"Good Omens"

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Pages: 369 Genre: fantasy

Rating: 5 Stars

I think it's hard for me to properly put into words how much I loved this book. I've been wanting to read it for ages (at least since Season 1 of the show came out), but I had put it off for so long. After finally reading it, I'm so relieved it lived up to the hype.

This is the story of the end of the world. At least that's what The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, which was written in 1655 and hasn't been wrong since. Good and Evil are preparing, and everything seems to be going according to the Divine Plan. Except for the angel and demon (Aziraphale and Crowley) living on Earth who aren't too eager for the Apocalypse. Also, they may or may not have misplaced the Antichrist.

I'm a bit of a nerd for literature with religious symbolism and messages. I love a good Christian commentary, and my favorite thing to explore what different pieces say about the universe and humanity's role in it. Basically, I became very obsessed with this book very quickly. Although it's technically a satire, I was really drawn to the way Good Omens plays on Christian theology. I've never been quite as eager to read Revelation as I was after finishing it.

Admittedly the beginning was a little confusing for me, although I'm not sure how much of that was reader error or not. Reading it the second time, having a much better understanding of what I was watching, was a lot easier to follow, so I might've just been confused. It was also a little strange to go from fan commentary on the show (which focuses a lot more on Aziraphale and Crowley) to the book (which is more of an ensemble cast), so it took a moment to reorient myself. Once the plot really got going, though, I didn't want to put the book down.

I really enjoyed the writing style. I haven't read any of either Pratchett or Gaiman's solo work, so I don't know if I need to thank one or the other more, but it was so funny and clever. The tone of the narrator was so playful, and all of it was so witty. I was actively laughing out loud at some points.

The characters are the real stars of the show. Of course we have to give accolades to Aziraphale and Crowley. Their dynamic on opposite sides of the broader war (while also being friends on the down-low) was so assuming. It's easy to see why they became fan favorites. But I really enjoyed all the other characters too. The book flipped to different points of view (all third person, but oriented by a revolving door of people), and I never found myself dreading anyone. Some of my favorite scenes were with the Four Horsemen; I thought Pratchett and Gaiman adapted them into a modern age quite well.

A beautiful facet of this book is that I can recommend it to a wide variety of people. Do you want to critically think about religion and the story of the Bible/Revelation? Read Good Omens. Do you want just a fun and light comedy? Read Good Omens. And the best part is that you'll have an amazing adaptation to watch afterward! I just cannot recommend this book enough.

Also, fun fact: there are twin covers to this book. One is black with Aziraphale, and the other is white with Crowley. I got the Aziraphale cover first, because that was the only option at Barnes and Noble. Then I read the book, loved it, and decided to go ahead and get the Crowley cover. Except Amazon delivered a faulty cover. Crowley didn't print. It's just a big white space with floating wine. So now I have Aziraphale with no Crowley.