Sweet Bewilderment

Discovering why Michelle likes the character
of Death so much, reading Mort, the story of
Death’s apprentice chosen so Death could
experience Life as he hands over the job

Leaving his dark domain to Albert, Mort and
his daughter, Ysabell, discovering Death’s
childlike innocence and wonderment on
observing life from outside without

Human capacity to make love or have fun
yet after imagining himself into hangovers
he feels glad to be alive – beautiful
contradiction in terms

Ysabell’s morbid fixation on star-crossed lovers
Terry Pratchett’s common sense dismissal of
so many Gothic romances pointing out more
people have been born than died early on

The Romeo-and-Juliet’s are the small minority,
the rest of humanity breeds like flies, no need
to cry over those who prefer to weep and sigh
instead of getting on with it – I LOVE this!

Death is a most endearing character and my
firm favourite from now on, the others will
always enchant, but Death is at the top
of the list, his sweet bewilderment

caps it all…


“Mort – A Discworld Novel” Terry Pratchett
Corgi Edition 1990