Book:Hogfather
Hogfather | |
Co-author(s) | |
Illustrator(s) | |
Publisher | Doubleday |
Publication date | 7 November 1996 |
ISBN | 057506403X |
Pages | 416 |
RRP | |
Main characters | Death, Susan Sto Helit, Mr. Teatime |
Series | Death Series |
Annotations | View |
Notes | Adapted as a TV film in 2006 |
All data relates to the first UK edition. |
Blurb
It's the night before Hogswatch. And it's too quiet.
There's snow, there're robins, there're trees covered with decorations, but there's a notable lack of the big fat man who delivers the toys ...
Susan the governess has got to find him before morning, otherwise the sun won't rise. And unfortunately, her only helpers are a raven with an eyeball fixation, the Death of Rats and an oh god of hangovers.
Worse still, someone is coming down the chimney. This time he's carrying a sack instead of a scythe, but there's something regrettably familiar ...
Ho. Ho. Ho.
It's true what they say.
'You'd better watch out ...'
Plot
The story begins in the evening before Hogswatch, the Discworld counterpart of Christmas. Susan Sto Helit has found work as a governess in the Gaiter household, where her ability to see bogeymen and defeat them with a fire poker comes in extremely useful. Meanwhile, the Auditors of Reality pay the Assassins Guild a huge fee to assassinate the Hogfather. Lord Downey sends for Jonathan Teatime, a young, dangerously talented assassin. Teatime employs five criminals, a wizard and a locksmith in his mission.
Death appears to Susan to tell her that the Hogfather is 'unavailable', and he will have to deliver the presents in his place. In Death's library, she discovers the god's hourglass has shattered and travels with Binky, the Death of Rats and a raven to the Castle of Bones, which collapses due to lack of belief. Here, she discovers the newly created Bilious, the "Oh God" of Hangovers, and brings him back to the Unseen University to be cured of his illness. At the University, it is revealed by Hex that the wizards are (accidentally) creating Small Gods to compensate for the lack of belief in the Hogfather.
Susan follows a trail through Ankh-Morpork and discovers that Violet Bottler, a human Tooth Fairy, went missing while taking a tooth to a criminal Banjo Lilywhite (one of Teatime's assistants). In Death's library, her biography shows she is being held captive in the land of the Tooth Fairy. Susan, the Oh God and Binky travel to the land, a world created by children's imagination. In the tower, they rescue Bottler and discover that their enemies have been using the children's teeth to control the children into not believing in the Hogfather.
Meanwhile, Teatime's group have been trying to unlock a door at the top of the tower. As Susan climb to the top of the tower, Teatime's accomplices are devoured by their childhood fears, apart from Banjo, who turns on the Assassin and refuses to attack Susan. Teatime grabs Death's sword off her but it fails to work, since children do not understand death. Susan succeeds in pushing Teatime off the tower where he falls into the pile of teeth. Through the door, she finds the original bogeyman, who became a children's myth as adults stopped believing in him. The bogeyman collected teeth to stop people from controlling the children. Susan leaves Banjo to clean up, and Bilious announces that he will be getting a new job.
Death takes her to the site of the Castle of Bones where the Hogfather, in the form of a pig, is being chased by Auditors in the form of dogs. Susan joins with the pig and guides him to safety over a cliff, while Death confronts the Auditors and condemns them for breaking the Rules. The Auditors are unable to lose their solid form and disappear off the edge of the cliff. The Hogfather transforms back into human form and flies off into the night. Death explains to her that childhood fantasies are important and help us to be human, since later we must understand bigger lies such as Justice, Mercy and Duty.
As they return to the Gaiter's house, Teatime follows them in and contemplates trying to kill Death. Susan throws the nursery poker and thanks to the power of the children's belief, it passes straight through Death and impales the Assassin.
Sub-Plots
- Death's tenure as the Hogfather, aided by Albert. Death barges into the grotto Crumley's department store and causes a flood of people into the shop by giving out his own presents. There is much discussion between Death and Albert on the meaning of Hogswatch, and an alternative version of the story of King Wenceslas.
