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Available
Description
Who would want to harm Discworld's most beloved icon? Very few things are held sacred in this twisted, corrupt, heartless -- and oddly familiar -- universe, but the Hogfather is one of them. Yet here it is, Hogswatchnight, that most joyous and acquisitive of times, and the jolly old, red-suited gift-giver has vanished without a trace. And there's something shady going on involving an uncommonly psychotic member of the Assassins' Guild and certain representatives of Ankh-Morpork's rather extensive criminal element. Suddenly Discworld's entire myth system is unraveling at an alarming rate. Drastic measures must be taken, which is why Death himself is taking up the reins of the fat man's vacated sleigh . . . which, in turn, has Death's level-headed granddaughter, Susan, racing to unravel the nasty, humbuggian mess before the holiday season goes straight to hell and takes everyone along with it.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Zommbie1
I have a great fondness for the Discworld novels in general and for novels about Death in particular. This novel was a re-read for me but it has been many years. It didn’t disappoint this second time around either.
Pratchett manages to paint a picture of a world that is profoundly different from
“Death looked at the sacks.
It was a strange but demonstrable fact that the sacks of toys carried by the Hogfather, no matter what they really contained, always appeared to have sticking out of the top a teddy bear, a toy soldier in the kind of colourful uniform that would stand out in a disco, a drum and a red-and-white candy cane. The actual contents always turned out to be something a bit garish and costing $5.99” (pg84)
I guess that I am not the only person who looks at the pictures of Santa with a certain amount of scepticism.
Not to mention the fact that as the daughter and sister of computer nerds I loved all the sections with Hex (the machine the student wizards at the UU are building). I especially liked this exchange:
“I don’t actually think’, he said gloomily, ‘that I want to tell the Archchancellor that this machine stops working if we take its fluffy teddy bear away. I just don’t think I want to live in that kind of world.’
‘Er,’ said Mad Drongo, ‘you could always, you know, sort of say it needs to work with the FTB enabled…?’
‘You think that’s better?’ said Ponder, reluctantly. It wasn’t as if it was even a very realistic interpretation of a bear.
‘You mean, better than “fluffy teddy bear”?’
Ponder nodded. ‘It’s better,’ he said” (pg441)
He makes astute observations on what it means to be human and what we humans expect out of life.
The book contains all the usual suspects, including the senior wizards at the Unseen University, who, as per usual, manage to make the situation worse while thinking that they are making it better.
Apart from Death the main character of this book is his granddaughter Susan. Susan tries very hard to be a perfectly normal human, thankyouverymuch, but this is somewhat hard when your hair’s default position is a prim bun, you see imaginary monsters and you can do the voice. Susan ends up being the heroine of this book after her grandfather expressly tells her to not get involved.
As with most of Pratchett’s books you don’t really have to have read any of them before to understand what is going on, but it certainly helps.
Pratchett manages to paint a picture of a world that is profoundly different from
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the one we in habit but at the same time the world is exactly the same. He pokes fun at those traditions that everyone in the western world will recognize even if they themselves do not take part in them. Take for example this quote:“Death looked at the sacks.
It was a strange but demonstrable fact that the sacks of toys carried by the Hogfather, no matter what they really contained, always appeared to have sticking out of the top a teddy bear, a toy soldier in the kind of colourful uniform that would stand out in a disco, a drum and a red-and-white candy cane. The actual contents always turned out to be something a bit garish and costing $5.99” (pg84)
I guess that I am not the only person who looks at the pictures of Santa with a certain amount of scepticism.
Not to mention the fact that as the daughter and sister of computer nerds I loved all the sections with Hex (the machine the student wizards at the UU are building). I especially liked this exchange:
“I don’t actually think’, he said gloomily, ‘that I want to tell the Archchancellor that this machine stops working if we take its fluffy teddy bear away. I just don’t think I want to live in that kind of world.’
