Title: Reaper Man

Author: Terry Pratchett

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 288

Rating: 8/10

 

Terry Pratchett - Reaper Man

Terry Pratchett – Reaper Man

 

As you might have guessed from the title, Reaper Man is all about Death – the anthropomorphic creature of narrative causality, not the thing that happens when your body stops moving. Death has disappeared, which, as the blurb explains, “leads to the kind of chaos you always get when an important public service is withdrawn.”

The force is strong in this one, and it’s my opinion that Pratchett was at his finest during the era in which this was released – it might not be my favourite Discworld book, but it’s up against some stiff competition. It is, however, a great book to read if you want to learn more about Death, in all his glory.

For me, it’s weird to think that this book first came out in 1991, two years after I was born. I got into the Discworld series sometime around my fourteenth birthday, and so by the time I got round to reading this, it was already old. That said, I highly enjoyed it, both as a teenager and as an adult, when I re-read it.

I’d say that the best Death novel is Mort, the first one to feature him as a main character, but this comes in at a close second – either way, if you’re a fan of Death and his antics, then I strongly recommend that you read each of the Death books in order, starting with Mort. But look forward to Reaper Man, because it’s awesome, and you’ll be glad that you kept on reading by the time you get around to it. Oh, and be sure to let me know what you think.

 

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett

 

Click here to buy Reaper Man.