This is the book that made me rediscover my love of reading. Albert delivers my favorite line and the first time I actually laughed out loud while reading. “Albert grunted. "Do you know what happens to lads who ask too many questions?" Mort thought for a moment. "No," he said eventually, "what?" There was silence. Then Albert straightened up and said, "Damned if I know. Probably they get answers, and serve 'em right.”
Death also shows up for historically momentous deaths or just for deaths that interest him (cf being killed by a dragon). So for the purposes of the narrative, yea Death shows up constantly
My understanding is that witches, wizards and kings see Death as, like, a job privilege. Everyone else might be visited by Death if their passing is in some obscure way, crucial to the, patterns of the universe. I've taken this to mean "if the writer thinks it's important to the story"
Discworld runs on narrivitum, so it makes sense Death turns up whenever and wherever the story requires him to. But its true his personality goes through a bit of a transformation-he is more, not evil, but more callous, colder in the early books (I may be wrong but I also seem to recall in one of the very early stories he takes, in a throwaway line, 1 of a cats 9 lives on a whim, something the cat loving Death of later books would not ever do).
Pratchett described Mort as "discovering the joy of plot" and it definitely feels more focused around a core than the previous books. I don't quite remember if it was before or after this book, but Neil Gaiman told Terry at an early point in Discworld that he should make more out of it as he had a real gem there. And he did.
It was before. Neil said he would like to see more of Death, and Pratchett, who had been working on a sci fi project, rang him him back and said something like 'You bastard, it's called Mort!'
@@mumsageek1883yes I came here to tell Murphy this!!! Thanks Neil. Terry said "I done with Discworld! " Neal said Bet but what about Death he's cool yo. I guess the cohesion starts now.
He does show up for everyone, but I think for most deaths he's not a noticeable presence, he just collects the soul. I think of it as Death the person and Deathbot! :) Only with some people does he stick around and have something to say. All witches definitely get a personal send off. I love Pratchett's rejection of insta-love. (I think Ysabell is just pronounced Isabelle). I don't think Pratchett's plots are, as a rule, complex. It's the human interactions, the themes, the commentary and the humour. And above all, the characters!
I think its how he makes humans, and not humans, so human, in complicated. With nuance. So its not complicsted, but the characters are by being well done human.
In regards to what people Death comes to, I believe there was a line about nodes or something like that, apparently Death is told who to go to personally by way of the "nodes" so that's why it can be a random clown. But there are some people who he always collects, e.g. magic users.
Death always shows up for magical users, kings and queens, and people who die in an unusual or significant way - such as the first people to be killed by the gonne and a dragon. Later books clarify that he also just sometimes shows up for random people and creatures, because of *technobabble* or just to check things are all working properly. All this means that Death can show up whenever Pratchett wants him to. Whether its to add a joke, or reveal a bit more plot.
The Discworld runs on Narrativium - Death turns up for the important DEATHS - The Old Witch's death isn't particularly important, the reincarnating guy is on death number whatever so again the only narrative importance to both of these deaths is the fact that Death sends Mort therefore making them narratively important. Likewise with Princess Keli - If Death goes to collect her soul as he normally would her death would have had literally zero narrative importance whereas sending Mort makes her the most important person on the Disc!
Reaper Man, the next Death book, is one of my absolute favourites. Sorcery less so... But it is a book that gives important background to the place of magic in the world (which is preferably eating four square meals a day, and spending all its energies squabbling over university politics).
Reaper Man is one of my top fave Discworlds. And Soul Music. And all the witches' books. And Everything Vimes, especially what he goes through to read Where's My Cow to young Sam... And and.And... I've been listening to all the audiobooks,at least a dozen times each so far in no particular order🤷🏽♀️ I'd owned all the paper books years ago, but I lost my home and all in it in 2016,,and am now in a Txxzz nursingwarehouse with bad eyes and endless hours to fill . GNu, STP💙❣️
It’s not for important people, it’s for key living things. He has to personally reap certain souls (human or not) to keep the metaphorical plates spinning 😊
The part that was most touching to me is when death becomes a cook in a tavern and finds the most joy he's felt in years. Something so simple making someone feel joy they thought they were incapable of is a very inspiring aspect i got out of this book.
Sir Terry's approach to romance in his stories is usually a lot more realistic. His stories rarely have big romantic scenes, the characters just naturally grow closer as they spend time together, as the stories gently push them together.
