actions.
When Mort takes on Death's duties, and acts as him, he believes himself to be Death and people around him respond accordingly. When Keli is saved from her timely death, the universe reacts to what it 'knows' (that Keli IS dead, or at least should be) and treat her as nonexistent, which leads her to accept her death as inevitable.
The two plots come to a head when Death is made aware of Mort's errors, and Mort has some sense smacked into him by Ysabell. Mort and Death fight - but it's not really a fight that Mort can win. It's not about winning anyway. Mort does not want immortality and does not want the job of death. And while Death had been lonely and attempting to forge human connections, He decides that human emotions and meddling is what caused the problem in the first place. Death fully takes back his mantle, reorders the universe to fix the temporal disorder Mort caused, and kicks the humans out of his realm.
Fast-forward (years?) later and Keli is queen, Mort and Ysabell are getting married and Death, an invitee drops by to give them the gift of a potential reality and to give them his blessing.
kschauer18's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
lynseyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aisja's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5