Wow! Reaper Man really surprised me. In my opinion, this is not only a notch above Mort (the first novel in the Death subseries), but it also leapfrogged over Guards! Guards! to become my favorite Discworld novel so far.
Reaper Man has to main plots, and I really enjoyed both. One, of course, follows Death, who upon being relieved of his duties, takes up farming – because surely harvesting souls and crops can’t be all that different. One of the consequences of the role of Death being vacated, however, is that no one can pass on, leading to an abundance of life proliferating on the Disc. This leads to the second main storyline. Windle Poons, the oldest wizard at Unseen University, finds that being dead doesn’t quite take. He becomes a zombie of sorts, and joins a collective of other undead beings including vampires, werewolves, and a hilarious agoraphobic bogeyman.
I have almost no criticisms of this book at all. The shopping mall sub-plot is a bit odd and unexplained, I supposed, all of the shenanigans Windle Poons, the undead, and the wizards of Unseen University get up to are absolutely entertaining. And the Death plot is pretty much perfect. The relationship between Death (aka. Bill Door) and Mrs. Flitworth is the most touching relationship I’ve read in a Discworld book yet, and their dance at the end of the novel was really beautifully-written. Reaper Man also does a lot of heavy lifting in the world building department. Many characters from previous books return here and have fantastic moments. Sergeant Colon and Corporal Nobbs have a great cameo involving a bridge, and the wizards (including Archchancellor Ridcully, the Librarian, the Bursar, the Dean, the Lecturer in Ancient Runes, and the Senior Wrangler) are way better and more developed here than in any other book involving the Unseen University. Pratchett also introduces deeper mythology, including Azrael and the auditors of reality.
Something about Pratchett’s writing in this book also felt really special. Both Guards! Guards! and Reaper Man showcase Pratchett’s skills at their best. Where the former allowed Pratchett to articulate his observations about politics and human nature, Reaper Man unpacks many relatable anxieties about mortality and the passage of time. I also think Reaper Man was the funniest Discworld book yet. I laughed out loud at several moments involving Windle Poons, Cyril the dyslexic rooster, Schleppel the bogeyman, and the ghost named One-Man-Bucket.
I cannot recommend Reaper Man highly enough, and would even recommend it as a great entry point to the Discworld for readers who, unlike me, aren’t sticklers for reading in chronological order. Long live Death!
The Once and Future Lit 