I got my wife hooked on Discworld a while back, now we are trading off buying each other the hardcover sets off of the Discworld Emporium site as gifts. So far she got me the watch and death books, I’ve gave her witches and wizards sets. It’s a fun way to slowly get all the nicer versions without too much sticker shock of getting them all at once.
I love Sir Terry Pratchett's death character. so many of his books are in my top 10, and Reaper Man is up there. You asked for clarification on the death character and Reaper Man, i feel, is the definitive version of Death. one of my more liked interactions is when someone asks Death "will you help?", and death responds "yes". "When" death is asked. "when the pain is too great" answers Death.
Just an FYI, Death's daughter's name is pronounced Isabelle. So many people have commented on Death turning up for people so instead I'll say that this book is actually one of the reasons I struggled when i returned to The Colour of Magic. Here he talks about not actually killing but merely guiding and in the first book (maybe TLF, it's been a while) he would stop the lifeforce of a creature out of frustration. Those inconsistencies, thankfully, become less and less from here on out. I'm really enjoying seeing your take on Pratchett. Not enough booktubers talk about his work, citing "The series is too long" as a reason (actually it isn't long enough). I've said for a while now that Mort isn't the best book in Discworld but it is one of the most important.
Just wait until you meet the time monks... most prominently in Night Watch and Thief of Time. They'll give you a better sense... kind of... about how time works. And mort and Ysabell's granddaughter takes in a larger role in the death books. And she's great.
I finished Mort a week or so ago. It was so fun. A little sloggish in the middle and the end made me laugh. It was a fun read. Death is a brilliant character.
Part of me wants to believe Pratchett intentionally made Mort and Ysabell's marriage as unsatisfying to the reader as possible, like "hmm, the story's over, but the guy hasn't gotten the girl yet...oh well, the guy gets the girl anyway, everyone's happy!"
Mort is my favorite of the Pratchett books. It was my first foray as a little boy into his world, I loved all the characters, how they interacted with each other, and the real, human feel about them. A lot of his characters feel so real and his descriptions so vivid that they are actually palpable.
10:30 Terry Pratchett discusses this sometimes between lines. On Discworld, the most powerful force is Narration (and not Gravity or Electromagnetism or the Strong Nuclear Force as on Earth). And of course, Narration wants the plot to go on, turning one in a million chances into nine out of ten if necessary. And like in our world, where Free Will does not mean you can trump the fundamental forces, so Free Will on Discworld will not overcome Narration.
Mort!! Cool. 👀👏 Discworld is awesome. In the first book Death has to be there for wizards personally or else… it’s a job extra of wizards. They are collected always by Death himself. Nobody else can. Like Plague or someone.
9:40 It’s been a while since I’ve read Mort, but the sense I get from the Discworld series is that it doesn’t really intend to deny mortal characters choice or agency. The issue might have been that Mort was acting in the role of a supernatural being in stopping the assassination. The assassination may have actually been the natural consequence of various acts of free will, and by interfering, Mort was actually the one interfering with the mortals' freedom of choice.
Death comes for everyone, but the degree to which he interacts seems to vary.... either that or its just the important ones, and all the ones we see on screen are important due to being part of the Narrative. For all intents and purposes, he comes to everyone in some fashion or other. But what a way to go.... Sir Pterry has said he fairly regularly got letters from people who were soon to meet the Reaper, and that his books had given them one last bit of hope, that when they do meet him, Sir Pterry got him right.
To add to what other people have said: I always kind of read it as Death coming to appreciate more for the everyperson, not just the people he has o visit as he progresses through his arc. Of course, in the end, it is probably just inconsistency and/or narrative convenience but he changes more in the future, or at least we learn more about him, a bit of both, I guess. And part of that is him caring more for people and not just being weirdly curious about them. To add a non-spoilery quote: What can the harvest hope for, if not the care of the reaper man? It's a shame the great Death books are still a bit away (and Hogsfather will not be there until next Christmas, if not later), but a really neat out-of-continuity short story is "Death and what comes next" which is, as Pratchett so often does, not focused on plot but just... themes and ideas and about 800 words of greatness.
Mort is the first and only Terry Pratchett book I've read. Well, read is a bit much I started it and read like half but got distracted and never returned. This was like ten years ago. I'll still watch the video though!
Death is obliged by custom to be there for the deaths of witches and wizards, but he also appears when it suits humor or the narrative. He’s described as an auditor, (not to be confused with The Auditors). He doesn’t have to be present for every death, but turns up sometimes just to make sure things are running smoothly.