- Much of the humour in the book comes from in the University. Each time the Wizards mention a non-existent lare or penate, they are suddenly created, to fill the void caused by the Hogfather's absence (e.g. "Veruca Gnome", "Eater of Socks" and worst of all, the "Cheerful Fairy"). In addition, Ridcully also discovers Archchancellor Weatherwax's bathroom, designed by the dreaded Bergholt Stuttley Johnson. He re-seals it after two near accidents, one involving a tap marked Old Faithful, and a worse problem involving the University Organ, which is not described in the narrative.
Characters
Major Characters
- Jonathan Teatime, an assassin
- Susan Sto-Helit, Death's granddaughter
- Death
- Auditors of Reality
- Hogfather, a god
- Albert
- Bilious, the Oh God of Hangovers
- The Wizards of the Unseen University:
- Mustrum Ridcully, Archchancellor of Unseen UniversityUniversity
- Lecturer in Recent Runes
- Chair of Indefinite Studies
- The Bursar
- Hex
- Ponder Stibbons
- Adrian Turnipseed aka Mad Drongo
- Dean
- Senior Wrangler
- the Librarian
Minor Characters
- Lord Downey, head of the Assassins' Guild
- Mr Winvoe, Assassins' Guild Treasurer.
- Modo, Unseen University's gardener and odd-job dwarf
- Lares and penates (small gods) created during the book (most, not all, cease to exist once belief in the Hogfather is restored):
- Verruca Gnome
- Hair Loss Fairy
- Eater of Socks
- Stealer of Pencils
- God of Indigestion
- Towel Wasps
- Cheerful Fairy (aka Gwendoline Smith) and the Blue Bird of Happiness (a blue bird [a hen, in fact], not a bluebird)
- Glingleglingleglingle Fairy
- The Tooth Fairy, the original bogeyman
- Death of Rats, with his mount Quoth (Quoth isn't mentioned by name in this book)
- The Gaiter family:
- Twyla Gaiter, precocious 5-year-old girl who acts ingratiatingly cute to charm people
- Gawain Gaiter, Twyla's brother
- Mrs Gaiter, their mother, a social climber
- Mr Gaiter, their father, in the wholesale shoes and boots business
- Villains who assist Teatime:
- Chickenwire
- Medium Dave Lilywhite
- Banjo Lilywhite
- Catseye
- Peachy
- Mr Sideney, a wizard, who owes money to Chrysoprase
- Mr Brown, a locksmith
- Ernie, a carter, killed by Teatime
- Boars of the Hogfather:
- Binky, Death's horse
- Nobby Nobbs, watchman
- Constable "Washpot" Visit, watchman
- Violet Bottler, who lives on Shamlegger Street
- Mrs. Anaglypta Huggs, revisionist folklorist, who is embarassed by the
- Canting Crew:
- Foul Ole Ron
- Coffin Henry
- The Duck Man
- Arnold Sideways
- Gaspode (not mentioned by name, just called "Foul Ole Ron's thinking brain dog")
Cameos and Mentions
- Didactylos, philosopher
- Sir Geoffrey, guest of the Gaiters
- the Sandman (mentioned)
- Old Man Trouble (mentioned)
- Mr Winvoe, Assassin's Guild Treasurer
- Carter, Assassin's Guild servant
- Sir George, one of Teatime's victims (as was Sir George's dog)
- Soul Cake Duck (mentioned)
- Scissor Man
- General Tacticus (mentioned)
- Rachel and Verity, friends of Twyla's (mentioned)
- Other Ankh-Morpork villains named Dave or similar (mentioned):
- K. W. Dobson, assassin (mentioned)
- DeBris Gang (mentioned)
- Packley, a man with a strongroom (mentioned)
- Igor, barman at Biers
- Shlimazel, a bogeyman
- Captain Carrot (mentioned as "Captain Carrot One-Man Night Watch" doll set; since it's unlikely Carrot would merchandise himself, one wonders if Dibbler is responsible here?)
- Children who meet or write to the Hogfather:
- Virginia Prood, a girl
- James Riddle
- Doreen, a girl who wants (and gets) a castle and sword for Hogswatch, not a Baby Tinkler Doll, nor a Just Like Mummy Cookery Set, and especially not a Cut-Out Kitchen Range Book, despite what her mother says.
