2.55k reviews for:

Reaper Man

Terry Pratchett

4.2 AVERAGE

funny lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emvdw's profile picture

emvdw's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 26%

Unfortunately, I did not care about the Wizards and this one seems to be more about the Wizards than about Death
funny medium-paced
adventurous funny fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
funny lighthearted medium-paced

Another occassional re-read of the most magnificent book series written. A mixed bag this one. Some very very funny lines and observations, marred only by a plot that gets confused halfway through - Death's story is sidelined and in the city of Ankh-Morpork there's something about snow globes, shopping trolleys and a mall that threatens to destroy the old city. It's a bit messy, but riotous fun all the same and a reminder of the genius behind this world.
emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

'There's still something about you I can’t put my finger on, Bill Door,' she said. 'Wish I knew what it was.'
The seven-foot skeleton regarded her stoically. He felt there was nothing he could say.


This seems to be a big Discworld favourite, and I can't really determine why. It is, of course, being a Death novel by Terry Pratchett, delightful in many way. Death is a fantastic character, and the writing is darkly witty throughout.

It's the (many) plots, and the absence of Death in a lot of them, that I think is what lost me a little here. Things just feel unfocussed, and off-balance, and maybe that's appropriate for a book that delves into the fate of the world without a compassionate Death to guide souls after their bodies pass on.

It just... was pretty messy to follow a lot of the time. It was kind of a slog. It took me a week and a half to read a 200-page book. I really missed Death, and I really did not have much patience for Windle Poons, his bureaucratic colleagues, and his preternatural friends.

What did people say at times like this? Ah. Yes.
I WILL BUY EVERYONE A DRINK, he announced.