Personal Death PoV: If you remember, Death came personally to collect the thief that was killed by the dragon in 'Guards Guards!'. I feel Death works on a whim and collects those that take his fancy, although royalty, Wizards, and Witches are supposed to be mandatory... nobody dies of scrofula!
16:30 Death's world is deeply rational, or as Death itself puts it: "NO GLANDS. THAT'S WHY." It makes sense that this rational reasoning also affected Ysabel and Mort. At least they heavily rationalize their relationship, despite Ysabel defending Mort against Death not with reasoning, but with her love. Ysabel and Mort have faced literally mortal dangers together, and Mort admits that this created a stronger bond than any romance could have.
Whoop, whoop, Discworld time 😊 Spoilers. . . . . . .. . I always get a kick out of Rincewind's little cameo. Its like, you can always expect a Librarian cameo but a Rincewind cameo is rare.
Death does not only show up for important people! He shows up for witches and wizards, as well as for deaths that are important or interesting. That’s why he shows up constantly whenever some kind of plot is going on. I suppose he shows up for everyone on a subliminal level, but the way you’ve seen it, it’s mostly deaths of importance, and yes, sometimes those people had an important function in life. Death’s characterization was a bit different in the first Rincewind books, but I can overlook that. Mort wasn’t my favorite story, but Death as a character is amazing and the books in the Death sequence only get better!
Wonderful! Full of Wonder! Death, in Guards Guards showed up for the clown and they talked about this very thing. About Death only showing up for magic folk and royals. Death himself says that yes that is true, however he also shows up for Unusual Occasions. The clown agrees his death was certainly that...
There's an excellent book named Flex by Ferrett Steinmetz that deals with this notion of altering the history through magic and history correcting itself this way: using magic comes with a cost. A slight benefit to you will hurt you a little. Altering events in a major way will hurt you more. It's basically the same concept.
My understanding was after this book he had Death appear in all(?) books. But when people asked your question "I thought Death only appeared for important people?" Pratchett answered 'well they are important to the story and thus in Discworld are important' (paraphrasing.) But only he knows what is lie or not about his world building.
2:30 There is a poem by the German lyricist Christian Morgenstern, which has a nice twist on this. I'll try to translate it for you. The impossible Fact (published 1909) Palmström, somewhat elderly, gets hit at a street corner and run over by a motor vehicle. "How was" (he says, raising up, and determined to live on) "it possible, how could this misfortune, yes -- how did it happen anyway? Is the statecraft to blame in respect to motorized carriages? Gave police regulation here permission to the driver for drove? Or was it rather forbidden, to turn the ones alive to the ones dead - short and simple: Mustn't the driver here...?" Clad in wet towels he checks the law books, and soon it becomes clear: Cars weren't permitted to drive here! And he comes to the conclusion: "The event was just a dream, because", he sharply deduces, "It can not be, which must not be!" (The last sentence, in German "Weil nicht sein kann, was nicht sein darf!", has become a figure of speech in the German language.)
I think it’s important to note that Death also has His own character arc as the books go on. He may very well start turning up to every job after possibly finding a newfound interest in his work 👀 no spoilers.
Mort asks early-ish on why isn't death everywhere? And death asks "do you know about point incarnation and node focusing" -i don't think so "Generally I'm only expected to make an appearance on special occasions" I think it gives space for both this story being about special occasions and then all future deaths? Maybe death became impassioned in his job again after this book haha
I want to read this book so badly but I'm on a book buying ban tell the end of the year. And they don't have it at my local library. Hopefully by 2024 I'll be able to come back here to watch the video and gush about it in the comments. Until then o7
In a sense, Death only turns up 'in person' for witches, wizards, rulers, and people who are in some sense 'important' (not necessarily socially important, but there are people for whom it is important in itself that death collects them. This has something to do with what are referred to as 'nodes', which is a lovely way of hand-waving the question). In another sense... Death does actually come for everyone. Death alludes on multiple occasions to the fact that everyone meets him eventually. So to the extent that there is a definitive fact of the matter - and I'm not sure there is, since Pterry was always constructively loose with his worldbuilding - it's all a bit quantum. He's always there when someone dies, but also not always there.
As I understand it, Death shows up for everyone important but who the universe thinks is important can be very different from who society thinks is important
I'm pretty sure he will be guaranteed to turn up for most important people, but not always for the rest. I don't think it's hinted he never goes to the normal person.
It's just narrative causality, Death shows up to collect a soul if it would be interesting for him to do so. Often you'll find out how a character has died at the same time the character does, because Death is there telling them as much.