‘Er,’ said Mad Drongo, ‘you could always, you know, sort of say it needs to work with the FTB enabled…?’
‘You think that’s better?’ said Ponder, reluctantly. It wasn’t as if it was even a very realistic interpretation of a bear.
‘You mean, better than “fluffy teddy bear”?’
Ponder nodded. ‘It’s better,’ he said” (pg441)
He makes astute observations on what it means to be human and what we humans expect out of life.
The book contains all the usual suspects, including the senior wizards at the Unseen University, who, as per usual, manage to make the situation worse while thinking that they are making it better.
Apart from Death the main character of this book is his granddaughter Susan. Susan tries very hard to be a perfectly normal human, thankyouverymuch, but this is somewhat hard when your hair’s default position is a prim bun, you see imaginary monsters and you can do the voice. Susan ends up being the heroine of this book after her grandfather expressly tells her to not get involved.
As with most of Pratchett’s books you don’t really have to have read any of them before to understand what is going on, but it certainly helps.
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LibraryThing member EverydayMiracles
The Hogfather, by Terry PratchettThe Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett, was the first of the Discworld novels that I read. It was this book that fused me (seemingly irreversibly) to the character of Death and his granddaughter, Susan. The Hogfather made me fall head-over-heels in love with the
I'm far from having read all of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett, but I have read several of his books. Re-reading The Hogfather this past Christmas (2009) made it very clear to me that beginning with this book was a mistake: I missed a great deal of the humor and "tone" of the Discworld novels. That being said, it is also one of my favorites among Pratchett's Discworld series. So much so, in fact, that I try to read it every November/December!
The Hogfather impressed me largely because at the time that I first read this book, I was a lover of horror fiction (and only horror fiction). As a child I devoured Stephen King novels (and had them confiscated by well-meaning teachers) and for this reason I developed a deep and abiding passion for anything that genuinely scared me.
In several places The Hogfather literally made me shiver. The book is laced throughout with philosophical truths that make the reader want to look more deeply into the history of religious culture throughout the world (but particularly in Europe).
The Hogfather explores several different and varied concepts of belief and the way that belief functions. The book is philosophical, often (very) frightening, and as always with Pratchett, incredibly entertaining.
In this book you will be reintroduced to such characters as Susan (Death's Granddaughter), Death, and the Wizards of the Unseen University. You will get to know Teatime, a frightening member of the Assassin's Guild (with a capital A thank you very much!). You will meet the "oh god" of hangovers and the verruca gnome.
The Hogfather will take you on a journey literally to the ends of the Discworld as Susan struggles to save The Hogfather (the Discworld's version of Father Christmas) from an "untimely" end at the hands of a band of assassins. You will be enchanted, entertained, and pulled through an intellectual and philosophical obstacle course.
Discworld purists have heard (and read) all of this before. Those who are new to the Discworld will enjoy this book, but may miss some of the "inside" jokes or references to other characters.
In my opinion, The Hogfather is one of Pratchett's best!
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Discworld and with Terry Pratchett's always humorous and sometimes poignant characters.I'm far from having read all of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett, but I have read several of his books. Re-reading The Hogfather this past Christmas (2009) made it very clear to me that beginning with this book was a mistake: I missed a great deal of the humor and "tone" of the Discworld novels. That being said, it is also one of my favorites among Pratchett's Discworld series. So much so, in fact, that I try to read it every November/December!
The Hogfather impressed me largely because at the time that I first read this book, I was a lover of horror fiction (and only horror fiction). As a child I devoured Stephen King novels (and had them confiscated by well-meaning teachers) and for this reason I developed a deep and abiding passion for anything that genuinely scared me.
In several places The Hogfather literally made me shiver. The book is laced throughout with philosophical truths that make the reader want to look more deeply into the history of religious culture throughout the world (but particularly in Europe).
The Hogfather explores several different and varied concepts of belief and the way that belief functions. The book is philosophical, often (very) frightening, and as always with Pratchett, incredibly entertaining.
