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Hogfather: Discworld, Book 20
Brought to you by Penguin.
Over 1 million Discworld audiobooks sold – discover the extraordinary universe of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld like never before.
The audiobook of Hogfather is narrated by the BAFTA award-winning actor Sian Clifford (Fleabag, Vanity Fair, Quiz). BAFTA and Golden Globe award-winning actor Bill Nighy (Love Actually; Pirates of the Caribbean; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) reads the footnotes, and Peter Serafinowicz (Star Episode I - The Phantom Menace; Shaun of the Dead) stars as the voice of Death. Featuring a new theme tune composed by James Hannigan.
Twas the night before Hogswatch and all through the house...something was missing.
The stockings are hanging ready, the sherry and pies are waiting by the fireplace - but where is the jolly fat man with his sack? It's not right to find Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say 'Ho ho ho' - but someone's got to bring the little kiddies their presents. Or else they might stop believing. Belief is important in Discworld, particularly on the last night of the year when the time is turning. If the real man in the red suit isn't found by morning, there won't be a morning. Ever again...
A festive feast of darkness, jolly robins and tinsel. As they 'You'd better watch out...'
Hogfather is the fourth book in the Death series, but you can listen to the Discworld novels in any order.
The first book in the Discworld series - The Colour of Magic - was published in 1983. Some elements of the Discworld universe may reflect this.
1996 Terry Pratchett (P)2021 Penguin Audio
Over 1 million Discworld audiobooks sold – discover the extraordinary universe of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld like never before.
The audiobook of Hogfather is narrated by the BAFTA award-winning actor Sian Clifford (Fleabag, Vanity Fair, Quiz). BAFTA and Golden Globe award-winning actor Bill Nighy (Love Actually; Pirates of the Caribbean; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) reads the footnotes, and Peter Serafinowicz (Star Episode I - The Phantom Menace; Shaun of the Dead) stars as the voice of Death. Featuring a new theme tune composed by James Hannigan.
Twas the night before Hogswatch and all through the house...something was missing.
The stockings are hanging ready, the sherry and pies are waiting by the fireplace - but where is the jolly fat man with his sack? It's not right to find Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say 'Ho ho ho' - but someone's got to bring the little kiddies their presents. Or else they might stop believing. Belief is important in Discworld, particularly on the last night of the year when the time is turning. If the real man in the red suit isn't found by morning, there won't be a morning. Ever again...
A festive feast of darkness, jolly robins and tinsel. As they 'You'd better watch out...'
Hogfather is the fourth book in the Death series, but you can listen to the Discworld novels in any order.
The first book in the Discworld series - The Colour of Magic - was published in 1983. Some elements of the Discworld universe may reflect this.
1996 Terry Pratchett (P)2021 Penguin Audio
Audible Audio
Published December 9, 2021
8 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Terry Pratchett
678 books46.2k 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 23, 2025
Mood: 🤨😆😄🎅🏼💀
All Susan wants is to live a normal life as a governess, have a normal Hogswatch, and be normal, but when her grandfather, the personification of Death, drops down the chimney with a sackful of presents for her wards pretending to be the Hogfather, Susan reluctantly accepts that this holiday, at least, will not be normal. As Death fills in the gap left by the Hogfather, leaving presents and visiting Hogfather Grottos to make his appearances, Susan rushes to figure out what is happening. With new faeries and gods popping into existence and Tooth Fairies appearing dead on the streets, both Death and Susan have their work cut out for them.
I have been dipping my toes in the Discworld books, not following any story thread, just grabbing books as they pop up in my orbit. This is my first meeting with Susan, though not my first meeting with Death, since my first Discworld book was Mort, so I knew Death and Albert and Susan’s parents. Death is certainly my favorite character in the series. In this book, I love how he takes to the duties of Hogfather, padding his stomach with a pillow and trimming his jaw with a false beard so he’ll be as like the Hogfather as possible. Susan trying to be normal and disliking her inherited abilities took some getting used to, since she’s very brusque and matter of fact. I have a hard time identifying with characters that want to be normal, but I liked how protective she was of the children, and how she helped the Oh God of Hangovers. The finale with Teatime was interesting. I did like the resolution to the Tooth Fairy’s tower, and I liked the showdown between Death and Teatime, as well as his confrontation with the Auditors. Death telling Susan how important it was for humans to believe the big lies so they can accept the other, more important lies, almost brought me to tears. I loved it. Definitely the perfect read for Christmas.
All Susan wants is to live a normal life as a governess, have a normal Hogswatch, and be normal, but when her grandfather, the personification of Death, drops down the chimney with a sackful of presents for her wards pretending to be the Hogfather, Susan reluctantly accepts that this holiday, at least, will not be normal. As Death fills in the gap left by the Hogfather, leaving presents and visiting Hogfather Grottos to make his appearances, Susan rushes to figure out what is happening. With new faeries and gods popping into existence and Tooth Fairies appearing dead on the streets, both Death and Susan have their work cut out for them.
