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Discworld #20
Hogfather
What could more genuinely embody the spirit of Christmas (or Hogswatch, on the Discworld) than a Terry Pratchett book about the holiday season? Every secular Christmas tradition is included. But as this is the 21st Discworld novel, there are some unusual twists.
This year the Auditors, who want people to stop believing in things that aren't real, have hired an assassin to eliminate the Hogfather. (You know him: red robe, white beard, says, "Ho, ho, ho!") Their evil plot will destroy the Discworld unless someone covers for him. So someone does. Well, at least Death tries. He wears the costume and rides the sleigh drawn by four jolly pigs: Gouger, Tusker, Rooter, and Snouter. He even comes down chimneys. But as fans of other Pratchett stories about Death (Mort, Reaper Man, and Soul Music) know, he takes things literally. He gives children whatever they wish for and appears in person at Crumley's in The Maul.
Fans will welcome back Susan, Death of Rats (the Grim Squeaker), Albert, and the wizardly faculty of Unseen University, and revel in new personalities like Bilious, the "oh god of Hangovers." But you needn't have read Pratchett before to laugh uproariously and think seriously about the meanings of Christmas. --Nona Vero
Audio CD
First published January 1, 1996
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About the author
Terry Pratchett
684 books46k followersSir Terence David John Pratchett was an English author, humorist, and satirist, best known for the Discworld series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983–2015, and for the apocalyptic comedy novel Good Omens (1990), which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,609 reviews
December 26, 2022
This is a book about the nature of belief; the reminder that things we think of as essential, eternal, unbreakable are here because we willed them to be. It is the book about origins, of sorts.
This book is a reminder that what we think of as sweet harmless stories come from darker, scary places. And that is for a reason. So many things stem from the simple fact - we, humans, need to believe; we need to create and fantasize to make the world make any sense, to have the world we think of as permanent BE.
Belief is what underlies what we are as humans. But Pratchett, in this Christmas-type Discworld story does not harp on the same old 'You gotta believe because of the holiday spirit" BS. He does not limit himself to the cynical in its childhood clarity belief that 'if you don't believe in Santa, there will be no presents'. No, in his interpretation belief is our attempt to make things make sense. Yes, we chose to believe in god(s) or in nature or karma or things of that sort; we take comfort in these things. But belief Pratchett is concerned with is way more than that - it is what's woven into the fabric of our existence; without it, would we ever even have abstract concepts that define us - mercy, justice, compassion, friendship, love? Basically, we need to believe in little lies - like Hogfather - before we are able to believe in big lies that make us human.
And that's what Pratchett says in this book, through the small-caps voice of his most enigmatic and inhuman character - DEATH. Why? Because "some things are fairly obvious when it's a seven-foot skeleton with a scythe telling you them."
Despite what I wrote above, this story, with all the think-about-it message is far from preaching; on the contrary, it's hilariously entertaining. Due to a bit of trouble involving the Auditors of Reality and a sociopathic member of the Assassins Guild ("Mister Teatime, who saw things differently from other people, and one of the ways that he saw things differently from other people was in seeing other people as things."), Death finds himself in need to impersonate the legendary Hogfather (think Santa Claus with boar husks, riding a sleigh led by boars). And there are teeth involved.
And ultimately it's up to Death's granddaughter (don't ask) Susan to fix this entire mess. Susan, the level-headed, extra-rational, self-sufficient duchess-turned-governess who firmly believes that "Real children do not go hoppity skip unless they are on drugs." Susan, the level-headed young woman that, despite trying to cling to normality, keeps monsters in line with a very important storyline-wise fireplace poker.
And, of course, we get to enjoy the company of one of Pratchett's most fascinating characters - Death. There are plenty of funny moments as he tries on Hogfather's false beard for size, so to say. Up until now, he never had to trouble himself with the 'naughty or nice' question, and he's never had people line up eager to see him. And there are a few things that Death learns thanks to this new temporary jobs - like the value of charity, the gift of life (if you've ever been scarred by Andersen's saddest fairy-tale 'A Girl with Matches' you'll know right away what I mean!) and the unfairness of socio-economic status quo.
Not to mention the pointy-hatted appearance of the Wizards of the Unseen University ("Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time."), the amazing thinking machine Hex (which from now on will be FTB-enabled ), Verucca Gnome, Nobby Nobbs (who, of course, had been a nice... ummm... individual), and one well-crafted bathroom. All together, all this creates Pratchett's trademark witty and slightly absurd atmosphere, frequently with seriousness cleverly hiding behind well-placed puns and goofs.
5 stars and a high recommendation to new and old Pratchett fans. This one will definitely remains my beloved annual holiday read.
————
My ever-expanding collection of Pratchett’s Discworld reviews:
- Guards! Guards!
- Men at Arms
- Thud!
- Lords and Ladies
- The Wee Free Men
- Hogfather
- Monstrous Regiment
This book is a reminder that what we think of as sweet harmless stories come from darker, scary places. And that is for a reason. So many things stem from the simple fact - we, humans, need to believe; we need to create and fantasize to make the world make any sense, to have the world we think of as permanent BE.
Belief is what underlies what we are as humans. But Pratchett, in this Christmas-type Discworld story does not harp on the same old 'You gotta believe because of the holiday spirit" BS. He does not limit himself to the cynical in its childhood clarity belief that 'if you don't believe in Santa, there will be no presents'. No, in his interpretation belief is our attempt to make things make sense. Yes, we chose to believe in god(s) or in nature or karma or things of that sort; we take comfort in these things. But belief Pratchett is concerned with is way more than that - it is what's woven into the fabric of our existence; without it, would we ever even have abstract concepts that define us - mercy, justice, compassion, friendship, love? Basically, we need to believe in little lies - like Hogfather - before we are able to believe in big lies that make us human.
And that's what Pratchett says in this book, through the small-caps voice of his most enigmatic and inhuman character - DEATH. Why? Because "some things are fairly obvious when it's a seven-foot skeleton with a scythe telling you them."
------------------
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME... SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.
Despite what I wrote above, this story, with all the think-about-it message is far from preaching; on the contrary, it's hilariously entertaining. Due to a bit of trouble involving the Auditors of Reality and a sociopathic member of the Assassins Guild ("Mister Teatime, who saw things differently from other people, and one of the ways that he saw things differently from other people was in seeing other people as things."), Death finds himself in need to impersonate the legendary Hogfather (think Santa Claus with boar husks, riding a sleigh led by boars). And there are teeth involved.
And ultimately it's up to Death's granddaughter (don't ask) Susan to fix this entire mess. Susan, the level-headed, extra-rational, self-sufficient duchess-turned-governess who firmly believes that "Real children do not go hoppity skip unless they are on drugs." Susan, the level-headed young woman that, despite trying to cling to normality, keeps monsters in line with a very important storyline-wise fireplace poker.
"The children refused to disbelieve in the monsters because, frankly, they knew damn well the things were there.And it is exactly this combination of magic and firm reality that makes her such an irresistible character. That, and the extreme pragmaticism combined with a weary knowledge of the world that does not fit into the rigid frames of everyday "normal".
But she'd found that they could, very firmly, also believe in the poker."
"She'd become a governess. It was one of the few jobs a known lady could do. And she'd taken to it well. She'd sworn that if she did indeed ever find herself dancing on rooftops with chimney sweeps she'd beat herself to death with her own umbrella."
And, of course, we get to enjoy the company of one of Pratchett's most fascinating characters - Death. There are plenty of funny moments as he tries on Hogfather's false beard for size, so to say. Up until now, he never had to trouble himself with the 'naughty or nice' question, and he's never had people line up eager to see him. And there are a few things that Death learns thanks to this new temporary jobs - like the value of charity, the gift of life (if you've ever been scarred by Andersen's saddest fairy-tale 'A Girl with Matches' you'll know right away what I mean!) and the unfairness of socio-economic status quo.
"Charity ain't giving people what you wants to give, it's giving people what they need to get."
Not to mention the pointy-hatted appearance of the Wizards of the Unseen University ("Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time."), the amazing thinking machine Hex (which from now on will be FTB-enabled ), Verucca Gnome, Nobby Nobbs (who, of course, had been a nice... ummm... individual), and one well-crafted bathroom. All together, all this creates Pratchett's trademark witty and slightly absurd atmosphere, frequently with seriousness cleverly hiding behind well-placed puns and goofs.
5 stars and a high recommendation to new and old Pratchett fans. This one will definitely remains my beloved annual holiday read.
————
My ever-expanding collection of Pratchett’s Discworld reviews:
- Guards! Guards!
- Men at Arms
- Thud!
- Lords and Ladies
- The Wee Free Men
- Hogfather
- Monstrous Regiment
July 4, 2021
Father Christmas should watch out who is his sick leave substitute, although even a strange rebranding won´t be able to stop the commercialization of sticky, superficial holiday bliss.
Power vacuums are nasty things, just imagine what happens if an unimportant, human factor disappears, weakens, or changes sides, pure anarchy, and chaos, even worse, real progressive change is suddenly possible. And that´s nothing compared to Discworld level of power, Pratchett uses the idea of a well balanced universe with personified entities and natural forces, able to change time, space, and the laws of physics, causing catastrophes if they are sabotaged, disappear or are just having a bad day. Could be seen as kind of funny cosmic horror, not so many Lovecraftian überaliens maybe destroying a universe for fun, more anthropomorphized superbeings that have trivial problems that drive them sad, depressed, or nuts and, by the way, the universe close to destruction.
But no matter how mighty they might be, humans and fantasy creature´s believes, prayers, and sacrifices are still so important for them that they need an audience, classic god complex, in this case mixed with feelings of inferiority. Wait what second class alternatives are already nervously waiting to take their place.
Can please anyone tell me the different options of what The Auditors of Reality mean in the respective contexts in the books they appear in? What philosophical, real- life, and metaphysical, theoretical physics explanations are hidden in their motivations and why they do what they do. I´ve done rereads and especially focused on their dialogues, analyzed how they are tricked, what conclusion they draw, etc. it´s still an enigma, I feel like I am not getting something, help!
I would prefer a commercialized, delicious soft drink associated Hogfather in contrast to the boring Christkind that has a pretty tough monopoly in parts of central Europe and even hasn´t any kind of potential evil minions or dark helpers that could make the handing out of presents a bit more thrilling. Thereby I also don´t know enough about the Hogfather thing to get all the hidden innuendo treasures, stupid Christkind, shame on you, I will stop believing and you will lose all your power, ha! Cry as much as you want, commercialization owns you anyway, you old, outdated legend, I couldn´t even sit at your lap when I was small, what a poor superpower is not cloning oneself to be in every mall like good old Santa? Childhood dreams crushed.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This one is added to all Pratchettian reviews:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe...
The idea of the dissected motifs rocks, highlighting the main real world inspirational elements of fiction and satire is something usually done with so called higher literature, but a much more interesting field in readable literature, as it offers the joy of reading, subtle criticism, and feeling smart all together.
Power vacuums are nasty things, just imagine what happens if an unimportant, human factor disappears, weakens, or changes sides, pure anarchy, and chaos, even worse, real progressive change is suddenly possible. And that´s nothing compared to Discworld level of power, Pratchett uses the idea of a well balanced universe with personified entities and natural forces, able to change time, space, and the laws of physics, causing catastrophes if they are sabotaged, disappear or are just having a bad day. Could be seen as kind of funny cosmic horror, not so many Lovecraftian überaliens maybe destroying a universe for fun, more anthropomorphized superbeings that have trivial problems that drive them sad, depressed, or nuts and, by the way, the universe close to destruction.
But no matter how mighty they might be, humans and fantasy creature´s believes, prayers, and sacrifices are still so important for them that they need an audience, classic god complex, in this case mixed with feelings of inferiority. Wait what second class alternatives are already nervously waiting to take their place.