Question(s) Mort discovered that death’s servant Albert is the founder of unseen university. Later, in soul of music, when Mort’s daughter is a teen, Albert drops his hourglass and dies. Is that the same Albert in hog father who teaches Death how to act like Santa/hog-father? If so does that mean the later Albert can no longer leave death’s realm on personal business, only when doing others’s work such as the Hog-Father’s
As for “seeing death”. He shows up for important people. As for showing up for the clown? What’s more important than showing up for the man who will be used as a pawn in the assassination of a leader? I think it’s also said that people who spend a lot of time “close to death” have an easier time seeing him. Aka vimes. At least that’s my reading of it.
No, Death is always there for every death, it's just that he sees wizards and witches as something like fellow professionals who deserve a bit of extra respect and face time. Also certain deaths are key points in time that need to happen properly, while for most stuff the world just self corrects. For those cases he makes sure to personally appear, or if he just thinks it's interresting. Otherwise he sort of autopilots where he's aware of handling deaths at some subconscious level, but not in a physical form. Really it's that he's a natural force that's always active everywhere, but at the same time humans have created an image of him in their minds and the magic of the discworld makes sure that these concepts become real. So at the same time as being a force, he's also a anthropomorphic personification who can be at a specific place. It's full on duality, but the personification heavily influences how the natural force functions. In the same way later in the series time is an actual character in charge of time, even though time just happens all the time, changes according to how people experience it or how strong magic is at that spot and can even be intentionally manipulated by certain people. The thing is the discworld is the most magical place in the multiverse so mutual exclusive things can both be true, it just depends from which perspective you're experiencing it. Though this idea definitely developed over time in the series. Really the Discworld books aren't about plot. The story is more of a backdrop to the important stuff: characters, the convoluted ways people think, moral issues, and humor. Really Pratchett wrote a lot of this stuff because he was pissed off at how stupid and shortsighted people often act, but he also knew that whining doesn't get your point accross, humor does because it lowers mental barriers.
You've probably heard this already but I can't see it in the comments: "Mort" is the book where Pratchett started taking Discworld seriously Initially, it was about satirising Sword&Sorcery books. Then, Neil Gaiman and he was ready to stop but then Neil Gaiman asked for a book about Death. And, in writing "Mort" he discovered there was more he could do with this series than only satire.
Just grow with the series. Let the changes happen. Even Lord Vetinari tubby and a less than wonderful ruler... then he becomes svelte and a clever assassin who is a brilliant ruler.
Ysabell is very clearly a variant spelling of Isobel......WHY would you even consider pronouncing that "Y" as a consonant? Especially given there's no vowel between the "Y" and the "S"!
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This is the book that made me rediscover my love of reading. Albert delivers my favorite line and the first time I actually laughed out loud while reading. “Albert grunted. "Do you know what happens to lads who ask too many questions?"
Mort thought for a moment.
"No," he said eventually, "what?"
There was silence.
Then Albert straightened up and said, "Damned if I know. Probably they get answers, and serve 'em right.”
And serve em right!!!!! Hehe so funny
Mort slowly turning into Death is one of my favourite "villain" arcs to this day.
Wait… Korey lost death?
he's immortal now 🤷♀
He owes you fancy hardcovers now.
Death also shows up for historically momentous deaths or just for deaths that interest him (cf being killed by a dragon). So for the purposes of the narrative, yea Death shows up constantly
Just being part of a story is important.
"There are no inconsistencies in the Discworld books; occasionally, however, there are alternate pasts." Terry Pratchett.
My understanding is that witches, wizards and kings see Death as, like, a job privilege. Everyone else might be visited by Death if their passing is in some obscure way, crucial to the, patterns of the universe. I've taken this to mean "if the writer thinks it's important to the story"
Discworld runs on narrivitum, so it makes sense Death turns up whenever and wherever the story requires him to. But its true his personality goes through a bit of a transformation-he is more, not evil, but more callous, colder in the early books (I may be wrong but I also seem to recall in one of the very early stories he takes, in a throwaway line, 1 of a cats 9 lives on a whim, something the cat loving Death of later books would not ever do).
Pratchett described Mort as "discovering the joy of plot" and it definitely feels more focused around a core than the previous books. I don't quite remember if it was before or after this book, but Neil Gaiman told Terry at an early point in Discworld that he should make more out of it as he had a real gem there. And he did.
HE WAS RIGHT
It was before. Neil said he would like to see more of Death, and Pratchett, who had been working on a sci fi project, rang him him back and said something like 'You bastard, it's called Mort!'
