The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
petitemass15's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Death, Child death, and Animal death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
bluejayreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
There is a lot going on in this book. Almost too much for one book, it seems. Donât get me wrong, it was fun to read, but trying to sort it out afterwards Iâm impressed so many different things got shoved into here.Â
Letâs start with Death, since this is his series. The supernatural people in charge of the whole universe (apparently those exist â I wonder if theyâll ever show up again) decide that since Discworldâs Death has a personality, itâs no longer a force but a person, and people can die. So Death, who suddenly has a time limit on his existence, stops doing his job and goes off to experience life as humans live it. Disguised as the tall and skinny but ordinary human Bill Door, he ends up on an old womanâs farm as a farm hand, where he gets to experience how humans interact with each other and deal with the knowledge that theyâre going to die one day.Â
Meanwhile, Death not doing his job means that nothing is actually dying. The elderly wizard Windle Poons dies, but since thereâs no Death to help him move on, ends up back in his body as a zombie, more spry after death than he had been in decades. With the occasionally-dubious assistance of other wizards, other undead, and other residents of Anhk-Morpork, he attempts to unravel what is happening to the city as excess life starts to do really weird things.Â
Itâs fun and entertaining, as most Discworld books are, but the themes fall a bit flat. Death/Bill Doorâs story had an interesting theme of dealing with the fear of death and living when you know itâs all going to come to an end, but since the book didnât spend as much time in that storyline (Iâm pretty sure less than half of Reaper Man was actually about the reaper man), there wasnât time for it to reach full poignancy.Â
The storyline with the wizards and Windle Poons was mostly âhey, if Death stopped doing his job and nothing died anymore, wouldnât the consequences be wild?â and playing with that idea. But it also tried to add some bigger ideas â the inevitability of death, the life-sucking nature of shopping malls, a couple pointed jabs at souvenirs and a particular kind of church lady, and possibly even something about the body and aging (although that one was so muddled that Iâm not sure if it wasnât just me reading too much into it). All of them were interesting ideas, but there were too many of them for any to have much of an impact.Â
Despite all these criticisms, this book was quite fun. I enjoyed Death/Bill Doorâs attempts to figure out what humans do, fit in, and make friends. And even though Windle Poons is not my favorite wizard, I enjoy the dynamics between the wizards and how everything at the Unseen University works. Even though Reaper Man isnât as strong thematically as other Discworld entries, it was still plenty of fun.Â
Graphic: Death, Animal death, and Body horror
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death
corar's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It was a fun book with a lot going on. There were times when it all seemed a bit too much, but that is typical for Discworld. I like the character of death and I am a sucker for stories with death personified in general. I think this would be one that I would prefer in audio or as a TV/movie adaptation to bring all of the craziness to life. Overall, it was a fun read with some great characters and a lot of humor.
Moderate: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
rini's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Vomit
More...