Good Omens: Another Neil Gaiman Success
When I bought this book a couple years ago from Costco after hearing good things about the popular TV show, it took me a while to get started and then I put it down. Something about how the style in which it was written didn't appeal to my then pre-teen brain, but I am so glad that I picked it back up again. It is wonderfully written and absurd, with multiple unique takes on famous religious and historical figures coming together into a chaotic ride.
Starting off strong with an iconic scene from the Bible, Crowley and Aziraphale are an devil and angel duo that have known each other since the very beginning of the world coming into existence. They are still working for their respective sides in the eternal war of heaven and hell, but they compromise and make it so neither can really claim victory. However, when the Antichrist is misplaced by the Satanist nuns that were supposed to raise him, this unlikely duo must find where he is before humanity is wiped out. Crowley especially likes humans and finds them interesting, even convincing Aziraphale to join him by mentioning all the things the angel loves that won't be around if heaven wins in this religious war - music, books, tea.
Something this novel truly excels at is weaving biblical events and characters into the modern day. Crowley, as a devil, is supposed to corrupt humans, as does so as a modern-thinking demon. Instead of his peers, who work by slowly chipping away one soul at a time, he shuts off telephone lines for 45 minutes and has interfered with blueprints to make motorways shaped into demonic sigils. The widespread anger he causes made me reflect on the new annoyances that we have to deal with compared to the struggles of those in the past. The way the Four Horsemen/Bikers of the Apocalypse are portrayed is so intriguing to me as well. War is a beautiful and dangerous red-haired woman that works as a journalist who can somehow know where conflict is going to happen with pinpoint accuracy. Her very presence causes conflict, as it's shown that the small island she steps foot on with a stash of weapons breaks into civil war and she's able to sell all those weapons to the people. Famine runs successful fast food chains filled with empty calories, and publishes diet books for models and celebrities that almost kill themselves to get the perfect body. Pestilence, or Mr. White, is a forgettable cog in "fool-proof" disasters like oil-spills and Chernobyl, slipping away after doing his work and taking on a new job quickly to cause more harm. And Death is well, everywhere.
Layered with absurd conspiracies from the imagination of the Antichrist taking physical form, the witches and tunnelling Tibetians only add to the crazy ride this novel takes you on.
Starting off strong with an iconic scene from the Bible, Crowley and Aziraphale are an devil and angel duo that have known each other since the very beginning of the world coming into existence. They are still working for their respective sides in the eternal war of heaven and hell, but they compromise and make it so neither can really claim victory. However, when the Antichrist is misplaced by the Satanist nuns that were supposed to raise him, this unlikely duo must find where he is before humanity is wiped out. Crowley especially likes humans and finds them interesting, even convincing Aziraphale to join him by mentioning all the things the angel loves that won't be around if heaven wins in this religious war - music, books, tea.
Something this novel truly excels at is weaving biblical events and characters into the modern day. Crowley, as a devil, is supposed to corrupt humans, as does so as a modern-thinking demon. Instead of his peers, who work by slowly chipping away one soul at a time, he shuts off telephone lines for 45 minutes and has interfered with blueprints to make motorways shaped into demonic sigils. The widespread anger he causes made me reflect on the new annoyances that we have to deal with compared to the struggles of those in the past. The way the Four Horsemen/Bikers of the Apocalypse are portrayed is so intriguing to me as well. War is a beautiful and dangerous red-haired woman that works as a journalist who can somehow know where conflict is going to happen with pinpoint accuracy. Her very presence causes conflict, as it's shown that the small island she steps foot on with a stash of weapons breaks into civil war and she's able to sell all those weapons to the people. Famine runs successful fast food chains filled with empty calories, and publishes diet books for models and celebrities that almost kill themselves to get the perfect body. Pestilence, or Mr. White, is a forgettable cog in "fool-proof" disasters like oil-spills and Chernobyl, slipping away after doing his work and taking on a new job quickly to cause more harm. And Death is well, everywhere.
Layered with absurd conspiracies from the imagination of the Antichrist taking physical form, the witches and tunnelling Tibetians only add to the crazy ride this novel takes you on.
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