⭐ I’m going to start a new thingy, or call it a self-challenge, to review and make a fanart of each book I read this year… I posted this at my Instagram Profile andat Goodreads. My challenge this year is to read 24 books!
⚡ Here it goes my first one, a re-read that I finished just after Christmas:
Review of «Hogfather» by Terry Pratchett
Hogfather could be a philosophic book if it weren’t for all the weird and funny stuff happening. Why does fantasy exist? Why do both adults and children need to believe in fantasy? Do the Gods only exist if you believe in them?
This is Terry Pratchet’s magic at its best: combine in-depth existential deliberations with the Tooth Fairy, the God of Hangovers and Death’s granddaughter in a search to bring back the world from its ending.
It is also a very good introductory book to the Discworld.. They are all here: Death, the Wizards, the Watch… only missing the Witches (my favorite character series). Although it looks a bit dark and scary, don’t be afraid kids, it’s a Terry Pratchett book!
What about the plot? The Hogfather (a type of Father Christmas) has disappeared and Death takes up playing his role… so the world doesn’t end. But everything depends on Susan (Death’s granddaughter) who will have to find out what really happened and try to fix it. Beware of her! She has a poker and won’t hesitate to use it against the monsters under your bed.
Definitely one of the best books of Pratchett and great fun to read!
Here there is my favorite quote:
“All right,» said Susan. «I’m not stupid. You’re saying humans need… fantasies to make life bearable.»
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
«Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—»
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
«So we can believe the big ones?»
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
«They’re not the same at all!»
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME…SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
«Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what’s the point—»
MY POINT EXACTLY.”