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Reviews tagging 'War'
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
115 reviews
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was hoping to like this one a lot more than I did. I love the setup, an angel and a demon working together to prevent the end of the world, but it ended up not being what I had pictured. As other reviewers pointed out I was surprised by the lack of Aziraphale and Crowley story line, and I found the middle of the story hard to follow at times. I would like to revisit this with a physical copy to see if I enjoy it better, at which point I would review it again. I will say there were moments that genuinely made me laugh, and the parts of the story I found emjoyable were excellent.
Also, as others have warned there is outdated language used in this book, additionally this particular narrator used some racist accents at times.
Also, as others have warned there is outdated language used in this book, additionally this particular narrator used some racist accents at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Racism, War
Minor: Ableism
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I never thought I would say this but this story was way better as a tv show and I'm glad Gaiman adapted this as such. A fun story but I can't ethically recommend due to the out dated languaged used because as a marginalised person it just makes me icky.
There's a saying that some books aren't for you and this was sort of the case. I really struggled to follow the plot as a dyslexic and Autistic reader. The "chapters" we're very thick and I felt like it would have been better if there were chapter titles in places and not just a capital letter.
It felt weird that even though Crowley and Aziraphale are the main characters that they barley are in the book. I think as a result of having so many characters the book became very overload especially with the sections about the four horse men. I wish the povs had been separated chapters.
Again develops from my second point but the characters didn't seem fleshed out enough. I wanted to route for Aziraphale, Crowley and Adam but I didn't feel like I got to know them that well as well as their personal stories.
However despite that it wasn't a terrible read for me. The dynamic between Aziraphale and Crowley absolutely carried the book whole heartedly, their bond creates perfect comedic moments that will have you laughing as you turn the page.
I love the fact that the story balances its comedy which allows for the complex message and moral of the story be processed. A lot of stories these days often struggle to balance comedy but is done very well in this story, the comedy in the story did not take anything away from the serious moments. The comedy is at its best when its from the dynamic of Crowley and Aziraphale as well as Anathema Device and Newt Pulsiver.
The footnotes all though sometimes exhausting to read were absolutely hilarious and added alot of fun but comedic elements to the story. All the footnotes helped wrap the story in a neat bow including the long rambly ones.
Overall a book I cannot ethically recommend but if you've seen the TV show or want to read a mind bending book about armagedon go ahead. Despite its major flaws it was still a super fun ride.
There's a saying that some books aren't for you and this was sort of the case. I really struggled to follow the plot as a dyslexic and Autistic reader. The "chapters" we're very thick and I felt like it would have been better if there were chapter titles in places and not just a capital letter.
It felt weird that even though Crowley and Aziraphale are the main characters that they barley are in the book. I think as a result of having so many characters the book became very overload especially with the sections about the four horse men. I wish the povs had been separated chapters.
Again develops from my second point but the characters didn't seem fleshed out enough. I wanted to route for Aziraphale, Crowley and Adam but I didn't feel like I got to know them that well as well as their personal stories.
However despite that it wasn't a terrible read for me. The dynamic between Aziraphale and Crowley absolutely carried the book whole heartedly, their bond creates perfect comedic moments that will have you laughing as you turn the page.
I love the fact that the story balances its comedy which allows for the complex message and moral of the story be processed. A lot of stories these days often struggle to balance comedy but is done very well in this story, the comedy in the story did not take anything away from the serious moments. The comedy is at its best when its from the dynamic of Crowley and Aziraphale as well as Anathema Device and Newt Pulsiver.
The footnotes all though sometimes exhausting to read were absolutely hilarious and added alot of fun but comedic elements to the story. All the footnotes helped wrap the story in a neat bow including the long rambly ones.
Overall a book I cannot ethically recommend but if you've seen the TV show or want to read a mind bending book about armagedon go ahead. Despite its major flaws it was still a super fun ride.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Cultural appropriation
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, War
Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, Racism, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, War
Minor: Sexism
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Good Omens is the funniest novel which I have read. I wasn't expecting it to be but alas, it was.
This book balances so many different moods in a book, I am fantastically surprised I wasn't given whiplash. It plays around with the idea of the apocalypse in a lighthearted manner but in doing so, incorporates awfully dark themes, interesting philosophies to deliberate over, as well as a large cast of loveable characters that I could list off the top of my head. This lighthearted darkness gives the book an exceptionally unique tone and atmosphere.
The writing style is fantastic, yet not what I expected from the likes of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. As a fan of Gaiman's work, I believe Gaiman's prose is sharpened to activate the imagination of readers and can create beautifully vivid descriptions of the world around him. However, as this was a collaborative effort between two friends, the vivaciousness of the book does not stem from the imagery of the prose, rather it stems from the wit. It packs so many jokes into single paragraphs that the jokes become the atmosphere of the book and forms a world which readers can become invested into. This writing style reminds me a lot of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with a similar dry British humour. But as THGTTG uses the existentialist universe to propel its humour, the humour of Good Omens propels its world.