In this book you will be reintroduced to such characters as Susan (Death's Granddaughter), Death, and the Wizards of the Unseen University. You will get to know Teatime, a frightening member of the Assassin's Guild (with a capital A thank you very much!). You will meet the "oh god" of hangovers and the verruca gnome.
The Hogfather will take you on a journey literally to the ends of the Discworld as Susan struggles to save The Hogfather (the Discworld's version of Father Christmas) from an "untimely" end at the hands of a band of assassins. You will be enchanted, entertained, and pulled through an intellectual and philosophical obstacle course.
Discworld purists have heard (and read) all of this before. Those who are new to the Discworld will enjoy this book, but may miss some of the "inside" jokes or references to other characters.
In my opinion, The Hogfather is one of Pratchett's best!
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LibraryThing member lycomayflower
The husbeast says this is his favorite Pratchett, and I can see why. The story is imaginative and funny and the satiric look at Christmas is sharp and telling without ever leaving a bah humbug-y taste behind. It has a lot to say about both the modern celebration of Christmas and the human impulse
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to create gods, monsters, and fairy-folk. Good stuff. Show Less
LibraryThing member Aldrea_Alien
HO. HO. HO.
I’ve watched The Hogfather so many times. It’s practically becoming a Christmas tradition for me. Naturally, I’ve been both aching and dreading to read the book. I just knew I’d end up comparing them to each other.
So I was pleasantly surprised that they hadn’t altered the story
Mr Teatime is well ... he’s weird in the movie. In the book, he’s downright creepy. Even with knowing what’s going to happen in the end, I’m just waiting for him to jump out and do something unexpected.
Death is as enjoyable as ever. Though his inability to get the mixed ideals behind Hogswatch is a bittersweet thing, I’m sure he instilled a heavy dose of belief while out and about as the Hogfather. At least, a heavy dose of something. ^_^ Belief is an important factor in this book nevertheless.
And then there’s Susan ... I wasn’t sure about this character the last time I’d a book with her in it (Soul Music). But she’s much better in this. A good person to have in dealing with Oh Gods, childish old wizards and an insane assassin bent on taking over the world with teeth.
I’ve watched The Hogfather so many times. It’s practically becoming a Christmas tradition for me. Naturally, I’ve been both aching and dreading to read the book. I just knew I’d end up comparing them to each other.
So I was pleasantly surprised that they hadn’t altered the story
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too much for TV. Of course, there are extra scenes/characters that didn’t make it onto the screen, which makes the book more enjoyable.Mr Teatime is well ... he’s weird in the movie. In the book, he’s downright creepy. Even with knowing what’s going to happen in the end, I’m just waiting for him to jump out and do something unexpected.
Death is as enjoyable as ever. Though his inability to get the mixed ideals behind Hogswatch is a bittersweet thing, I’m sure he instilled a heavy dose of belief while out and about as the Hogfather. At least, a heavy dose of something. ^_^ Belief is an important factor in this book nevertheless.
And then there’s Susan ... I wasn’t sure about this character the last time I’d a book with her in it (Soul Music). But she’s much better in this. A good person to have in dealing with Oh Gods, childish old wizards and an insane assassin bent on taking over the world with teeth.
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LibraryThing member lifeafterjane
"You need to believe in things that aren’t true. How else can they become?”
Everything in the human world has at one point or another, run on pure belief. Once we questioned if the sun would come up again tomorrow as it did today so we decided to believe that it would. We believed in it and into
Many, many years go by and we learn, and we change and we no longer believe that it’s our prayers that give us daylight and one small sun god is suddenly without a purpose. So we start to believe in something else. We decide to believe that once a year, a jolly man in a red suit comes down the chimney and gives children toys, and our belief gives that small god a new job. The Hogfather, in his red sleigh, drawn by a team of hogs, visits each house on the Discworld, bringing presents, spreading Hogswatch cheer and bellowing many a “Ho Ho Ho.” But one Hogwatch’s Eve, there’s another change, and people no longer believe there’s a Hogfather. The belief isn’t replaced, it’s just lost and tomorrow, with no Hogfather, no small god, the sun may not rise.