Can please anyone tell me the different options of what The Auditors of Reality mean in the respective contexts in the books they appear in? What philosophical, real- life, and metaphysical, theoretical physics explanations are hidden in their motivations and why they do what they do. I´ve done rereads and especially focused on their dialogues, analyzed how they are tricked, what conclusion they draw, etc. it´s still an enigma, I feel like I am not getting something, help!
I would prefer a commercialized, delicious soft drink associated Hogfather in contrast to the boring Christkind that has a pretty tough monopoly in parts of central Europe and even hasn´t any kind of potential evil minions or dark helpers that could make the handing out of presents a bit more thrilling. Thereby I also don´t know enough about the Hogfather thing to get all the hidden innuendo treasures, stupid Christkind, shame on you, I will stop believing and you will lose all your power, ha! Cry as much as you want, commercialization owns you anyway, you old, outdated legend, I couldn´t even sit at your lap when I was small, what a poor superpower is not cloning oneself to be in every mall like good old Santa? Childhood dreams crushed.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This one is added to all Pratchettian reviews:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe...
The idea of the dissected motifs rocks, highlighting the main real world inspirational elements of fiction and satire is something usually done with so called higher literature, but a much more interesting field in readable literature, as it offers the joy of reading, subtle criticism, and feeling smart all together.
Read
June 29, 2022
Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions upon finishing reading fantasy books.
4.5/5 stars. One of the greatest Christmas stories ever told
This was a wonderful story, and Terry Pratchett continues to amaze me at what he is able to conjure up in that genius brain of his. Not only is he able to come up with truly unique fantasy plots, but he has the ability to make me laugh from start to finish along the way.
Story: 4/5
The story itself is fun, unique, and enjoyable. I loved the idea that Pratchett could decide that he wants to parody something like Christmas, but then end up churning out something so perfectly fit within the Discworld theme in ingenious fashion. I don't want to ruin the plot for anyone who may read this, as I think even the basics should be preserved so that you get surprised at how awesome the concepts are here.
The only reason that I knocked a little off the score was I thought that the last 1/4 of the book kind of slogged along and didn't finish very strongly - but other than that this was an extremely enjoyable read.
World Building: 4/5
The world wasn't really expanded on much here, it simply takes what we already know about Discworld and introduces a story within it. While I do love the Discworld itself, I do ultimately find myself wishing that it could be more thoroughly explored. There are so many interesting locations that could be gone into in more detail, but virtually all the books take place at the same locations.
Fantasy Elements: 5/5
The fantasy elements to this book are evident from the first few pages, and persist throughout the entire book. I don't really want to go into more detail here as I worry about ruining what makes this book so great - but needless to say the fantasy parts of this book are part of what makes this book so special.
Characters: 4/5
The story centers around the character of "Death", who is probably the person most people associate with being the best Discworld character. For me, while he is interesting, his monotone outlook on everything usually follows an arc of extremely interesting at the beginning, but it wears a bit thin towards the end. This is definitely my favorite story involving this character though, and it's the best story involving his daughter Susan as well - who I have found to be uninteresting gin the past.
Writing Style: 5/5
Terry Pratchett's writing style is what keeps me coming back. He is able to wonderfully blend some deep philosophical perspectives with uproariously funny humor in a way that nobody has ever been able to do when this book was written. He keeps you smiling from start to finish, and it just feels good to read a book from an author who is as good as he is.
Enjoyment: 4.5/5
I loved this book, it was funny, poignant, and I couldn't put it down. I did think the ending was the weak point in it, but I still thought this was one of the better Discworld books ever written.
4.5/5 stars. One of the greatest Christmas stories ever told
This was a wonderful story, and Terry Pratchett continues to amaze me at what he is able to conjure up in that genius brain of his. Not only is he able to come up with truly unique fantasy plots, but he has the ability to make me laugh from start to finish along the way.
Story: 4/5
The story itself is fun, unique, and enjoyable. I loved the idea that Pratchett could decide that he wants to parody something like Christmas, but then end up churning out something so perfectly fit within the Discworld theme in ingenious fashion. I don't want to ruin the plot for anyone who may read this, as I think even the basics should be preserved so that you get surprised at how awesome the concepts are here.
The only reason that I knocked a little off the score was I thought that the last 1/4 of the book kind of slogged along and didn't finish very strongly - but other than that this was an extremely enjoyable read.
World Building: 4/5
The world wasn't really expanded on much here, it simply takes what we already know about Discworld and introduces a story within it. While I do love the Discworld itself, I do ultimately find myself wishing that it could be more thoroughly explored. There are so many interesting locations that could be gone into in more detail, but virtually all the books take place at the same locations.
Fantasy Elements: 5/5
The fantasy elements to this book are evident from the first few pages, and persist throughout the entire book. I don't really want to go into more detail here as I worry about ruining what makes this book so great - but needless to say the fantasy parts of this book are part of what makes this book so special.
Characters: 4/5
The story centers around the character of "Death", who is probably the person most people associate with being the best Discworld character. For me, while he is interesting, his monotone outlook on everything usually follows an arc of extremely interesting at the beginning, but it wears a bit thin towards the end. This is definitely my favorite story involving this character though, and it's the best story involving his daughter Susan as well - who I have found to be uninteresting gin the past.
Writing Style: 5/5
Terry Pratchett's writing style is what keeps me coming back. He is able to wonderfully blend some deep philosophical perspectives with uproariously funny humor in a way that nobody has ever been able to do when this book was written. He keeps you smiling from start to finish, and it just feels good to read a book from an author who is as good as he is.
Enjoyment: 4.5/5
I loved this book, it was funny, poignant, and I couldn't put it down. I did think the ending was the weak point in it, but I still thought this was one of the better Discworld books ever written.
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April 9, 2024
"IT IS THE THINGS YOU BELIEVE IN WHICH MAKE YOU HUMAN. GOOD THINGS AND BAD THINGS, IT'S ALL THE SAME."
Hogfather itself concerns the Discworld, where there are things that control the Universe called The Auditors and they do not like Humans, because Humans are messy. Well, they did invent dullness. And Death is meddling again. His grand-daughter Susan is trying to be normal, but how normal is hitting bogeymen with a poker, really? And we haven't even mentioned the one-eyed Assassin yet, or the fact that no-one seems to believe in the Hogfather any more.
Terry Pratchett's 20th Discworld novel is their version of a Yuletide story, complete with many deaths, lots of Death and some of the most thought-provoking conversations I've ever come across. He has other books that are better written, although I think you'd be hard pressed to find any mistakes here. The depth of characters (considering how many there actually are) is astounding and is brought forward in such a way that you don't really notice it until you close the book and realise that you know more about Ridcully than you do your own Nan.
The humour is typical early-Discworld. It is the same that runs through the entire series, but here it is a bit less rounded than elsewhere. It can often be subtle, or it can very much in your face. It is very much an English-kind-of-Humour book.
What you take from this particular novel, however, is just how important belief is to Human Beings. It is not enough to say that we tell children to believe in Father Christmas just so that they don't understand the value of money and have to work it out later on or because it's "tradition", but it's so we can understand that beliefs are the most important thing to us. If we did not believe, what would we be?
I'm not sure how, but my third read of this made me upgrade it to a full 5-stars. Am I getting in to the Christmas Hogswatch spirit?
Every year I read this. Every year I love it more and more. I am incapable of putting in to words my utter love for this book and everything contained within.
[First read: 9th June, 2013. 3 stars.
Second read: 19th December, 2015. 4 stars.
Third Read: 21st December, 2016. 5 stars.
Fourth Read: 16th December, 2017. 5 stars.
Fifth Read: 9th November, 2022. 5 stars.
Sixth Read: 14th March, 2024. 5 stars.]
Hogfather itself concerns the Discworld, where there are things that control the Universe called The Auditors and they do not like Humans, because Humans are messy. Well, they did invent dullness. And Death is meddling again. His grand-daughter Susan is trying to be normal, but how normal is hitting bogeymen with a poker, really? And we haven't even mentioned the one-eyed Assassin yet, or the fact that no-one seems to believe in the Hogfather any more.
Terry Pratchett's 20th Discworld novel is their version of a Yuletide story, complete with many deaths, lots of Death and some of the most thought-provoking conversations I've ever come across. He has other books that are better written, although I think you'd be hard pressed to find any mistakes here. The depth of characters (considering how many there actually are) is astounding and is brought forward in such a way that you don't really notice it until you close the book and realise that you know more about Ridcully than you do your own Nan.
The humour is typical early-Discworld. It is the same that runs through the entire series, but here it is a bit less rounded than elsewhere. It can often be subtle, or it can very much in your face. It is very much an English-kind-of-Humour book.
What you take from this particular novel, however, is just how important belief is to Human Beings. It is not enough to say that we tell children to believe in Father Christmas just so that they don't understand the value of money and have to work it out later on or because it's "tradition", but it's so we can understand that beliefs are the most important thing to us. If we did not believe, what would we be?
I'm not sure how, but my third read of this made me upgrade it to a full 5-stars. Am I getting in to the Christmas Hogswatch spirit?
Every year I read this. Every year I love it more and more. I am incapable of putting in to words my utter love for this book and everything contained within.
[First read: 9th June, 2013. 3 stars.
Second read: 19th December, 2015. 4 stars.
Third Read: 21st December, 2016. 5 stars.
Fourth Read: 16th December, 2017. 5 stars.
Fifth Read: 9th November, 2022. 5 stars.
Sixth Read: 14th March, 2024. 5 stars.]
December 21, 2025
HAPPY HOGSWATCH, CHILDREN!🐗🎅🩻
Also, as I have been tormented by trying to dig up stuff for blasted auditors during the last few days, you can imagine the relish with which I've been listening, especially to the end of the story (with a secretive smile on my face whenever I encountered them)!
---------------------
For me this has been the perfect Christmas read ever since I first read it. :)
“Charity ain’t giving people what you wants to give, it’s giving people what they need to get.”
“There’s a tip, though. Just ‘ho, ho, ho’ will do. Don’t say, ‘Cower, brief mortals’ unless you want them to grow up to be moneylenders or some such.”
IT IS THE NIGHT OF HOGSWATCH (Terry Pratchett's answer to Christmas) when all children around DISCWORLD have hung up their stockings and are waiting for the Hogfather (aka Father Christmas) to arrive on his sleigh drawn by 4 wild boars and bring their presents.
If they were not asleep, they would find that instead of the FAT MAN, a rather thin-looking skeleton with a false beard and a pillow underneath the red garments, arrives to deliver the prezzies with an old, ugly, reluctant and drunk "pixie" in tow.
And the reason why Death has to "jump in" and save the day or the night in this particular case is that The Hogfather went missing as well as a toothfairy.
Strange and evil powers are at large to eliminate all beliefs and superstitions in the world and Death with the help of his granddaughter Susan and the oh-god of hangovers is out to save humanity....
I first read the Hogfather in 2010 and it became a favourite by page 15 or maybe page 10. I have reread it before/during Xmas ever since to get into/out of the spirit of things.
It is an awesome book & never stops to amaze / entertain me even after the Nth reread.
“You can't give her that!' she screamed. 'It's not safe!'
IT'S A SWORD, said the Hogfather. THEY'RE NOT MEANT TO BE SAFE.
'She's a child!' shouted Crumley.
IT'S EDUCATIONAL.
'What if she cuts herself?'
THAT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT LESSON.”
“IT'S THE EXPRESSION ON THEIR LITTLE FACES I LIKE, said the Hogfather.
"You mean sort of fear and awe and not knowing whether to laugh or cry or wet their pants?"
YES. NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL BELIEF."
What I love about it:
Everything, but especially
- The scene with Lord Downey & the auditors
- Death dressing up as the Hogfather & Albert as pixie
- Hex, Archchancellor Ridcully & the wizards of UU and their Hogswatch feast craziness
- Bloody Stupid Johnson's bathroom design
- The oh God of Hangovers, Bilious, & how the wizards cure the world's greatest hangover
- How the book holds a not-so-very distorted mirror reflecting upon our “spirit of Christmas”
- How all the layers of Hogswatch / Xmas are removed/explored one by one to get to the long forgotten origins of this festival & how cleverly it is connected with other beliefs (tooth fairy, controlling someone through teeth/fingernail/hair)
What I don’t like:
- No such thing. “ COWER BRIEF MORTALS. HO.HO.HO.”
Also, as I have been tormented by trying to dig up stuff for blasted auditors during the last few days, you can imagine the relish with which I've been listening, especially to the end of the story (with a secretive smile on my face whenever I encountered them)!
---------------------
For me this has been the perfect Christmas read ever since I first read it. :)
“Charity ain’t giving people what you wants to give, it’s giving people what they need to get.”
“There’s a tip, though. Just ‘ho, ho, ho’ will do. Don’t say, ‘Cower, brief mortals’ unless you want them to grow up to be moneylenders or some such.”
IT IS THE NIGHT OF HOGSWATCH (Terry Pratchett's answer to Christmas) when all children around DISCWORLD have hung up their stockings and are waiting for the Hogfather (aka Father Christmas) to arrive on his sleigh drawn by 4 wild boars and bring their presents.
If they were not asleep, they would find that instead of the FAT MAN, a rather thin-looking skeleton with a false beard and a pillow underneath the red garments, arrives to deliver the prezzies with an old, ugly, reluctant and drunk "pixie" in tow.
And the reason why Death has to "jump in" and save the day or the night in this particular case is that The Hogfather went missing as well as a toothfairy.
Strange and evil powers are at large to eliminate all beliefs and superstitions in the world and Death with the help of his granddaughter Susan and the oh-god of hangovers is out to save humanity....
I first read the Hogfather in 2010 and it became a favourite by page 15 or maybe page 10. I have reread it before/during Xmas ever since to get into/out of the spirit of things.
It is an awesome book & never stops to amaze / entertain me even after the Nth reread.
“You can't give her that!' she screamed. 'It's not safe!'
IT'S A SWORD, said the Hogfather. THEY'RE NOT MEANT TO BE SAFE.
'She's a child!' shouted Crumley.
IT'S EDUCATIONAL.
'What if she cuts herself?'
THAT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT LESSON.”
“IT'S THE EXPRESSION ON THEIR LITTLE FACES I LIKE, said the Hogfather.
"You mean sort of fear and awe and not knowing whether to laugh or cry or wet their pants?"
YES. NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL BELIEF."
What I love about it:
Everything, but especially
- The scene with Lord Downey & the auditors
- Death dressing up as the Hogfather & Albert as pixie
- Hex, Archchancellor Ridcully & the wizards of UU and their Hogswatch feast craziness
- Bloody Stupid Johnson's bathroom design
- The oh God of Hangovers, Bilious, & how the wizards cure the world's greatest hangover
- How the book holds a not-so-very distorted mirror reflecting upon our “spirit of Christmas”
- How all the layers of Hogswatch / Xmas are removed/explored one by one to get to the long forgotten origins of this festival & how cleverly it is connected with other beliefs (tooth fairy, controlling someone through teeth/fingernail/hair)
What I don’t like:
- No such thing. “ COWER BRIEF MORTALS. HO.HO.HO.”
December 24, 2025
“Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.”
From Discworld’s inception, readers have known that Sir Terry Pratchett has fired a shot across the bow of convention, especially religious institutions, with his concept of a flat world atop four elephants who themselves stood atop of great turtle. Hogfather, his 20th Discworld novel first published in 1996, takes off where 1992’s Small Gods (his 13th) leaves off.
“Hello, inner child, I'm the inner babysitter!”
Hogfather, Discworld’s swinerific version of Jolly Old Saint Nick, has gone missing and Death has taken over while things get sorted out. But that’s only the beginning of the fun Terry has in store for us as Susan, the Wizards, The Librarian (Oook!), Nobby Nobs, Foul Old Ron and a host of Discworld favorites join in to make this one of the best Discworld novels.
“DO I DETECT A NOTE OF UNSEASONAL GRUMPINESS? said Death. NO SUGAR PIGGYWIGGY FOR YOU, ALBERT.”
“Belief” is difficult at best in our world, but in Pratchett’s Discworld, the complexities of belief in a theological personification can take on a whole other sort of intricacy. When the Auditors get sideways and we start seeing deific entities like an Oh god! of Hangovers and Eaters of Socks, we get to explore absurdities the likes of which only Pratchett could pull off.
“This is very similar to the suggestion put forward by the Quirmian philosopher Ventre, who said, "Possibly the gods exist, and possibly they do not. So why not believe in them in any case? If it's all true you'll go to a lovely place when you die, and if it isn't then you've lost nothing, right?" When he died he woke up in a circle of gods holding nasty-looking sticks and one of them said, "We're going to show you what we think of Mr Clever Dick in these parts...”
Pratchett takes on the Gaimanesque idea that gods and mythical creatures exist and gain sustenance from belief nine years before Neil’s masterpiece American Gods. Then Terry goes one step further and satirizes the concept of belief and fear and studies themes of faith, psychological need, and fundamental fairness in his special and unique way. Fairness, when discussed between Death and Albert, is one of the high points in the entire Discworld universe and is an archetypal moment in his prose.
One of his best, a MUST read for Discworld fans and maybe a good start for the series by those not yet initiated.
“Some things are fairly obvious when it's a seven-foot skeleton with a scythe telling you them”
*** 2024 reread -
To my fellow Discworld tourists: I cannot recommend rereads any higher. This is so much fun and of course I picked up on much more of his wit and devilishly clever word play.
Here's another featuring the nefariously bureaucratic Auditors (we'll spend more time with them in Thief of Time a few books after this one) Death and Susan and all the Death books themes.
It's all about belief and while this insists upon a comparison with Neil Gaiman's American Gods (the two were close friends) this led me to another noteworthy similarity to Piers Anthony's work. Anthony first published his Incarnations of Immortality in 1983. Pratchett first published this wonderful book in 1996.
But the idea about anthropomorphic manifestations of concepts goes back ... eons.
Also, Pratchett has here given us one of his most disturbingly villainous antagonists in Mr. Teatime. We can look to the Elves and Tiffany Aching's bad guys to see someone even remotely as sinister as Teatime. He is perhaps drawn on the DC Joker template, a chaotic evil trickster god.
All too much good fun and I'm off to find my next reread!
*** 2025 rearead -
Sir Terry is gone, long live Sir Terry!
I can reread these over and over, so much fun every time.
This time around I picked up on more pop and social references, including a John Lennon nod, very nice.
Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas was first out on 1993 and Sir Terry first published this four years later, so maybe some imagery homage as a seven foot DEATH dresses up like the Hogfather, the Discworld equivalent of Santa.
Like his friend Neil Gaiman, Pratchett explores the theme of belief and faith and we have fun doing it, in a quietly scathing social satire that would make Vonnegut wince.
Mr. Teatime is Dennis Rodmanesque in his badness.
Delicious.
From Discworld’s inception, readers have known that Sir Terry Pratchett has fired a shot across the bow of convention, especially religious institutions, with his concept of a flat world atop four elephants who themselves stood atop of great turtle. Hogfather, his 20th Discworld novel first published in 1996, takes off where 1992’s Small Gods (his 13th) leaves off.
“Hello, inner child, I'm the inner babysitter!”
Hogfather, Discworld’s swinerific version of Jolly Old Saint Nick, has gone missing and Death has taken over while things get sorted out. But that’s only the beginning of the fun Terry has in store for us as Susan, the Wizards, The Librarian (Oook!), Nobby Nobs, Foul Old Ron and a host of Discworld favorites join in to make this one of the best Discworld novels.
“DO I DETECT A NOTE OF UNSEASONAL GRUMPINESS? said Death. NO SUGAR PIGGYWIGGY FOR YOU, ALBERT.”
“Belief” is difficult at best in our world, but in Pratchett’s Discworld, the complexities of belief in a theological personification can take on a whole other sort of intricacy. When the Auditors get sideways and we start seeing deific entities like an Oh god! of Hangovers and Eaters of Socks, we get to explore absurdities the likes of which only Pratchett could pull off.
“This is very similar to the suggestion put forward by the Quirmian philosopher Ventre, who said, "Possibly the gods exist, and possibly they do not. So why not believe in them in any case? If it's all true you'll go to a lovely place when you die, and if it isn't then you've lost nothing, right?" When he died he woke up in a circle of gods holding nasty-looking sticks and one of them said, "We're going to show you what we think of Mr Clever Dick in these parts...”
Pratchett takes on the Gaimanesque idea that gods and mythical creatures exist and gain sustenance from belief nine years before Neil’s masterpiece American Gods. Then Terry goes one step further and satirizes the concept of belief and fear and studies themes of faith, psychological need, and fundamental fairness in his special and unique way. Fairness, when discussed between Death and Albert, is one of the high points in the entire Discworld universe and is an archetypal moment in his prose.
One of his best, a MUST read for Discworld fans and maybe a good start for the series by those not yet initiated.
“Some things are fairly obvious when it's a seven-foot skeleton with a scythe telling you them”
*** 2024 reread -
To my fellow Discworld tourists: I cannot recommend rereads any higher. This is so much fun and of course I picked up on much more of his wit and devilishly clever word play.
Here's another featuring the nefariously bureaucratic Auditors (we'll spend more time with them in Thief of Time a few books after this one) Death and Susan and all the Death books themes.
It's all about belief and while this insists upon a comparison with Neil Gaiman's American Gods (the two were close friends) this led me to another noteworthy similarity to Piers Anthony's work. Anthony first published his Incarnations of Immortality in 1983. Pratchett first published this wonderful book in 1996.
But the idea about anthropomorphic manifestations of concepts goes back ... eons.
Also, Pratchett has here given us one of his most disturbingly villainous antagonists in Mr. Teatime. We can look to the Elves and Tiffany Aching's bad guys to see someone even remotely as sinister as Teatime. He is perhaps drawn on the DC Joker template, a chaotic evil trickster god.
All too much good fun and I'm off to find my next reread!
*** 2025 rearead -
Sir Terry is gone, long live Sir Terry!
I can reread these over and over, so much fun every time.
This time around I picked up on more pop and social references, including a John Lennon nod, very nice.
Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas was first out on 1993 and Sir Terry first published this four years later, so maybe some imagery homage as a seven foot DEATH dresses up like the Hogfather, the Discworld equivalent of Santa.
Like his friend Neil Gaiman, Pratchett explores the theme of belief and faith and we have fun doing it, in a quietly scathing social satire that would make Vonnegut wince.
Mr. Teatime is Dennis Rodmanesque in his badness.
Delicious.
December 27, 2019
„…човек по природа е митопоетично същество.
– И какво означава това?
– Означава, че си съчиняваме в движение разни глупости.“
Призракът на отминалата Коледа все още витае и Дядо Прас едва що е казал последното си ХО. ХО. ХО. Уютно време човек да седне и да направи разбор на годината. Или на живота си. Или на вярванията си като цяло. А вие в какво вярвате?
Тери Пратчет винаги е натоварвал простичките вярвания с доста тежка символика. Онези вярвания, които не оставят корена на човек да се изтръгне от земята, дори да е особено хилав. Вярванията, на които животът се уповава и които ти гарантират, че накъдето и да се е търколил собственият ти свят, винаги има едно кътче, където можеш да се завърнеш и да почерпиш сили. Обикновено въпросното кътче е в главата ти, но повечето хора като че не разбират това.
Това, което чак сега (!) осъзнавам в романите за Света на Диска, в които Смърт заема централна роля, е, че той някак си е въплъщение на повече човещина от самите хора. Смърт се опитва да разбере хората, да ги имитира дори, но някои техни привички си остават непонятни за него. Някак обаче успява да улови непреходната им същина, онова човешко, което сякаш го няма в чист вид, а е останало само в умовете на хората или в преданията, като идеал, като послеобраз на древни, здраво стъпили на земята прадеди. Смърт е пич с една дума.
