Good Omens (by: Pratchett & Gaiman)

Good Omens:
The Nice & Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
by: Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (or... Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett)

"In the Beginning, It was a nice day."

Wry British wit and the dark edges of razor-sharp world-views, juxtaposed with the kind of silliness that only the meeting of two eccentric literary minds can produce render this novel one of the best, most humorous saunters in the dark days of the end-of-days that this reviewer has experienced in a great long while. Pratchett and Gaiman bring readers the story of what-might-be-if-we-don't-pay attention, as well as what-happens-when-angels-and-demons-join-forces. I have learned, after years of reading science fiction, both good and less-than good, that it takes a certain amount of charm, coupled with a great deal of craft, to pull off a modern-day fairytale for grownups. This one works beautifully.

Pratchett and Gaiman work chronologically. The first chapter is the first chapter; or, the genesis is Genesis. We meet our two main characters that, incidentally, are not exactly the protagonists that one might expect in a story of the dawn and inevitable twilight of mankind. Aziraphale is the angel of the fiery sword, standing guard at the gates of Eden, and Crowley, who is, as-yet, unnamed, slithers and hisses in his role as the great tempter. Do not, however, mistake him for his boss. You know: Lucifer.

Fast-forward several millennia, and we have the beginning of the last eleven years of the end. The apocalypse begins with a birth. Two, actually. And after the bumblings of an absent-minded devil-worshipping nun and some awfully brilliant quips about the state of mankind, the state of satanic cults everywhere, and the (take a deep breath) "Destroyer of Kings, Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Great Beast that is called Dragon, Prince of This World, Father of Lies, Spawn of Satan and Lord of Darkness," (and...exhale) the circumstances, as it were, begin to spiral out of control. Aziraphale and the now-called A.C. Crowley, creatures from opposing sides in the great battle for the souls of mankind, decide to join forces to protect Earth from ultimate doom.

And then there's Agnes Nutter, the witch and an ancestor to Anathema Device (a woman, not a weapon), whose book of prophecies is the pivot point for either the salvation of the world or its penultimate destruction. I'd say her appearance throughout the book, though ephemeral, is the lacy web that binds everything together. That, and the rampant - and rambunctious - linguistic and pop-culture humor. Pratchett and Gaiman set their oddball angels, fallen and otherwise, in a western culture that only mildly suits them, but also provides multifarious opportunities for readers to nod and laugh at the "inside" joke, as, for example, Crowley wonders who "Moey and Chandon" might be as he listens to "S. Bach's Mass in B Minor, vocals by F. Mercury."

Eleven years pass and two young boys, under the semi-watchful eyes of the spirits from the sundry afterworlds, begin to grow up and come into their own. Then, as they say, all heck breaks loose. Without giving too much away, I'll just say that M25 London orbital motorway gets rather fire-and-brimstone-ish, and the Albrecht Dührer's old friends make a theatrical entrance.

"Kids! Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in your home."

The amalgamation opposing forces and the rampant - and rambunctious - linguistic and pop-culture humor, make for a tightly woven fable for everyone: American, British, saintly, or otherwise. This novel demonstrates the qualities of the finest detective novels, with unpredictable characters, deep suspense, and reader engagement in the story. Reading this story without both laughing aloud and quirking an eyebrow thoughtfully is impossible. Pratchett and Gaiman certainly know how to show us a good time.

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman write of an Armageddon that doesn't exactly fit into the traditional Dührer vision of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the "end-of-all-things" is rather droll. Actually, strike that; in this novel, Armageddon is hilarious, since the good and the bad guys generally muck things up on all sides, and the rise of Hell takes place first on the overcrowded M25 London orbital motorway (for Georgians, that's the British manifestation of Spaghetti Junction on I-285, so I'm sure the resemblance to the dark pits below is evident). Take a gander at the future, brave readers; it's a bit more comical, and survivable, than you might expect.

On the KTG Apocalyptic Scale of Doom, Good Omens earned a more-than-respectable 6.5 out of the 7 signs : I loved this book. I marked it down in craft by half a point because tongue-in-cheek humor and dark comedy can, at times, be wearying (as I learned when I attemped to read all of the Hitchhiker's Guide's at once. Whew). Gaiman and Pratchett pull it off, as far as I'm concerned, without a hitch, but I can see it as offputting for other readers. Besides, if it earned all 7, the world ends and nobody gets to read it anyway.

Craft: € € € € € € 1/2
Plot/Story: € € € € € € € 1/2
~~~~~
Overall Rating: € € € € € € 1/2