I had heard such wonderful things about Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s collective work, Good Omens, that I just had to read it. While it was not the most hilarious novel I’ve ever read, it did guaranty quite a few laughs. I wouldn’t necessarily call this book a satire or a critique of Christianity; that would almost be giving it too much credit. Rather, it pokes fun at the absurdities and convoluted tenets of both divine and human nature. As can be expected with these two writers, the characters are the best part of the book. I have to admit, the Antichrist grew on me, as did Dog, his hellhound. Aziraphale and Crowley (whose name never fails to make me smirk) are both so full of fail, but that’s why you’ve got to love them. You even have to love Agnes Nutter, who is hardly seen on screen, but whose presence looms over everything, because she seems like your own half-crazy great-grandma who ate the candy cane with plastic still on. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, depicted in a very modern and human way, were exquisitely creepy.
My only real complaint with this novel is that it is a bit tedious. This isn’t really a fault of the authors, but of the subject matter. It’s a story about Armageddon, quite a dense topic. One could get easily worn out by this book if it weren’t for the fantastic characters and plot. If you can strap yourself in for a moderately long haul, this book is definitely worth a read.
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