Тери Пратчет също така си пада и по архизлодеите. Каква полза да извършиш геройство, ако ще е срещу някакъв дребен противник? Защо да се бориш, ако не е, за да опазиш целия свят (и от самия него, разбира се)? Е, първо трябва да се пребориш със себе си, защото това, което дебне в собственото ти съзнание, обикновено е по-лошо от всички караконджули и вампири тъдява. Освен ако не си дете. Те са непобедими. Техният свят „изобщо не е съкратена версия на света на възрастните… Всичко е… в повече“. Чак понякога се питам къде отива всичкото това „в повече“. И си мисля, че като растем, забравяме повече неща, отколкото някога ще научим. Децата вярват, а в това има много сила. Вярват и в небивалиците, и в Дядо Прас, и в ръжѐна.
„Истината е някъде там, трябва само да се пресегнеш към нея, лъжите обаче отдавна са се наместили в главата ти.“
Знаете ли кое е общото между нас и Света на Диска? Преди няколко века все щеше да се извъди някой умник да каже, че е плоската земя, но не. Антропоморфните персонификации са. Въплътените същества, занимаващи се с неща, които все някой трябва да ги свърши. Защото друг начин няма, но и защото всички искат утре да изгрее слънцето, а не „едно най-пошло кълбо от пламтящ газ“, нали така?
„ХОРАТА ИМАТ НУЖДА ОТ ФАНТАЗИИТЕ, ЗА ДА БЪДАТ ХОРА… ИЗПИТВАТЕ ПОТРЕБНОСТ ДА ВЯРВАТЕ И В ОНОВА, КОЕТО НЕ Е ИСТИНСКО. ИНАЧЕ КАК ТО ЩЕ СЕ СЛУЧИ НАКРАЯ?“
Не знам дали всички сме слушкали достатъчно през изминалата година и дали според това си получаваме (или не) подаръците, но каквото и да става, вярвайте в поне едно нещо, по-голямо от вас (да, и Йети става) и не забравяйте да пиете
М-Н-О-Г-У-Х-А-П-Ч-И-Т-Ъ-О-Т-С-У-Ш-Е-Н-И-Ж-Е-Б-И.
– И какво означава това?
– Означава, че си съчиняваме в движение разни глупости.“
Призракът на отминалата Коледа все още витае и Дядо Прас едва що е казал последното си ХО. ХО. ХО. Уютно време човек да седне и да направи разбор на годината. Или на живота си. Или на вярванията си като цяло. А вие в какво вярвате?
Тери Пратчет винаги е натоварвал простичките вярвания с доста тежка символика. Онези вярвания, които не оставят корена на човек да се изтръгне от земята, дори да е особено хилав. Вярванията, на които животът се уповава и които ти гарантират, че накъдето и да се е търколил собственият ти свят, винаги има едно кътче, където можеш да се завърнеш и да почерпиш сили. Обикновено въпросното кътче е в главата ти, но повечето хора като че не разбират това.
Това, което чак сега (!) осъзнавам в романите за Света на Диска, в които Смърт заема централна роля, е, че той някак си е въплъщение на повече човещина от самите хора. Смърт се опитва да разбере хората, да ги имитира дори, но някои техни привички си остават непонятни за него. Някак обаче успява да улови непреходната им същина, онова човешко, което сякаш го няма в чист вид, а е останало само в умовете на хората или в преданията, като идеал, като послеобраз на древни, здраво стъпили на земята прадеди. Смърт е пич с една дума.
Тери Пратчет също така си пада и по архизлодеите. Каква полза да извършиш геройство, ако ще е срещу някакъв дребен противник? Защо да се бориш, ако не е, за да опазиш целия свят (и от самия него, разбира се)? Е, първо трябва да се пребориш със себе си, защото това, което дебне в собственото ти съзнание, обикновено е по-лошо от всички караконджули и вампири тъдява. Освен ако не си дете. Те са непобедими. Техният свят „изобщо не е съкратена версия на света на възрастните… Всичко е… в повече“. Чак понякога се питам къде отива всичкото това „в повече“. И си мисля, че като растем, забравяме повече неща, отколкото някога ще научим. Децата вярват, а в това има много сила. Вярват и в небивалиците, и в Дядо Прас, и в ръжѐна.
„Истината е някъде там, трябва само да се пресегнеш към нея, лъжите обаче отдавна са се наместили в главата ти.“
Знаете ли кое е общото между нас и Света на Диска? Преди няколко века все щеше да се извъди някой умник да каже, че е плоската земя, но не. Антропоморфните персонификации са. Въплътените същества, занимаващи се с неща, които все някой трябва да ги свърши. Защото друг начин няма, но и защото всички искат утре да изгрее слънцето, а не „едно най-пошло кълбо от пламтящ газ“, нали така?
„ХОРАТА ИМАТ НУЖДА ОТ ФАНТАЗИИТЕ, ЗА ДА БЪДАТ ХОРА… ИЗПИТВАТЕ ПОТРЕБНОСТ ДА ВЯРВАТЕ И В ОНОВА, КОЕТО НЕ Е ИСТИНСКО. ИНАЧЕ КАК ТО ЩЕ СЕ СЛУЧИ НАКРАЯ?“
Не знам дали всички сме слушкали достатъчно през изминалата година и дали според това си получаваме (или не) подаръците, но каквото и да става, вярвайте в поне едно нещо, по-голямо от вас (да, и Йети става) и не забравяйте да пиете
М-Н-О-Г-У-Х-А-П-Ч-И-Т-Ъ-О-Т-С-У-Ш-Е-Н-И-Ж-Е-Б-И.
December 25, 2024
Re-Read (again) on 12/25/24:
Wonderful, and generally getting better with EVERY re-read. It's just one of those Discworld novels that age so well.
What do I want to ask Hogfather?
A good Hogswatch every year. Custom crossbows are optional.
And yes, I'm still afraid of the tooth fairy, and Teatime is merely the bag in which all the hogs reside.
Merry Hogswatch!
POSTSCRIPT
I'm continuing with my little experiment of writing synesthesia reviews -- my impression of books by way of my other senses.
Unlike most books, this one evokes less adjacent food recall and more a color explosion. Specifically, the whole novel is like Ridcully's bath. A rainbow of great fruit flavors. :)
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.
Arctunn.com
Original Review:
Re-read on Xmas!
And it couldn't have better timing. Who else would like to see Death taking on the role of Discworld's Santa?
Or better yet, have Susan get involved. :)
Or have a hit put out on the Hogfather while Death flies with the pigs?
OR HAVE TO DEAL WITH RIDCULLY's BATH? *shudder*
Well, here's to ants in the AI! I've just upped my score on this one to a full five. For some reason, this Pratchett tickled me in all the best places. :)
In this particular book, I got the distinct impression of vinegar, but not too much. It was more used like a condiment for something a bit unusual, like a hint of grilled salmon on rye. Most of it carried just a bare hint of flavor, but the vinegar stood out, as if it was being used copiously at the table next to me.
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.
Arctunn.com
Wonderful, and generally getting better with EVERY re-read. It's just one of those Discworld novels that age so well.
What do I want to ask Hogfather?
A good Hogswatch every year. Custom crossbows are optional.
And yes, I'm still afraid of the tooth fairy, and Teatime is merely the bag in which all the hogs reside.
Merry Hogswatch!
POSTSCRIPT
I'm continuing with my little experiment of writing synesthesia reviews -- my impression of books by way of my other senses.
Unlike most books, this one evokes less adjacent food recall and more a color explosion. Specifically, the whole novel is like Ridcully's bath. A rainbow of great fruit flavors. :)
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.
Arctunn.com
Original Review:
Re-read on Xmas!
And it couldn't have better timing. Who else would like to see Death taking on the role of Discworld's Santa?
Or better yet, have Susan get involved. :)
Or have a hit put out on the Hogfather while Death flies with the pigs?
OR HAVE TO DEAL WITH RIDCULLY's BATH? *shudder*
Well, here's to ants in the AI! I've just upped my score on this one to a full five. For some reason, this Pratchett tickled me in all the best places. :)
In this particular book, I got the distinct impression of vinegar, but not too much. It was more used like a condiment for something a bit unusual, like a hint of grilled salmon on rye. Most of it carried just a bare hint of flavor, but the vinegar stood out, as if it was being used copiously at the table next to me.
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.
Arctunn.com
June 17, 2025
This book tickled my funnybone while also giving me food for thought! One of my favorite quotes is: "Shoes so sensible they could do their own tax returns." This made me laugh out loud for no discernible reason at all except maybe because I have worn sensible shoes all my life. As a child, we got one pair of shoes per year. They were always sensible Clarks with leather uppers and were big enough to allow for growth. Part of the yearly ritual was to go to the shoe store and have our feet measured. One shoe store even had an electric machine!
Another favorite quote which makes my mind boggle and my imagination run away with me is: "He wished he'd had the time to tidy up his rooms a bit, or at least get some of the more embarrassing bits off the stuffed rhinoceros!"
Finally, here is a quote that makes me ponder, and I do so love to ponder: "The truth may be out there but lies are inside your head."
Update 9/8/23: our daughter is visiting for the weekend, so we are listening to the next volume in the Death mini-series!
Update 11/25/23: Nigel Planer's snuffling/sucking sound effects for the Eater-of-Socks character has us in stitches!
Update on 6/17/25 - it's still one of my favorites in the Discworld series. This time around, I listened to the latest audio version narrated by Sian Clifford, Bill Nighy (chimes in from time to time to explain things), Peter Serafinowicz (as Death), which was excellent.
Another favorite quote which makes my mind boggle and my imagination run away with me is: "He wished he'd had the time to tidy up his rooms a bit, or at least get some of the more embarrassing bits off the stuffed rhinoceros!"
Finally, here is a quote that makes me ponder, and I do so love to ponder: "The truth may be out there but lies are inside your head."
Update 9/8/23: our daughter is visiting for the weekend, so we are listening to the next volume in the Death mini-series!
Update 11/25/23: Nigel Planer's snuffling/sucking sound effects for the Eater-of-Socks character has us in stitches!
Update on 6/17/25 - it's still one of my favorites in the Discworld series. This time around, I listened to the latest audio version narrated by Sian Clifford, Bill Nighy (chimes in from time to time to explain things), Peter Serafinowicz (as Death), which was excellent.
December 23, 2025
A gentle reminder that Christmas has pagan origin.
Pratchett delivers as usual: intriguing plot, interesting characters, witty comments and subtle thought provoking.
Nice story to get yourself some holiday spirit.
Pratchett delivers as usual: intriguing plot, interesting characters, witty comments and subtle thought provoking.
Nice story to get yourself some holiday spirit.
December 24, 2025
„Обикновено човек не забелязва как сенките открояват предметите и придават обем на света...“
Припомних си тази страшно забавна и поучителна прасоколеда в Анкх-Морпорк! Романът е отлична и многопластова сатира на коледните празници, която същевременно елегантно представа техния смисъл... Дядо Прас е нападнат и изчезнал точно преди прасоколедата, а пък Смърт решава да изпълнява неговата роля. Към този момент Сюзън е гувернантка на деца, като тя също е въвлечена в шантавите и опасни приключения.“
„Подземният свят на Анкх-Морпорк се отличаваше с такива мащаби, че обикновеният свят се носеше върху него като кокошчица, опитваща се да нахрани гнездо с пораснали щраусчета.“
„Останалите трима съратници на Средния Дейв се опулиха. Сред хората от занаята беше известен като склонен към размисъл и търпелив мъж, дори му се носеше славата на интелектуалец, защото някои от татуировките му бяха изписани правилно. И в напечено положение можеше да се разчита на него, а основната му добродетел беше честността, защото свестните кримки просто са принудени да бъдат честни помежду си.“
„Повечето старши магьосници, разбира се, живееха изцяло в миналото, но неколцина постъпваха като Професора по антропика, който бе измислил нова темпорална система, основаваща се на убеждението, че всички останали са заблуда.“
„Щуротии, разбираш ли… Ама народни. Накрая се пръква някой хитряга и си мисли: „Ей, като гледам, скапаното слънце и без това си изгрява, защо даваме на друидите толкова безплатна кльопачка?“ И докато се опомниш, открива се ново работно място. Ей това им е номерът в живота на боговете. Все измислят как… хм, да останат на трапезата.“
„— А ТИ, РАЗБИРА СЕ, ЩЕ БЪДЕШ ДОБЪР И ПРЕЗ НОВАТА ГОДИНА, НАЛИ?
