Good Omens

My list of books that deserve a 10 out of ten isn't very long (about 20) but this one is definitely on there. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman make a perfect team. My favorite part is about the four Horsepersons of the Apocalypse...and the OTHER four Horsepersons of the Apocalypse, the ones that aren't mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Every time I think of that it makes me laugh. I have only read one Discworld book, The Color Of Magic, but Good Omens is definitely superior to it. I have read The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and half of The Restaurant, and Good Omens is also superior to Douglas Adams' books, at least those two. You want to know why? 1) Good Omens is funnier. 2) In Good Omens you REALLY get to know the characters and care about them: Anathema, Crowley, Aziraphale, Adam... In just a few short sentences you get a perfectly clear picture of who they are. 3) Good Omens is much deeper than the Hitchhiker's Guide. It's not _just_ for laughs. Dare I say it...Good Omens has morals. The morals are in no way overpowering or preachy, quite subtle. I don't know about you, but I like to have a little to think about in my books. But if you don't, you are sure to like Good Omens anyway. If you liked this book, I recommend Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart; The Princess Bride by William Goldman; of course the Hitchhiker and Discworld books; and The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman, which I always recommend no matter what else you like. Of course, you should also read Neil Gaiman's other stuff. I actually recommend reading first Stardust, then Neverwhere or Good Omens, because the latter two are much better. I can't make any recommendations for Smoke and Mirrors or The Sandman, because I haven't read them (though I'm desperate to!!) Neil Gaiman, I think, is my second-favorite author behind Philip Pullman, and that is an extremely high compliment, coming from me.

This book is hilarious and funny at the same time. It laughs in the face of religion and humanity. It's great. It has Pratchett's obvious style, I don't know what this guy Gaymann had to do with it. But that doesn't matter, the book is fantastic. They should make a movie out of it.
The ending is very surprising.

When I first read good omens, I finished it, put it down and picked it right back up to read again. The overall view the book took of the world and the people in it was so close to the truth it was almost painful. I make a point now to constantly keep it on my book shelf and whenever I meet someone new who would be able to appreciate it I give it away, and go buy a new one. I firmly believe it is the one book that anyone with a sense of humor should read.

I can't beleive I didn't read this book sooner. It's not my favorite book of all time. As for the quality it came in when shipped...well it was a bit worn, but I did buy it used so it was expected.

Forget Harry Potter et al, this book is a true gem. I have read it about 7 times since I bought it as a college sci fi/horror fan. It did not fulfill my expectations in those fields, but is a tresured part of my library long after Stephen King &co have been given away. Funny beyond belief and accessible at all levels. A similar and exellent book is "The princess bride".My only complaint is why no sequel? The characters have become like old friends and the closest to them Ive met since are in the movie Dogma also highly recomended.

For lovers of modern fantasy, there are two names that are on most people's must-read lists: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

At first glance, there doesn't seem to be much in common with this pair. Terry Pratchett writes the world-renowned Discworld series, a fantasy epic set on a flat world, which is supported by four elephants, who in turn are standing on a great turtle which swims through the emptiness of space. What started as a parody of the "sword and sandals" genre of fantasy, Discworld has become a mirror for our world, taking familiar ideas and giving them a sharp twist.

Neil Gaiman, on the other hand, gained fame with his groundbreaking comic book - sorry, graphic novel - series, Sandman. Over seventy-five issues, packed with mythological retellings, Shakespearian inspiration, love, Death, family, heartbreak and redemption, Sandman is still considered to be one of the most literary comics of the modern age.

Despite these superficial differences, however, their shared love of a good story makes them perfect for each other. Like chocolate and peanut butter, steak and eggs, hydrogen and oxygen, when you put two great things together, you get something that's even better.

This book is about the End of the World. It begins with a birth, that of the Adversary, Destroyer of Kings, Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Great Beast that is called Dragon, Prince of This World, Father of Lies, Spawn of Satan and Lord of Darkness.

Also known as Adam Young.

With his birth, the inexorable wheels of Revelation begin to turn, the Horsemen start their long ride, and two immortals - a demon named Crowley and an angel named Aziraphael - find themselves in the unenviable position of having to make sure everything works out the way their respective sides want. Rivers of blood, skies of fire and the scything clean of all life in the world, that kind of thing.

Crowley and Aziraphael, for their parts, really don't want the world to end. They've been walking it since it began about 6,000 years ago, and found that they quite like it, for all its flaws and problems. And despite their innate loyalty to their masters, they'll do their best to try and stop its end.

It's an outstanding book, one of my top five of all time. Not only is it roaringly funny, with outstanding characters and witty dialogue, but it has the kind of razor-sharp insight into human nature that can only come from Gaiman and Pratchett. Ostensibly good people act like utter bastards, and people we know to be bad by their very natures end up doing the right thing. There's no clear-cut line between good and evil here, which is perhaps a lot more realistic than most end-of-the-world stories go. Also, very few end-of-the-world stories are quite as funny as this one.

Humor can be used for many purposes, but the most noble use of humor is to illuminate truths that we routinely ignore. When you read this book, you think about God and the Devil and everything in between - namely, us. What is the purpose of humanity in this benighted world, and what is our responsibility towards it? These are all questions that the characters have to deal with, and, of course, so do we.

While neither Gaiman nor Pratchett would claim to have an answer to that, they have a great ability to point us towards the question.

As I said, this is one of my top five of all time. I think I own three copies by now - one that's been read to death, a hardcover edition with that weird M-25 illustration on the front, and a softcover signed by both Neil and Terry. This is my Precious, and I hope it's buried with me someday.

So, as you may have guessed, I can't recommend this book enough.

I first read this book ten years ago and it is still my favorite. The concept of Death playing a trivia machine, and War being a foreign correspondent is too humorous for words. The contest for the affections of the antichrist by the regional managers of heaven and hell is also a delightful absurdity.

Good Omens takes elements of horror movies, and injects an incredible amount of lunacy. The outcome is incredibly funny. Portions of this book are so quotable that it helps to read it with a pen to underline the exceptionally funny bits. Although, it seemed to me like the book had more of Pratchett's style than Gaiman's.

No, I do not have a warped sence of humour. All that I think is funny is that you probably don't have a copy of this great book. May I ask why? That is not a very good excuse! BUY IT NOW!
This is by far, far, far the best book EVER! Firstly take two brilliant authors, Neil Gaiman (Author of the Sandman comics) and Terry Pratchett (Author of the Discworld books), secondly take a excellent storyline (What could be funnier than the Apocolypse?), throw in some excellent characters the Anti-Christ, a Demon, an Angel, Beelzebub and, of course, a dog. TA-DA! You have one helluva book(Pun intended). Read it now before the is really upon us. No wonder Terry Pratchett said "The Devil made them do it"!