elysianbud's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Incredibly funny book. Moments of harsh reality pointed out in hilarious ways that sort of gives you whiplash.
Eg. "You do know you could find yourself charged with being a dominant species while under the influence of impulse-driven consumerism, don't you?
Very enjoyable read. So very 90s.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death, and Eating disorder
Minor: Sexism, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, War, and Racial slurs
eleanorjmca's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, War, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Gun violence and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Racism, Homophobia, and Animal death
chrisologo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
i just know this'll be my frequent book to reread. LOVE THE WRITING!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Eating disorder
thestorydoer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
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: Eating disorder, War, and Death
helhas3letters's review against another edition
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
5.0
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: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Death, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Homophobia, Police brutality, Torture, and War
astropova's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Body horror
uparrowhead's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Good Omens is a fantastic and loveable book which I enjoyed every minute of reading. I found it interesting to watch as different characters and stories all prepared for what could be the end of the world but came together in the end. I found the ending to be a fulfilling conclusion to the story that gives info to the lives of all of the characters after the events throughout the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and War
Minor: Fatphobia and Homophobia
blueberry0531's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Racism, Eating disorder, and War
mengzhenreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
So much personality, lots of good humor and wit, this book was an absolute joy to read from start to finish. Literally had me smiling and chuckling in my seen like a lunatic. Serotonin fr.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, and Violence
Minor: Eating disorder and War
shadereads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
Minor: Eating disorder