Mort
1 journaler for this copy...
I've always found Pratchett's version of Death one of his more interesting characters. This book focuses on him, his household, his hobbies, and his new apprentice Mort. There's a surprising amount of character development for the anthropomorphic personification of the end of all life.
The apprenticeship gives young Mort the chance to learn a trade, one that involves walking through walls and collecting the souls of the dead (though being dead himself is not compulsory). And it gives Death a chance to take a little vacation and enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. Well, to the extent that such things are possible without actual flesh. But there's always a learning curve on these things, and mistakes in this job can go beyond matters of life and death.
Some quotes:
The apprenticeship gives young Mort the chance to learn a trade, one that involves walking through walls and collecting the souls of the dead (though being dead himself is not compulsory). And it gives Death a chance to take a little vacation and enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. Well, to the extent that such things are possible without actual flesh. But there's always a learning curve on these things, and mistakes in this job can go beyond matters of life and death.
Some quotes:
In short, Mort was one of those people who are more dangerous than a bag full of rattlesnakes. He was determined to discover the underlying logic behind the universe.
Which was going to be hard, because there wasn't one.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, he said, BUT I COULD MURDER A CURRY.
It was crowded in the Curry Gardens on the corner of God street and Blood Alley, but only with the cream of society--at least, with those people who are found floating on the top and who, therefore, it's wisest to call the cream.
YOU DON'T SEE PEOPLE AT THEIR BEST IN THIS JOB
THERE IS NO JUSTICE. THERE'S JUST ME.
It struck Mort with sudden, terrible poignancy that Death must be the loneliest creature in the universe. In the great party of Creation, he was always in the kitchen.
NO ONE GETS PARDONED FOR LIVING
Death grinned because, as has so often been remarked, he didn't have much option. But possibly he meant it, this time.
An exchange on Death's supposed preference for priests over magical folk, between Mort and a dying witch:
"He doesn't like wizards and witches much," Mort volunteered.
"Nobody likes a smartass," she said with some satisfaction. "We give him trouble, you see. Priests don't, so he likes priests."
"He's never said," said Mort.
"Ah. They're always telling folk how much better it's going to be when they're dead. We tell them it could be pretty good right here if only they'd put their minds to it."
Mort hesitated. He wanted to say: you're wrong, he's not like that at all, he doesn't care if people are good or bad as long as they're punctual. And kind to cats, he added.
But he thought better of it. It occurred to him that people needed to believe things.
Journal Entry 4 by phantomreader42 at GC274GQ Briar Patch Book Drop in Warner Robins, GA, -- Geocaches -- USA on Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Released 13 yrs ago (7/14/2010 UTC) at GC274GQ Briar Patch Book Drop in Warner Robins, GA, -- Geocaches -- USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Another book to restart the cache. Mort should be fitting, since the cache is coming back from the dead, and the book I started it with was Small Gods.
The cache has returned from the dead again, and this book was removed for future release elsewhere, along with one from the "diary of a wimpy kid" series left by someone else (which I'll register later). I replaced it with Limit of Vision and Ozy & Millie.
Journal Entry 6 by phantomreader42 at GC274GQ Briar Patch Book Drop in Warner Robins, GA, -- Geocaches -- USA on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Released 11 yrs ago (6/9/2012 UTC) at GC274GQ Briar Patch Book Drop in Warner Robins, GA, -- Geocaches -- USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Left in the cache, which isn't far from a cemetery, so it seemed fitting.