Reviews

Note: even though this book is being counted as my first read book for 2019, it really was predominantly read during 2018 and was my first book finished in 2019. Good Omens was the second Neil Gaiman novel I've read, following American Gods a few years ago. Of course, the fact that this novel was also written by Terry Pratchett (whose work I've not read before) may have been part of the reason it had a distinctly different feel than American Gods. Not that this was a bad thing, it just wasn't what I expected because if we're being honest, I didn't really know what to expect.

Things I liked about this novel included but were not limited to: Dog the former demon creature turned canine, the confluence of all of the story lines, the portrayal of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse, and most of all the interactions between Aziraphale and Crowley. In fact, if I could have changed the story at all, I would have increased the amount of time devoted to the interaction of the angel and demon rather than the time devoted to the would-be-Antichrist and his group of friends. The dialogue and connection between Crowley and Aziraphale gave the story some of its funniest moments and moved the story along with panache.

Things I didn't completely like about this novel included but were not limited to: the Witchfinder Major storyline, the oddball prophecies and their interpretations, any time not devoted to Aziraphale and Crowley (as previously noted), and the basic feel of the novel. For whatever reason, I had a tough time finding myself to want to read this book. Whether it was the wholly British feel to the humor and story, or the distracting story lines that didn't have much to do with the basic story, I felt like there was room for improvement with the story even though I enjoyed it on the whole.

After I read American Gods, it took me a while to develop a true opinion about the book. It's been a little less than a month since I finished Good Omens, but it took me far less time to realize I didn't enjoy this story nearly as much as American Gods. While it's hard to tell how much of the story was influenced by Pratchett and Gaiman, I'm guessing that the combination of both authors ultimately was less satisfying to me than either author on their own (assuming Pratchett's solo work isn't more of the same). I'm glad I finished the novel, but mainly because it meant I didn't have to read it anymore. Even so, I would give Good Omens 3/5 prophetic stars despite a less than enthused review.

jenna_renna_wren's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 stars. Extremely good, but the formal tone and British slang was a bit of a stretch for me. I loved the characters and unique plot and, although the book wasn’t written lyrically or interwoven with emotion the way I like, the witty humor and creativity made up for it. Never read anything quite like this! Well written, really up there for me.

howsoever's review against another edition

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challenging funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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