Свилото се до зрънце „аз“ на Ноби искаше да се ухили ехидно: „Господинчо, кое е добро, пък кое е лошо? Ако нещо се въргаля на улицата, кому ще навредя, като го прибера? Или, да речем, някой завеян търговец си е оставил склада отключен… Що да не сложа в джоба една-две джунджурийки вместо бакшиш, пък после да го подсетя да удари ключа?“
Но и това намерение за философски диспут бе причакано по пътя от чистия неподправен страх, който му внушаваше огромната брада, заела цялото му субективно небе.
— Да — изписука Ноби.“
„Книга до книга, рафт над рафт… И навсякъде по страницата на вечно изплъзващото се настояще се редеше краснописът на всекидневието…“
„— Ами… изобщо. Не се знае.
— Знае се понякога — увери го Ридкъли. — Убеден съм, че вече знам много повече, отколкото преди години. Дори си мисля, че е чудно колко много знаеш, без да се усетиш, че си го научил. Питам се какво ли ще знам след време.
— Не се знае.
— Вярно.“
„Архиканцлерът се почеса по брадата. — И аз щях да ръководя един идеално функциониращ Университет, ако не ми се мотаеха разни студенти в краката.
— ИМЕННО.
— Значи искат да се отърват от нас?
— ИСКАТ ДА БЪДЕТЕ ПО-МАЛКО СКЛОННИ КЪМ… ОХ, ЗАБРАВИХ ДУМАТА. ДЯДО ПРАС Е СИМВОЛ НА ТОВА ВАШЕ СВОЙСТВО. МОЖЕ БИ СКЛОННОСТТА КЪМ НЕИСТИНИ? — Смърт щракна с пръсти и ехото отскочи от стените. — ИЛИ Е ПО-ПРАВИЛНО ДА ГИ НАРЕКА „ОБНАДЕЖДАВАЩИ ЛЪЖИ“?
„Сюзън поседя още малко. Чуваше далечния смях.
Питаше се защо ли тези светове на вярата й напомнят за мидите. Парченце боклук, а около него расте бисер…“
„Значи преживях всичко това заради един дъртак, който се промъква в детските стаи?
— НЕ. СТОРИ ГО, ЗА ДА СЕ ИЗДИГНЕ СЛЪНЦЕТО В НЕБЕТО.
— Какво общо има астрономията с Дядо Прас?
— СТАРИТЕ БОГОВЕ СИ НАМИРАТ НОВИ МЕСТА.“
Припомних си тази страшно забавна и поучителна прасоколеда в Анкх-Морпорк! Романът е отлична и многопластова сатира на коледните празници, която същевременно елегантно представа техния смисъл... Дядо Прас е нападнат и изчезнал точно преди прасоколедата, а пък Смърт решава да изпълнява неговата роля. Към този момент Сюзън е гувернантка на деца, като тя също е въвлечена в шантавите и опасни приключения.“
„Подземният свят на Анкх-Морпорк се отличаваше с такива мащаби, че обикновеният свят се носеше върху него като кокошчица, опитваща се да нахрани гнездо с пораснали щраусчета.“
„Останалите трима съратници на Средния Дейв се опулиха. Сред хората от занаята беше известен като склонен към размисъл и търпелив мъж, дори му се носеше славата на интелектуалец, защото някои от татуировките му бяха изписани правилно. И в напечено положение можеше да се разчита на него, а основната му добродетел беше честността, защото свестните кримки просто са принудени да бъдат честни помежду си.“
„Повечето старши магьосници, разбира се, живееха изцяло в миналото, но неколцина постъпваха като Професора по антропика, който бе измислил нова темпорална система, основаваща се на убеждението, че всички останали са заблуда.“
„Щуротии, разбираш ли… Ама народни. Накрая се пръква някой хитряга и си мисли: „Ей, като гледам, скапаното слънце и без това си изгрява, защо даваме на друидите толкова безплатна кльопачка?“ И докато се опомниш, открива се ново работно място. Ей това им е номерът в живота на боговете. Все измислят как… хм, да останат на трапезата.“
„— А ТИ, РАЗБИРА СЕ, ЩЕ БЪДЕШ ДОБЪР И ПРЕЗ НОВАТА ГОДИНА, НАЛИ?
Свилото се до зрънце „аз“ на Ноби искаше да се ухили ехидно: „Господинчо, кое е добро, пък кое е лошо? Ако нещо се въргаля на улицата, кому ще навредя, като го прибера? Или, да речем, някой завеян търговец си е оставил склада отключен… Що да не сложа в джоба една-две джунджурийки вместо бакшиш, пък после да го подсетя да удари ключа?“
Но и това намерение за философски диспут бе причакано по пътя от чистия неподправен страх, който му внушаваше огромната брада, заела цялото му субективно небе.
— Да — изписука Ноби.“
„Книга до книга, рафт над рафт… И навсякъде по страницата на вечно изплъзващото се настояще се редеше краснописът на всекидневието…“
„— Ами… изобщо. Не се знае.
— Знае се понякога — увери го Ридкъли. — Убеден съм, че вече знам много повече, отколкото преди години. Дори си мисля, че е чудно колко много знаеш, без да се усетиш, че си го научил. Питам се какво ли ще знам след време.
— Не се знае.
— Вярно.“
„Архиканцлерът се почеса по брадата. — И аз щях да ръководя един идеално функциониращ Университет, ако не ми се мотаеха разни студенти в краката.
— ИМЕННО.
— Значи искат да се отърват от нас?
— ИСКАТ ДА БЪДЕТЕ ПО-МАЛКО СКЛОННИ КЪМ… ОХ, ЗАБРАВИХ ДУМАТА. ДЯДО ПРАС Е СИМВОЛ НА ТОВА ВАШЕ СВОЙСТВО. МОЖЕ БИ СКЛОННОСТТА КЪМ НЕИСТИНИ? — Смърт щракна с пръсти и ехото отскочи от стените. — ИЛИ Е ПО-ПРАВИЛНО ДА ГИ НАРЕКА „ОБНАДЕЖДАВАЩИ ЛЪЖИ“?
„Сюзън поседя още малко. Чуваше далечния смях.
Питаше се защо ли тези светове на вярата й напомнят за мидите. Парченце боклук, а около него расте бисер…“
„Значи преживях всичко това заради един дъртак, който се промъква в детските стаи?
— НЕ. СТОРИ ГО, ЗА ДА СЕ ИЗДИГНЕ СЛЪНЦЕТО В НЕБЕТО.
— Какво общо има астрономията с Дядо Прас?
— СТАРИТЕ БОГОВЕ СИ НАМИРАТ НОВИ МЕСТА.“
August 16, 2021
This was a reread of one of my favourite Pratchett books which stars two of my favourite characters, Death and Susan Sto Helit. If ever I were to get into a reading slump (not that that ever seems to happen) I am pretty sure this book would pull me out of it.
As usual the author's humour is spot on and his philosophising is done with a light touch. The book travels between the wizards at the university, Death on a sleigh handing out presents to small children, and Susan attempting to find the Tooth Fairy and save the Hogfather. Sounds silly? Of course it is, but Pratchett makes it all seem logical and gives the reader lots of laughs along the way.
I enjoyed it enormously as I do every time I read it. The television version is pretty good too.
As usual the author's humour is spot on and his philosophising is done with a light touch. The book travels between the wizards at the university, Death on a sleigh handing out presents to small children, and Susan attempting to find the Tooth Fairy and save the Hogfather. Sounds silly? Of course it is, but Pratchett makes it all seem logical and gives the reader lots of laughs along the way.
I enjoyed it enormously as I do every time I read it. The television version is pretty good too.
September 21, 2011
This book is hilarious.
The Auditors have decided that they need to "remove" the Hog Father...so they contact the Assassin's guild and Mr. Teatime (pronounce it "Teh-ah-tim-eh." ) is sent to "inhum" him (but Hog Father isn't human). As you can imagine chaos ensues. With Death taking over the Hog Father's role to keep belief in him alive, while Mr. Teatime (pronounce it "Teh-ah-tim-eh.") and Susan (Deaths grand daughter) are in the realm of the tooth fairy...Teatime trying to use what's there to assassinate the Hog Father and Susan trying to stop him, while Death is taking children's Hog Watch wishes very literally..... While all this is going on we haven't even talked about the wizards and......well you get the idea.
Pratchett at his best (and that's saying something). Read this ....or the Verruca Gnome might show up.... think about it.
The Auditors have decided that they need to "remove" the Hog Father...so they contact the Assassin's guild and Mr. Teatime (pronounce it "Teh-ah-tim-eh." ) is sent to "inhum" him (but Hog Father isn't human). As you can imagine chaos ensues. With Death taking over the Hog Father's role to keep belief in him alive, while Mr. Teatime (pronounce it "Teh-ah-tim-eh.") and Susan (Deaths grand daughter) are in the realm of the tooth fairy...Teatime trying to use what's there to assassinate the Hog Father and Susan trying to stop him, while Death is taking children's Hog Watch wishes very literally..... While all this is going on we haven't even talked about the wizards and......well you get the idea.
Pratchett at his best (and that's saying something). Read this ....or the Verruca Gnome might show up.... think about it.
December 18, 2022
IT GETS UNDER YOUR SKIN, LIFE, said Death, stepping forward, SPEAKING METAPHORICALLY, OF COURSE. IT’S A HABIT THAT’S HARD TO GIVE UP. ONE PUFF OF BREATH IS NEVER ENOUGH. YOU’LL FIND YOU WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER.
When it comes to favourite Christmas reads, Terry Pratchett's Hogfather is as perfect as they come for me. It certainly beats Charles Dickens when comes to spreading seasonal cheer and tell an uplifting tale of what makes humans ... human.
Hogfather has got all the classical elements of stories of woe and hardship appealing to our collective social conscience, it has charming wintry scenes, it has a fat man climbing down chimneys to deliver presents. But it is also a lot of fun. And it has auditors, assassins, DEATH, and a passive-aggressive raven.
And, yet, all the wizards, fairies, gnomes, bogeymen, and ant-driven computing machines cannot take away any of the depths that line the story of how DEATH's love of humans saves the world from eternal meaninglessness.
The sun rose.
The light streamed over Susan like a silent gale. It was dazzling. She crouched back, raising her forearm to cover her eyes.
The great red ball turned frost to fire along the winter branches. Gold light slammed into the mountain peaks, making every one a blinding, silent volcano. It rolled onward, gushing into the valleys and thundering up the slopes, unstoppable . . .
When it comes to favourite Christmas reads, Terry Pratchett's Hogfather is as perfect as they come for me. It certainly beats Charles Dickens when comes to spreading seasonal cheer and tell an uplifting tale of what makes humans ... human.
Hogfather has got all the classical elements of stories of woe and hardship appealing to our collective social conscience, it has charming wintry scenes, it has a fat man climbing down chimneys to deliver presents. But it is also a lot of fun. And it has auditors, assassins, DEATH, and a passive-aggressive raven.
And, yet, all the wizards, fairies, gnomes, bogeymen, and ant-driven computing machines cannot take away any of the depths that line the story of how DEATH's love of humans saves the world from eternal meaninglessness.
