It started off strong with an audacious setup. This put me in a weird state of mind when starting this book, though, as there was so much unknown to me that I was excited to finally dig into, yet it was also a little too familiar. I even went out of my way to watch scenes from the TV movie adaptation years ago too. It’s easy to see why, it’s a very quotable book. No other novel in the series has been referenced nearly as often, as far as I’ve seen. If you have even a passing interest in the series or the author, you have no doubt come across quotes lifted from this book at least once or twice. I’d been anticipating reading this novel since before I started my read-through of Discworld, over five years ago now. If she fails, the sun may never rise again. It’s a race against the clock as Hogswatch morning approaches. With Death unwilling to inform Susan of what is going on, it’s up to her to learn the reason for her grandfather’s odd behaviour and uncover what has happened to the Hogfather. He’s nowhere to be found, and in his place is Death, trying to fill the big man’s over-sized coat. Aside from such hiccups, everything is perfectly normal, just the way she wants them to be.īut things take a turn for the stranger on Hogswatch Eve, a time when a jolly fat man is meant to be about delivering presents to all the good little girls and boys. She knows all too well how powerful imagination and superstition can be on the Discworld. Sure, she occasionally has to bash in the heads of monsters the kids imagine live under their beds or in the basement, but such things are old hat for someone like Susan. Susan Sto Helit, the granddaughter of Death himself, has settled into a life of education, living with a wealthy family as their astute and capable governess. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett is the 20th novel in the author’s comic fantasy Discworld series, and the fourth in the Death sub-series.

Hogfather book