Book Details:Title- Good Omens
Author- Terry Prachett & Neil Gaiman
Published- 2006- HarperCollins Publishers (orig. 1990)
ISBN- 978-0-06-085398-3
Genre- Humor
Pages- 412 pages
Rating- 5 of 5
My Review:
The Day of Judgement is upon planet Earth. Everything foretold in the Bible, from frogs falling from the sky to the ride of the Four Horsemen, is going according to plan. At ten years old, the Antichrist, affectionately named Warlock, has spent his short time on Earth being pushed and pulled by the influences of divine entities from either side of the moral spectrum, grooming him for his ultimate destiny to ring in Armageddon. Except there's one small problem. Warlock, lazy and spoiled rotten, is showing no particular interest in either faction and time is running out. Unknown to all involved, the infant Antichrist had been accidently switched at birth at the incapable hands of a rather chatty, devil-worshipping nun. The mistake is completely unknown to anyone until a hellhound, specially released to search out and serve only his true Antichrist master, and the plan for the end of the world begins to unravel. Dog, as the hellhound becomes known by his young master Adam, experiences life as a true pet and enjoys the attention from his diplomatic, if a little eccentric, Antichrist and his small following of three fiercely loyal friends.
Meanwhile, centuries-long rivals and occasional "friends", the angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley, sent to Earth on the day of its creation to spread their respective values and behaviors and sway the impressionable humans to their side. However, after thousands of years on Earth, both have become accustomed to, and very fond of, the freedom and pleasures of our world and aren't ready to give up their current lifestyles. When each is ordered back "home" to prepare for the ultimate battle, they make the drastic decision to go rogue and stop the Apocalypse from destroying their comfortable living.
One hilarious side story in the novel is that of the "witch" Anathema Device and her companion Newt. Guided by a book of obscure prophecies made in 1655 by a witch named Agnes Nutter, this strange duo also sets out to stop Judgement Day from occurring. Originally skeptical about Nutters' ability to actually tell the future, Newt blows it off as the bizarre hobby of a potentially unstable old woman. As their adventure takes off and their relationship begins to grow, so does Newt's faith in the extraordinarily accurate book.
To further complicate matters, self-proclaimed witch hunter extrordinaire Shadwell, a life-long bachelor and a war veteran, hears wind of Anathema's reputation as a witch and sets off on a good, old-fashioned witch hunt. Also among the cast of highly unusual and entertaining characters are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (whose "horses" are actually motorcycles), and a crochety old man constantly on the lookout for material for his next "Letter to the Editor" rant.
A natural-born leader who continuously mesmerizes his modest preteen following, Adam knows something is pulling his focus to the nearby army base, leading his friends straight into the thick of the battle between Heaven and Hell. In a race to stop (or ensure the success of) the Apocalypse, mortals (along with an angel and a demon) take on the divine and discover that there's always an alternative to destroying the human race, and sometimes an old witch knows best.
Hilarious from start to finish and brimming with imagination that can only come from these acclaimed fantasy writers, Good Omens is an exciting read and a hilarious reread that all readers are bound to enjoy. With no particular religious undertones, this novel burrows straight to the funny bone and holds on tight. A definite must-read for any fan of fantasy literature and anyone looking for a good laugh with a plot.
