It’s a while since I read a Terry Pratchett book although I read the early Discworld novels avidly. This book came up recently when one of my Authors in the Festive Spotlight, Jane Lovering, mentioned Hogfather as a book she reads every Christmas. Jane’s spotlight is still to come later this month. It seemed a good time to catch up with this book and I borrowed it on audiobook through the Libby app.
About the book
‘Twas the night before Hogswatch and all through the house…something was missing.
The stockings are hanging ready, the sherry and pies are waiting by the fireplace – but where is the jolly fat man with his sack? It’s not right to find Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say Ho Ho Ho – but someone’s got to bring the little kiddies their presents. Or else they might stop believing. Belief is important in Discworld, particularly on the last night of the year when the time is turning. If the real man in the red suit isn’t found by morning, there won’t be a morning. Ever again…
A festive feast of darkness, jolly robins and tinsel. As they say: ‘You’d better watch out…’
My Thoughts
As with all Terry Pratchett books, Hogfather is bursting with lots of brilliant, quirky characters. There’s DEATH who has developed a social conscience while standing in for the missing Hogfather. There’s the ‘oh God’ of hangovers, the cheerful fairy and the sock eater, In fact, all kind of gods, monsters and elves tinkle into existence when someone just mentions them. If gods vanish when no-one believes in them anymore, then it makes sense that new Gods come into being when someone decides they must exist. I was thinking I must have conjured up the Librarian myself. I had just been thinking it was a shame he hadn’t been in it, as he was always one of my favourite characters, when lo and he behold, he appeared!
Throughout the book Pratchett pokes gentle fun at lots of Christmas traditions and it’s fun spotting all the references to Christmas slightly altered for the Discworld. It’s not reindoor pulling the Hogfather’s sleigh but pigs for instance!
Nigel Planer was a superb narrator with excellent voices and accents for each of the characters. He made it a real pleasure to listen to this book.
Terry Pratchett really was a comic genius. I don’t normally read fantasy at all but I do enjoy his witty and clever novels. If you fancy something a bit different this year and haven’t already read this, the twentieth Discworld novel, then I do recommend it. Guaranteed to make you giggle!
About the Author
Terry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of over fifty bestselling books which have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood for services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.
http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com
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