Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
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Book Reviews of Hogfather
Book Review: The Hogfather is Death serious
Summary: 5 Stars
It is the night before Hogwatch. Everyone on the Discworld is getting in their best shape to swallow down many courses of pure artery congesting meals. The Dean of the Unseen University in particular is now able to lift a twenty-pound turkey on one fork. Of course, not every table is collapsing under the weight of a Hogwatchnight Dinner. Some people, like the Duck Man, have to be jolly with a marinated leather boot dressed with some nice mud sauce. Still the spirit of Hogwatch is alive and kicking... Let me rephrase this: the spirit of Hogwatch is Death and kicking. Because something awful happened to the real Hogfather, Death has decided to replace him. You do not have to be a genius to know that this is not going to be the usual Hogwatchnight.The twentieth episode of the highly acclaimed Discworld series proves that the inspiration of Terry Pratchett is far from exhausted. As always the sidekicks are clearly competing for the Award for Most Silly Idiot of the Multiverse, whereas the main characters are too occupied to save the Discworld from more harm than it can possibly contain, which is a lot!
One of the many new features is Hex, a thinking engine with a mouse that eats cheese and a clothes wringer serving as a central processing unit. I would never have expected that the Wizards of Unseen University should be able to concoct such a close nephew of our personal computer and in doing so create an entity that is twice as smart as the most brilliant inhabitant of the Discworld - probably an ant that was trod on by Rincewind a few minutes after its birth. When you are knowledgeable to some historical computer lingo, you will undoubtedly have fun discovering some hilarious puns.
Book Review: A Book About Belief
Summary: 5 Stars
More than any of his other books, Terry Pratchett may be guilty of literature in Hogfather. And the result is wonderful, perhaps the best of all the Discworld books. The book has its hilarious moments, as you would expect. Not the least of them a new character, Bilious, the Oh-God of Hangovers. There's even bathroom humor. But while the humor sugar-coats the story, there's a great deal more here. From the opening pages, when Susan Sto Helit, Death's granddaughter, has to deal with a monster in the cellars, to Death's comments on the final pages, this is a book about belief and the power of belief. On the Discworld, of course, the power of belief is transcendant, but like all of the Discworld books, Pratchett uses the fun house mirror of the Disc to teach us a great deal about our own world.
You can read this book with a great deal of pleasure by just relaxing and enjoying the ride. The laughs are all there, the jokes and parody as wonderful as ever. But the second or third of tenth time through, think a bit about what it might mean, and might be happening on a different level.
One of Pratchett's many gifts is be wildly, hysterically funny, while at the same time sliding a knife of hard truth into your ribs. The Hogfather's holiday sled may be pulled by pigs and not reindeer, but the pigs and the reindeer are all powered by the same thing: belief. It's what makes us human. And in Pratchett's skillful hands, that simple truth takes on whole new meanings.
I may not be able to meet Death's challenge and show him, in the whole universe, a single grain of justice, but I can point to some insight and truth. Read this book and see if I'm not right.
Book Review: A darkly, beautiful story with an important message!
Summary: 5 Stars
Who would've thought, after reading the first few books of Terry Pratchett that this writer would one day produce a book with such depth as this one? Okay, as always it's all wrapped up in a high speed, intricate story with several sub-plots, but that makes the ultimate message Pratchett delivers only more convincing. So, what's the story all about? As always, the Discworld is in perilous danger, or at least civilization on it is. The "Auditors" (of reality, not money) want to eliminate mankind. Since these beings like everything to be orderly, precise and regular, it's not hard to imagine mankind is a thorn in the eye to them. The way they plan to wipe mankind of the disc is by murdering the Hogfather (Discworlds equivalent of Santaclaus), a job assigned to the less than sane assassin Teatime. DEATH, the only one who understands the danger mankind is in, can't help himself and interferes by impersonating the Hogfather. Meanwhile his granddaughter Susan sets out to stop Teatime (with a little dubious help from the Oh-God of Hangovers). Of course, in the end all's well, but not before Pratchett makes a very keen observation of what defines humanity. Believing in certain 'lies' (like the existence of a Hogfather) is, according to Death (the only truly impartial observer) what makes us human.
I've read the book three times now and I'm still surprised how well Pratchett builds his story and every time I marvel at the insights he shows in what humans are like. It's a very special book, with something for everybody and I really recommend it not only to Pratchett fans.
Book Review: Wickedly Funny
Summary: 5 Stars
It's Hogswatch night in the Discworld...Where is the big jolly fat man? Why is Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say Ho Ho Ho? The darkest night of the year is getting a lot darker...
The 20th book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is hardly a proper introduction to the series, but for old fans it's one of Terry's funniest works. Readers will rejoice in the return of Death's granddaughter, Susan Sto-Helit (first introduced in `Soul Music'), who is naturally accompanied by the Death Of Rats and the Raven - as well as large doses of Death, who is probably the most interesting character in the Discworld universe, and always promises great comical scenes, and also a return of the Auditors from `Reaper Man'. The wizards of Unseen University - Archcancellor Ridcully, Ponder Stibbons, the Dean, the Bursar and the rest - also make a hilarious appearance. As for new characters - `Hogfather' introduces a lovely villain in the eccentric young Assassin Mr. Teatime, and his group of thugs makes for some great comic relief. More comic relief is supplied by Bilious, the (Oh) God of Hangovers.
Some bits of the plot, I must point out - mainly the scenes of Death posing as the Hogfather - are largely inspired, not to say ripped-off, from Tim Burton's `Nightmare Before Christmas'. That didn't bother me too much, though; Terry's terrific writing makes up for it. `Hogfather' is a terrific buy for Pratchett fans, as long as you've read `Mort', `Reaper Man' and `Soul Music'.
Book Review: Discworld - that says it all!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a bit different than the rest of the discworld series, it starts when the leader of the assassins guild gets contracted (by some mysterious entities) to make the Hogfather "vanish". The Hogfather is Discworld's equivalent of Santa, and Hogwatch is the extremely similar version of Christmas. The next thing we see in the book is Death (yes, Discworld's lovable Grim Reaper) acting instead of the Hogfather, that is, going from house to house to fill up stockings, putting little boys on his lap and saying Ho Ho Ho. The rest of the book kind of reads like a mystery novel: how did this happen? why does Death fill up for the Hogfather? I was very immersed in the book, and couldn't wait till the conclusion.As usual, the result is very witty and is truly hilarious. Towards the rest of the book it became more serious and philosophical, which added another layer of depth to the book. The same ideas which underly "Hogfather" also appear in "Small Gods", and partially in "Pyramids". The fact that the Discworld series always have such an insight into many aspects of being human has always been one of the factors which makes it much more than just a regular fantasy/humor series (a la Piers Anthony), and that's why "Hogfather" is such a great book.
If you love the Discworld (or even if you just "like" it), this book is really for you.