The sun rose.
The light streamed over Susan like a silent gale. It was dazzling. She crouched back, raising her forearm to cover her eyes.
The great red ball turned frost to fire along the winter branches. Gold light slammed into the mountain peaks, making every one a blinding, silent volcano. It rolled onward, gushing into the valleys and thundering up the slopes, unstoppable . . .
December 28, 2020
With a normal Christmas ruined, I felt the need to load my batteries with the maximum amount of Christmas content. I've listened to absurd amounts of Christmas music of dubious quality, watched Die Hard for the first time, drank my sorrows away with mulled wine, and now felt charitable enough to finally give Discworld another chance after realising this is probably the closest the fantasy genre has to a Christmas novel!
The result? This might be my favourite Discworld novel out of the ones I've tried so far. Could potentially have been caused by the festive mood, but who knows? I enjoyed both the humour, the ridiculousness of the parallel world solar festival traditions, and the philosophical explorations of human nature.
Hogfather is a fascinating little tale basically describing the Grim Reaper having to masquerade as Santa Claus, and ending up discovering a whole lot about what's important to people and their customs.
All in all, a good package.
The result? This might be my favourite Discworld novel out of the ones I've tried so far. Could potentially have been caused by the festive mood, but who knows? I enjoyed both the humour, the ridiculousness of the parallel world solar festival traditions, and the philosophical explorations of human nature.
Hogfather is a fascinating little tale basically describing the Grim Reaper having to masquerade as Santa Claus, and ending up discovering a whole lot about what's important to people and their customs.
All in all, a good package.
December 26, 2018
This is the 20th Discworld novel so, technically, I've read this out of order (I haven't read #19 yet) but it being Christmas made me and my fellow buddy-readers mix it up a little because it was too good an opportunity to pass up.
It is almost Hogwatch Night, the Discworld's version of Christmas and the Hogfather (Santa) is ... a little different. For starters, he's gone. And when he does show up after all, he's a skeleton and his pixie is ... well, Albert plus a considerable number of sherries. Death has taken over from the original Hogfather in order to save the universe, sort of.
The Death of Rats is getting Susan, because if anyone can stop true catastrophe from striking (which it will if order isn't restored since Death isn't too good at being human - or, rather, too good at it), it's the half-human-half-Death governness with the poker that makes any monster run for cover. Oh, and he's aided by the raven he befriended last time.
After a brief period of denial, she goes with the pair to look after her grandfather. After all, he did expressly forbid her from getting involved.
Unfortunately, there's a very creative assassin, too, and the Auditors are egging him on (they really should know better from their last plot). And Ridcully and the wizards - along with Hex - have their hands full as well when helping both Death and Susan.
Each and every group of characters was hilarious. From Hex only working when it's given its teddy bear and the ever complaining raven, to the terrified monsters and Death of Rats squeaking excitedly. Then there are also the contemplative musings of Death with Albert and/or Susan. There was fun, there was suspense, there was the signature humour as sharp as Death's scythe, ... In short: another perfect addition to the series.
For a better look at what I mean when I say this novel is very deep and contemplative, please have a look at all the quotes I highlighted - because I scarcely have words.
Moreover, this had a peculiar seasonal feel to it what with all the magical beings coming into the world and us seeing our own traditions and customs through the distorted lens of this flat but oh-so-well-rounded world.
It is almost Hogwatch Night, the Discworld's version of Christmas and the Hogfather (Santa) is ... a little different. For starters, he's gone. And when he does show up after all, he's a skeleton and his pixie is ... well, Albert plus a considerable number of sherries. Death has taken over from the original Hogfather in order to save the universe, sort of.
The Death of Rats is getting Susan, because if anyone can stop true catastrophe from striking (which it will if order isn't restored since Death isn't too good at being human - or, rather, too good at it), it's the half-human-half-Death governness with the poker that makes any monster run for cover. Oh, and he's aided by the raven he befriended last time.
After a brief period of denial, she goes with the pair to look after her grandfather. After all, he did expressly forbid her from getting involved.
Unfortunately, there's a very creative assassin, too, and the Auditors are egging him on (they really should know better from their last plot). And Ridcully and the wizards - along with Hex - have their hands full as well when helping both Death and Susan.
Each and every group of characters was hilarious. From Hex only working when it's given its teddy bear and the ever complaining raven, to the terrified monsters and Death of Rats squeaking excitedly. Then there are also the contemplative musings of Death with Albert and/or Susan. There was fun, there was suspense, there was the signature humour as sharp as Death's scythe, ... In short: another perfect addition to the series.
For a better look at what I mean when I say this novel is very deep and contemplative, please have a look at all the quotes I highlighted - because I scarcely have words.
Moreover, this had a peculiar seasonal feel to it what with all the magical beings coming into the world and us seeing our own traditions and customs through the distorted lens of this flat but oh-so-well-rounded world.
September 9, 2021
Discworld's take on Santa Claus and the nature of belief in general. It provides a great starring role for Susan, Death's granddaughter, much more so than her prior appearance in Soul Music. Mister Teatime (pronounced Teh-ah-tim-eh, don't you know) came onto the scene as an interesting villain, but later devolved into a one-dimensional psychopath. The faculty of Unseen University have really grown on me during my current series re-read.
The story leaves you feeling like you missed something in places, and the last 50 pages of so were underwhelming, although not without a couple of interesting moments. There are plenty of fantastic scenes, but sometimes it seemed like Pratchett struggled to string them in a logical order.
Note for readers outside the U.K.: a verruca is a plantar wart. This is essential knowledge for this book.
The story leaves you feeling like you missed something in places, and the last 50 pages of so were underwhelming, although not without a couple of interesting moments. There are plenty of fantastic scenes, but sometimes it seemed like Pratchett struggled to string them in a logical order.
Note for readers outside the U.K.: a verruca is a plantar wart. This is essential knowledge for this book.
December 24, 2024
Pacing wise, this lagged in the middle, but other than that, I LOVE the writing and characters! Especially Death and Susan - more more more please
December 18, 2023
Много ми хареса, страшно подходяща ми дойде за Коледа. Липсваше ми този хумор!
December 22, 2025
2025 re-read. Still perfect. Still hearing things I missed last year. I miss Sir Terry.
2023 re-read. Yes, every year I get Hogfather out at this time of year because as a Christmas book you can't beat it. As a Discworld book it's very high on the list of my favourites. Every year something new springs out at me, every year I laugh like a drain, have a little cry and it renews my faith in all things Pratchett and even humanity. The part that got me this year was right at the end where Death is talking about what a peculiar species humans are. Terry Pratchett, apart from being a master storyteller, world creator and generally hilarious author was great at the study of human beings with all our faults and foibles. I miss that new Pratchett Christmas book every year but thank Offler that we still have the whole Discworld to lose ourselves in. Happy Hogswatch people!
Perfection.
I've been a Pratchett fan for about 35 years but I think Hogfather despite being the 20th Discworld novel (1996 vintage) is a great place to start. It gives you some of the best loved characters-Susan, Death, Albert, the Assassins Guild and the wizards of Unseen University and the librarian but it works wonderfully as a stand alone novel. You don't really need to know anything about their history because the story of Father Christmas/ Hogfather and Christmas time/ Hogswatch is a well trodden road.
I listened to the new recording released in 2021 and it brought back my love of the book when I read it all those years ago. It's funny and silly and clever and everything you expect from a Discworld novel.
Just suspend your skepticism and BELIEVE!
Highly recommended.
2023 re-read. Yes, every year I get Hogfather out at this time of year because as a Christmas book you can't beat it. As a Discworld book it's very high on the list of my favourites. Every year something new springs out at me, every year I laugh like a drain, have a little cry and it renews my faith in all things Pratchett and even humanity. The part that got me this year was right at the end where Death is talking about what a peculiar species humans are. Terry Pratchett, apart from being a master storyteller, world creator and generally hilarious author was great at the study of human beings with all our faults and foibles. I miss that new Pratchett Christmas book every year but thank Offler that we still have the whole Discworld to lose ourselves in. Happy Hogswatch people!
Perfection.
I've been a Pratchett fan for about 35 years but I think Hogfather despite being the 20th Discworld novel (1996 vintage) is a great place to start. It gives you some of the best loved characters-Susan, Death, Albert, the Assassins Guild and the wizards of Unseen University and the librarian but it works wonderfully as a stand alone novel. You don't really need to know anything about their history because the story of Father Christmas/ Hogfather and Christmas time/ Hogswatch is a well trodden road.
I listened to the new recording released in 2021 and it brought back my love of the book when I read it all those years ago. It's funny and silly and clever and everything you expect from a Discworld novel.
Just suspend your skepticism and BELIEVE!
Highly recommended.
December 26, 2019
2/14/2008
Inseparable in my mind from a Futurama Christmas episode. Which is not a bad thing at all.
***
6/21/2014
Winter solstice holiday book at the summer solstice, why not? A wintry book can be just the thing on a day it is too hot to move, let alone go outside.
Here is Death, trying to maintain faith in the jolly man in the red suit, Albert along to coach and play elf, while Susan is diverted from her job as a governess to try and hunt the down the missing big guy. There is the creepiest assassin ever, a tooth fairy, the ohgod of hangovers, and strange things afoot at the Unseen University.
There's also a contemporary feel, with Pratchett riffing on Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Story, as well as more modern retail jokes. The particular winter holiday of the story is a Dickensian sort of event in the home where Susan's working, but the overall effect is part of the general trend of bringing a medieval-Londonish fantasy setting up to the modern day. Once again, Pratchett shows how the stories we tell are a huge part of what makes us human.
It is a delightful treat.
Personal copy.
Inseparable in my mind from a Futurama Christmas episode. Which is not a bad thing at all.
***
6/21/2014
Winter solstice holiday book at the summer solstice, why not? A wintry book can be just the thing on a day it is too hot to move, let alone go outside.
Here is Death, trying to maintain faith in the jolly man in the red suit, Albert along to coach and play elf, while Susan is diverted from her job as a governess to try and hunt the down the missing big guy. There is the creepiest assassin ever, a tooth fairy, the ohgod of hangovers, and strange things afoot at the Unseen University.
There's also a contemporary feel, with Pratchett riffing on Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Story, as well as more modern retail jokes. The particular winter holiday of the story is a Dickensian sort of event in the home where Susan's working, but the overall effect is part of the general trend of bringing a medieval-Londonish fantasy setting up to the modern day. Once again, Pratchett shows how the stories we tell are a huge part of what makes us human.
It is a delightful treat.
Personal copy.
December 25, 2024
12/25/24: I had to buy the ebook because I forgot to grab my paperback to bring with me to India, and let me tell you the crappy formatting almost ruined the experience. What angers me is publishers taking advantage of their authors' backlists, putting them in ebook format so they can make more money, but not doing basic cleanup on the text. This is particularly important for a Discworld book, which has no chaptering; there were huge blank spaces and a couple of missed section breaks and some punctuation that altered the meaning of the story. I am trying to regain my holiday cheer, but somehow seeing this book, which has so much to say about why people believe and the commercialization of holidays, treated as a commodity seems particularly wrong.
Ho. Ho. Ho.
12/23/22: Missed reading this last year, made up for it with the new audio production. I don't know what more I can say than I've said before. This is still near the top of my holiday reading list. I loved sharing it with my husband this year.
12/22/20: I don't actually know how many times I've read this, but enough that I didn't expect to be surprised by it. But Susan and Death's conversation about humans learning to believe the little lies (i.e. the Hogfather bringing presents to all the good little boys and girls) so they can believe the big lies (i.e. justice, mercy, love) really struck me this time. Death says, in essence, that those things exist nowhere in the universe in any concrete way, and yet humans insist on believing them--and Susan replies that if they don't believe, what's the point? I kind of like the idea of humanity being a function of all of us telling the universe where it can get off.