I have been dipping my toes in the Discworld books, not following any story thread, just grabbing books as they pop up in my orbit. This is my first meeting with Susan, though not my first meeting with Death, since my first Discworld book was Mort, so I knew Death and Albert and Susan’s parents. Death is certainly my favorite character in the series. In this book, I love how he takes to the duties of Hogfather, padding his stomach with a pillow and trimming his jaw with a false beard so he’ll be as like the Hogfather as possible. Susan trying to be normal and disliking her inherited abilities took some getting used to, since she’s very brusque and matter of fact. I have a hard time identifying with characters that want to be normal, but I liked how protective she was of the children, and how she helped the Oh God of Hangovers. The finale with Teatime was interesting. I did like the resolution to the Tooth Fairy’s tower, and I liked the showdown between Death and Teatime, as well as his confrontation with the Auditors. Death telling Susan how important it was for humans to believe the big lies so they can accept the other, more important lies, almost brought me to tears. I loved it. Definitely the perfect read for Christmas.
January 2, 2026
“Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.” -Death
I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a world where Sir Terry Pratchett wrote the Discworld books. In my opinion, no other author makes the absurd and ridiculous feel so profoundly uplifting. Every time I read—or reread—one of his novels, I’m reminded not only of his brilliance but of the deeper truths he threads through all the humor. His world is so rich, his characters so fully realized and fleshed-out (especially the fleshless personification of Death), and his prose is simply masterful. All of this praise should make it obvious that I love Pratchett’s work—and Hogfather is no exception.
On the surface, Hogfather could be dismissed as Pratchett’s take on a Christmas story. And while it certainly is that, it’s also so much more. Like the rest of his work, it’s a layered exploration of belief, compassion, and the quiet power of selfless charity. Beyond its thoughtful themes and moving moments, it’s simply a joy to read.
Happy Hogswatch to all.
I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a world where Sir Terry Pratchett wrote the Discworld books. In my opinion, no other author makes the absurd and ridiculous feel so profoundly uplifting. Every time I read—or reread—one of his novels, I’m reminded not only of his brilliance but of the deeper truths he threads through all the humor. His world is so rich, his characters so fully realized and fleshed-out (especially the fleshless personification of Death), and his prose is simply masterful. All of this praise should make it obvious that I love Pratchett’s work—and Hogfather is no exception.
On the surface, Hogfather could be dismissed as Pratchett’s take on a Christmas story. And while it certainly is that, it’s also so much more. Like the rest of his work, it’s a layered exploration of belief, compassion, and the quiet power of selfless charity. Beyond its thoughtful themes and moving moments, it’s simply a joy to read.
Happy Hogswatch to all.
January 11, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett is imaginative, clever, and full of Discworld charm. I really enjoyed the story, the humour, and the underlying themes about belief, humanity, and tradition. Death stepping into an unexpected role was a particular highlight.
While the world-building is rich and detailed, I did find that the level of detail sometimes worked against the story. There were parts where the pacing dragged and the narrative felt a little lost in its own cleverness. I genuinely think an abridged version might have been more enjoyable, as the full novel definitely dragged in places.
That said, I’m very glad I read it and can absolutely see why it’s so loved. I can’t wait to watch the TV adaptation.
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett is imaginative, clever, and full of Discworld charm. I really enjoyed the story, the humour, and the underlying themes about belief, humanity, and tradition. Death stepping into an unexpected role was a particular highlight.
While the world-building is rich and detailed, I did find that the level of detail sometimes worked against the story. There were parts where the pacing dragged and the narrative felt a little lost in its own cleverness. I genuinely think an abridged version might have been more enjoyable, as the full novel definitely dragged in places.
That said, I’m very glad I read it and can absolutely see why it’s so loved. I can’t wait to watch the TV adaptation.
December 14, 2025
I've read Hogfather a couple of times as either a paperback or Kindle version, this is the first time I have listened to an audio version. It was great! I think Sian Clifford read it magnificently and how she managed to do all the voices is astonishing! Bill Nighy and Peter Serafinowicz are also wonderful and add a richness to the audio. I'll be listening to more audio versions of the Discworld novels in future.
December 28, 2025
I enjoyed this! it took me a little to get into the story, but once I did, I was off on adventure. The reading was well done. I had a few laughs, and a couple of new favorite characters! I will probably reread in the future, but in ebook or physical book format. I think there are little bits of buried treasure that I may have missed in the audio, since it's a challenge to be 100% focused when I do audio.
December 18, 2025
a neat story :) a few too many characters to easily follow.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews