Death is doing duty as the Hogfather, filling stockings and driving the sleigh. Meanwhile Susan Sto Helit is tracking down the tooth fairies with the help of the oh god of hangovers (temporarily cured).
I love Susan and Death's a close second but I have a really hard time reading this novel. I don't know what it is but I had deep resistance every time I picked it up until about half way and even then it wasn't easy to read. Maybe it's the villain of the story (I really don't like him) or his cronies. It's a good story, just not for me. ( )

Terry Pratchett, once again.

Bedtime storytime is an institution which had been foundering in our household.

More than that, for years in December I had brought down our collection of holiday/winter picture books and we'd read one a night in addition to our regular story. But the kids are getting older, and the stack of books that I would imagine could still hold their interest dwindles every year.

And this year, I had the brilliant idea: Hogfather.

Suddenly, EVERYONE wanted story time, every night and sometimes even asked for more chapters! I think the exact right amount of time had gone by since we'd seen the movie adaptation — enough to not remember exactly where things were going, but recent enough to make it easy to picture most of the characters, and keep a vague grip on the shape of the thing.

Easily in my top ten story time books we've enjoyed together as a family, ever. Susan and her exasperation is such a wonderful guide through all the chaos, making it easier to take glee in the unhingedness, to not be too unsettled by the deranged. And then the message, finally, is just so perfect.

Maybe someday in the future, when Jefferson comes home from college for the holidays, we can read it again. ( )

I loved everything about this book, from the little fairies that kept popping into existence with a glingle-lingle-ling to Death playing the role of Santa in his very own way, to the Auditors, to the poker. Especially the poker. Hogfather is going to join with Dicken’s Christmas Carol and Dr. Seuss’ Grinch to form my very own Holy Trinity of Christmas stories.

Now I just need to find it on audio for my annual re-reads!

Paperback version, read for the 2017 Christmas Bingo.
( )

Good book, overall. Some time ago, I tried to read "Light Fantastic" (after having read "The Colour of Magic") and decided that I wasn't much a fan of Pratchett. At the recommendation of a friend, I read this book, and was pleasantly surprised, and would certainly give Pratchett another chance. ( )

Unraveling Pratchett's plots is always a challenge. This one is ultimately about belief creating the gods that create the world and what happens to the world when the belief changes. On the surface, it's about Death stepping in to deliver toys on Hogswatch Night because the Auditors of the Universe have caused the Tooth Fairy to be kidnapped. See what I mean?

Somewhat darker than many of Pratchett's fantasies, this one buries some intriguing questions under the puns and humor, and it reaches far, far back into the imagined history of Discworld, when propitiating the unknown and unpredictable gods was serious business indeed. ( )

One of the lesser Pratchett books but a fun read for all that. A definite must read for anyone who has wondered how to kill Santa. ( )

December 2018 reread:
This entry in the DIscworld series was the first I ever read (thanks, Heather!!) and being the Christmas season, it seemed the right time to reread it. ( )

Second read through. Definitely prefer the stories with Death. The exploration of humanity and it's need to believe to give life meaning is fascinating.

We create what we believe in. ( )

Loved it. Perfect for the holidays ( )

Los niños duermen y esperan que Papá Puerco baje por la chimenea y les deje sus regalos. Sin embargo, algo extraño está ocurriendo. El visitante no es un anciano tripudo de barba blanca. Recuerda más bien a un esqueleto. No se aclara mucho con el almohadón que lleva atado a la cintura debajo del traje rojo. Exclama "¡Jo, jo, jo jo!" en tono fúnebre y parece más acostumbrado a usar la guadaña que a repartir caramelos dentro de los calcetines. Pero alguien tiene que hacer el trabajo, porque Papá Puerco está... bueno, a falta de palabra mejor, muerto.

How would you go about killing someone who was never really alive – not in the usual sense of the word? Mr Teatime (pronounced teh-ah-tim-eh) knows exactly how he'd do it.

As philosophical textbooks go, this is a stonker. What is the nature of belief? How do beliefs interact with reality? How do they colour our view of reality?

As for zingy and/or pithy moments … this books got them in spades.
“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'.”

As a novel, though, this one falls a bit short. The plot meanders a bit too much for my liking.

Very good, but not Sir Pterry's finest. ( )

Another book in the Death sub-series in the Discworld collection (Discworld #20, #4 in Death series)
Another excellent satire wrapped in Christmas ribbons and wrapping paper! Christmas (or Hogswatch as its known in Discworld) isn't really my favorite thing, but Terry Pratchett has managed to make it one of my favorite Christmas themed stories!
Great book with a strong, charismatic woman lead and an unforgettable, creepy villain! Fully laced with originality and the nonsensical world that is Discworld- the Hogfather has an incredible balance of dark and light. The moral dilemmas fit in organically with the natural ride of the story- so while serious topics are utilized, his magic and humor provide a lighthearted edge that make it so much more enjoyable. (As is a common element and recurring opinion on the Pratchett novels) You'll even get to revisit some characters from the City Watch sub-series (That was a treat for me because Guards! Guards! was my first Discworld novel)
Saddle up and get ready for a Christmas-themed tale told in a way you're guaranteed never to have heard before! ( )

It's been a while since I read any of Terry Pratchett's books, and this one is a real treat. In the first page, there's a memorable quote from Lord Downey about Mister Teatime, a somewhat less reputable member of the Assassin's Guild (most members, Lord Downey included, are pretty reputable): "We took pity on him because he’d lost both parents at an early age. I think that, on reflection, we should have wondered a bit more about that". Typical Terry Pratchett.