12/9/19: Not much to add this year, except I laughed a lot and disturbed my husband, who was also reading but whose book wasn't as good as mine. Ho. Ho. Ho.
12/23/18: It never ceases to amaze me how well Terry Pratchett, an atheist, understood the nature of belief, of how belief is a peculiarly human characteristic and what it means that humans need things to believe in, for good or ill. Hogfather is one of my favorite Christmas books, and I try to re-read it every couple of years at this season. This time, I particularly loved the computer Hex's transformation into a believer in the Hogfather, and how that made it just as entitled to a relationship with that god/anthropomorphic personification/demiurge as any human child. I also love Susan's relationship with her grandfather Death, and how Death both fully understands human nature (in the way he gets Susan involved in the Hogfather's disappearance) and really, really doesn't (in practically everything else.)
Two scenes come to mind when I think of what this book says about the Christmas season. One is the "Good King Wenceslas" scene, where Death interrupts a king giving his leftovers to a proud, poor man who never asked nobody for nothing. Death's well-made point is that the king gave of his abundance not because he cared for the man, but because it made him feel good to receive gratitude. I have been in the position of receiving well-meant but humiliating charity, and it's made me conscious of my own motives--giving is all very well, but where am I the other 364 days of the year?
The second is the "Little Match Girl" scene (this book is heavily populated with references to familiar Christmas stories) in which Death intervenes to keep the little girl alive rather than let her die to be a heartwarming tale for the more fortunate to remember and be grateful they aren't a frozen child dead in the snow. I don't like Christmas stories whose purpose is solely to tug at the heartstrings, to evoke emotion on the back of other people's tragedies, and the image of Pixie Albert pelting the angels with snowballs makes me laugh.
12/24/16: I love this book. The interactions between Death and his granddaughter Susan are perfect. It's something I re-read every year, a reminder of all the symbolism behind the waning of the year. And there's so much going on in this book: the wizards and their investigation of why there's suddenly a Verruca Gnome and a Cheerful Fairy wandering the halls of Unseen University, the horribly creepy Teatime and his clever but simple plan to "inhume" the Hogfather, Death's scramble to keep the sun rising, and Susan, caught up once again in her grandfather's plan. The Auditors are probably my favorite of Pratchett's villains, because they are so antithetical to life in all its shapes, and yet are torn by the same impulses to become individuals that humans are. It's a marvelous story, with a deeper meaning beneath the humor of the surface: Remember the poker.
Ho. Ho. Ho.
12/23/22: Missed reading this last year, made up for it with the new audio production. I don't know what more I can say than I've said before. This is still near the top of my holiday reading list. I loved sharing it with my husband this year.
12/22/20: I don't actually know how many times I've read this, but enough that I didn't expect to be surprised by it. But Susan and Death's conversation about humans learning to believe the little lies (i.e. the Hogfather bringing presents to all the good little boys and girls) so they can believe the big lies (i.e. justice, mercy, love) really struck me this time. Death says, in essence, that those things exist nowhere in the universe in any concrete way, and yet humans insist on believing them--and Susan replies that if they don't believe, what's the point? I kind of like the idea of humanity being a function of all of us telling the universe where it can get off.
12/9/19: Not much to add this year, except I laughed a lot and disturbed my husband, who was also reading but whose book wasn't as good as mine. Ho. Ho. Ho.
12/23/18: It never ceases to amaze me how well Terry Pratchett, an atheist, understood the nature of belief, of how belief is a peculiarly human characteristic and what it means that humans need things to believe in, for good or ill. Hogfather is one of my favorite Christmas books, and I try to re-read it every couple of years at this season. This time, I particularly loved the computer Hex's transformation into a believer in the Hogfather, and how that made it just as entitled to a relationship with that god/anthropomorphic personification/demiurge as any human child. I also love Susan's relationship with her grandfather Death, and how Death both fully understands human nature (in the way he gets Susan involved in the Hogfather's disappearance) and really, really doesn't (in practically everything else.)
Two scenes come to mind when I think of what this book says about the Christmas season. One is the "Good King Wenceslas" scene, where Death interrupts a king giving his leftovers to a proud, poor man who never asked nobody for nothing. Death's well-made point is that the king gave of his abundance not because he cared for the man, but because it made him feel good to receive gratitude. I have been in the position of receiving well-meant but humiliating charity, and it's made me conscious of my own motives--giving is all very well, but where am I the other 364 days of the year?
The second is the "Little Match Girl" scene (this book is heavily populated with references to familiar Christmas stories) in which Death intervenes to keep the little girl alive rather than let her die to be a heartwarming tale for the more fortunate to remember and be grateful they aren't a frozen child dead in the snow. I don't like Christmas stories whose purpose is solely to tug at the heartstrings, to evoke emotion on the back of other people's tragedies, and the image of Pixie Albert pelting the angels with snowballs makes me laugh.
12/24/16: I love this book. The interactions between Death and his granddaughter Susan are perfect. It's something I re-read every year, a reminder of all the symbolism behind the waning of the year. And there's so much going on in this book: the wizards and their investigation of why there's suddenly a Verruca Gnome and a Cheerful Fairy wandering the halls of Unseen University, the horribly creepy Teatime and his clever but simple plan to "inhume" the Hogfather, Death's scramble to keep the sun rising, and Susan, caught up once again in her grandfather's plan. The Auditors are probably my favorite of Pratchett's villains, because they are so antithetical to life in all its shapes, and yet are torn by the same impulses to become individuals that humans are. It's a marvelous story, with a deeper meaning beneath the humor of the surface: Remember the poker.
December 7, 2020
Pratchett's festive treat is certainly a great way to celebrate the 20th Discworld book in the series.
Ever since I'd first step foot in Prachett's fictional world of Ankh-Morpk I'd always been excited to reach this one.
Out of the many novels I reckon this is the one that everyone has probably heard of, I even skipped a couple just to read this in December.
How does one even go about reviewing this crazy story?
Well the simple premise is that the Hogfather (similar to our Father Christmas) has gone missing, so DEATH has decided to step into his place - in full fake beard and pillow up his coat so that the children still believe in Hogswatch.
In the meantime his Granddaughter Susan is tasked with finding the real Hogfather.
BUT GOING DOWN THE CHIMNEY? WHERE'S THE SENSE IN THAT? I CAN JUST WALK THROUGH WALLS.
Prachett's usual hilarious style is in abundance in such an easy topic to spoof.
DEATH knows the important of the belief in the Hogfather is that he goes to great lengths to keep up the presence, just thr idea of the skeleton having to switch his normal black robes to red is incredibly funny.
Add to the fact the villain of this novel is also just as memorable too, with such a delightfully fiendish plan.
Susan's second appearance in the series also shows so great character development since Soul Music.
I'd recommend reading the other DEATH novels first, but this has been my favourite from his sub-series.
Ever since I'd first step foot in Prachett's fictional world of Ankh-Morpk I'd always been excited to reach this one.
Out of the many novels I reckon this is the one that everyone has probably heard of, I even skipped a couple just to read this in December.
How does one even go about reviewing this crazy story?
Well the simple premise is that the Hogfather (similar to our Father Christmas) has gone missing, so DEATH has decided to step into his place - in full fake beard and pillow up his coat so that the children still believe in Hogswatch.
In the meantime his Granddaughter Susan is tasked with finding the real Hogfather.
BUT GOING DOWN THE CHIMNEY? WHERE'S THE SENSE IN THAT? I CAN JUST WALK THROUGH WALLS.
Prachett's usual hilarious style is in abundance in such an easy topic to spoof.
DEATH knows the important of the belief in the Hogfather is that he goes to great lengths to keep up the presence, just thr idea of the skeleton having to switch his normal black robes to red is incredibly funny.
Add to the fact the villain of this novel is also just as memorable too, with such a delightfully fiendish plan.
Susan's second appearance in the series also shows so great character development since Soul Music.
I'd recommend reading the other DEATH novels first, but this has been my favourite from his sub-series.
October 7, 2019
Los humanos necesitan la Fantasía para ser humanos. Para estar en el lugar donde el ángel caído se encuentra con el simio que se alza.
Solo por frases como esta, cualquier libro de Pratchett está muy por encima de cualquier libro del montón. Aún así, no es de los mejores de Mundodisco pero tiene algunos diálogos, sobre todo cuando aparece La Muerte, que demuestran este nivel de Pratchett.
En esta ocasión, se centra en el mundo de las creencias y en la necesidad de creer enPapá Noel Papá Puerco para que la humanidad pueda seguir siendo como es.
De los arcos argumentales de Mundodisco, el mejor es de los Guardias en mi opinión, pero el de La Muerte, a pesar de que las historias no llegan al nivel, tienen tanta fuerza los diálogos y las reflexiones de personajes como La Muerte, Albert y Susan que para mí es el segundo mejor arco de Mundodisco. Disfruto con cada novela de esta trama sea lo que sea lo que me cuente.
Solo por frases como esta, cualquier libro de Pratchett está muy por encima de cualquier libro del montón. Aún así, no es de los mejores de Mundodisco pero tiene algunos diálogos, sobre todo cuando aparece La Muerte, que demuestran este nivel de Pratchett.
En esta ocasión, se centra en el mundo de las creencias y en la necesidad de creer en
De los arcos argumentales de Mundodisco, el mejor es de los Guardias en mi opinión, pero el de La Muerte, a pesar de que las historias no llegan al nivel, tienen tanta fuerza los diálogos y las reflexiones de personajes como La Muerte, Albert y Susan que para mí es el segundo mejor arco de Mundodisco. Disfruto con cada novela de esta trama sea lo que sea lo que me cuente.
November 22, 2022
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
I think I'll have to make this book a Christmas tradition. It was just as good as I had expected. Reading Discworld throughout 2021 was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed each book immensely and also loved the way the world and it's vast, varied cast of characters was masterfully crafted. The rest of the series will be a priority in 2022, and once I've finished the lot I think I'll just go back to the start and read it all again.
“You can't give her that!' she screamed. 'It's not safe!'
IT'S A SWORD, said the Hogfather. THEY'RE NOT MEANT TO BE SAFE.
'She's a child!' shouted Crumley.
IT'S EDUCATIONAL.
'What if she cuts herself?'
THAT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT LESSON.”
*******
“And then Jack chopped down what was the world's last beanstalk, adding murder and ecological terrorism to the theft, enticement, and trespass charges already mentioned, and all the giant's children didn't have a daddy anymore. But he got away with it and lived happily ever after, without so much as a guilty twinge about what he had done...which proves that you can be excused for just about anything if you are a hero, because no one asks inconvenient questions.”
*******
“Mister Teatime had a truly brilliant mind, but it was brilliant like a fractured mirror, all marvellous facets and rainbows but, ultimately, also something that was broken.”
*******
“The phrase 'Someone ought to do something' was not, by itself, a helpful one. People who used it never added the rider 'and that someone is me'.”
*******
“It was nice to hear the voices of little children at play, provided you took care to be far enough away not to hear what they were actually saying.”
*******
“BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT, IS THAT THE IDEA?
“That’s about the size of it, master. A good god line, that. Don’t give ’em too much and tell ’em to be happy with it. Jam tomorrow, see.”
THIS IS WRONG. Death hesitated. I MEAN…IT’S RIGHT TO BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT. BUT YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE SOMETHING TO BE HAPPY ABOUT HAVING. THERE’S NO POINT IN BEING HAPPY ABOUT HAVING NOTHING.”
*******
“Education had been easy. Learning things had been harder.”
*******
“Charity ain’t giving people what you wants to give, it’s giving people what they need to get.”
*******
“The children refused to disbelieve in the monsters because, frankly, they knew damn well the things were there. But she’d found that they could, very firmly, also believe in the poker.”
October 31, 2023
Trigger warnings: death, murder, violence, vomit, child abuse (in the past), teeth(??), death of a parent (in the past).
