Mort by Terry Pratchett

How hard is Mort to read?

Mort scores 43 out of 100 for difficulty on ReadingRate, making it moderately challenging. The score is a weighted composite of nine measures: four of how hard the prose is to parse, five of how hard the meaning is to extract.

Vocabulary: 45 out of 100

The language is generally accessible, reflecting contemporary fiction with occasional descriptive flourishes. While 'Mort' introduces Discworld-specific terms like 'octarine' and 'Hogswatch Eve,' these are usually explained or clear from context, not requiring extensive prior knowledge or specialized dictionaries. This places it above 'Beach Read' but well below 'Moby-Dick' due to its lack of truly archaic or highly specialized, unexplained jargon.

Sentence structure: 35 out of 100

Pratchett employs a direct, often humorous, narrative style with sentences that are generally clear and of moderate length. While there are some longer descriptive passages and parenthetical asides, they do not typically involve the deep nesting or complex subordination found in authors like Henry James or Faulkner, aligning it closer to the directness of '1984'.

Abstraction: 55 out of 100

The narrative is primarily concrete, following Mort's literal journey and experiences. However, the book frequently delves into philosophical concepts like the nature of Death, fate, free will, and the meaning of life, often presented through humorous dialogue or narrative commentary, elevating it above pure comic adventure like 'Asterix the Gaul' but remaining grounded unlike 'Waiting for Godot'.

Information density: 50 out of 100

The text presents a moderate information density, balancing narrative progression with detailed world-building and character interactions. While Pratchett's Discworld is rich with unique concepts and cultural references, they are introduced gradually and often with comedic explanations, making the content digestible rather than overwhelming, similar to 'Austerlitz' in its pacing.

Narrative indirection: 30 out of 100

The narrator frequently interjects with explicit explanations of Discworld's absurdities and character motivations, such as detailing Mort's personality or the nature of reannual plants. The text often directly tells the reader what is happening or what characters are thinking, leaving little room for deep inference of basic plot or character meaning, unlike 'The Great Gatsby'.

Symbolic density: 40 out of 100

While Death himself is an anthropomorphic personification and the novel explores themes of fate and reality, most elements function literally within the Discworld's established magical rules. The black garden or the hourglasses are direct manifestations of Death's domain rather than requiring extensive symbolic interpretation beyond their immediate context, placing it closer to 'To Kill a Mockingbird' than 'Moby-Dick'.

Ironic distance: 80 out of 100

Terry Pratchett employs pervasive irony and satire, creating a significant gap between the literal events and the author's humorous critique of reality and human nature. Descriptions of Ankh-Morpork or Death's attempts to understand human pleasures are delivered with a dry, detached wit, requiring the reader to constantly engage with the underlying satirical commentary, similar to the high ironic engagement found in 'The Sellout'.

Resolution withholding: 30 out of 100

Despite Mort's interference creating a temporary 'dome of reality' and historical instability, the narrative clearly establishes this as a problem to be solved, setting up a defined conflict and implying a forthcoming resolution. The plot points towards a restoration of order rather than embracing fundamental ambiguity or open-ended meaning, contrasting sharply with works like 'The Crying of Lot 49'.

Structural complexity: 30 out of 100

The narrative maintains a largely linear chronology and a consistent omniscient third-person perspective, primarily following Mort's experiences. While there are occasional shifts to other characters, these transitions are clear and serve to advance the main plot without employing complex formal experiments, fragmented timelines, or unreliable narrators, making it structurally straightforward like 'Beach Read'.

How Mort is regarded

Mort holds a literary regard score of 36 out of 100, weighing its place in the canon, its critical reception, its influence on other writers, and the standing of its author. Regard is measured separately from difficulty: a demanding book is not necessarily an admired one.

About the author

Terry Pratchett