The classic collaboration from the internationally bestselling authors Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, soon to be an original series starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant.?Season 2 of Good Omens coming soon!“Good Omens . . . is something like what would have happened if Thomas Pynchon, Tom Robbins and Don DeLillo had collaborated. Lots of literary inventiveness in the plotting and chunks of … collaborated. Lots of literary inventiveness in the plotting and chunks of very good writing and characterization. It’s a wow. It would make one hell of a movie. Or a heavenly one. Take your pick.” —Washington Post
According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.
So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.
And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .
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For those seeking words of comfort in these apocalyptic times, I send you GOOD OMENS! Definitely worth a read and a giggle.
Anyone familiar with Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman will enjoy this take off on The Omen. I laughed out loud several times reading this book, and spent much of the rest of it smiling or chuckling at the charming story based on a switched-at-birth tale with cosmic consequences.
Neil Gaiman is best known as the author of American Gods, while the late Pratchett was the author of the popular Discworld series. Two literary heavy hitters deliver an impressive and delightful read.
Pratchett’s whimsy shown as a lovely counterbalance to Gaiman’s thoughtful prose. I adored the characters and the witty banter between the characters.
Journey into a whimsical, magical world during the holidays. Takes you into a different space-time where creatures of many types mingle, love takes a new face, and unexpected things happen. Fun and entertaining.
A funny, unique, amazing read. a book that’ss hard to describe or categorize but it is spectacular. A perfect book for those people in your life who view life through psychedelic glasses. I generally pull it out every couple of years to enjoy again. Read it!!!
Dark, witty and ironic, ‘Good Omens’ is a brilliant read. This should come as no surprise, given that its authors are both creative geniuses.
’Good Omens’ ticks all the boxes for the perfect dark comic fantasy.
Two of the best fantasy authors of our generation collaborating? Yes please! Funny and delightfully different like only Gaiman and Pratchett can deliver.
It was my first introduction into the world of Terry Pratchett and I’ve been hooked ever since. The characters are engaging and witty. The story line is interesting and holds your attention and it is funny!
If I were to pick a setting for a comedy, I’m not sure it would Armageddon. However, in the talented minds of Pratchett and Gaiman, it’s the perfect setting. Another disclosure, I’m a sucker for British humour – give me Monty Python, Douglas Adams, Benny Hill, Red Dwarf, and even Rickey Gervais and I’ll right larf out loude! It’s just the right mix of clever, deadpan, sarcasm, innuendo, and self-deprecation for me.
I wanted to get this read before I watched the new Amazon Prime series. It’s a good time to be reading this book, as we all need a laugh (or at least I do). In a time where some days feel like the start of the apocalypse (climate change, middle east, American & British politics, virus pandemics, etc.. etc.), it feels good to laugh at Judgement Day.
For me this book read much more like a Terry Pratchett story, than a Neil Gaiman tale. I was impressed that the writing style seemed to be consistent throughout. I think that’s as much Gaiman’s ability to write in a Terry Pratchett style as anything. In the aftermatter, P&G amusingly reveal that they can no longer remember exactly who wrote what and suspect that neither wrote some of the parts.
As to the story, this book has many great characters, a complex, winding plot, and plenty of charm and surprises. You’ll meet angels, demons, inept witch hunters, the four horsemen, and even the anti-Christ. However, it’s primarily the humor that carries it. It’s full of twists of phases, funny observations, and of course, the trademark Pratchett footnotes. I enjoyed the humor more than the story, but it never was boring.
Once again, I feel compelled to explain why I am just now reading this novel, first published in 1990. Well, in the 1990’s, I had a wife, two young children, a cat, an older, fixer upper home with a needy yard, and an intense job. Something had to give. So I fully admit I missed an entire decade of literature, news, and music. I really got into Pearl Jam in about 2002 . . .
Any who, if you enjoy British humor, you’ll enjoy this book, if you don’t, you likely won’t. If you are easily offended by religious satire, you should probably skip this. But if you enjoy clever writing, adept observations on society and life, and masterful humor, you need to read this book. Five fiery, red glowing brimstone stars from me.
A witty and clever portrayal of Good and Evil at the End of Days.
Knowing nothing about this book, except a recommendation to read it, I downloaded the audiobook and gave it a try. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I was worried it would just be another story glorifying demons and their actions, but instead what I found was an ingenious story about good and evil and the blurred lines of both, all done in a comedic style. The authors flip a common trope upside down by showing us a demon and an angel who like living among the people, and would rather the world remain as it is; they appear to us as human and flawed on their journey toward stopping the coming Rapture. Insert a misplaced antichrist who is raised as a normal child, satanic nuns, a hellhound who morphs into the boy’s dog, the Four Horsemen, a wannabe biker gang, and aliens. Yes, aliens. And it all works!
