Pratchett's writing is distinguished both by his understated presentation of social statements and by his fascination with English. His major claims are frequently incorporated into a character's offhanded comments or placed in footnotes—Pratchett, like science-fiction author Jack Vance, uses footnotes to expand on elements of the text; in Pratchett's case, they also serve to draw attention to the text as a text, thus serving part of his satirical purpose while never being made the main focus of the plot. Few modern writers are as skillful as Pratchett at word-play; his frequent use of puns and double entendres could be tiresome if they were not so effortlessly incorporated, or if he seemed to be consciously drawing attention to them, but what he achieves instead is a tone of linguistic exuberance.

Pratchett is fond of using unlikely character juxtapositions for humorous effect, and Hogfather is no exception: the...