Misplaced Pages

Mort: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 10:31, 15 September 2003 editSandman~enwiki (talk | contribs)1,190 edits remove "see also" (linked in introduction), external link← Previous edit Revision as of 12:48, 30 September 2003 edit undoSandman~enwiki (talk | contribs)1,190 editsNo edit summaryNext edit →
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Mort''' is the name of the main character in the ] ] ] of the same name. '''Mort''' is a ] novel by ] and also the name of its main character. Published in ], it is the fourth Discworld novel and the first to focus on the ], who only appeared as a side character in the previous novels.


''Warning: ]'' ''Warning: ]''


A teenager, as we would call him now, his personality and temperament make him rather unsuited to the family business. Thus, his father takes him to a local hiring fair, hoping he'll be picked up as an apprentice by someone; not only will this provide a job for his son, but it will also be someone else's problem to knock him into shape. As time ticked by, all of the prospective masters passed him up, but Mort stubbornly held out to the end, refusing to leave until midnight had passed. Just before the clock-bell rang for the 12th time, a man concealed in a black cloak arrived on a white horse. He said he was looking for a young man to assist him in work and picked up Mort. The man turned out to be ], and gave Mort the job of ushering souls into the next world (though his father thinks he's been apprenticed to an undertaker). A teenager, as we would call him now, Mort's personality and temperament make him rather unsuited to the family business. Thus, his father takes him to a local hiring fair, hoping he'll be picked up as an apprentice by someone; not only will this provide a job for his son, but it will also be someone else's problem to knock him into shape. As time ticks by, all of the prospective masters pass him up, but Mort stubbornly holds out to the end, refusing to leave until midnight has passed. Just before the clock-bell rings for the 12th time, a man concealed in a black cloak arrives on a white horse. He sais he is looking for a young man to assist him in his work and picks up Mort. The man turns out to be Death, and gives Mort an apprenticeship to his "job" of ushering souls into the next world (though his father thinks he's been apprenticed to an undertaker).


It is believed that Death chose Mort partly because Death himself had the nickname Mort (he is called this by the other members of the 4 horsemen), Mort being the French word for death, and the origin of several English words (e.g. mortal, post mortem). It is believed that Death chose Mort partly because Death himself has the nickname Mort (he is called this by the other members of the 4 horsemen), Mort being the French word for death, and the origin of several English words (e.g. mortal, post mortem).


The pressure of the job forces Mort to make a few mistakes, but like all good heroes, he grows some spine, gains some self control, challenges death to a duel and waltzes away with the girl... The pressure of the job forces Mort to make a few mistakes, but like all good heroes, he grows some spine, gains some self control, challenges death to a duel and waltzes away with the girl...
Line 11: Line 11:
He marries Death's adopted daughter Ysabell and they live relatively happily ever after as the duke and duchess of Sto Helit. He marries Death's adopted daughter Ysabell and they live relatively happily ever after as the duke and duchess of Sto Helit.


Their storyline (and that of their daughter Susan) is continued in the later Discworld novel ].
Pity "happily ever after" is only about another 15 years...

They are however survived by a daughter, Susan Sto-Helit who should really be named Susan Death. But that's another book... ] to be precise.


==External Links== ==External Links==


* *
*

Revision as of 12:48, 30 September 2003

Mort is a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett and also the name of its main character. Published in 1987, it is the fourth Discworld novel and the first to focus on the Death, who only appeared as a side character in the previous novels.

Warning: Misplaced Pages contains spoilers

A teenager, as we would call him now, Mort's personality and temperament make him rather unsuited to the family business. Thus, his father takes him to a local hiring fair, hoping he'll be picked up as an apprentice by someone; not only will this provide a job for his son, but it will also be someone else's problem to knock him into shape. As time ticks by, all of the prospective masters pass him up, but Mort stubbornly holds out to the end, refusing to leave until midnight has passed. Just before the clock-bell rings for the 12th time, a man concealed in a black cloak arrives on a white horse. He sais he is looking for a young man to assist him in his work and picks up Mort. The man turns out to be Death, and gives Mort an apprenticeship to his "job" of ushering souls into the next world (though his father thinks he's been apprenticed to an undertaker).

It is believed that Death chose Mort partly because Death himself has the nickname Mort (he is called this by the other members of the 4 horsemen), Mort being the French word for death, and the origin of several English words (e.g. mortal, post mortem).

The pressure of the job forces Mort to make a few mistakes, but like all good heroes, he grows some spine, gains some self control, challenges death to a duel and waltzes away with the girl...

He marries Death's adopted daughter Ysabell and they live relatively happily ever after as the duke and duchess of Sto Helit.

Their storyline (and that of their daughter Susan) is continued in the later Discworld novel Soul Music.

External Links