Hogfather

By Terry Pratchett

A Hat Full of Sky
Carpe Jugulum
Equal Rites
Eric
Feet of Clay
Going Postal
Guards! Guards!
Hogfather
Interesting Times
Jingo
Lords and Ladies
Making Money
Maskerade
Men at Arms
Monstrous Regiment
Mort
Moving Pictures
Night Watch
Pyramids
Raising Steam
Reaper Man
Science of Discworld 4
Small Gods
Snuff
Soul Music
Sourcery
The Colour of Magic
The Discworld Companion
The Fifth Elephant
The Last Continent
The Light Fantastic
The Shepherds Crown
The Truth
The Unseen Academicals
Thief of Time
THUD!
Wintersmith
Witches Abroad
Wyrd Sisters

Review by TC

The first Pratchett book that I've read in a long time. I kind of overdosed on Pratchett a few years ago and haven't read anything of his for a while.

As it often is with Pratchett's books, they are rather hard to describe or even retell – it's very easy to fail miserably to convey just what really goes on and just how funny it all is.

I'll try anyway: Then Hogfather is "killed" by the assassin Teatime, DEATH (that's his name) decides to take over and try to keep up the faith, by putting on a white beard, delivering gifts and doing the old "Ho Ho Ho" bit. Meanwhile DEATHs granddaughter tries to find the real Hogfather and/or Teatime. The wizards of Unseen University is getting ready for the traditional Hogwatch eating frenzy and…

Hogfather is just as funny as the other Discworld books and just as crazy. I can't really compare it to the other Discworld stories, as it's been to long since I read any of the other stories, but the stories staring DEATH are certainly among my favourite Pratchett stories and this is no exception. My favourite bit in this one is probably the part with Hex – the thinking machine.

Review by bon

In this book it's Death (in his genuine stereotype glory replete with robes and scythe) replacing Hogfather (Pratchett's Discworld answer to S. Claus) with a great handfull of subplots running around the main story.

Death's grandaughter is looking up the tooth fairy and University teachers are trying to figure out why imps and garish fairies are out stealing socks and pencils in corporeal form. It all ties together.The best part about this whole book was the hogfather carollers/bums whose off key singing/coughing and clanging of pans were 'making a din in the well founded hope that people would give them money to stop'. I was laughing out loud at this part. These well described bags of lumps dined well 3 times a day on boots often stuffed with saved up mud for food. Gawd ha!! I've read that part to friends it struck me so hard. Great stuff! The way Pratchett writes is like John Cleese given a fantasy hand with modern ribs and yuks thrown in to suck in the general public. I could understand why this Pratchett reading might get addictive yet like sugar you could o.d. on it.

Everything that happens in here is a domino falling into another equally absurd domino. With fantasy you dont need to hold back with anything, all is permitted. Stop time, ok. Much like the incredible Hasselhof film 'Star Crash', har. Well, not really, it's a lot better than that. This is the first Discworld book I've read by TP and I'm sure we'll be good friends later on down the line with his books and my incredibly vanishing coinage. Does anyone out there know if this guy wrote more on these bums that are glossed upon in this book. That was definitely the highlight for me. One of my all time fave books is Edith Sitwell's ENGLISH ECCENTRICS which is full of these good timey types.

Written on 1st February 1999 by TC .

Hogfather

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