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sashaknits 's review for:
Reaper Man
by Terry Pratchett, Terry Pratchett
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: A bestseller from the 1990s. (Was this a brilliant prompt to crowbar the next instalment of my Great Discworld Reread into 2021? Why yes, yes it was.)
4.5 stars. Death has always been one of the best things about Discworld, so I was bound to enjoy rereading this gem. It also carries an extra layer of personal emotion reading it again since PTerry died - I still fondly imagine him having a sausage sandwich and a cup of tea with Albert. I'd completely forgotten that it was the origin story for the Death Of Rats, so it also gets an extra half a star just for that.
The central conceit (that Death must not be allowed any personality in order to do his job, but in fact what he absorbs from his time amongst humans is what makes him good at his job) is so quintessentially Discworld that I can't help but love it. I also found Miss Flitworth's attempt to understand an abstract concept like the Auditors as being like the "Revenoo" (the Inland Revenue / IRS) terribly endearing.
Mrs Cake as a force of nature and her drunk spirit guide were an excellent double act. I rather enjoyed the priests of Offler assuming she was the only person determined enough to make it through all their boobytraps. And the wizards being the only people with enough ego to rebuff her successfully.
Reg Shoe and his rag-tag collection of undead were pure Discworld value. The shy banshee who gives you a note rather than howling. The vampires pretending (with mixed results) to be from the Discworld equivalent of Transylvania. The bogeyman who carries a door around to hide behind.
The only bum note for me was the snowglobes/trolleys/shopping centre part. Somehow it was just too contemporary for me and I didn't enjoy it as much as any of the rest of the threads in the story.
Nonetheless, definitely a favourite of the series.
4.5 stars. Death has always been one of the best things about Discworld, so I was bound to enjoy rereading this gem. It also carries an extra layer of personal emotion reading it again since PTerry died - I still fondly imagine him having a sausage sandwich and a cup of tea with Albert. I'd completely forgotten that it was the origin story for the Death Of Rats, so it also gets an extra half a star just for that.
The central conceit (that Death must not be allowed any personality in order to do his job, but in fact what he absorbs from his time amongst humans is what makes him good at his job) is so quintessentially Discworld that I can't help but love it. I also found Miss Flitworth's attempt to understand an abstract concept like the Auditors as being like the "Revenoo" (the Inland Revenue / IRS) terribly endearing.
Mrs Cake as a force of nature and her drunk spirit guide were an excellent double act. I rather enjoyed the priests of Offler assuming she was the only person determined enough to make it through all their boobytraps. And the wizards being the only people with enough ego to rebuff her successfully.
Reg Shoe and his rag-tag collection of undead were pure Discworld value. The shy banshee who gives you a note rather than howling. The vampires pretending (with mixed results) to be from the Discworld equivalent of Transylvania. The bogeyman who carries a door around to hide behind.
The only bum note for me was the snowglobes/trolleys/shopping centre part. Somehow it was just too contemporary for me and I didn't enjoy it as much as any of the rest of the threads in the story.
Nonetheless, definitely a favourite of the series.