- Aaron Fidget, a Hogfather disbeliever who lives in The Pines on Edgeway Road, whose Hogswatch desire include the book Walnut's Inoffensive Reptiles of the Sto Plains
- Euphrasia Coat, a girl who wants (and gets) a pony for Hogswatch
- Jack Frost
- Ronnie Jenks, bully who used to beat up Sideney
- Angie, Ronnie's wife, and her sister Continence
- Gammer Wimblestone, ran dame school Sideney attended
- Mrs Gammage, regular at Biers (mentioned)
- John Barleycorn, a supernatural entity (mentioned)
- "Bloody Stupid" Johnson
- Archchancellor Weatherwax (mentioned)
- Vernon Crumley, owner of Crumley's in the Maul
- Miss Harding, cashier at Crumley's
- Windle Poons (mentioned)
- Blind Io (mentioned)
- Ma Lilywhite, Banjo and Dave's deceased mother
- Glossy Ron, person killed by Ma Lilywhite
- Bibulous, the God of Wine
- Prophet Ossory (mentioned)
- Mrs Whitlow (mentioned)
- Sarah, the Little Match Girl, scheduled to die at the doorway of Thimble's Pipe and Tobacco Shop, Money Trap Lane
- Osric Pencillium, inventor (or possibly discoverer) of the pencil
- Children visited by Violet Bottler in her role as tooth fairy:
- William Wittles aka "Willy" and "Tosser", who lives at 68 Kicklebury Street
- Sophie Langtree aka "Daddy's Princess", who lives at 5 The Hippo
- the Honorable Jeffrey Bibbleton aka "Trouble in Trousers" and "Foureyes", who lives at Scrote Manor, Park Lane
- Nuhakme Icta aka "Little Jewel"
- William Rubin, who, due to a misunderstanding, had all his teeth taken by Violet (using pliers)
- Charlie, runs Bulk Collection and Despatch for the Tooth Fairy
- Jermain, a king's page
- Anon (mentioned), collective reference for people who never received a name
- Aabana Bottler (mentioned)
- Anaglypta Huggs, Hogswatch caroler who carefully removes offensive elements from songs like The Red Rosy Hen
- Miss Butts (mentioned), Susan's former teacher (mentioned by full name in Soul Music)
- Thomas Ague, visited by a tooth fairy (not necessarily Violet), lives at 9 Castle View in Sto Lat
- Fate (mentioned)
- Professor of Applied Anthropics
- Archchancellor Buckleby (mentioned), died in a wardrobe
- Mericet (mentioned)
- Archchancellor Spode (mentioned)
- Lord Selachii (mentioned)
- Ventre, Quirmian philosopher who expounds the Discworld equivalent of Pascal's Wager
- Electric Drill Chuck Key Fairy (mentioned)
Locations
- Ankh-Morpork
- Unseen University
- High Energy Magic Building
- Great Hall
- Archchancellor Bowell's Remembrance, a room presumably named after Bowell, an Archchancellor
- Uncommon Room
- Tower of Art (mentioned)
- Sator Square
- Unreal Estate
- Short Street (mentioned)
- The Maul, a mall
- Crumley's, a store in the Maul
- The Shades (mentioned)
- Treacle Mine Road (mentioned)
- Goose Gate (mentioned)
- Nap Hill (mentioned)
- YMPA (Banjo was staying there)
- Phedre Road (mentioned)
- River Ankh (mentioned)
- Gleam Street (mentioned)
- Unseen University
- Child's Painting Land, a land which looks like a child's painting
- Omnia (mentioned)
- Krull (mentioned)
- Quirm (mentioned)
- Death's Domain
- Room of Life-timers
- Llamedos (mentioned)
- Klatch (mentioned)
- Agatean Empire (mentioned)
- Ramtops (mentioned)
- Castle of Bones, a castle made of ice, the Hogfather's home
- Dunmanifestin, mountain home of the Gods
- Sumtri, land where the pencil bush was first discovered
- Scrote (mentioned)
- Howondaland (mentioned as place where people eat insects)
- Hall of Murgle, a hall with a famous lock
- Genua (mentioned)
Things and Concepts
- Hogswatchnight, holiday setting for book
- Year of the Sideways Leech (mentioned)
- Viper House, a house (dormitory?) in the Assassin's Guild
- Thieves' Guild (mentioned)
- Campaign for Equal Heights, an activism group for dwarfs, pixies, and other vertically-challenged members of society
- Improved Manicure Device, Bloody Stupid invention used to peel potatoes
- Dolls of All Nations singing Wouldn't It Be Nice If Everyone Was Nice, parody of the It's a Small World attraction and song, most commonly associated with Disneyland.
