Sunday, March 15, 2009

Hogfather

Author: Terry Pratchett
Back-of-the-Book Description: (I edited this description a little because I felt like it--so be warned!) This year the Auditors, who want people to stop believing in things that aren't real, have hired an assassin to eliminate the Hogfather. (You know him: red robe, white beard, says, "Ho, ho, ho!") Their evil plot will destroy the Discworld unless someone covers for him. So someone does. Well, at least Death tries. He wears the costume and rides the sleigh drawn by four jolly pigs: Gouger, Tusker, Rooter, and Snouter. He even comes down chimneys. But as fans of other Pratchett stories about Death know, he takes things literally, and just posing for the Hogfather isn't quite enough... it'll take a bit of help from his clever granddaughter, Susan, and a few other characters to get everything together in time for a pleasant Hogswatch.
My Description: Hogfather is really, really funny. Hogfather also is really, really, really, really confusing, but I think it's supposed to be... it zips from one character to another without a second glance (because of which there's practically no timeline and that makes it super hard to find your spot once you've lost it), and things in the Unseen University and other spots in the book are just plain whacked. It would be nice if there had been a bit more clarity with the story... it could still be confusing and crazy, but if it had made just a little more sense I would have enjoyed the book more.
Some of the random people on the side they brought up were a little mean. I would have liked to like them, because I like liking characters, but I couldn't. Also, there's quite a bit of profanity in this story... the S-word for certain and quite a few others I can't remember. I just thought I'd let you know.
Mr. Teatime (pronounced teh-ah-tim-eh) is really scary. Sometimes I walk down the halls at night and have to look over my shoulder... He made a cool villain, if more than a little quirky; there just isn't anything quite like him. He's a little annoying in the movie, but in the book he's better. My favorite part of the book was when he and a guard he's going to kill have this short conversation; I don't want to give it away, but that one part was cut short in the movie, and in the book it's just hysterical to me.
My favorite character is Death... he's good and kind and has more funny moments than I can count. I loved Death.

Anyways, all in all, a quirky and near hysterical book. I really enjoyed it.
Pages:
Recommendations: There's a lot of death and fowl language, so definitely for older readers. I suppose there are a few families that might be able to read it together, but be warned.
Book Or Movie?: It's kind of hard to choose since the movie is just like the book--I mean word for word. Teatime was a little annoying in the movie, but that weird way he way at one place and then you look away and then he's at another was cool and made up for that. I liked the character of Bilious (the oh god of hangovers) a little better in the book, but he was fine in the movie. All in all, I can't decide. They're both great.
Writing Rating: 8 1/2
Story Rating: 7 1/2
Overall Rating: 8

Book #15 of '09, Book #65 of all

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