This is another book I picked up over the Christmas holidays; I know it's a bit of an older book, but I hadn't read it, and I'm really only good with Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman on certain days. They both have a certain whimsical, mocking style which I love on some days but not on others. I wouldn't call it escapist fantasy the way so much speculative fiction is; on reading any of their books, you do keep a bit outside of the book to see the satire aspect (particularly with pterry). People either love them or they despise them; they both have very distinctive styles. Gaiman definitely leans a little more towards the whimsy, and Pratchett towards the satire, and they work great together. Good Omens reads very characteristically like both of them.
This is a book about the Apocalypse. A very entertaining, whimsical book about the Apocalypse, wherein we're not sure if Good is actually good, Evil is actually evil, and a bookish, fussy angel and a fun-loving demon decide that no, they're not really looking forward to the Rapture and they'd like to stop it if they can. And somehow, someone's lost the Antichrist.
I have to admit I have no idea what to say about this book, because you either love Gaiman and Pratchett, in which case you'll love this book, or you hate them and this book will just confuse you and you will think "How do people LIKE this?". It has some great comments on the ineffability of humanity, and it's a fun ride all the way through, but it's definitely aimed a particular sense of humour. This book isn't the kind of soul-sucking escapist read that you get in a lot of fantasy, where the plot and characters dominante your will and you literally can't put the book down. There's no real darkness to this book, no gritty sense of realism or danger. You don't hang onto this book because of suspense, really. You hang onto it and keep reading just because it's whimsical and fun and different. I'd definitely say to read it if you like either Gaiman or Pratchett, and give it a try if you've never read either, but if you know you don't like them then this probably isn't up your alley.
This is a book about the Apocalypse. A very entertaining, whimsical book about the Apocalypse, wherein we're not sure if Good is actually good, Evil is actually evil, and a bookish, fussy angel and a fun-loving demon decide that no, they're not really looking forward to the Rapture and they'd like to stop it if they can. And somehow, someone's lost the Antichrist.
I have to admit I have no idea what to say about this book, because you either love Gaiman and Pratchett, in which case you'll love this book, or you hate them and this book will just confuse you and you will think "How do people LIKE this?". It has some great comments on the ineffability of humanity, and it's a fun ride all the way through, but it's definitely aimed a particular sense of humour. This book isn't the kind of soul-sucking escapist read that you get in a lot of fantasy, where the plot and characters dominante your will and you literally can't put the book down. There's no real darkness to this book, no gritty sense of realism or danger. You don't hang onto this book because of suspense, really. You hang onto it and keep reading just because it's whimsical and fun and different. I'd definitely say to read it if you like either Gaiman or Pratchett, and give it a try if you've never read either, but if you know you don't like them then this probably isn't up your alley.
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