Jun 13, 2001 11:07 AM
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With Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett takes his insane sense of humour one step further, he allows Death to take a holiday. This strange event is all triggered by Death realising that his life timer is running out. Having his mortality suddenly thrust on him he decides enough is enough and that he deserves a nice holiday after all the quality reaping he has performed over the eons of existence he has seen. There's just one problem though, people who are scheduled to die don't in fact die.
Enter stage left comes Windle Poons a decrepit wizard who strangely enough is to be the hero Pratchett wants us to believe in. Windle Poons is one of those Death was supposed to claim but neglected to due to Death's new apathy to his normal work. Poons soon discovers that he is more alive in his undead state than when he was actually alive. His abilities both mental and physical are augmented to the extreme in his new but very odd existence.
Meanwhile Death has found a farm on which to muse on his mortality. The lady owner is a hard but seemingly fair person who has obviously been through the school of life driving a hard bargain for Death to stay at the farm. As a result Death eventually finds his way again oddly enough whilst reaping corn stalks one at a time. Read this book as you will not be disappointed. I know I wasn't.
Cost: £4.99 (sterling)
