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A review by beforeviolets
Mort by Terry Pratchett
Buddy read this with Drea!
Starting off, I want to preface that this review solely contains my opinions on this book in particular. This is my first journey into Discworld and I don't feel like I have the scope yet to have a judgment on the larger series or on Terry Pratchett’s writing beyond this book.
My primary impression of MORT was a whole lot of fun. Fantasy comedy is my absolute favorite genre when it comes to movies and TV shows and it's something that I have been absolutely desperate for more of in the literary space for a long time now. So it's kind of incredible that it’s taken me so long to get around to Discworld! Aka THE fantasy comedy series! And MORT’s humor was incredibly well paced and placed, and well-woven into its narrative tone, characters, and general disposition from the very beginning to the very end. It was quirky and laugh-out-loud funny (seriously, everything from a giggle to a guffaw escaped my mouth during my reading of this book) and surprisingly cozy for a story about death.
But, I won't lie, I did have a lot of craft issues with this book. Frankly, I thought it was good storytelling but not particularly good writing.
There’s a subtle sexism to this story in the way that Mort is centered in the story as our Hero and Romantic Figure without actually having to be interesting or motivated to do anything more than exist. He has little to no agency or depth. He is not Important, but rather surrounded by Importance. Most of the ways he changes over the course of the story involves Things Happening To Him and Other People Making Decisions About Him but not even in a way that makes him stronger or bolder or braver or more compassionate. He’s never truly challenged or pushed, and he never has to earn the growth he achieves throughout the story (arguably, he's fundamentally unchanged internally by the end, other than gaining some confidence). I think he makes like… one (1) decision on his own in the whole book? Meanwhile, there are female characters who are overflowing with personality and agency and who make a lot of bold, world-changing decisions (I do really kind of love them as characters!! Genuinely!!), yet still seem to only exist as narrative bolsters for Mort’s tale. Their biggest moments as characters are when they stand up for Mort or help Mort or look at Mort (I'm so serious rn). Their personhood feels exoticized by the story and by the male characters, who still view them as romantic or sexual objects (at best, emotional crutches) at the end of the day. Though MORT is most certainly nowhere near as bad as some of those books that read like the author never considered a woman would ever read their work, there is something to unpack about the way this story seems to cater a sympathetic lens to awkward boys and men with no prospects or desire to better themselves who feel as though they still deserve to be Important Heroes Who Get The Girl.
I also felt this book, because of the above issues, lacked Perspective. My favorite type of fantasy comedy (arguably, the only type really worthwhile) is the kind that says something about the world or that leaves its audience with some kind of messaging or profundity to apply to our own lives. And despite containing all of the tools in which to do that, it just doesn’t. Now maybe I’m missing something (genuinely, someone please correct me if there’s a deeper meaning that I’m missing because I desperately want this story to have one), but MORT left me as an audience member surely entertained, but feeling like I was missing something intellectually.
I’m definitely still very hopeful–as this story is considered one of the entry points into Discworld–that there is more to be explored and expounded upon in future installments! There were really so many things I loved: Death as a character (so funny and so smart), Ysabelle (she’s so smart and funny and I love that she’s described as both fat and pre-Raphaelite and I really hope she gets more of her own narrative in the future because she deserves it), the humor, the world building, etc. and I really can’t wait to read more.
CW: death, animal death, parental death (past), drowning, alcohol consumption
Starting off, I want to preface that this review solely contains my opinions on this book in particular. This is my first journey into Discworld and I don't feel like I have the scope yet to have a judgment on the larger series or on Terry Pratchett’s writing beyond this book.
My primary impression of MORT was a whole lot of fun. Fantasy comedy is my absolute favorite genre when it comes to movies and TV shows and it's something that I have been absolutely desperate for more of in the literary space for a long time now. So it's kind of incredible that it’s taken me so long to get around to Discworld! Aka THE fantasy comedy series! And MORT’s humor was incredibly well paced and placed, and well-woven into its narrative tone, characters, and general disposition from the very beginning to the very end. It was quirky and laugh-out-loud funny (seriously, everything from a giggle to a guffaw escaped my mouth during my reading of this book) and surprisingly cozy for a story about death.
But, I won't lie, I did have a lot of craft issues with this book. Frankly, I thought it was good storytelling but not particularly good writing.
There’s a subtle sexism to this story in the way that Mort is centered in the story as our Hero and Romantic Figure without actually having to be interesting or motivated to do anything more than exist. He has little to no agency or depth. He is not Important, but rather surrounded by Importance. Most of the ways he changes over the course of the story involves Things Happening To Him and Other People Making Decisions About Him but not even in a way that makes him stronger or bolder or braver or more compassionate. He’s never truly challenged or pushed, and he never has to earn the growth he achieves throughout the story (arguably, he's fundamentally unchanged internally by the end, other than gaining some confidence). I think he makes like… one (1) decision on his own in the whole book? Meanwhile, there are female characters who are overflowing with personality and agency and who make a lot of bold, world-changing decisions (I do really kind of love them as characters!! Genuinely!!), yet still seem to only exist as narrative bolsters for Mort’s tale. Their biggest moments as characters are when they stand up for Mort or help Mort or look at Mort (I'm so serious rn). Their personhood feels exoticized by the story and by the male characters, who still view them as romantic or sexual objects (at best, emotional crutches) at the end of the day. Though MORT is most certainly nowhere near as bad as some of those books that read like the author never considered a woman would ever read their work, there is something to unpack about the way this story seems to cater a sympathetic lens to awkward boys and men with no prospects or desire to better themselves who feel as though they still deserve to be Important Heroes Who Get The Girl.
I also felt this book, because of the above issues, lacked Perspective. My favorite type of fantasy comedy (arguably, the only type really worthwhile) is the kind that says something about the world or that leaves its audience with some kind of messaging or profundity to apply to our own lives. And despite containing all of the tools in which to do that, it just doesn’t. Now maybe I’m missing something (genuinely, someone please correct me if there’s a deeper meaning that I’m missing because I desperately want this story to have one), but MORT left me as an audience member surely entertained, but feeling like I was missing something intellectually.
I’m definitely still very hopeful–as this story is considered one of the entry points into Discworld–that there is more to be explored and expounded upon in future installments! There were really so many things I loved: Death as a character (so funny and so smart), Ysabelle (she’s so smart and funny and I love that she’s described as both fat and pre-Raphaelite and I really hope she gets more of her own narrative in the future because she deserves it), the humor, the world building, etc. and I really can’t wait to read more.
CW: death, animal death, parental death (past), drowning, alcohol consumption