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Jan. 30th, 2012 10:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skygiantsI forgot to link to kate_nepveu's post on Moving Pictures, despite the fact that she got it up in a way more timely fashion than me and also asked better questions than I did. I TOO am curious about the overarching metaphorical themes, if anyone has thoughts!
Anyway, on to Reaper Man. All I ever remember about Reaper Man is the Death-acts-human-and-has-a-sort-of-romance plot, and completely forget about the other half the plot. It turns out this is because I just sort of don't care about the other half the plot. The Death plot is poignant and interesting and raises thoughtful questions about humanity and mortality; the other half of the plot . . . has shopping malls? And some cheap shots at activism, and some pre-Angua Werewolves Lite? I don't know, if anybody likes it better please do argue its merits at me, I'm willing to be convinced! I mean, Reg Shoe, Zombie Activist does lend himself to endless comedy lols in discussion, but it turns out he's much funnier in my head than he is in this book, at least.
Also, I spent about half an hour after I finished the book trying to come up with one personality characteristic of undead Windle Poons other than 'undead,' and I couldn't.
It's worth it for the Death plot, though. I remember some people talking back when I reread Mort about whether the Death-approaches-humanity plot was going to get old or feel rehashed over the series, and as of this point it doesn't to me. The thing about Reaper Man that differentiates it from Mort is that this isn't really a book in which Death tries to be human. (Or is any good at it, but that's, you know, ever.) It's a book about Death having compassion for humanity, which is, I think, a very different thing. And a thing I like.
. . . also, Death trying to buy the appropriate accoutrements for a date is adorable, I'm sorry, IT JUST IS.
kate_nepveu's post on Moving Pictures, despite the fact that she got it up in a way more timely fashion than me and also asked better questions than I did. I TOO am curious about the overarching metaphorical themes, if anyone has thoughts! Anyway, on to Reaper Man. All I ever remember about Reaper Man is the Death-acts-human-and-has-a-sort-of-romance plot, and completely forget about the other half the plot. It turns out this is because I just sort of don't care about the other half the plot. The Death plot is poignant and interesting and raises thoughtful questions about humanity and mortality; the other half of the plot . . . has shopping malls? And some cheap shots at activism, and some pre-Angua Werewolves Lite? I don't know, if anybody likes it better please do argue its merits at me, I'm willing to be convinced! I mean, Reg Shoe, Zombie Activist does lend himself to endless comedy lols in discussion, but it turns out he's much funnier in my head than he is in this book, at least.
Also, I spent about half an hour after I finished the book trying to come up with one personality characteristic of undead Windle Poons other than 'undead,' and I couldn't.
It's worth it for the Death plot, though. I remember some people talking back when I reread Mort about whether the Death-approaches-humanity plot was going to get old or feel rehashed over the series, and as of this point it doesn't to me. The thing about Reaper Man that differentiates it from Mort is that this isn't really a book in which Death tries to be human. (Or is any good at it, but that's, you know, ever.) It's a book about Death having compassion for humanity, which is, I think, a very different thing. And a thing I like.
. . . also, Death trying to buy the appropriate accoutrements for a date is adorable, I'm sorry, IT JUST IS.
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Date: 2012-01-31 04:27 am (UTC)Also: Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents!
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Date: 2012-01-31 04:42 am (UTC)It is probably just a momentary error, but I could prrrrobably wangle my way to seeing it as foreshadowing of how intensely finicky and wonky and wrong the Auditors are ultimately revealed as being. They don't like things that are undetermined, or undeterminable, or random, or inseperable quantum soups or fabrics. They want to know where the lines are drawn.
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Date: 2012-01-31 08:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-31 01:34 pm (UTC)