Hogfather (by Terry Pratchett)

(Amazon UK link)

I’m glad I decided to re-read Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ series once more. I got a little bogged down earlier in the series, but as it progresses the writing becomes crisper, the plots more coherent, and the literary and other references all the more enjoyable. I’ve just finished ‘Hogfather’, 20th in the series, and very much enjoyed it.

As far as I can tell, I had only previously read this book once, shortly after acquiring it at the end of 1997. I had remembered that it was somewhat of a spoof on Christmas - the Hogfather being the Discworld equivalent of Santa Claus - but had entirely forgotten the details.

Susan Sto Helit is working as a governess to two small children, and trying to be as ‘normal’ as possible. But part of her role is to vanquish bogeymen and other monsters from under the beds of her charges. It’s quickly clear that these mythical creatures actually exist, and that Susan uses a poker to good purpose to get rid of them.

Then we meet a rather unlikely Hogfather - Susan’s grandfather, better known as Death. He’s a skeleton, so he has to stuff his costume with a pillow, and he’s not very good at saying ‘HO-HO-HO’. So he practises a lot. His long-suffering servant Albert is dressed as a pixie, and they travel around putting gifts in children’s stockings, and ensuring that there are sooty footprints as evidence of their visit.

For the ‘real’ Hogfather is out of action. Partly this is because fewer and fewer children believe in him - and on the Disc, belief affects the existence of gods and mythical people.

Meanwhile, the wizards in the Unseen University are finding more and more surprising mythical folk appearing in their midst: not just the Tooth Fairy but the Verruca Gnome and the God of Hangovers… and many more whom they imagine into existence without quite realising what they’re doing.

Ponder Stibbons and his Disc-style computer Hex play a significant part in this; there are lots of technical references, some of them very cleverly done, in between the Christmas carol quotations and other seasonal references. As ever they’re just thrown into the mix, to be recognised or not by the reader. There are many sites that list them in detail; I simply appreciate the ones I spot, and remain oblivious to the others.

I thought it a good story, with plenty that was amusing (in a low-key kind of way), and much to think about too, relating to the nature of belief. Death becomes quite philosophical towards the end of the book, about the nature of humans and the need for imagination.

Definitely recommended, though it’s probably best to have read at least one or two of the earlier Discworld books, particularly ‘Soul Music’, where Susan is first introduced.

'Hogfather', as with most of the Discworld series, is available in Kindle form as well as being in print and widely available second-hand. 

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