31/10/2023
Pratchett at his best. The scene with Death trying to open a door is comedy gold.
25/12/2019
Perfection. The end.
28/11/2018
I love everything about this. EVERYTHING. Especially the peeing pig and how long that joke is dragged out for. It's spectacluar.
25/12/2017
Yes, I reread this even though I'd just finished it in January. Whatever. It's amazing and I love it.
21/1/2017
I ran out of time to reread this in 2016, so I got in early this year. There is so much INCREDIBLY clever writing in here that makes you think about yourself and your beliefs. There are so many fabulous characters. There are so many iconic moments ("meet the Hogfather at the fancy department store" turning into "watch the Hogfather's enormous hogs piss all over the fancy department store", for one). And honestly? It's just a delight.
26/12/2015
I've adored Terry Pratchett's Discworld series for nearly 20 years now, but in the past year or so, I've gained a new appreciation for the subtleties of his writing. Yes, this is hilarious. And yes, it's incredibly entertaining. But there is SO much in this story about belief, about the impact that belief has on children, about how the things we're told as children - "don't suck your thumb, or the Scissor Man will come and cut it off!", "don't step on a crack in the footpath or a bear will eat you!", "be careful or the bogeyman will get you!" - impact on our lives as adults, as well as throughout childhood.
There's also a lot about belief being full of layers - the Hogfather ultimately comes from the idea that a midwinter sacrifice is necessary for the sun to return. So what starts as a pagan tradition gets warped and changed through the years and through the generations until somehow it pops out the other end as a fat jolly man who gives presents to small children.
In short, you can read Pratchett at a surface level and laugh yourself silly. Or you can look a little deeper, and be blown away by just how much of a genius Pratchett really was.
19/12/2013
I adore this book with every fibre of my being. It's one of my favourite Discworld books, hands down. And it was the perfect Christmas reread - while it may be deeply funny and highly entertaining, at its core, Hogfather is a story about the power and importance of belief.
Susan and Death are two of my favourite Discworld characters, and it's completely wonderful to have them both throughout so much of this book. Oddly, despite loving the book to pieces, I really wasn't a big fan of the TV adaptation from a couple of years ago. I'm just not convinced that they can ever quite capture the magic of Death and the spirit of Hogswatch on television, you know?
If for no other reason, this is worth reading for the scene where Death takes over as a department store Hogfather. His conversations with the kids in the store are completely priceless, the reactions of the parents are hilarious, and the unexpected addition of Nobby Nobbs is simply the icing on the cake of awesomeness.
31/10/2023
Pratchett at his best. The scene with Death trying to open a door is comedy gold.
25/12/2019
Perfection. The end.
28/11/2018
I love everything about this. EVERYTHING. Especially the peeing pig and how long that joke is dragged out for. It's spectacluar.
25/12/2017
Yes, I reread this even though I'd just finished it in January. Whatever. It's amazing and I love it.
21/1/2017
I ran out of time to reread this in 2016, so I got in early this year. There is so much INCREDIBLY clever writing in here that makes you think about yourself and your beliefs. There are so many fabulous characters. There are so many iconic moments ("meet the Hogfather at the fancy department store" turning into "watch the Hogfather's enormous hogs piss all over the fancy department store", for one). And honestly? It's just a delight.
26/12/2015
I've adored Terry Pratchett's Discworld series for nearly 20 years now, but in the past year or so, I've gained a new appreciation for the subtleties of his writing. Yes, this is hilarious. And yes, it's incredibly entertaining. But there is SO much in this story about belief, about the impact that belief has on children, about how the things we're told as children - "don't suck your thumb, or the Scissor Man will come and cut it off!", "don't step on a crack in the footpath or a bear will eat you!", "be careful or the bogeyman will get you!" - impact on our lives as adults, as well as throughout childhood.
There's also a lot about belief being full of layers - the Hogfather ultimately comes from the idea that a midwinter sacrifice is necessary for the sun to return. So what starts as a pagan tradition gets warped and changed through the years and through the generations until somehow it pops out the other end as a fat jolly man who gives presents to small children.
In short, you can read Pratchett at a surface level and laugh yourself silly. Or you can look a little deeper, and be blown away by just how much of a genius Pratchett really was.
19/12/2013
I adore this book with every fibre of my being. It's one of my favourite Discworld books, hands down. And it was the perfect Christmas reread - while it may be deeply funny and highly entertaining, at its core, Hogfather is a story about the power and importance of belief.
Susan and Death are two of my favourite Discworld characters, and it's completely wonderful to have them both throughout so much of this book. Oddly, despite loving the book to pieces, I really wasn't a big fan of the TV adaptation from a couple of years ago. I'm just not convinced that they can ever quite capture the magic of Death and the spirit of Hogswatch on television, you know?
If for no other reason, this is worth reading for the scene where Death takes over as a department store Hogfather. His conversations with the kids in the store are completely priceless, the reactions of the parents are hilarious, and the unexpected addition of Nobby Nobbs is simply the icing on the cake of awesomeness.
December 4, 2018
Re-reading of "Hogfather", one of my all time favorite books, or so I thought. It's almost 20 years since I read it the first time and I estimate that I've read about 3000 books in the interlude. Nope, all of them are not on goodreads, my memory isn't that good and I've only been keeping track the past nine years. Despite the number of new books under my belt, this held up incredibly well.
Susan, the non-biological grand daughter of Death, is employed as a nanny and trying to be normal. This is made difficult as she regularly needs to literally bash in the heads of the children's monsters with a poker. Her fragile attempts at normality end when she feels the need to investigate why her father has decided to dress up as the Hogfather (the Discworld's variation of Santa Claus). Where has the real Hogfather gone? And why are all sorts of magical creatures popping into existence?
The first third of the book is incredibly funny. I had forgotten the finesse of Pratchett at his finest. Okay, not always finesse, but hilarious none the less. The end of the book has one of the best quotes ever.
"'All right.' said Susan. 'I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need .. fantasies to make life bearable.'
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMAN NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
'Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little ---'
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU AHVE TO START OUT BE LEARNING OT BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
'So we can believe the big ones?'
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
'They're not the same at all!'
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET--- Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME .. SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
'Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point---'
MY POINT EXACTLY."
*********
This was the first Pratchett book I ever read. I was quite sceptical. Within six months after finishing this book, I had read every other Discworld novel to that date. "Hogfather" is an amazing fairy tale for every grown-up that still nourishes the child in them. This is a book that can be read at several levels, if nothing else, then simply for the humour. This book is hilarious!
Susan, the non-biological grand daughter of Death, is employed as a nanny and trying to be normal. This is made difficult as she regularly needs to literally bash in the heads of the children's monsters with a poker. Her fragile attempts at normality end when she feels the need to investigate why her father has decided to dress up as the Hogfather (the Discworld's variation of Santa Claus). Where has the real Hogfather gone? And why are all sorts of magical creatures popping into existence?
The first third of the book is incredibly funny. I had forgotten the finesse of Pratchett at his finest. Okay, not always finesse, but hilarious none the less. The end of the book has one of the best quotes ever.
"'All right.' said Susan. 'I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need .. fantasies to make life bearable.'
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMAN NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
'Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little ---'
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU AHVE TO START OUT BE LEARNING OT BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
'So we can believe the big ones?'
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
'They're not the same at all!'
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET--- Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME .. SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
'Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point---'
MY POINT EXACTLY."
*********
This was the first Pratchett book I ever read. I was quite sceptical. Within six months after finishing this book, I had read every other Discworld novel to that date. "Hogfather" is an amazing fairy tale for every grown-up that still nourishes the child in them. This is a book that can be read at several levels, if nothing else, then simply for the humour. This book is hilarious!
November 27, 2016
It finally happened. I finally made it up to Hogfather in my Discworld reading list. I was a bit early for Christmas, but at least I reached it within the general winter holiday time frame.
Hogfather is the fourth book in the Death subseries. The Hogfather, for those uninitiated in the madness of the Discworld, is the Disc’s version of Santa Claus. He delivers gifts to children on Hogswatch Night. There are problems this year, though. The mysterious beings known as the Auditors have hired the Assassin’s Guild to kill “the fat man” and now the Hogfather is missing. Death decides to fill in for him, and he really warms up to the role.
This book was quite funny; there were a lot of parts that made me laugh. One of the things that was starting to get tiresome to me in the Death subseries was the way Death always seems to be in the middle of some internal crisis, shirking his responsibilities while others take up the slack. This book was a nice change of pace from that. Although Death did occasionally lose sight of his “real” responsibilities, he was taking up the slack for somebody else this time and he took the whole thing very seriously. I thought he was more fun to read about in this book than he had been in the previous Death books.
This story, on the other hand, seemed like one of Pratchett’s more disjointed stories. There were a few different pieces to the story, and they did all tie together, but the ties were pretty tenuous. This was one of those stories where you may be told something happened and why, but it still doesn’t seem terribly sensible or logical. I know, I know, this is the Discworld. Things aren’t supposed to be sensible and logical. But I like sense and logic. :) For the most part, I was able to just enjoy the humor in the current part of the story I was reading without thinking too hard about the over-all plot.
Hogfather is the fourth book in the Death subseries. The Hogfather, for those uninitiated in the madness of the Discworld, is the Disc’s version of Santa Claus. He delivers gifts to children on Hogswatch Night. There are problems this year, though. The mysterious beings known as the Auditors have hired the Assassin’s Guild to kill “the fat man” and now the Hogfather is missing. Death decides to fill in for him, and he really warms up to the role.
This book was quite funny; there were a lot of parts that made me laugh. One of the things that was starting to get tiresome to me in the Death subseries was the way Death always seems to be in the middle of some internal crisis, shirking his responsibilities while others take up the slack. This book was a nice change of pace from that. Although Death did occasionally lose sight of his “real” responsibilities, he was taking up the slack for somebody else this time and he took the whole thing very seriously. I thought he was more fun to read about in this book than he had been in the previous Death books.
This story, on the other hand, seemed like one of Pratchett’s more disjointed stories. There were a few different pieces to the story, and they did all tie together, but the ties were pretty tenuous. This was one of those stories where you may be told something happened and why, but it still doesn’t seem terribly sensible or logical. I know, I know, this is the Discworld. Things aren’t supposed to be sensible and logical. But I like sense and logic. :) For the most part, I was able to just enjoy the humor in the current part of the story I was reading without thinking too hard about the over-all plot.
January 28, 2019
Part of the Pratchett reread with the SpecFic Buddy Reads group in 2019.
The Hogfather, Discworld's Santa Claus analogue, is missing and Death is filling in. Death has also carefully instructed his granddaughter Susan Sto Helit not to get involved, so she leans into her family heritage and investigates the latest interference by the Auditors of Reality.
This is one of the Discworld books that I've reread the most, including both print and audio, and I've seen the mini-series a couple of times. So it was actually surprising how much the book struck me this time around. It's easy to think of some of the great bits in this book like "the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape" and "you need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?", but some of the subtler points stood out to me this time, like the description of flowering tube worms at the bottom of the ocean as "a tiny yes in the night".
This definitely holds up on rereading and remains one of the best books of the entire series in my opinion.
The Hogfather, Discworld's Santa Claus analogue, is missing and Death is filling in. Death has also carefully instructed his granddaughter Susan Sto Helit not to get involved, so she leans into her family heritage and investigates the latest interference by the Auditors of Reality.
This is one of the Discworld books that I've reread the most, including both print and audio, and I've seen the mini-series a couple of times. So it was actually surprising how much the book struck me this time around. It's easy to think of some of the great bits in this book like "the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape" and "you need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?", but some of the subtler points stood out to me this time, like the description of flowering tube worms at the bottom of the ocean as "a tiny yes in the night".
This definitely holds up on rereading and remains one of the best books of the entire series in my opinion.
December 6, 2017
Still as good on every reread. Pratchett at his best with better insights in to humanity than anyone else.
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