Reaper Man

It's funny the memories and emotions that a re-read can unearth. I read the bulk of this book, if not all of it, on a vacation to California. I was there to visit family, the summer after college ended. But I mostly remember reading this book while I was sitting in a hotel lobby waiting for Danielle and Eric to pick me up so we could get some food before heading to the airport. Maybe it's all that California sun that has me remembering this book so fondly.

I was surprised to like this book less on the re-read than I remember liking it the first time through. It's not that it's bad. In fact one half of it probably remains one of my favorite bits in the Discworld universe and could very well be my favorite story about Death. But there's this entire subplot about snow globes and trolleys and wizards that makes no sense. I'm not sure it even belongs in this book, though I sort of see how Pratchett was trying to tie his themes together. But it was clumsy. It's a subplot that I remember being in Motion Pictures, and I still think it would make more sense in that book. Even though it wouldn't entirely fit and would leave Reaper Man at barely novella length.

But then the ending is just fantastic. It's beautifully written and it hits all the right emotional beats. As sloppy as this book occasionally, it's ultimately better than what came before. I think this is the part of the series where Pratchett is having some growing pains, figuring out how to write a cohesive story that conveys everything he wants. But the future is bright. We aren't too far from the books that are practically perfect in every way.