If you have heard of this series, but haven't read any of the books yet, you should at least try a few. They're hard to describe. The humor is kind of like Monty Python's British wit, but perhaps more sophisticated in some ways in that it's not just silliness. Sir Terry just has a different way of seeing life, and it is at time insightful as well as funny. The whole idea of this story is pretty crazy, having the character Death (The Grim Reaper) take over for Santa Clause. But he's a good sport about it, and does a decent job, i think.

And then there's his grand-daughter (not sure how that came about) who works as a governess. She resents how parents try to convince kids that monsters don't exist, because the kids know better. So she catches the monsters, often dragging them out from under the bed by their hair, and uses her poker to take care of them. This makes the kids feel much safer than being told not to worry.

I've read most of the series, starting back around the turn of the century when a cow-orker loaned me the first two books. I was hooked right away. ( )

Summary: A nice comedic reflection on the meaning of Christmas set in a fantasy-satire world.

What I liked:

Humour: I laughed, quite a bit, not out loud but I was definitely amused for large parts of the read.

Philosophy/satire: I found quite a few of the political/philosophical musics to be apt.

What I thought could be improved:

Maybe a few less characters in the gang, bit hard to follow who was who.

Standout: Death as Santa in the toy shop, read it three times I like it so much. ( )

This is now my favourite Discworld book so far. Never before did I read one that made me feel so emotional. This book is funny, has fantastic characters, a great plot and a lot of heart. It’s beautiful!

In this entry of the Discworld series, Death is doing the job of the Hogfather (Discworld’s Santa Claus) since an assassin was hired to make him disappear. Death provides a very realistic commentary on what Christmas is and what it should be. He has the help of Albert and their interactions are comedic gold. Besides the character of Death, that is one of the most brilliant and endearing characters ever, there’s also Susan, his grandaughter, Teatime, a very over the top mad assassin, Ridcully, a silly wizard, and many more.

One thing I love about Sir Pratchett’s writing is the subtle emotional aspects related to every character. He gives very little information now and then and yet lets the readers understand how a certain character’s past was like and why they think a certain way in the present. There is a lot sprinkled in about the difficult way Susan feels about her grandfather and about Nobby and Alfred’s childhoods, for example. I didn’t notice this as much in the books I read before in the series because the comedy and commentary always seemed to be at the forefront, but this one really made me feel for the characters.

This was my introduction to Susan because I haven’t read “Soul Music” yet and I loved her! She is one of the best Discworld characters so far. I love her line “don’t get scared, get angry”. She is the best babysitter and she sees and treats Teatime like he deserves - as if he was a child acting like a super villain. I love no nonsense female characters and Susan is almost at the same level as Granny Weatherwax.
Teatime (pronounced Teh-ah-tim-eh) is my favourite Discworld villain so far. He is so cartoonishly over the top, but he does kill some people quickly in a way that makes him still a bit scary.

The book has some surprising creepy scenes even if the comedy and clever moments are what stand out the most.

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.”

This is the best Christmas book ever and if you haven’t read it, you should. It’s not that long and it’s so easy to keep reading due to the interesting plot and the absence of chapters. ( )

Pratchett gerir stólpagrín að trúnni sem magnar upp tannálfinn og "jólasvein" Diskheims sem heitir Hogfather svo eitthvað sé nefnt. Nú er búið að senda launmorðingja til drepa Svínaföðurinn og á meðan aðalhetjan reynir að bjarga honum hleypur Dauðinn í skarðið fyrir hann á óborganlegan hátt. ( )

He's not dead yet! Reading this in honour of Christmas and Terry being a bit poorly. ( )

I was supposed to be doing this as a buddy read with everyone, but I've not been keeping my end up at all. The cold I thought I'd beaten down made a comeback at the end of last week, so I kept falling asleep every time I tried to get stuck into Hogfather. Which sounds like a terrible condemnation of the book, but is really is NOT. The book was excellent. I'd prove it's excellence with quotes, except all my reading buddies beat me to all the quotes I liked the best.

There's mischief afoot in the Discworld, and the Hogfather is missing. Death decides to step in and play the Hogfather's role, visiting houses, filling stockings and doing his best to ensure that belief in the Hogfather never falters, while his grand-daughter Susan and a host of others do their best to thwart the mischief so Hogfather can come back.

This is a brilliant story - practically flawless. My only two complaints are that:

1. Teatime is a little too evil; it adds an edge to the story that I freely admit is necessary; without it the whole thing would be a little less brilliant. Nevertheless, His story line was the fly in my lemonade; I'd be reading along having a rollicking good time and then he'd show up being manically evil, and it felt like someone let the air out of my balloons.