@@mumsageek1883 And we go the sci fi project 30 years later, I think that was the idea for Long Earth
@@mumsageek1883yes I came here to tell Murphy this!!! Thanks Neil. Terry said "I done with Discworld! " Neal said Bet but what about Death he's cool yo. I guess the cohesion starts now.
He does show up for everyone, but I think for most deaths he's not a noticeable presence, he just collects the soul. I think of it as Death the person and Deathbot! :) Only with some people does he stick around and have something to say. All witches definitely get a personal send off.
I love Pratchett's rejection of insta-love. (I think Ysabell is just pronounced Isabelle).
I don't think Pratchett's plots are, as a rule, complex. It's the human interactions, the themes, the commentary and the humour. And above all, the characters!
I think its how he makes humans, and not humans, so human, in complicated. With nuance.
So its not complicsted, but the characters are by being well done human.
@@marocat4749 Yes. Pratchett books are short. The story is the characters. The plot is just what happens.
In regards to what people Death comes to, I believe there was a line about nodes or something like that, apparently Death is told who to go to personally by way of the "nodes" so that's why it can be a random clown. But there are some people who he always collects, e.g. magic users.
Death always shows up for magical users, kings and queens, and people who die in an unusual or significant way - such as the first people to be killed by the gonne and a dragon. Later books clarify that he also just sometimes shows up for random people and creatures, because of *technobabble* or just to check things are all working properly.
All this means that Death can show up whenever Pratchett wants him to. Whether its to add a joke, or reveal a bit more plot.
The Discworld runs on Narrativium - Death turns up for the important DEATHS - The Old Witch's death isn't particularly important, the reincarnating guy is on death number whatever so again the only narrative importance to both of these deaths is the fact that Death sends Mort therefore making them narratively important.
Likewise with Princess Keli - If Death goes to collect her soul as he normally would her death would have had literally zero narrative importance whereas sending Mort makes her the most important person on the Disc!
Reaper Man, the next Death book, is one of my absolute favourites. Sorcery less so... But it is a book that gives important background to the place of magic in the world (which is preferably eating four square meals a day, and spending all its energies squabbling over university politics).
Reaper Man is one of my top fave Discworlds.
And Soul Music.
And all the witches' books.
And Everything Vimes, especially what he goes through to read Where's My Cow to young Sam...
And
and.And...
I've been listening to all the audiobooks,at least a dozen times each so far in no particular order🤷🏽♀️ I'd owned all the paper books years ago, but I lost my home and all in it in 2016,,and am now in a Txxzz nursingwarehouse with bad eyes and endless hours to fill .
GNu, STP💙❣️
It’s not for important people, it’s for key living things. He has to personally reap certain souls (human or not) to keep the metaphorical plates spinning 😊
Just started reading Pratchett this year and I can’t wait to read another of his books
Mort is my favourite Pratchett. I was lucky enough to meet and shake the hand of the great man before his illness issues started
I am soo looking forward to you getting to the Tiffany Aching books!
Really enjoying this review series so far! 😊
The part that was most touching to me is when death becomes a cook in a tavern and finds the most joy he's felt in years. Something so simple making someone feel joy they thought they were incapable of is a very inspiring aspect i got out of this book.
Sir Terry's approach to romance in his stories is usually a lot more realistic. His stories rarely have big romantic scenes, the characters just naturally grow closer as they spend time together, as the stories gently push them together.
I got my wife hooked on Discworld a while back, now we are trading off buying each other the hardcover sets off of the Discworld Emporium site as gifts. So far she got me the watch and death books, I’ve gave her witches and wizards sets. It’s a fun way to slowly get all the nicer versions without too much sticker shock of getting them all at once.
I love Sir Terry Pratchett's death character. so many of his books are in my top 10, and Reaper Man is up there. You asked for clarification on the death character and Reaper Man, i feel, is the definitive version of Death.
one of my more liked interactions is when someone asks Death "will you help?", and death responds "yes". "When" death is asked. "when the pain is too great" answers Death.
I can't wait for your video after you've read Night Watch 😊
Just an FYI, Death's daughter's name is pronounced Isabelle.
So many people have commented on Death turning up for people so instead I'll say that this book is actually one of the reasons I struggled when i returned to The Colour of Magic. Here he talks about not actually killing but merely guiding and in the first book (maybe TLF, it's been a while) he would stop the lifeforce of a creature out of frustration. Those inconsistencies, thankfully, become less and less from here on out.