In his great hall of time, Death monitors the hourglasses of each and every life on the Disc. Every living thing has a life that can be measured in grains of sand, even that of immortals. When it becomes apparent that the life of the Hogfather is all but out, Death, false beard on his bare skull, and sack in hand, sets out to visit each and every house in the Discworld in an attempt to drum up enough belief to keep the Hogfather alive. He will break many rules, touch many lives (in a good way) and maybe, just maybe ensure that the sun rises.
It’s absolutely no secret that my favorite author is Terry Pratchett. He writes what on the surface appears to be fantasy fiction but carefully interwoven into each story is a very important life lesson, a different way to look at the world and the permission that most of us seek that says it is OK to question what we’ve always been TOLD we believe. Pratchett always wants you thinking. He wants you to remember to feel everything. But above all, he wants you to be fascinated by the things that make us human because we really are, however you believe, quite miraculous.
Everything in the human world has at one point or another, run on pure belief. Once we questioned if the sun would come up again tomorrow as it did today so we decided to believe that it would. We believed in it and into
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existence popped the spirit of the rising sun, one of many small gods that wait just on the edge of realization for enough belief to give them a purpose.Many, many years go by and we learn, and we change and we no longer believe that it’s our prayers that give us daylight and one small sun god is suddenly without a purpose. So we start to believe in something else. We decide to believe that once a year, a jolly man in a red suit comes down the chimney and gives children toys, and our belief gives that small god a new job. The Hogfather, in his red sleigh, drawn by a team of hogs, visits each house on the Discworld, bringing presents, spreading Hogswatch cheer and bellowing many a “Ho Ho Ho.” But one Hogwatch’s Eve, there’s another change, and people no longer believe there’s a Hogfather. The belief isn’t replaced, it’s just lost and tomorrow, with no Hogfather, no small god, the sun may not rise.
In his great hall of time, Death monitors the hourglasses of each and every life on the Disc. Every living thing has a life that can be measured in grains of sand, even that of immortals. When it becomes apparent that the life of the Hogfather is all but out, Death, false beard on his bare skull, and sack in hand, sets out to visit each and every house in the Discworld in an attempt to drum up enough belief to keep the Hogfather alive. He will break many rules, touch many lives (in a good way) and maybe, just maybe ensure that the sun rises.
It’s absolutely no secret that my favorite author is Terry Pratchett. He writes what on the surface appears to be fantasy fiction but carefully interwoven into each story is a very important life lesson, a different way to look at the world and the permission that most of us seek that says it is OK to question what we’ve always been TOLD we believe. Pratchett always wants you thinking. He wants you to remember to feel everything. But above all, he wants you to be fascinated by the things that make us human because we really are, however you believe, quite miraculous.
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LibraryThing member pwaites
Hogfather is the twentieth book in the Discworld series, and the fourth following Death. However, I think it’s one you can probably pick up even if you’ve read none of the others.
In Hogfather, Pratchett satirizes the commercial and secular phenomena of Christmas – namely Santa Claus, who’s
Unfortunately, the Auditors of reality are out to destroy the Hogfather as part of their war on the messiness of life. To the rescue comes Discworld’s Death, who must keep the Hogfather’s place open by dressing up in a fake beard and delivering presents to children everywhere. Meanwhile, his granddaughter Susan must go to the source of the matter and defeat the assassin Teatime hired by the auditors.
Hogfather is undoubtedly the best Christmas themed book I’ve ever read. It’s hilarious and insightful, and like all the best Discworld books, it has a lot going on beneath the surface.
