BOOK REVIEW: Good Omens
Title: Good Omens
Authors: Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
The end of the world is near. The antichrist will soon be born, and the armies of heaven and hell will gather for the final battle. Only not everyone is too keen on the idea of the apocalypse. Over the years the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale have grown to like earth, and would hate to see it die. Therefore, the two have banned together to stop the end, but what will they do with things go horribly (and hilariously) wrong?
I went into Good Omens as a big fan of Neil Gaiman, having greatly enjoyed many of his books (Stardust, Coraline, American Gods, Neverwhere, Anansi Books, The Graveyard Book) on one level or another. I had never read any Terry Pratchett, but had heard really positive things about his work. As result, I approached Good Omens with pretty high expectations. Perhaps it's because these expectations were too high, but I felt strangely underwhelmed by it. Don't get me wrong, I found it to be a funny book that got more than a few chuckles out of me. But compared to later works by Neil Gaiman, I found the characters to be strangely unengaging.
I think the main reason that this book didn't mesh well with me has a lot to do with the fact that it could feel very unfocused. I really enjoyed the characters of Crowley and Aziraphale, as well as young Adam and his group of friends. Unfortunately, Good Omens covers a wide variety of perspectives, many of which I didn't care for as much. As a result, my enjoyment of this book was very inconsistent. There were times when I was laughing along with the story, and other times when it just didn't work for me at all. This is strange, given that Good Omens isn't just any old book. It has millions of fans across the globe. Perhaps part of the reason I found this book to be so underwhelming has to do with the fact that it took my so long to read it. November was such a busy month that it was a rarity that I could sit down and read. Maybe if I had more time to focus on Good Omens, it would have worked better for me.
Final Thoughts: Good Omens may be a beloved work of fantasy with millions of fans, but it looks like I'm not one of them. Although I don't consider it to be a bad book and it did make me laugh from time to time, I just didn't find the story and the characters to be all that engaging. I still consider myself a Neil Gaiman fans, but I would recommend his other novels over this one. Three Stars
Next I will be reviewing Legion by Brandon Sanderson
Authors: Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
The end of the world is near. The antichrist will soon be born, and the armies of heaven and hell will gather for the final battle. Only not everyone is too keen on the idea of the apocalypse. Over the years the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale have grown to like earth, and would hate to see it die. Therefore, the two have banned together to stop the end, but what will they do with things go horribly (and hilariously) wrong?
I went into Good Omens as a big fan of Neil Gaiman, having greatly enjoyed many of his books (Stardust, Coraline, American Gods, Neverwhere, Anansi Books, The Graveyard Book) on one level or another. I had never read any Terry Pratchett, but had heard really positive things about his work. As result, I approached Good Omens with pretty high expectations. Perhaps it's because these expectations were too high, but I felt strangely underwhelmed by it. Don't get me wrong, I found it to be a funny book that got more than a few chuckles out of me. But compared to later works by Neil Gaiman, I found the characters to be strangely unengaging.
I think the main reason that this book didn't mesh well with me has a lot to do with the fact that it could feel very unfocused. I really enjoyed the characters of Crowley and Aziraphale, as well as young Adam and his group of friends. Unfortunately, Good Omens covers a wide variety of perspectives, many of which I didn't care for as much. As a result, my enjoyment of this book was very inconsistent. There were times when I was laughing along with the story, and other times when it just didn't work for me at all. This is strange, given that Good Omens isn't just any old book. It has millions of fans across the globe. Perhaps part of the reason I found this book to be so underwhelming has to do with the fact that it took my so long to read it. November was such a busy month that it was a rarity that I could sit down and read. Maybe if I had more time to focus on Good Omens, it would have worked better for me.
Final Thoughts: Good Omens may be a beloved work of fantasy with millions of fans, but it looks like I'm not one of them. Although I don't consider it to be a bad book and it did make me laugh from time to time, I just didn't find the story and the characters to be all that engaging. I still consider myself a Neil Gaiman fans, but I would recommend his other novels over this one. Three Stars
Next I will be reviewing Legion by Brandon Sanderson