I'm really enjoying seeing your take on Pratchett. Not enough booktubers talk about his work, citing "The series is too long" as a reason (actually it isn't long enough). I've said for a while now that Mort isn't the best book in Discworld but it is one of the most important.
It's pronounced ee-sabelle in the audio book (narrated by Stephen Briggs)
Brook's gonna have stiff (Yohohoho) competition as your favourite literary skeleton!
Just wait until you meet the time monks... most prominently in Night Watch and Thief of Time.
They'll give you a better sense... kind of... about how time works.
And mort and Ysabell's granddaughter takes in a larger role in the death books. And she's great.
I finished Mort a week or so ago. It was so fun. A little sloggish in the middle and the end made me laugh. It was a fun read. Death is a brilliant character.
Part of me wants to believe Pratchett intentionally made Mort and Ysabell's marriage as unsatisfying to the reader as possible, like "hmm, the story's over, but the guy hasn't gotten the girl yet...oh well, the guy gets the girl anyway, everyone's happy!"
I like the harking back to what his dad told him. And he actually gets to know her and she him?!
Mort is my favorite of the Pratchett books. It was my first foray as a little boy into his world, I loved all the characters, how they interacted with each other, and the real, human feel about them. A lot of his characters feel so real and his descriptions so vivid that they are actually palpable.
10:30 Terry Pratchett discusses this sometimes between lines. On Discworld, the most powerful force is Narration (and not Gravity or Electromagnetism or the Strong Nuclear Force as on Earth). And of course, Narration wants the plot to go on, turning one in a million chances into nine out of ten if necessary. And like in our world, where Free Will does not mean you can trump the fundamental forces, so Free Will on Discworld will not overcome Narration.
Mort!! Cool. 👀👏 Discworld is awesome. In the first book Death has to be there for wizards personally or else… it’s a job extra of wizards. They are collected always by Death himself. Nobody else can. Like Plague or someone.
9:40
It’s been a while since I’ve read Mort, but the sense I get from the Discworld series is that it doesn’t really intend to deny mortal characters choice or agency. The issue might have been that Mort was acting in the role of a supernatural being in stopping the assassination. The assassination may have actually been the natural consequence of various acts of free will, and by interfering, Mort was actually the one interfering with the mortals' freedom of choice.
All inconsistencies in the timeline are explained in Thief of Time….
I genuinely cant wait to see what you think of the other death books
Death comes for everyone, but the degree to which he interacts seems to vary.... either that or its just the important ones, and all the ones we see on screen are important due to being part of the Narrative. For all intents and purposes, he comes to everyone in some fashion or other. But what a way to go.... Sir Pterry has said he fairly regularly got letters from people who were soon to meet the Reaper, and that his books had given them one last bit of hope, that when they do meet him, Sir Pterry got him right.
Waiting for you to meet Tiffany Aching!
To add to what other people have said: I always kind of read it as Death coming to appreciate more for the everyperson, not just the people he has o visit as he progresses through his arc. Of course, in the end, it is probably just inconsistency and/or narrative convenience but he changes more in the future, or at least we learn more about him, a bit of both, I guess. And part of that is him caring more for people and not just being weirdly curious about them. To add a non-spoilery quote: What can the harvest hope for, if not the care of the reaper man?
It's a shame the great Death books are still a bit away (and Hogsfather will not be there until next Christmas, if not later), but a really neat out-of-continuity short story is "Death and what comes next" which is, as Pratchett so often does, not focused on plot but just... themes and ideas and about 800 words of greatness.
I would strongly encourage Merphy to make Hogfather a Christmas read, even if it means skipping ahead a few books.
So Glad you read this ❤ first one I ever read by Mr Prachett had me lol then I read Equal Rites and I plan on reading all the Wyrd Sisters books!
Mort is the first and only Terry Pratchett book I've read. Well, read is a bit much I started it and read like half but got distracted and never returned.
This was like ten years ago. I'll still watch the video though!
Death is obliged by custom to be there for the deaths of witches and wizards, but he also appears when it suits humor or the narrative. He’s described as an auditor, (not to be confused with The Auditors). He doesn’t have to be present for every death, but turns up sometimes just to make sure things are running smoothly.
Personal Death PoV: If you remember, Death came personally to collect the thief that was killed by the dragon in 'Guards Guards!'. I feel Death works on a whim and collects those that take his fancy, although royalty, Wizards, and Witches are supposed to be mandatory... nobody dies of scrofula!