I loved this so much! Once I finished the book, I immediately went over to watch the series, which is also well done, BUT I was a little disappointed that the biker gang that follow the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were not there. I thought that whole naming section was so clever in the book – Grievous Bodily Harm, Cruelty To Animals, Things Not Working Properly Even After You’ve Given Them A Good Thumping but secretly No Alcohol Lager, and Really Cool People.
Another part I totally adored was the spoof on nouvelle cuisine as Famine’s way to contribute to the cause. Ingenious! Other favorite parts include the antichrist as a boy and the whole Three-Card-Monty type maneuvering of the babies, the postal delivery guy, and the Agnes Nutter book of prophecies and how they were deciphered. The narration by Martin Jarvis was spot on.
My favorite quotes from Good Omens:
· “Don’t think of it as dying,” said Death. Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush.”
· “Potentially evil. Potentially good, too, I suppose. Just this huge powerful potentiality waiting to be shaped.”
· “It has been said that civilization is twenty-four hours and two meals away from barbarism.”
Side note: Maybe it is the writer in me, but while listening to the story the names of the main characters seem quite purposeful. Think about this:
Aziraphale – as in “a zero fail”
Crowley – when pronounced it sounds like “crawley” or something that crawls on the ground
It’s impossible to describe why Terry Pratchett is so hilarious. So of course I loved this book.
The only thing I have to add is that I listened to the audiobook, and while the narrator did a fabulous job with the voices, he went from one scene to the next without any pause. That could get a bit confusing. Of course since I can’t see the text I don’t know if it’s actually written like that or not.
To be honest, GOOD OMENS is not really my kind of book in much the same way that Douglas Adams’ HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY wasn’t… just to be clear, that would be all five books in the trilogy.
Spoilers be damned; let me see if I’ve got this right. The Antichrist is alive and well and living in a village in the English countryside. An angel and a demon are frenemies with an emphasis on the friend part of that absurd word. And, the world is going to end as prophesied in the book of Revelations. I think that about sums it up.
On the surface, GOOD OMENS may seem a nonsense book about the reality of good and evil. If you dig a little deeper it examines the human condition with all the foibles associated with same, it looks at the climate change crisis, and puts forward the concept that there is more gray area than actual pure good or pure evil.
I’ve had this book on the TBR that lives within that mind palace of good intentions. I finally decided to dust off the intention and make reading it a reality simply because David Tennant will be playing that devilish Crowley in the upcoming Amazon Prime/BBC2 six-part series set to debut on May 31, 2019. I will watch ANYTHING in which David Tennant plays a part. I must add that I am not among the-book-is-better (or worse)-than the movie (or other visual medium) crowd. I appreciate the various storytelling art forms on the merits of each. I don’t care if the visual story is different from the written as long as it tells a good story with reasonably good acting. Oh yes, Benedict Cumberbatch is the voice of Satan.
Written by two of my favorite authors, this fantasy about the end of the world is witty, touching, action-packed, and insightful on so many levels. I re-read it once a year and love it every time!
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett teamed up to write this blisteringly funny book that tackles just about every woe mankind is facing in these modern times – but of course, since it’s Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, you laugh like a lunatic all the way through it. From the switching of the babes, to the searching of the witch, to the dog from Hades – the end of the world never looked so good. Facing the problem of the apocalypse are an angel and a demon. Friend/enemies for 600 years, they’ve gotten rather attached to their lives among mortals and have decided to try and stop the end of the world from happening. But the four horsemen are coming (although they don’t know what they’re in for – imagine what Terry Pratchett has in store for them…) and everything is supposed to come to a head when the anti-Christ awakens his powers, only everything is going wonderfully awry. A must read – and I’m looking forward to the TV series!
I adore this clever and strange book. The relationships between the quirky characters are so endearing.
I can’t recommend this book enough, and I’m so looking forward to the soon-to-be series. The idea of a coming apocalypse is terrifying, but this potential outcome makes it worth the ride.
One of the best books I have ever read. I’ve been reading it for over 20 years and each time I read it, I find that it’s still just as wonderful as it was the last time.
Remo mended by a friend as ‘have to read’. I agree. Clever, plot twists, get you thinking book. Will probably read it again soon.
One of my favorite books of all time! It’s hilarious and such an original idea.
Two great authors that really show how they shine in a variety of ways. Neil’s character building with Terry’s story quirkiness just make this a delight. I’ve re-read this book more times than I can count & it’s never dull.