when all through the planet
Not a creature was stirring, except Susan Sto-Helit

Terry Pratchett's Discworld series has been marked by a series of hilarious (and thoughtful) parodies of life on our own planet. Pratchett takes a look at our own practices and customs and then filters them through the prism of a parallel universe known as Discworld. He has done this to great effect with the newspaper business (The Truth), Hollywood (Moving Pictures), rock and roll (Soul Music), and religion (Small Gods). The hilarious differences between the `real' and Discworld versions always provide the reader with hours of amusement and insight. Pratchett's treatment of the Santa Claus legend in Hogfather is no different.

Hogfather, Discworld's Santa is missing. He has been kidnapped by Teatime one of the most vicious villains created by Pratchett. Generally, the `bad guys' in Discworld have a number of amusing or redeeming qualities that help the reader see them as quirky, if bad. Teatime has no redeeming qualities. To that extent he seemed more similar to the villains of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere (Croup and Vandemaar) than to the lovable rogues from the Guild of Assassins.

Well, DEATH comes to the rescue and decides to take on Hogfather's role as gift giver on Hogswatch Night, Discworld's Christmas. DEATH is accompanied on this task by the ever faithful and ever grumbling Albert. The passages in which Pratchett has DEATH making his rounds led by his team of boars shouting "on Tusker, on Snooter, on Gouger and Router" were hilarious.

Susan Sto-Helit, DEATH's granddaughter, was not at all pleased by this development. Prodded by the Death of Rats and his translator sidekick, the Raven, Susan is soon reluctantly involved in her Grand-dad's attempts to fill in the gaps caused by Hogfather's disappearance. It becomes apparent that the disappearance is all part of a grand plot by the scheming Auditors who, like all masters of evil have grand plans to end the universe as we know it.

As always, Pratchett keeps the story galloping along at a rip-roaring pace. Susan meets troubles in a manner reminiscent of the Perils of Pauline. Eventually we are faced with the climactic confrontation between DEATH and Teatime. Pratchett always seems to find a clever way to bring his books to satisfactory conclusion.

One of the best parts of the book, for me, was Pratchett's portrayal of DEATH's apparent fondness for mortals despite the fact that his sole (soul?) purpose in life (death?) was to facilitate the earthly end of all our lives. Pratchett's ability to imbue DEATH with such human characteristics without taking away from the other aspects of his immortal character is deeply moving to me.

All in all this was a very satisfying chapter in the Discworld series. Given the night before Hogswatch feel of the book it is fitting to conclude this review as it began:

DEATH sprang to his sleigh, to his Boars gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard DEATH exclaim, `ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Hogswatch to all, and to all a good-night!"