Apart from the shear enjoyment of reading Pratchett, he only gets better as he matures.I enjoyed your enthusiasm for the books.
16:30 Death's world is deeply rational, or as Death itself puts it: "NO GLANDS. THAT'S WHY." It makes sense that this rational reasoning also affected Ysabel and Mort. At least they heavily rationalize their relationship, despite Ysabel defending Mort against Death not with reasoning, but with her love. Ysabel and Mort have faced literally mortal dangers together, and Mort admits that this created a stronger bond than any romance could have.
Yay for Blinky! Best horsie ever!
Whoop, whoop, Discworld time 😊
Spoilers.
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I always get a kick out of Rincewind's little cameo. Its like, you can always expect a Librarian cameo but a Rincewind cameo is rare.
Death does not only show up for important people! He shows up for witches and wizards, as well as for deaths that are important or interesting. That’s why he shows up constantly whenever some kind of plot is going on. I suppose he shows up for everyone on a subliminal level, but the way you’ve seen it, it’s mostly deaths of importance, and yes, sometimes those people had an important function in life.
Death’s characterization was a bit different in the first Rincewind books, but I can overlook that.
Mort wasn’t my favorite story, but Death as a character is amazing and the books in the Death sequence only get better!
Forgetting Keli's name is super topical!😀
Whose name? ;)
Yay a discworld I've read so can watch. I read Mort 2nd. Found it took a while to get going but was enjoyable
This is one of my mothers favorite books. I might have to reread it cause I didn't get it. I mightve been too young mentally
The next of the Death Books, Reaper Man, is my personal favourite Discworld book.
I just love Death, and that you can know he's saying something just by the font even when he isn't specifically mentioned anywhere in the book.
Death identity crisis reminds me of my first discworld book, Reaper man which is the second death book. I should reread it.
Wonderful! Full of Wonder!
Death, in Guards Guards showed up for the clown and they talked about this very thing. About Death only showing up for magic folk and royals. Death himself says that yes that is true, however he also shows up for Unusual Occasions. The clown agrees his death was certainly that...
can't wait for you to get to a death scene in Masquerade with nanny Og, no spoilers but it's a fantastic interaction
There's an excellent book named Flex by Ferrett Steinmetz that deals with this notion of altering the history through magic and history correcting itself this way: using magic comes with a cost. A slight benefit to you will hurt you a little. Altering events in a major way will hurt you more. It's basically the same concept.
I love pretty much all of Terry Pratchett’s characters but Death is definitely my favourite
you are correct in later books death shows up for everyone.
Starting off with a bang. Throwing the S.O. right under the bus in the first minute is a power move to be sure. :D
My understanding was after this book he had Death appear in all(?) books. But when people asked your question "I thought Death only appeared for important people?" Pratchett answered 'well they are important to the story and thus in Discworld are important' (paraphrasing.)
But only he knows what is lie or not about his world building.
2:30 There is a poem by the German lyricist Christian Morgenstern, which has a nice twist on this. I'll try to translate it for you.
The impossible Fact (published 1909)
Palmström, somewhat elderly,
gets hit at a street corner
and run over by a motor vehicle.
"How was" (he says, raising up,
and determined to live on)
"it possible, how could this misfortune, yes --
how did it happen anyway?
Is the statecraft to blame
in respect to motorized carriages?
Gave police regulation
here permission to the driver for drove?
Or was it rather forbidden,
to turn the ones alive
to the ones dead - short and simple:
Mustn't the driver here...?"
Clad in wet towels
he checks the law books,
and soon it becomes clear:
Cars weren't permitted to drive here!
And he comes to the conclusion:
"The event was just a dream,
because", he sharply deduces,
"It can not be, which must not be!"
(The last sentence, in German "Weil nicht sein kann, was nicht sein darf!", has become a figure of speech in the German language.)
Mort was a brilliant read
I think it’s important to note that Death also has His own character arc as the books go on. He may very well start turning up to every job after possibly finding a newfound interest in his work 👀 no spoilers.
It's been a bit since I read Mort, but as I remember it Death uses the sword on kings and the scythe on everyone else.
