Reaper

__Reaper Man__
By Terry Pratchett 388 pages. HarperCollins Publishers. $7.99.

By Wynee Bao

As time goes on, there are some inevitable facts that the mind should accept. One of these is the fact that humans will die eventually. But in Discworld, which Terry Pratchett describes as “flat and supported on the backs of four elephants which travel through space on the shell of Great A’Tuin, the world turtle,” the Grim Reaper (DEATH) is restless, and may sometimes decide to go on a vacation of sorts. Terry Pratchett is a skillful manipulator of satire and wit, with an advanced understanding of humor. Mr. Pratchett has already written a large collection of story arcs situated in Discworld, but there is no definite order that they have to be read in.

Discworld is a diverse place, perhaps even existing in a borderline classic Lord of the Rings setting. However, as shown in __Reaper Man__, DEATH rides a white horse called Binky, negative werewolves live as wolves and turn into humans during the full moon, and the new fad of teaching a mad dyslexic rooster how to properly pronounce and read “cock-a-doodle-doo” makes the overall tone feel much more lighthearted than the war-stricken Middle Earth’s grimness. Even DEATH’s naïve-ness of time and living gives a good feel to the plot.

Eventually, DEATH decides to go work on a quiet farm with a strict elderly lady. He adapts the name “Bill Door” and transforms to Bill Door while he cleans the house, farms the land, and harvests crops. Meanwhile, the rest of Discworld’s wannabe-dead are suffering through un-dead-ness, and cannot properly live (figuratively, of course they cannot die, therefore they continue to inhabit their previous bodies in an immortal state). The un-dead finally decide to go searching for DEATH, and what they find is both spectacular and daunting.

The un-dead all gather sometimes to appease their leader, and they are a motley collection of strange beings. Including the were-man, there are also vampires, a bogeyman, and a likable zombie. These characters are all genial and easy to sympathize with. A key recurring cynical characteristic of the books that Mr. Pratchett often brings out is the fact that no one ever really “listens” to other people when they are alive. There are even “paid listeners.” On the other hand, the un-dead find it easy to listen to what others are saying, even if it is all nonsensical.

Terry Pratchett’s unique voice brings the readers to an extremely interesting, fast-paced world. He switches perspectives; sometimes telling DEATH’s farm-life story, at other times telling the tale through Windle Poons, the “zombie” who wishes for death to come because he is so old and bored with his current life. Eventually these different accounts meet up and the final tale is told with most of the main characters still physically intact.

Terry Pratchett creates an appreciation for satire throughout all of his books and __Reaper Man__ is no exception, with all of its freshness and creativity. This book offers an exciting alternative to other fantasy and popular culture type books. However, reading __Reaper Man__ requires a brain for contemplation and enjoyment, and is also a little bit long, so only those well-prepared with time and a sense of humor should attempt to read it (this means its for the “teenagers and up” reading age).