World Famous Comics: Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
By: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett Publisher: HarperTorch Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Label: HarperTorch Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 432 Publication Date: December 01, 2006 Release Date: November 28, 2006
Amazon.com: Pratchett (of Discworld fame) and Gaiman (of Sandman fame) may seem an unlikely combination, but the topic (Armageddon) of this fast-paced novel is old hat to both. Pratchett's wackiness collaborates with Gaiman's morbid humor; the result is a humanist delight to be savored and reread again and again. You see, there was a bit of a mixup when the Antichrist was born, due in part to the machinations of Crowley, who did not so much fall as saunter downwards, and in part to the mysterious ways as manifested in the form of a part-time rare book dealer, an angel named Aziraphale. Like top agents everywhere, they've long had more in common with each other than the sides they represent, or the conflict they are nominally engaged in. The only person who knows how it will all end is Agnes Nutter, a witch whose prophecies all come true, if one can only manage to decipher them. The minor characters along the way (Famine makes an appearance as diet crazes, no-calorie food and anorexia epidemics) are as much fun as the story as a whole, which adds up to one of those rare books which is enormous fun to read the first time, and the second time, and the third time...
Product Description:
According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.
So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.
And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .
Not Bad, Really Picks up at the End Good Omens (1990) is supposedly a parody based off the movie The Omen (1976) written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, which I did not know about when I read the novel and have not seen the film either. So you could say my opinion of the novel alone remains untainted.
It took me awhile to get through it, as while it was interesting, it wasn't compelling enough to keep me reaching for it, until it hit the last fourth of so. It starts out pretty slow, but with a great premise, the Antichrist is placed into an American diplomat's family to be raised in Britain as their child so as to never really know the difference between good and evil. Unfortunately the minions at the hospital screwed up and the real Antichrist is off living elsewhere, a normal, regular life with friends, a dog and a active 11 year old boy's imagination.
There is an angel and a demon, Heaven and Hell representatives on Earth (respectively) who have become quite comfortable with their lifestyles amongst the people on Earth and humanity and upon hearing that the End Times is near, begin to grow closer and even work together to keep an eye on the Antichrist. Rather, who they think is the Antichrist. They start coming in handy at the end when they realize they might actually have some compassion for the people of Earth. Now you might ask, where does this Agnes Nutter, witch, part fit in. Because I sure was asking myself that. The witch part doesn't really materialize until the latter half of the novel, in which it is revealed that this witch, Agnes Nutter, in the 17th century, made a whole lot of predictions about the future, published them in a book and then was promptly burnt at the stake like all good witches. I won't spoil what this particular witch did as her revenge, but the prophecies turn out to be extremely true and the last copy in existence being held by a distant relative who has made it her life's work to follow the progress and decipher the prophecies. Upon figuring out that the end of the world is near, she begins to look for the real Antichrist, knowing that there was a mix up at birth.
Enter the Four (updated) Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It's at this point that novel gets a lot more interesting, particularly since one of the horsemen is actually a horsewoman and pestilence has become pollution and so on.
Without spoiling it, since the best part is where it picks up at the end, I'll stop here! If you enjoy tales with satire on Heaven, Hell, Christ and Death, than this tale is for you. I ended up reading it because I liked Christopher Moore's A Dirty Job so much, but in this case, A Dirty Job is still the winner.
Great Fun with Witty Banter The quick wit, wry humor and awesome imagery of this book push it quickly into one of the most fun and imaginative out there. One understands the characters' behavior intimately and enjoys the roller coaster ride of a story while hilarious and ominous events constantly unfold.
I think my favorite part of the book is the representation of specific English accents and slang -- the reproductions in my head were enough to make me chuckle on more than one occasion. I don't think anyone with a sense of humor could avoid enjoying this book.
I ADORE this book I have (at least) two copies of this book in case it becomes necessary for me to insist that a friend borrow and read it immediately. That way I won't be without it for that length of time. This book has me in tears of laughter every time I read it.
Such a dry wit, and such a compelling plot I've now recommended this book to five friends, three of whom were intelligent enough to appreciate it fully ... and all of us (the intelligent ones) have read it several times, and are thinking of forming our own book club dedicated to ... Good Omens.
Bravo Srs. Pratchett and Gaiman ... usually I despise collaborations but the two of you made the story sing.
British humour at it's best These two authors apart are amazing,put them together and my sides were hurting through the entire book.Amazing British timing...
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