Good Omens

By: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett

Narrated by: Martin Jarvis

The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist. Put New York Times best-selling authors Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett together...and all Hell breaks loose.©1990 Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"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." (Amazon.com review)

Hilarious twist to the apocalypse

This was the perfect combination of Terry Pratchett's side-splitting humour and imagination with Neil Gaiman's dark. Though I believe the crowning touch was Martin Jarvis' narration. I enjoyed it immensely more with his narration, great job!!! If you haven't read the book yet I recommend you try this audiobook first.

Fantastic book!

This was an absolutely amazing book. It's probably not for everyone, though. If you have very strong religious sensibilities, you may not think it's funny. If you didn't like Hitchhikers Guide or Life of Brian, you may not like it. If, however, you think Douglas Adams and Monty Python are a joy, then sit down and start listening. You'll be glad you did.

Loved it!

I just finished this book, and I'm happy to say that I loved every minute of it. I'm a big fan of Neil Gaiman, which was a deciding factor for me to buy this. I like Terry Pratchett as well, but his books are too over-the-top silly for me to really care about. Fortunately, this book creates a perfect balance between the two. It is silly, sweet, thoughtful, engrossing, and touching all at the same time. You couldn't make it much better if you tried. Oh, and the narrator also does a great job of creating the characters. As someone else mentioned in a different review, the narrator really should have left more space between the different sections -- but this is a minor quibble. If you enjoy either of these two authors, you'll love this book!

Effervescent

This book is a wonderfully irreverent romp through the apocalypse, with angels and demons who have been in contact with humans for so long that they have acclimated. I love the four horsemen (I admit that the idea of Famine owning a series of fast food restaurants that sell food with no actual nutritional content has stuck with me since I first read the book in high school - it just rings so true!) Then there's the mix-up with the antichrist, so that he's raised as a normal little boy with no desire to take over or end the world.
Martin Jarvis does an excellent job of narrating this book.

Get this audiobook!

This is without a doubt one of the best audiobooks I have ever purchased. I listen to about three audiobooks a month so I listen to a lot. This is a wonderfully written story, very funny and smart. The narrator is terrific. This is classic Neil Gaiman. Absolutely wonderful!

it's Great, but...

I enjoyed this very much... with the exception of the casually racist Asian accents the reader tried to do. Outside of that, great story, fun characters and probably one of the best endings I've read in a while.

A real winner

I am a great fan of both Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman. Their co-writing of "Good Omens" is a seamless collaboration that brings out the very best of both of them. Except for these two, who could make the signs of the Last Days funny, thoughtful, and uplifting? Bravo Prachett and Gaiman. Now, just do it again, okay? And I'm an American , but got the humor.

Just the right tone

What a hoot! I don't usually read fantasy and when I do, I prefer something with whimsy. I think that the only reason I bought this title was because I needed a third title from the sale list and this is the only one that had even the slightest bit appeal. Well, I don't regret the choice. In fact, I actually want to read this one again (which I don't think I can say for the other titles I bought that day). I might even go as far looking into other titles by Gaiman and/or Pratchett.

Meanders a lot but ultimately entertaining

Would you consider the audio edition of Good Omens to be better than the print version?

Yes. The lack of a clear storyline would have lost me in print, but the narrator's entertaining voice kept me listening.

What did you like best about this story?

The interactions between Crowley and Aziraphale were amusing to listen to

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene where Crowley and Aziraphale decide the Earth is worth saving

If you could take any character from Good Omens out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Crowley, of course! He'd be amusing to watch.

Any additional comments?

There's not much plot to Good Omens. Most scenes play out like vignettes - glimpses into what's going on in this crazy world. Some, while written in an amusing way, seem quite pointless. Of course, the purpose of the book isn't to be the plot-driven type of story anyway, so that probably doesn't matter. I just found it hard to keep paying attention in some parts. But overall, this is a well-written and witty novel. The narrator's energy really brings the story to life, although some of the voices he puts on get obnoxious after a while. My main issue with him is how he put on a low baritone for the voice of Adam Young, an 11-year-old boy. It seemed incongruent to the extent that it distracted from his character.

An enjoyable listen

What's not to love when two
Of my favorite authors team up to write a humorous take on the end of the world!