Mort asks early-ish on why isn't death everywhere? And death asks "do you know about point incarnation and node focusing"
-i don't think so
"Generally I'm only expected to make an appearance on special occasions"
I think it gives space for both this story being about special occasions and then all future deaths? Maybe death became impassioned in his job again after this book haha
I want to read this book so badly but I'm on a book buying ban tell the end of the year. And they don't have it at my local library. Hopefully by 2024 I'll be able to come back here to watch the video and gush about it in the comments. Until then o7
In a sense, Death only turns up 'in person' for witches, wizards, rulers, and people who are in some sense 'important' (not necessarily socially important, but there are people for whom it is important in itself that death collects them. This has something to do with what are referred to as 'nodes', which is a lovely way of hand-waving the question). In another sense... Death does actually come for everyone. Death alludes on multiple occasions to the fact that everyone meets him eventually. So to the extent that there is a definitive fact of the matter - and I'm not sure there is, since Pterry was always constructively loose with his worldbuilding - it's all a bit quantum. He's always there when someone dies, but also not always there.
As I understand it, Death shows up for everyone important but who the universe thinks is important can be very different from who society thinks is important
I'm pretty sure he will be guaranteed to turn up for most important people, but not always for the rest.
I don't think it's hinted he never goes to the normal person.
Did you ever finish the Sandman series? I would like to know how you felt about the plots and themes in the volumes
It's just narrative causality, Death shows up to collect a soul if it would be interesting for him to do so.
Often you'll find out how a character has died at the same time the character does, because Death is there telling them as much.
Question(s)
Mort discovered that death’s servant Albert is the founder of unseen university.
Later, in soul of music, when Mort’s daughter is a teen, Albert drops his hourglass and dies.
Is that the same Albert in hog father who teaches Death how to act like Santa/hog-father?
If so does that mean the later Albert can no longer leave death’s realm on personal business, only when doing others’s work such as the Hog-Father’s
As for “seeing death”. He shows up for important people. As for showing up for the clown? What’s more important than showing up for the man who will be used as a pawn in the assassination of a leader?
I think it’s also said that people who spend a lot of time “close to death” have an easier time seeing him. Aka vimes.
At least that’s my reading of it.
The biggest thing i learn from death is from hogfather about the importance of believing fantasies.
Reallyimportant. That yeah it ma notbe real per se but we put value on things and make them real. Justice, love, human rights and all that jazz.
I dress up as Bill Door At Halloween often lol
My favorite things is this series is just death have a human crisis over and over
No, Death is always there for every death, it's just that he sees wizards and witches as something like fellow professionals who deserve a bit of extra respect and face time. Also certain deaths are key points in time that need to happen properly, while for most stuff the world just self corrects. For those cases he makes sure to personally appear, or if he just thinks it's interresting. Otherwise he sort of autopilots where he's aware of handling deaths at some subconscious level, but not in a physical form. Really it's that he's a natural force that's always active everywhere, but at the same time humans have created an image of him in their minds and the magic of the discworld makes sure that these concepts become real. So at the same time as being a force, he's also a anthropomorphic personification who can be at a specific place. It's full on duality, but the personification heavily influences how the natural force functions. In the same way later in the series time is an actual character in charge of time, even though time just happens all the time, changes according to how people experience it or how strong magic is at that spot and can even be intentionally manipulated by certain people. The thing is the discworld is the most magical place in the multiverse so mutual exclusive things can both be true, it just depends from which perspective you're experiencing it. Though this idea definitely developed over time in the series.
Really the Discworld books aren't about plot. The story is more of a backdrop to the important stuff: characters, the convoluted ways people think, moral issues, and humor. Really Pratchett wrote a lot of this stuff because he was pissed off at how stupid and shortsighted people often act, but he also knew that whining doesn't get your point accross, humor does because it lowers mental barriers.
And Mort repeatedly corrects Death when he calls him boy. Mort says firmly, Mort!
You've probably heard this already but I can't see it in the comments:
"Mort" is the book where Pratchett started taking Discworld seriously
Initially, it was about satirising Sword&Sorcery books. Then, Neil Gaiman and he was ready to stop but then Neil Gaiman asked for a book about Death. And, in writing "Mort" he discovered there was more he could do with this series than only satire.
Shame on Korey for losing the book!
What can I say about MORT...I like it alot.
Just grow with the series. Let the changes happen. Even Lord Vetinari tubby and a less than wonderful ruler... then he becomes svelte and a clever assassin who is a brilliant ruler.
To be honest, it might be a bit hard to stop dating Death's daughter
This was my first Terry Pratchett and I wasent really feeling it
Albert's cooking. I want to taste it.
random clown??? he turned up for the first person to be killed by a gonne ... can't get more special than that
Ysabell is very clearly a variant spelling of Isobel......WHY would you even consider pronouncing that "Y" as a consonant?
Especially given there's no vowel between the "Y" and the "S"!
Now do Reaper Man!!