Hogfather
by Terry Pratchett
★ Top 25 book of 1996 · #22 on Best Books of 1996
On Hogswatchnight, the beloved Hogfather has vanished, and an Assassins' Guild member is up to something sinister. Death takes over the sleigh while his granddaughter Susan races to save the holiday and the world's myths.
Best for: Discworld fans who want a festive, darkly funny fantasy with Death at its heart
Hogfather is #22 on BookWard's Best Books of 1996, out of 38 1996 books that cleared our data bar.
What Hogfather is about
In Terry Pratchett's twentieth Discworld novel, first published in 1996, the Hogfather is a mythical figure much like Father Christmas, who brings children presents on Hogswatchnight, December 32. When he goes missing, Death steps into the red suit, helped by his servant Albert, while Death's granddaughter Susan Sto Helit sets out to find and rescue him. Behind it all are the Auditors of Reality, celestial bureaucrats barred by the Rules from acting directly, who instead pay the Assassins' Guild to remove him.
The job falls to Mr. Teatime, a man known for ruthlessness and creative solutions. His plan involves stealing the Tooth Fairy's collected teeth to make children stop believing. That matters more than it sounds, because the Hogfather is also responsible for the sun rising. The result is a funny, warmly philosophical satire of Christmas, built around belief, myth and mortality. It was a 1997 British Fantasy Award nominee.
Hogfather on the Best Books of 1996
Hogfather came out in 1996. Of the 38 books first published in 1996 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #22 on our Best Books of 1996 list.
Why it made the list: 235 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (59 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1996 list
- Frindle Andrew Clements, #20
- Exquisite Corpse Poppy Z. Brite, #21
See all Best Books of 1996 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1995 Best Books of 1997.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 134 want to read it, 3 are reading it now and 98 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.1 out of 5 from 59 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 42 | 55% |
| Reader love | 66 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 5 | 20% |
Questions about Hogfather
When was Hogfather published?
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett was first published in 1996.
Was Hogfather one of the best books of 1996?
Hogfather is #22 on BookWard's Best Books of 1996, out of 38 1996 books that cleared our data bar. 235 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (59 ratings).
Why is Hogfather on the Best Books of 1996 list?
235 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (59 ratings).
More of the best books of 1996
- A Game of Thrones George R. R. Martin, #1
- The Green Mile Stephen King, #2
- Forbidden Knowledge Roger Shattuck, #3
- Push Sapphire, #4
- Fight Club Chuck Palahniuk, #5
- Neverwhere Neil Gaiman, #6
See the full Best Books of 1996, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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