“In fact the Guild, he liked to think, practiced the ultimate democracy. You didn’t need intelligence, social position, beauty or charm to hire it. You just needed money which, unlike the other stuff, was available to everyone. Except for the poor, of course, but there was no helping some people.”
In this case, I noticed some commentary on how the idea of Christmas does not meet up with the reality, especially for families without the money for the huge expensive gifts. For a book nominally about Christmas, there was actually a number of times Terry Pratchett addressed class and economic inequality.
“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.”
The other important idea running throughout Hogfather was how the ability to believe and fantasize is what makes us human. There’s a particularly powerful segment near the end that spells out the value of stories and fantasy, but I’ll leave that for you to discover on your own.
“I’m just saying man is naturally a mythopoeic creature.”
“What’s that mean?” said the Senior Wrangler.
“Means we make things up as we go along,” said the Dean, not looking up.”
The technical elements are all excellent. As always, Pratchett succeeds in creating a cast of likable and quirky characters that nevertheless have a sense of weight and reality to them. Death and Susan are both favorites of mine, Death for his desire to understand humanity and Susan for her insistence on logic and good sense.
Hogfather has a bunch of different threads and plots winding throughout it, from Death to Susan to the wizards at the Unseen University to one off scenes that illustrate a piece of the larger story. Despite this, Hogfather never feels fractured or haphazard and ties together wonderfully. It’s much more cohesive than some of the early Discworld novels.
I recommend Hogfather to.. well, practically everyone. Even if you’re not familiar with Christmas or the ideas surrounding it, there’s enough else going on to make Hogfather well worth reading.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
In Hogfather, Pratchett satirizes the commercial and secular phenomena of Christmas – namely Santa Claus, who’s
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Discworld equivalent is the Hogfather, a merry gift giver who arrives on the longest night of the year.Unfortunately, the Auditors of reality are out to destroy the Hogfather as part of their war on the messiness of life. To the rescue comes Discworld’s Death, who must keep the Hogfather’s place open by dressing up in a fake beard and delivering presents to children everywhere. Meanwhile, his granddaughter Susan must go to the source of the matter and defeat the assassin Teatime hired by the auditors.
Hogfather is undoubtedly the best Christmas themed book I’ve ever read. It’s hilarious and insightful, and like all the best Discworld books, it has a lot going on beneath the surface.
“In fact the Guild, he liked to think, practiced the ultimate democracy. You didn’t need intelligence, social position, beauty or charm to hire it. You just needed money which, unlike the other stuff, was available to everyone. Except for the poor, of course, but there was no helping some people.”
In this case, I noticed some commentary on how the idea of Christmas does not meet up with the reality, especially for families without the money for the huge expensive gifts. For a book nominally about Christmas, there was actually a number of times Terry Pratchett addressed class and economic inequality.
“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.”
The other important idea running throughout Hogfather was how the ability to believe and fantasize is what makes us human. There’s a particularly powerful segment near the end that spells out the value of stories and fantasy, but I’ll leave that for you to discover on your own.
“I’m just saying man is naturally a mythopoeic creature.”
“What’s that mean?” said the Senior Wrangler.
“Means we make things up as we go along,” said the Dean, not looking up.”
The technical elements are all excellent. As always, Pratchett succeeds in creating a cast of likable and quirky characters that nevertheless have a sense of weight and reality to them. Death and Susan are both favorites of mine, Death for his desire to understand humanity and Susan for her insistence on logic and good sense.
Hogfather has a bunch of different threads and plots winding throughout it, from Death to Susan to the wizards at the Unseen University to one off scenes that illustrate a piece of the larger story. Despite this, Hogfather never feels fractured or haphazard and ties together wonderfully. It’s much more cohesive than some of the early Discworld novels.
I recommend Hogfather to.. well, practically everyone. Even if you’re not familiar with Christmas or the ideas surrounding it, there’s enough else going on to make Hogfather well worth reading.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member Chelinda
A must read every December. Mr. Teatime gets me every time. Pratchett's silliness is at its peak in Hogfather.
