Book Review: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

I must have picked up and discarded Good Omens ten times since its release, and I can't quite put a finger on why I haven't read it 'til now. I've been a fan of Gaiman, since the Sandman days; my shelves contain unread copies of American Gods and Smoke and Mirrors–I have a bad habit of buying books and never reading them, creating a huge financial burden. So, even a few pages in, I started to flagellate over the wait. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch is a great book, and right up my alley–It even has footnotes like Undead Socialite.

The book concerns the biblical Armageddon, from the point of view of an angel, Aziriphale and a devil, Crowley, neither of whom, wish to see the event take place, as it will disrupt their comfortable situations. A pact is sealed; hilarity ensues. It's also about an eleven year old bait and switch Antichrist and his friends, the four bikers of the apocalypse, witchfinders screwing witches, and witches screwing ye olde towne folkes, but, also about Atlantis rising, aliens landing and Tibetans tunneling. It's definitely an irreverent take on the subject, neither delicate nor heavy handed. It includes interviews with the authors on their process which I found horrifying. I can't imagine co-authoring, particularly by voicemail. I think it would drive me to murder.

Good Omens is Left Behind for those readers who aren't completely insane. Pick it up, it only burns a little.

Next Review: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova