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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Who's that skeleton in the red and white?, November 15, 2002
Hogfather, the twentieth Discworld adventure written by Terry Pratchett, is a wonderful tale about the power of belief and what it can bring to humanity. I found myself laughing out loud constantly while reading this book, which is always a good sign, and definitely a step up from Sourcery. It was very pleasurable to be enjoying Pratchett again. It was also very nice to have a good Death book again, after the small bump that was Soul MusicCan anybody not like the idea of a skeletal Death, all decked out in a red and white costume with false beard and false belly, trying to go down chimneys and bring presents to all the good little boys and girls of the world? The idea itself is enough to get me laughing, but Pratchett's implementation of it has to be seen to be believed. Pratchett pulls out all the stops in this one, with laughs as simple as Death trying to figure out how to open a door to let Albert into the house, and as complicated as philosophical discussions about human belief and how it orders the universe (in a way that the Auditors don't like, of course). Death continues to marvel at the ability of humanity to "be untruthful" by "telling the universe it is other than it is." This powerful belief creates beings like the Hogfather, the Tooth Fairy, the Boogeyman (the original!), that sort of thing. That's what makes Death such a wonderful character: his ability to learn, to adapt, and to see both the strengths and weaknesses of humanity, as well as his fascination with how humans do things. Susan, his granddaughter, just wants to be normal again. It's been two years since Soul Music, and she doesn't want to go back to that life. But while Death can take the Hogfather's place, he can't physically intervene in the events that are occuring, so Susan must. She goes on a journey that takes her to where the Hogfather usually lives, and to the realm of the Tooth Fairy, where Teatime is using the magic of the teeth to erase the belief in the Hogfather. Susan is much more interesting in this book then in Soul Music, mainly because it doesn't take her as long to start getting in on the action. Previously, the entire first part of the book was spent with "recruiting" her to what needed to be done. In Hogfather, it happens much more quickly, which makes the beginning of the book a lot more interesting. The beginning also contains a little bit of foreshadowing. She is governess of two children, whose previous governess constantly reminded them that certain monsters would get them if they did something, and now Susan has to fight them off they are created by the children's belief. I found this very effective, and a good prelude to the philosophical aspect of the story. The wizards are their usual selves, bumbling along making you wonder how they ever get through life, as well as wondering how they'd ever survive if they weren't in the insular confines of the University. Pratchett does flesh them out a bit, giving them even more personality then they had before. The Archchancellor is remarkably on top of things at times, while at other times he's as dense as a brick. He has the ability to pick up what is happening a lot quicker than you would think. The Bursar is his usual excitable self, downing Dried Frog Pills to make life bearable. I found it hilarious when they would make monsters and fairies appear by speaking aloud their wonderment at various aspects of life. "Supposing some idiot says there must be a god of indigestion, eh?" As usual, Pratchett uses the wizards for two things: to illustrate the effect of what is going on in the story, and as yet another source of comedy. That's why I find the wizards fascinating and very useful to the plot. While on first view their story is completely separate (though they do interact with both Susan and Death), it actually has a lot to do with the what's going on. Pratchett's talent for wonderful characters continues with everybody else in the book. Teatime's a very creepy person. He's one of the few people who could figure out how to kill somebody like the Hogfather. He's ruthless, willing to kill on a whim, and very determined to get the job done. Then there's the oh god, the God of Hangovers, who is constantly sick and feeling horrible because he take personifies all the effects of drinking. He's miserable, but he plays the faithful companion to Susan on her mission. He's new to the world, but he's willing to learn. Those are just a few of the great characters, but there are many more. Pratchett's writing is at the top of his form, with hardly a misstep. Susan is still slightly dull, but other than that, everything's a winner. He moves effortlessly from slapstick comedy to serious discussions of the nature of the universe and then back again. His descriptions are both humorous and yet true to life. While you can read the book just for the humour value, it's Pratchett's comments on the nature of belief and how we humans make the world up as we go along that really makes this book a standout. Whether or not you agree with him, the points are interestingly made, but they don't detract from the fun of the book at all. The book is a must read for any Pratchett fan, and it would make a wonderful introduction to the series to a newcomer, as none of the previous Death books are needed to understand this one. Death is back. Oh how I've missed him.
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by Terry Pratchett
by Terry Pratchett
by Terry Pratchett
by Terry Pratchett
by Stephen Briggs
