384 pages
English language
Published May 1, 1996 by Ace.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch is a 1990 novel written as a collaboration between the English authors Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.The book is a comedy about the birth of the son of Satan and the coming of the End Times. There are attempts by the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley to sabotage the coming of the end times, having grown accustomed to their comfortable surroundings in England. One subplot features a mixup at the small country hospital on the day of birth and the growth of the Antichrist, Adam, who grows up with the wrong family, in the wrong country village. Another subplot concerns the summoning of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, each a big personality in their own right. In 2003, the novel was listed at number 68 on the BBC's survey The Big Read.
I read this about 20 years ago and liked it then, so I thought I'd give it a re-read. It's nothing like I remember.
One of my favourite books. Gaiman and Pratchett bring out the absolute best in each other.
I enjoyed the premise. Gaiman's themes (what happens when the supernatural interacts with our world in almost a commonplace way) and Pratchet's humor were both compelling and made me want to read more of both authors. I felt the premise and set-up were stronger than the ending. I just wanted more of the angel and demon enjoying each other's company.
I was a little surprised by this one. Maybe I’m not the right target audience but I found it all just a tiny bit too whimsical for me. I still thoroughly enjoyed it though, just not 5 stars enjoyed it
J'ai vraiment pris du temps à m'attaquer à Good Omens et je tenais vraiment à le lire avant l'arrivée de la série. Je regrette amèrement d'avoir attendu si longtemps car ce livre était vraiment génial, tant du point de vue de l'histoire que de l'écriture et de l'humour omniprésent. J'ai éclaté de rire plusieurs fois au cours de la lecture (surtout le passage sur l'entretien des plantes par Crowley par exemple) ce qui m'arrive assez rarement avec des livres. Un bonheur de retrouver l'écriture de Neil Gaiman allié à Terry Pratchett et sa touche d'absurde. Je suis maintenant extrêmement impatient de voir ce que donnera l'adaptation et ne peut que recommander chaleureusement ce livre :)
One thing is clear, the casting of David Tennant is inspired. The character fit is perfect!
Fun book. It's interesting to have two beloved authors writing the same story. There are interesting crossovers between the styles that can seem confusing. The story is a very tangled web of story lines that are, very successfully, all tied up in nice and neat bow.
