Shannon C.’s review of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Fantasy humor fiction released by Ace 1 May 96, re-released by Harper in trade ppb 7 Aug 07

An embarrassing number of people have told me that I need to read both Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I had read neither until I picked up Good Omens on a whim and consequently realized that I’d put off a very real treat.

The plot of this novel is convoluted, and I’m not sure I could do it justice. But basically it’s about Armageddon, and about an angel named Aziraphale and a demon named Crowley, both of whom kind of… like Earth. It’s also about a mix-up involving the Antichrist being switched with another baby and growing up in lower Tadfield in England without anyone noticing, and about the ranks of the Witchfinder Army, and the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter.

This book, obviously, doesn’t take itself terribly seriously, and is written in a droll, quintessentially British, style that I love. In fact, I’m pretty sure that the only way that I’d have enjoyed this book more would have been to actually *be* British, which, sadly, I’m not.

I suspect some may find the fact that Pratchett and Gaiman poke fun at all sorts of religions a bit offensive. Personally, I ended up smiling and nodding and laughing out loud in places. Which is the whole point, as I don’t think this book is meant to be especially deep. I found that I agreed with most of the observations the authors made about people, and I found the story itself to be a great fun-filled romp. I don’t think I’ll be rereading it, but I do think people who enjoy funny books, satire, and even tales of the apocalypse, should give this one a go. Plus, after you read the book, you can check out the line of Good Omens-inspired fragrances from one of my favorite eTailers.

Grade: B+

Summary:

According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter – the world’s only totally reliable guide to the future, the world will end on a Saturday.

Next Saturday, in fact.

Just before dinner.

Which means that Armageddon will happen on Saturday night. There will be seas on fire, rains of fish, the moon turning to blood and the massed armies of Heaven and Hell will sort it out once and for all.

Which is a major problem for Crowley, Hell’s most approachable demon and former serpent, and his opposite number and old friend Aziraphale, genuine angel and London bookshop owner. They like it down here (or in Crowley’s case, up here).

So they’ve got no alternative but to stop the Four Motorcyclists of the Apocalypse, defeat the marching ranks of the Witchfinder army* and – somehow – stop it all from happening.

Above all (or, in Aziraphale’s case, below all) they need to find and kill the Antichrist, currently the most powerful creature on Earth.

This is a shame.

Because he’s eleven years old, loves his dog even though it’s really a Satanic hellhound under all that hair, really cares about the environment and is the sort of boy anyone would be proud to have as a son. He’s also totally invulnerable, and a nice kid.

And if that isn’t enough, they’ve still got Sunday to deal with…

*All two of them.

Go here for a nice long excerpt.

If you click on the link to the fragrance site, she has a few small bits of the book quoted throughout.