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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
In very fortunate timing just before I started listening to this, we'd finished watching the television movie made of the book staring Ian Richardson as the voice of Death (and narrator), David Jason as Albert, Marc Warren as Teatime, and Michelle Dockery as Susan. Really enjoyed this adaptation, not least because the cast really worked. And, it turned out, that the plot although obviously condensed considerably from the book wasn't bad either.
I do love the books featuring Susan. The ultimate governess type with the slightly disapproving manner and the deadly attitude when it comes to Boogie Men hiding under beds, Susan is not a woman to be trifled with. She's also not quite sure she gets being the granddaughter of Death - a complication in life that you have to acknowledge isn't usual.
A clever balancing act is also underway in this novel with a seriously creepy main villain in Teatime, never once taking away from the laugh out loud moments along the way. There is a lot of mayhem in this one, but Death's dry observational wit is particularly funny, and Albert is, as always, the perfect foil to Death's confusion and over-reaching.
Number 20 in the Discworld series overall, the 4th Novel featuring the character of DEATH, HOGFATHER is wonderful, and the audio narration by Nigel Planer (who plays Mr Sideney in the TV movie) was perfect.
I do love the books featuring Susan. The ultimate governess type with the slightly disapproving manner and the deadly attitude when it comes to Boogie Men hiding under beds, Susan is not a woman to be trifled with. She's also not quite sure she gets being the granddaughter of Death - a complication in life that you have to acknowledge isn't usual.
A clever balancing act is also underway in this novel with a seriously creepy main villain in Teatime, never once taking away from the laugh out loud moments along the way. There is a lot of mayhem in this one, but Death's dry observational wit is particularly funny, and Albert is, as always, the perfect foil to Death's confusion and over-reaching.
Number 20 in the Discworld series overall, the 4th Novel featuring the character of DEATH, HOGFATHER is wonderful, and the audio narration by Nigel Planer (who plays Mr Sideney in the TV movie) was perfect.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Для мене ця книга виявилася такою собі "прохідною". Гірша за "Душевну музику", але краща за "Жнеця". Цікаво, що нагромадження персонажів та ситуацій тут спеціально для того, щоб показати метушливу різдвяну атмосферу. Втім, мені чомусь було цікаво читати лише ті частини, де була Сюзен.
Honestly I spent a distressing amount of this book not really having any idea what was going on. But the very very last few pages--excellent. Worth the whole thing.
I so much enjoy Terry Pratchett's sense of humour. I've enjoyed every one of the Discworld novels I've read so far, and definitely look forward to picking up more of them.
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
One of Pratchett's best.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I have always loved Hogfather, possibly because I've always loved folklore and Hogfather is a pretty fun exploration of the topic. It turns out that the Hogfather, the Discworld's equivalent to Santa Claus, has essentially died, because nobody believed in him anymore and on the Discworld gods need belief to sustain them.
Of course this is just the stepping off point, as the book branches off in different directions to explore the results of this weird turn of events. Susan Sto-Helit, Death's granddaughter, is once again pulled away from her mundane life because Death is off playing Santa Claus and Susan has to fill in for him. Except this time she needs to stop a heist, as a group of hardened criminals is seeking to finish the Hogfather off. Meanwhile at the Unseen University, the wizards are dealing with the after effects of the Hogfather's passing, finding that the now released belief energy is grounding itself in unexpected ways, giving life to strange new beings.
Running through all of this is the central theme of where these beloved characters like Santa Claus really come from. Once you scrape off the commercial veneer, what is left? How do we get from "blood and snow" to a fat man in a suit going HO HO HO to a bunch of children?
Of course this is just the stepping off point, as the book branches off in different directions to explore the results of this weird turn of events. Susan Sto-Helit, Death's granddaughter, is once again pulled away from her mundane life because Death is off playing Santa Claus and Susan has to fill in for him. Except this time she needs to stop a heist, as a group of hardened criminals is seeking to finish the Hogfather off. Meanwhile at the Unseen University, the wizards are dealing with the after effects of the Hogfather's passing, finding that the now released belief energy is grounding itself in unexpected ways, giving life to strange new beings.
Running through all of this is the central theme of where these beloved characters like Santa Claus really come from. Once you scrape off the commercial veneer, what is left? How do we get from "blood and snow" to a fat man in a suit going HO HO HO to a bunch of children?