Books
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

see page history

Description edit see section history

Who would want to harm Discworld's most beloved icon? Very few things are held sacred in this twisted, corrupt, heartless -- and oddly familiar -- universe, but the Hogfather is one of them. Yet here it is, Hogswatchnight, that most joyous and acquisitive of times, and the jolly old,... read more

Summary edit see section history

The Guild of Assassins is hired by the Auditors to 'delete' the Fat Man, a.k.a. The Hogfather from existence.
Death must bring the Hogfather back with the help of his granddaughter, Susan and Albert, a pixie.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Susan Sto-Helit: governess to Mrs. Gaiter's children. Duchess. Death's granddaughter.
  • Mustrum Ridcully: Archchancellor of Unseen University, Mustrum was initially bought in when it was believed he would be a simple country Wizard, but he proved un-killable, and an era of peace and security has come over UU since. Ridcully is up at dawn, and is obsessed with hunting and game of all kinds.
  • Albert: oldest, most unpleasant pixie in the universe.
  • Medium Dave Lilywhite: criminal. Get's defensive when people make fun of his brother, Banjo.
  • Twyla and Gawain: Mrs. Gaiter's daughter and son
  • Hogfather: The Discworld version of Santa Claus, the Hogfather delivers gifts to nice children on Hogswatchnight. He arose from an old winter spirit.
  • Mr. Brown: best locksmith around.
  • Igor: barman of the Biers.
  • Catseye: criminal that sees like a cat; does a lot of work in the dark.
  • Mrs. Gaiter: Susan's employer.
  • Mister Teatime: sees things differently from other people by seeing other people as things. An Assassin.
  • Violet: works for the tooth fairy.
  • Ponder Stibbons: The only wizard at Unseen University to actually do any work, Ponder has invented a thinking machine named Hex. He represents the new generation of wizards who spend all their time in the high energy magic building falling asleep at the keyboard.
  • Bergholt Stuttley Johnson: the worst inventor in the world. Everything he made worked, just not the way they were suppose to work. A.k.a. Bloody Stupid Johnson.
  • Mr. Sideney: a wizard.
  • Corporal Nobbs and Constable Visit: Watchmen.
  • Jack Frost: The anthropomorphic personification of Winter. Jack designs ice crystals on windows, usually making it look like a fern.
  • Chickenwire: criminal that disposes of bodies in the sea somewhere.
  • Modo: University's gardener and odd-job dwarf.
  • the Auditors: The Auditors exist outside of space and time, they are the auditors of reality. They hate life because they believe it is messy. They initiate the plot to kill the Hogfather.
  • Mr. Winvoe: Guild Treasurer.
  • Carter: Guild servant.
  • Banjo Lilywhite: criminal. Dumb, but strong. Medium Dave's brother.
  • Peachy: criminal that's tough and scary. Doesn't like to shave; scared of blades
  • Death: Susan's grandfather.
  • The Grim Squeaker: the Death of Rats.
  • Gouger, Rooter, Tusker and Snouter: Hogfather's boars.
  • Raven: travels around with and translates for the Grim Squeaker.
  • Binky: Death's horse. Death had previously tried skeletal horses, but they kept falling apart. This is why he got Binky, who is a flesh and blood creature of purest white.
  • Bilious: Oh God of Hangovers.
  • Senior Wrangler, the Dean, the Chair of Indefinite Studies and the Lecturer in Recent Runes: wizards.
  • The Tooth Fairy: The First Bogeyman.
Show all 32 characters
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Quotes edit see section history

  • “The philosopher Didactylos has summed up an alternative hypothesis as 'Things just happen. What the hell.”
    Narrator
  • “In fact the Guild, he liked to think, practised the ultimate democracy. You didn't need intelligence, social position, beauty or charm to hire it. You just needed money which, unlike the other stuff, was available to everyone. Except for the poor, of course, but there was no helping some people.”
    Downey
  • “Mind you, the stuff for the girls was just as depressing. It seemed to be nearly all horses. Most of them were grinning. Horses, Death felt, shouldn't grin. Any horse that was grinning was planning something.”
    Death
  • “Everyone, it is said, has a book inside them. In this library, everyone was inside a book.”
    Narrator
  • “MERE ACCUMULATION OF OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE IS NOT PROOF.”
    Death
  • “They always gives me bath salts," complained Nobby. "And bath soap and bubble bath and herbal bath lumps and tons of bath stuff and I can't think why, 'cos it's not as if I hardly ever has a bath. You'd think they'd take the hint, wouldn't you?”
    Nobby
  • “++Divide By Cucumber Error. Please Reinstall Universe And Reboot++”
    Hex
  • “What good's a god who gives you everything you want? It's the hope that's important. Big part of belief, hope. Give people jam today and they'll just sit and eat it. Jam tomorrow, now - that'll keep them going forever.”
    Albert
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • Getting an education was a bit like a communicable sexual disease. It made you unsuitable for a lot of jobs and then you had the urge to pass it on.
    Highlighted by 10 Kindle customers
  • The truth may be out there, but lies are inside your head.
    Highlighted by 4 Kindle customers
  • MERE ACCUMULATION OF OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE IS NOT PROOF.
    Highlighted by 3 Kindle customers
  • Everything starts somewhere, although many physicists disagree.
    Highlighted by 3 Kindle customers
Show all 12 quotes from this book

First Sentence edit see section history

Everything starts somewhere, although many physicists disagree.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 20 of 53 in Discworld. (standard series)

Preceded by Feet of Clay, and followed by Jingo.

This is book 4 of 5 in Death of the Discworld. (standard series)

Preceded by Soul Music, and followed by Thief of Time.

This is book 137 of 196 in BBC 'Big Read' Top 200 Novels, 2003. (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Color Purple, and followed by The Thirty-Nine Steps.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Terry Pratchett (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Victor Gollancz
Country: Great Britain
Publication Date: 1996
ISBN: 057506403x
Page Count: 285

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history


We’re hiding the errata, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.