LibraryThing member Lukerik
A fun fantasy romp that also rather cleverly explores Father Christmas from a primitive pagan perspective.
The heroine appeared first in Soul Music which continues the storyline of Mort & Reaper Man. All you really need to know is that she's Death's granddaughter and you can pick the rest up as you
The heroine appeared first in Soul Music which continues the storyline of Mort & Reaper Man. All you really need to know is that she's Death's granddaughter and you can pick the rest up as you
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go along. Show Less
LibraryThing member dknippling
We have the UK version with the Josh Kirby cover, which is just fantastic. If all you've ever seen are the US covers--check out the Kirby covers. They're hilarious. Unfortunately he died in 2001.
I was going to say this is one of the earlier books in the series--but it's #20. Seriously? Wow.
No
I was going to say this is one of the earlier books in the series--but it's #20. Seriously? Wow.
No
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Christmas tradition will go unskewered in this Discworld book, but you may have to do a few mental adjustments: they're UK traditions, so the correlation isn't 100% for US readers. A pure delight that I read yearly in the season. Happy Hogswatch! ...Hm, I should make some cards. Show Less
LibraryThing member AuntieClio
As nonsensical as Pratchett's Discworld books may seem, they often make a great deal of sense. Hogfather pokes fun at old gods, evolving gods, power, and belief systems. There's even an "oh god," as in "oh god I'm gonna be sick."
The Hogfather is Discworld's version of Santa Claus, and things go
The Hogfather is Discworld's version of Santa Claus, and things go
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very,very astray forcing Death to step in and try to put things right, while his granddaughter tries to behave like a normal person. Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
My partial re-read of Pratchett's Discworld series, starting with the Death books, continues with this one, in which the Hogfather, Discworld's equivalent of Santa Claus, has disappeared after someone put out a hit on him, and Death has to step in to do his job and keep belief in him alive.
With a
It may not be an absolutely perfect novel. As sometimes happens with Pratchett, some of the plot stuff maybe gets resolved a little too quickly. And the god of hangovers character -- excuse me, the oh god of hangovers character -- is a bit too much of a one-note joke for me. Nevertheless, this is probably one of my favorite Discworld books, and it holds up beautifully on a re-read. Even in July.
With a
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premise like that, how can you go wrong? The mere thought of Death in a Santa suit trying very hard to get the hang of a proper "HO HO HO" is just inherently hilarious. But there's lots and lots of other delightful stuff in here too, from Death's granddaughter Susan dispatching monsters from under children's beds with a poker and a no-nonsense attitude, to Death's manservant Albert snarking wonderfully while wearing a Hogswatch pixie outfit, to Death's inevitable and endearing inclination to become a little too invested in his new job, to the marvelous creepiness of the Santa-cidal assassin Mr. Teatime, to the fact that when Pratchett turns to contemplating the true meaning of Christmas, what you get isn't saccharine platitudes, but some deconstruction of saccharine platitudes and a glimpse at something much deeper, much older, and much more fundamental. Even the bits with the wizards, which are usually the weak point in these Death-centered books, were fun, with Archchancellor Ridcully being on particularly fine Ridcully-ish form, and an entertaining appearance from Hex the magical computer. (I like Hex. He's basically made entirely of computer-related puns, and it amuses me greatly how that somehow never gets old.)It may not be an absolutely perfect novel. As sometimes happens with Pratchett, some of the plot stuff maybe gets resolved a little too quickly. And the god of hangovers character -- excuse me, the oh god of hangovers character -- is a bit too much of a one-note joke for me. Nevertheless, this is probably one of my favorite Discworld books, and it holds up beautifully on a re-read. Even in July.
