Rating: Summary: The most hilarious book I have ever read ! Review: This is maybe the most hilarious book I have ever read! The fact that one of the heros of our novel is named "Crowley," a demonic incarnation of the "serpent" of Adam and Eve's Tree and Hell's most approachable Demon,is a hoot. He teems up with his best friend, the angel and London book shop owner Aziraphale. Demon and Angel - a forbidden relationship for obvious reasons. According to the "Nice and Accurate Prophesies of Agnes Nutter," the world's only reliable guide to the future, the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. Their problem is that they really like it down here (or for Crowley, "up" here) on Earth-except maybe for the fact that all tapes and CDs that are left overnight in the car turn mysteriously into "Best of Queen" albums- so somehow, they've got to stop Armageddon from happening. So, they have to stop the Four Motorcyclists of the Apocalypse (featuring DEATH.... y the bony guy from Discworld), defeat the marching ranks of the Witch-Finder Army (all two of them), and above all, they need to find and kill the Antichrist, currently the most powerful creature on Earth. Which is a shame, because he's eleven years old, loves his dog (even though it's really a Satanic Hell-Hound), really cares about the environment, and is the sort of boy anyone would be proud to have as a son. You simply got to read it to believe it! [...]
Rating: Summary: 2 stars Review: Have to agree with the previous writer. What a bust this book was, and it had the materials to be so much better. Aside from a couple guffaws and chuckles (in particularance towards the convolutination of the communicance of the perpelxinating military jargonance) this book was a bore, moved slowly, not as imaginative as it promises to be, and pages plodded by with nothing happening.
Rating: Summary: Potential unrevealed. Review: The book had great potential with respect to plot and characters. It DID have some very funny dashes of wit - presumably c/o Pratchett's input no doubt. However, I found the story rather monotone, predictable, and uneventful throughout. How could two such talented writters come up with this stroke of syrup? Honestly, I couldn't believe how terribley disappointed I was when I had finished it. I obviously don't recommend it, because it was terribly BORING.
Rating: Summary: A Re-readable classic Review: I won't offer any insight into the book's plot or characters. Other reviewers have presented those standard offerings. There is too much that I enjoy about this book to settle on any particular thing. I'll just say that no other book on my shelves is as cover-worn and dog-eared as this one. I happened to read it when it was first published and have opened it up again every couple of years since. It is simply a fun read. I heartily recommend it.
Rating: Summary: It's a GOOD OMEN that this is a GOOD BOOK Review: This book is a laugh-out-loud funny book. That's how hilarious it is. I would recommend it to anyone and I mean anyone. It's not an easy reader like most fantasy books and it has a different sort of read about it, but once you get going you'll love it, too. This is about the armageddon. The child of evil or whatever gets switched at birth and a devil and an angel try to find him and influence him to do what is right in their minds. There are a lot of mishaps and crazy stuff that happens. It's great. Now, you need to read the footnotes, though, because they're the best part. But I really would recommend this book. It's good.
Rating: Summary: Well... Review: Maybe I'm just in a bad mood, but these two guys were trying way too hard to be Douglas Adams, and it shows. For starters, they fail miserably. Imitation is the best form of flattery but outright plaigarism is illegal. A handful of funny bits but essentially nonsensical. Decent, brain-dead fare for a long train trip, but you'll be throwing it right in the bin once you arrive at your destination. You'd be much better of with a 'Hitchhiker' book.
Rating: Summary: Apocalypse WOW! Review: Terry Pratchett has long been known (and admired) for his considerable ability to make anyone and anything a satirical target. He has taken on the police force, Death, and every conceivable political institution know to man. The Powers That Be, of course, are the only target left. And boy were they hit hard. Teamed with the uber-talented Neil Gaiman, Pratchett has taken the wit and wisdom of his famed Discworld series and applied it to the end of the world. The result is one of the most brilliant books you will ever read. The story of Good Omens follows a variety of characters, the principles being Crowley (a demon who has "gone native"), Aziraphale (an angel who has pretty much "gone native" as well), and Adam, the Antichrist, who was mistakenly switched at birth and has grownup away from the influence of Good and Evil. The Apocalypse has been right on schedule, until Hell realizes that the aforementioned Antichrist is not where he is supposed to be, and Crowley, now the focus of a great deal of blame, must find him. Of course, Pratchett's trademark humor is found throughout the book. The demons and angels have decidedly human qualities (Crowley attempts to enrage humanity into sinning by jamming all cell phones in London for example), which not only exposes our own flaws in a humorous way, but also adds to the appeal of the characters. Everything from poorly-made foreign cars, to bikers, to the entirety of Manchester has been lampooned with satirical perfection and when you aren't laughing at the subtle humor, you are marveling at how well the plot flows and the sheer variety of characters portrayed. Fair warning - if Douglas Adams and Monty Python have never been appealing to you, you will probably not "get" this book. For those of you who are so enlightened, however, this comes with my highest possible recommendation.
Rating: Summary: Riotous irreverent humor Review: When I started reading Good Omens, I almost immediately thought of the movie Dogma, and it took an internet search to conclude that Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman were not involved in that film. The irreverent tone and offbeat comedy combined with obvious religious authenticity (well, at least light authenticity. Enough to make one think they at least went to Sunday school once or twice) works even better in book form than it does on the screen. This is nominally a story about the apocalypse, with the end of the world scheduled for a warm Saturday evening. The main characters are a demon and an angel who are best friends, various bureaucratic minions of hell and heaven, assorted other humans with important roles to fulfill, and a pack of kids, one of whom is the antichrist. It would spoil the humor if I tried to repeat it here, since the authors are better at it than I am, and I don't want to steal their lines. Suffice to say that they are exceptionally good at it. Since there is no real literature here, just a well-crafted and riotous lark of a story (with, let's face it once you've read it, an entirely predictable ending), there's not much more to say as far as analysis goes. Difficult parts come with footnotes for Americans (which are among the best parts). Read it and laugh yourself silly.
Rating: Summary: pratchett alone is better Review: I enjoyed this book, but while reading I kept wondering how the story was going to be dragged out all the way to the end of the book. The story itself didn't really have a dragged on feel, I would just look at how far I was in the book and what was going on. Good book. I had gotten used to the Discworld and was momentarialy set of balance to find that this is not related. The riders of the apocalypse are not quite the same as the ones I had gotten used to on the Discworld.
Rating: Summary: What a ride Review: I'm a fan of Neil Gaiman's work, although I've not read anything else by Pratchett (not generally favoring his almost slapstick style), but this book was a wonderful blend of the both. The plot is quick and tight, the footnotes are as entertaining as the rest of the story, and - hey, who knew the apocalypse could end up being so fun(ny).
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