Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett ★★★★☆ 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. My friend recommended this book to me, and I’m glad she did. I was laughing by the time I’d finished the prologue and cast of characters, and I kept laughing throughout the book. As much as Good Omens was funny, though, it was also quite serious. I love the ideology worked into the text; the idea that humans are not inherently good or evil but rather both, and that angels and demons are not so unlike each other, plus a few more brilliant ideas that would spoil the ending for you. I love that the “In the Beginning” section is chock-full of foreshadowing, and all of it comes to fruition by the end of the book. No strings are left dangling, and while in some ways this wraps the ending up almost too neatly, it also leaves it fairly ambiguous. Another great facet to this book was the portrayal of the Horsemen, the Antichrist, and the angels/demons themselves. It was completely unique, and avoided getting very involved in religion while still acknowledging the religious undertones, which I very much liked. Overall, Good Omens was a truly incredible read that I absolutely loved, which met and then surpassed all of my expectations and totally blew my mind.
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Once Upon a Time...As a longtime lover of stories and a believer in the power and magic of books, I've spent my life seeking out the best reads. This blog is dedicated to reviewing the books I read - good, bad, or magnificent - to help other readers find their next favorite books. Currently ReadingKing Zeno
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