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LibraryThing member Greatrakes
I'm reading the Discworld books in order, I put this one off for longer than most, as I wanted to read it in the run up to Christmas. The Hogfather is one of the Anthropomorphic Personification books. These books ask the question: what happens to deities when belief in them stops? This book has an
The day I finished this book was the day the Terry Pratchett announced that he had early-onset Alzheimer's - very sad.
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excellent villain in Teatime - the insane assassin whose ambition is to kill Death himself - there is good helping of the wizards, including Ridcully, my favourite, and Death plays the disappeared Hogfather's stand-in. Although Death is the lead character, his part is redundant, as, so far as I can see, he has no impact on the belief in the Hogfather. I much liked the 'Oh God of Hangovers', and enjoyed Death's comedy moments which mostly involved giving small children exactly what they asked for Hogswatch Night (Christmas), like real deadly swords, and real live ponies.The day I finished this book was the day the Terry Pratchett announced that he had early-onset Alzheimer's - very sad.
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LibraryThing member angharad
One of my favourite Discworld books. tole_lege says why.
LibraryThing member heidilove
a look at what makes holidays and gods and rituals important and our role in them as much as their role in us. one wonders if pratchett and gaiman have been talking again; this should be a companion novel to American Gods.
LibraryThing member enyo
Death. A twisted version of Santa Claus. Come on. It doesn't get any better in Ankh Morpork than this.
LibraryThing member breic2
Some good jokes, but not very much plot; a bit strung out. The other Gods Trilogy books, Pyramids and Small Gods, are better.
LibraryThing member birdy47
Quite enjoyed althought I found it a bit disjointed. I prefer his children's books - which probably says more about me than him.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
I have this as part of the Gods trilogy myself but after seeing the mini-series I had to read it again.
It was interesting to see what parts were left in and what parts were left out of the mini-series. Many of the characters were quite well done but some under and others overstated (Ridicully
Susan is working as a governess, trying hard to hold on to normal - not that she's exceptionally good at this being Death's Grand-daughter. Meanwhile the Auditors have taken out a hit on the Hogfather, the job goes to Teatime who is a complete psychopath and who works out that it's belief that can kill Gods. Death takes on the job of the Hogfather to try to keep belief alive. Meanwhile as there's spare belief going around some gods/mythological creatures get created.
Features Hex, the beggars, Susan, Death, some wonderful lines from Albert (many of which were kept in the tv version!) and the usual cast of the Diskworld.
It was interesting to see what parts were left in and what parts were left out of the mini-series. Many of the characters were quite well done but some under and others overstated (Ridicully
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wasn't large, psychologically speaking, enough and Teatime was a little overdone)Susan is working as a governess, trying hard to hold on to normal - not that she's exceptionally good at this being Death's Grand-daughter. Meanwhile the Auditors have taken out a hit on the Hogfather, the job goes to Teatime who is a complete psychopath and who works out that it's belief that can kill Gods. Death takes on the job of the Hogfather to try to keep belief alive. Meanwhile as there's spare belief going around some gods/mythological creatures get created.
Features Hex, the beggars, Susan, Death, some wonderful lines from Albert (many of which were kept in the tv version!) and the usual cast of the Diskworld.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
My personal favourite Discworld book. It's funny, insightful, clever and well told.
The Auditors of Reality - beings that enforce gravity in the universe and prefer a cold world where rocks move in curves, have had enough of the messy life on the Discworld. They hire an Assassin to kill "the Fat
Really really funny in many places this is also a cutting commentry on the manyfold meanings of Christmas, and a slightly cynical view of the many stories that we believe show christmas spirit can be looked at in a different light. In the end though it comes down to what we believe that makes us human, and the difference between "the sun" and a flaming ball of gas.
Excellant, story telling, probably not suitable for people who believe hte world is intrinsically nice.
The Auditors of Reality - beings that enforce gravity in the universe and prefer a cold world where rocks move in curves, have had enough of the messy life on the Discworld. They hire an Assassin to kill "the Fat
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Man" aka the Hogfather. A jolly red suited man known to us as Father Christmas. The Anthromorphic personification of Death is not amused. Fearing for his own job he intervenes ensuring that his granddaughter Susan of Sto Hellit, currently a governess in AnkhMorpock, will lead the fight to preserve Hogswatch.Really really funny in many places this is also a cutting commentry on the manyfold meanings of Christmas, and a slightly cynical view of the many stories that we believe show christmas spirit can be looked at in a different light. In the end though it comes down to what we believe that makes us human, and the difference between "the sun" and a flaming ball of gas.
Excellant, story telling, probably not suitable for people who believe hte world is intrinsically nice.
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LibraryThing member ironicqueery
This Discworld novel involves Death, his granddaughter Susan, and the Wizards. They are working to save the Hogfather - which is equal to our Santa Claus. A decent book for Terry Pratchett standards, but I don't think this book quite has the humor some of his other books do. I think he spends more
Despite being message heavy and lacking the humor that usually softens Pratchett's themes, this was still a very enjoyable read, and worth spending some time with.
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time fleshing out his message - which is generally that we make up a lot of lies to survive, and that is a good thing, for the most part. The other message that seems to be a big part of the book deals with social/economic inequality and how/if it can be fixed. Despite being message heavy and lacking the humor that usually softens Pratchett's themes, this was still a very enjoyable read, and worth spending some time with.
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LibraryThing member SunnySD
It has quite a few reviews already, so I'll be brief. I'm re-reading it again this Christmas, and will probably do so for years to come when holiday shopping gets me down. When Death fills in for Father, sorry, Hogfather Christmas, the laughter is never long in coming.
LibraryThing member lecari
This is the book that got me reading the others in the Death mini series - or rather, the TV movie adaptation of this book, was. And I have to say that after reading this I was certainly not disappointed. I thought the TV movie was very faithful to the book.
This is just as good as the others in the
Definitely worth reading - you don't have to have read the others for this one to make sense, although it does help if you have familiarity with the Discworld beforehand (as with any of them!).
This is just as good as the others in the
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series - Death takes on the role of the Hogfather, the Discworld version of Father Christmas. Once again there is Susan, now an adult, and the wizards (who are as crazy as always). I loved the scenes with the Oh God of Hangovers, and the pen eating monster! And Death, as always. "You didn't really leave a pony in their kitchen did you master?" "of course not Albert. That would be unhygienic. It's in the bedroom."Definitely worth reading - you don't have to have read the others for this one to make sense, although it does help if you have familiarity with the Discworld beforehand (as with any of them!).
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LibraryThing member draconismoi
Anyone else tired of the same old Christmas sappy crap? Read this book. It will put the whole holiday in perspective.
The Hogfather is missing - so Death steps in to keep up belief and ensure the sun comes up. Death's granddaughter, Susan, is properly horrified at the thought of Death shimmying down
The Hogfather is missing - so Death steps in to keep up belief and ensure the sun comes up. Death's granddaughter, Susan, is properly horrified at the thought of Death shimmying down
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chimneys on Hogswatch Night so she goes out to investigate, save the Hogfather and learn that her quest to be normal isn't quite as easy as she thought. Show Less
LibraryThing member meersan
Death's governess granddaughter investigates the disappearance of Discworld's version of Saint Nick.
LibraryThing member NancyNo5
Beware, when reading any Discworld books that have Death in it, your brain will be put through cerebral overload.
But that's okay.
Apparently humans fascinate Death and there are moments when this fascination just overwhelms him and he feels he must do something about it. Death also suffers from a
But that's okay.
Apparently humans fascinate Death and there are moments when this fascination just overwhelms him and he feels he must do something about it. Death also suffers from a
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overt sense of what is right and what is wrong, and its just wrong to destroy any childhood fantasies which would in turn cause disruption to the human race. Show Less
Awards
British Fantasy Award (Nominee — August Derleth Fantasy Award — 1997)
Prix Imaginales (2002)