I could list the entire cast of characters off the top of my head in this book, and there are a LOT of characters. Each character is given such a significant, memorable impact on the story that you can't help but love them all. Even a character who only shows up three times in the entire book, I can remember exactly what I loved about him. Again, most of the characters lovability is through humour, not depth, which is a unique and challenging achievement in its own right.
The world is deeply rooted in Christian religion and mythology, but somehow it doesn't feel that way. This feeling is harder to explain so bear with me. When I read American Gods, I felt that the book was tied into its mythology and that feeling permeated throughout the entire novel. However, this book felt like a unique story which just so happened to include Christian mythology in it. There was nothing which felt tied to the mythology, except for the concept. The mythological accuracy of the book may leave a lot to be desired, but I personally believe the book strives in its "derivational" approach to the mythology.
Overall, Good Omens packs so much depth into its wit, you will barely notice just how much you took away from it until the final chapter. 5/5
This book balances so many different moods in a book, I am fantastically surprised I wasn't given whiplash. It plays around with the idea of the apocalypse in a lighthearted manner but in doing so, incorporates awfully dark themes, interesting philosophies to deliberate over, as well as a large cast of loveable characters that I could list off the top of my head. This lighthearted darkness gives the book an exceptionally unique tone and atmosphere.
The writing style is fantastic, yet not what I expected from the likes of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. As a fan of Gaiman's work, I believe Gaiman's prose is sharpened to activate the imagination of readers and can create beautifully vivid descriptions of the world around him. However, as this was a collaborative effort between two friends, the vivaciousness of the book does not stem from the imagery of the prose, rather it stems from the wit. It packs so many jokes into single paragraphs that the jokes become the atmosphere of the book and forms a world which readers can become invested into. This writing style reminds me a lot of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with a similar dry British humour. But as THGTTG uses the existentialist universe to propel its humour, the humour of Good Omens propels its world.
I could list the entire cast of characters off the top of my head in this book, and there are a LOT of characters. Each character is given such a significant, memorable impact on the story that you can't help but love them all. Even a character who only shows up three times in the entire book, I can remember exactly what I loved about him. Again, most of the characters lovability is through humour, not depth, which is a unique and challenging achievement in its own right.
The world is deeply rooted in Christian religion and mythology, but somehow it doesn't feel that way. This feeling is harder to explain so bear with me. When I read American Gods, I felt that the book was tied into its mythology and that feeling permeated throughout the entire novel. However, this book felt like a unique story which just so happened to include Christian mythology in it. There was nothing which felt tied to the mythology, except for the concept. The mythological accuracy of the book may leave a lot to be desired, but I personally believe the book strives in its "derivational" approach to the mythology.
Overall, Good Omens packs so much depth into its wit, you will barely notice just how much you took away from it until the final chapter. 5/5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, War
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War
Minor: Homophobia, Racism
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Car accident, War
Minor: Sexual content, Alcohol
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had so much fun reading this. It's a dryly humorous and very British account of the biblical armageddon, as told through the eyes of an angel, a demon, 2 witchfinders, 2 witches, a fraudulent medium, the four horsemen (motorcyclists) of the apocalypse, and an 11-year-old antichrist. It has endearing characters, exciting plot points, and a lovely - actually quite profound - prodding at philosophical concepts of morality.
There were a lot of characters in different settings, so I did have to make a particular effort to concentrate on remembering all the names, who they were, and where we left them. This fortunately had a beautiful payoff when most of the narratives ended up weaving together towards the end. I most enjoyed reading the parts with the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley, and the Four (i.e. the four horsemen of the apocalypse).
I found this novel very easy to read. Both authors adapt to each other's writing styles seamlessly; I really couldn't tell if any sections were written by either one of them. I almost wrote here that the end of the book comes about very quickly compared to the first half, but then I realised that that's just because I raced through the final 150-or-so pages in one night. A testament(!) to its readability?
Although it was very definitely written by two white men in the 90s, it's generally a pleasant read, with not many "wow how did this even get printed back then" moments. Most of the important main characters are male and there's not much racial diversity - but I've been told the TV show is decent with regards to the latter. If you can turn off that side of your brain for a bit, it's a great novel.
There were a lot of characters in different settings, so I did have to make a particular effort to concentrate on remembering all the names, who they were, and where we left them. This fortunately had a beautiful payoff when most of the narratives ended up weaving together towards the end. I most enjoyed reading the parts with the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley, and the Four (i.e. the four horsemen of the apocalypse).
I found this novel very easy to read. Both authors adapt to each other's writing styles seamlessly; I really couldn't tell if any sections were written by either one of them. I almost wrote here that the end of the book comes about very quickly compared to the first half, but then I realised that that's just because I raced through the final 150-or-so pages in one night. A testament(!) to its readability?
Although it was very definitely written by two white men in the 90s, it's generally a pleasant read, with not many "wow how did this even get printed back then" moments. Most of the important main characters are male and there's not much racial diversity - but I've been told the TV show is decent with regards to the latter. If you can turn off that side of your brain for a bit, it's a great novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Violence, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Homophobia, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny