Hardcover, 224 pages

Published Nov. 14, 1996 by Gollancz.

ISBN:
978-0-575-06408-9
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4 stars (33 reviews)

Death takes on an apprentice who's an individual thinker.

41 editions

Enjoyable and poignant

4 stars

Enjoyable read. Not my favourite of the first five, but had plenty of good moments.

Story revolves around Death taking on a (human) apprentice.

Of course, humans feel compassion and love and so on - so are not especially well-suited to the job of Death. Which is where the drama for the story comes.

But Sir Terry does a good job of 'humanising' Death - yes, he does not really experience life, and he seems to be trying to learn by copying what he sees - but he comes across as a very lonely creature indeed who cares greatly for those entrusted into his care, and it is quite poignant to read this after he took Sir Terry in the end.

#GNUTerryPratchett

Subjects

  • Fantasy
  • Science fiction