2. The book kept referring to both dollars and pence. Either this was done on purpose, because it's the discworld and can use any form of currency Pratchett would like, or else it's an editing error that wasn't caught during a transition from UK to international editions. If it's the former, well, that's totally fine. But I don't know, so I kept wondering if it was the latter and I kept getting tripped up by the discrepancy.

In the grand scheme of things, these are inconsequential - this is, hands down, the best discworld book I've read so far. But Teatime's rain on my holiday parade does keep me from going the whole 5 stars.

If you like silly fun with a side of very deep philosophy, read this book.

There's one quote I don't think anyone has beaten me to yet:

Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.

That might very well be my favourite quote of the book. ( )

*** ITA/ENG ***
Il fatto che Hoghfather non sia ancora stato tradotto in italiano è uno dei grandi misteri della nostra editoria.

Uno dei libri più divertenti che abbia mai letto, con uno dei migliori personaggi di sempre (Morte, ciao!), ma allo stesso tempo con quegli spunti di riflessione più profondi che accompagnano i libri del compianto Terry Pratchett.
***************

One of the most terrible things about this book is that my country has never translated it in italian, so a lot of people are missing its awesomeness.

Terry Pratchett is always excellent at humor, while at the same time carrying more serious themes between the lines. And who doesn't love a book with Death as one of the main characters? Because I do!

Il Club del Libro / DRS
Libro del mese di Gennaio 2018 ( )

"Humans need fantasy to be human.
To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape."

"There is always time for another last minute"
DEATH


Death comes to save christmas. ( )

Once again, another awesome novel by Pratchett. He tells a great story, packed full of humor and yet, they are also filled with wisdom about humanity and our fellow man. Here he delves into the human psyche of belief and how it affects our views on life in general. It digs into both the pros and cons of how it is used. There is a Hogfather movie out there as well, and it did a pretty good job encapsulating the novel IMO. Still the book was better! ( )

Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.

Short version: the Hog Father (twisted Santa Clause) is missing, extra belief is sloshing about causing all sorts of trouble, and Death has stepped up to fill the roll.

New character: Mister Teatime (it's pronounced Teh-ah-tim-eh). He's an assassin that has been hired by the Auditors to remove the Hog Father and is entirely too good at his job in an odd, laterally thinking sort of way. He's interesting enough, but the repetitions of the correct pronunciation go from funny to old fairly quickly.

Susan is back and continuing to try very hard to be normal, despite a tendency to remember things that haven't happened yet and occasionally SPEAK IN ALL CAPS. She's a lovely character and really drives the story, even more than Death.

The Wizards are back as something of a sideplot, but more interestingly is their thinking machine Hex. I've always liked the analogue to actual modern computers of a seemingly magic collection of random pieces that don't make sense to the layperson and yet can somehow answer complicated questions. Long term storage is bees? Of course it is. Try to remove the mouse's cheese and it won't work anymore? Yup. Great fun.

Overall, it's a wonderful exploration of belief with all the zaniness Discworld has in the best of times. Well worth the read. ( )

A 4 average rating is mad crazy. I found this book in the Death series to be a real bore. I could not get interested in the them (about the Discworld version of Santa) nor the evil plot to sabotage Hogwatch (Christmas) nor the characters. Maybe it's time to start another Pratchett series? To quote Dirty Harry, this one "ain't making it." ( )

A very enjoyable Discworld-style spoof on Christmas customs and myths. Twentieth in the series, and best read after a few others, particularly 'Soul Music'.

Death's granddaughter Susan features, as does Death himself dressed rather incongruously as the Discworld equivalent of Santa Claus, the 'Hogfather'. In a sleigh pulled by four pigs, climbing down chimneys and leaving presents in socks.

Lots of Christmas carol references, and some computer ones too; the wizards feature in this story, as does their Discworld-style computer, Hex. But it's a coherent plot - as much as any of these books are, anyway - and there are some quite thought-provoking comments towards the end, about the nature of humans.

Definitely recommended.

Longer review here; https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2021/06/hogfather-by-terry-pratchett.html ( )

My second Discworld novel, and the writing is a little different here than in [b:The Light Fantastic|601239|The Light Fantastic (Discworld, #2)|Terry Pratchett|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1365691835s/601239.jpg|592532]. More mature, you could say.

The subject of Christmas, Hogswatch here, in a different jacket. Again with the dry and witty humour of Sir Pratchett. Many times I have laughed, other times it wasn't as funny or not easy to follow or grasp what was going on, like it was filler instead of killer. Especially around the last 100 pages things were getting a bit messy, I thought. But then it got better again.

The character of Death is one amusing little type. :) Almost or at least as great as Rincewind, I'd say, even if I'm still a n00b with regards to Discworld.

So yes, reading about Christmas in full summer is perhaps not the best combination, but when you've got enough imagination, it can work.

I also liked the philosophical influences here and there about mankind, about believing in fantasy elements, in superstitious beings, events, etc... As indeed, those things make life more interesting, more bearable, better. Despite what others say. Everyone sort of believes in something unrealistic, one more than the other.

In short, another fun Discworld novel. ;-) ( )