Hogfather - Terry Pratchett

Written when Pratchett was on his "hot streak" in the mid-late 1990s, Hogfather is another classic Discworld novel. This time, the Hogfather (think Father Christmas with pigs) goes missing, and only Death can fill in for him. From that brief plot summary, you can probably see already how utterly absurd the story is: and believe me, that is only the beginning - it gets sillier! Where I always feel Pratchett is at his strongest is where he uses the Discworld as a mirror to reflect our world and show how silly some of our beliefs and customs are - and this is exactly the point of Hogfather. It takes an affectionate poke at Christmas and all its ...  Read the complete review

Do you believe? Do you REALLY believe? Oh, I don't mean belief about the world - we all KNOW the Discworld is a disc (duh!) resting on four elephants, which in turn stand on the shell of the great A'Tuin - that's not a matter of belief - that's fact. No, what I mean is do you BELIEVE, as children believe. The tooth fairy exists (actually, several of them - too many children and too many teeth - so there's now a franchise.). And, most particularly, so does the Hogfather - sitting on his sleigh, pulled by four pigs (or, perhaps boars...every legend has its beginning...which usually involves blood) every Hogwatchnight, distributing presents to GOOD boys and ...  Read the complete review

Ah yes. That season of snow and red-breasted robins. Of little kids hanging up their stockings. Waiting for that glingleglingleglingle and the arrival of the jolly fat man in red clothes. But this time, something’s different. Wearing the traditional red clothes and the white beard is someone unexpected. Not someone you usually want a visit from. This is DEATH. This is the Discworld, Terry Pratchett’s creation. The Hogfather visits the children (and believing wizards) on Hogswatchnight, leaving little gifts and drinking lots of sherry. Usually. But this time, he’s missing, presumed – erm – missing and Death has decided to ...  Read the complete review

terry pratchett is the award-winning author of the discworld series. unfortunately, he is a writer of fantasy novels and as such is often ignored by serious readers. for those of you whom have never read a pratchett novel you have no idea what your missing, for those of you that have come with me and reflect on possibly his greatest work. the hogfather is the twentieth in a long line of discworld novels. the discworld is a round flat land which balance precariously on the back of for giant elephants which in turn stand on great a'tuin the sky turtle which swims through space to unknown destination. only on a land such as this could dwarves, trolls, ...  Read the complete review

Pratchett is a strange man with some strange ideas, and "Hogfather" is a superb book. It's full of magic, hints of our own myths and some brilliant humour. The very boring beings that audit reality have decided to do away with the Hogfather - a figure much akin to our Father Christmas. Death knows something that no one else does - Death knows why there has to be a Hogfather (he doesn't let on until the end of the book) and since no one else is around, he takes up the job. HO HO HO. Just try to imagine death attempting to be jolly, and handing out gifts to small children. It's a thought, isn't it? "Hogfather" gives us ...  Read the complete review