- Dried frog pills
- Aurora Corealis, atmospheric phenomenon resembling Aurora Borealis, but magical rather than electromagnetic.
- Fast of St Ossory, celebrated in Omnia about the same time as Hogswatch
- Book of St Ossory, a religious book
- Wow-Wow Sauce, a dangerous condiment, outlawed in three cities
- Englebert's Enhancer, a substance that enhances properties of other substances
- Spold's Unstirring Divisor, a spell that separates things
- scumble, alcoholic drink made from "mainly apples"
- Burleigh and Stronginthearm, crossbow manufacturers
- Bows and Ammo, magazine parodying Guns_and_Ammo
- Fighting Tiger Limpet, fairly aggressive mollusk favored (as food) by wizards
- 'Three Wizards' Chardonnay, a brand of wine
- Year of the Talking Frog (mentioned)
- Winkles Old Peculiar, a brand of beer
- Woddeley's Basic Gods, a book
- First Empire, time period
- Happy Tales, a reading primer
- Hunt the Slipper, a game
- Chase My Neighbour Up The Passage, a game
- Hooray Jolly Tinker, a game
- Krullian pipefish, an animal that's probably not related to bananas
- Offler's League of Temperance, a group that refrains from alcohol
- Dratley and Sons, wardrobe manufacturers
- Sardines, identical to the Roundworld game of the same name
- Grandmother's Footsteps, a game
- I Spy, also a Roundworld game
- Woddeley's Occult Sequence, a locking spell
- Twurp's Peerage, a book about nobility
- SpoIt's Forthright Respirator, spell that can help people breathe
- Bells of St Ungulant's, song (mentioned)
- Bubble's Catastrophe Suite, organ piece played by the Librarian
- Beggars' Guild (mentioned)
- Sago-sago tree (mentioned)
- Burglar Crab (mentioned)
- Ice Bear (mentioned)
Television
Terry Pratchett's Hogfather | |
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000V7ZMK0.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg | |
ASIN | B000V7ZMK0 |
IMDB | 0765458 |
First Broadcast | 17-18 December 2006 |
Broadcast Channel | Sky One |
Director(s) | Vadim Jean |
Producer(s) | Rod Brown & Ian Sharples |
Writer(s) | {{{writer}}} |
Starring | Michelle Dockery, Marc Warren, Ian Richardson, Joss Ackland, David Jason |
Duration | 189 minutes |
Episodes | 2 |
Series | Death Series |
Annotations | Annotations for Book:Hogfather |
Notes | |
Preceded by | Soul Music |
Followed by | Terry Pratchett's The Colour Of Magic |
All data relates to the UK home release. |
The novel was made into a TV film in 2006. Titled Terry Pratchett's Hogfather, it was first broadcast as a two-parter on Sky One, on 17 December and 18 December. Terry Pratchett made a cameo as a toymaker.
Cast
- Susan Sto Helit - Michelle Dockery (Fingersmith, Downton Abbey)
- Jonathan Teatime - Marc Warren (Hustle, State of Play, Band of Brothers)
- Death (voice) - Ian Richardson (House of Cards, The Final Cut)
- Albert - David Jason (Only Fools And Horses, A Touch Of Frost, The Darling Buds of May)
- Mustrum Ridcully - Joss Ackland (White Mischief, Lethal Weapon 3, Cliffhanger, Midsommer Murders)
- Lord Downey - David Warner (Planet of The Apes, The Omen)
- Mr. Sideney - Nigel Planer (The Young Ones)
- The Raven (voice) - Neil Pearson (Bridget Jones' Diary, Drop The Dead Donkey)
- Medium Dave Lilywhite - Peter Guinness (Sleepy Hollow, Coronation Street)
- Banjo Lilywhite - Stephen Marcus (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels)
- Violet Bottler the Tooth Fairy - Sinead Matthews (Pride And Prejudice)
- Bilious - Rhodri Meilir (My Family)
- Ernie The Cart Driver - Arthur White (A Touch of Frost, The Darling Buds of May)
- Vernon Crumley - Tony Robinson (Blackadder, Time Team)
External links
Hogfather Annotations - The Annotated Pratchett File
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