Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
Author: Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
Published: 1990
On Goodreads
My Rating: 
Rated M for mix-ups, misunderstandings, but no misleadings on when the apocalypse begins.
The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner…
According to the accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, a witch, the world is going to end. The Antichrist has turned eleven and will be coming into his powers, which will end the world. The armies of Good and Evil are gearing of up for the ultimate battle that’s a part of the Divine Plan, but it turns out that a temperamental angel and a demon that’s gone native aren’t for this grand plan.
That, and they’ve misplaced the Antichrist, which is a slight problem…or is it?
If you’ve read my other reviews on Neil Gaiman then you know just how much I LOVE his books. A total geek-out and this is no different. The man has yet to let me down. I’m always entertained and thrilled and the comedy mixed with wisdom is so splendid. An angel and a demon that don’t want the apocalypse and four kids plus an ex-hellhound along with a witch and a witchfinder trying to stop it? Yes, please!
First off, apparently the earth and I share a birthday! According to Good Omens anyway. I officially vote it way better than any celebrity I’m sharing with, except Carrie Fisher. She’s bomb and my favorite princess aside from Nani of Lilo & Stich. And yes, I totally believe she’s a princess. Fight me. LOL.
Also, I really loved this apocalypse. It wasn’t dreary or depressing. And I couldn’t stop laughing about the mention not needing any demon’s help for their lives to suck because they do it all on their own. I guarantee that even though this is a tad spoiler-y, you’ll still laugh really hard. Because it’s true!
A Demon. An Angel. A witchfinder. A witch. An Antichrist. Some satanic nuns. And many more. The characters are incredible and beyond dimensional. With wide emotional and comical range, they were both fantastical and realistic. Not at all boring. My favorites were obviously Aziraphale and Crowley. Their friendship is the beauty of when opposites attract. It’s also the beauty of when you tell yourself and them that you’ll never be friends and inevitably end up so. So many feels and comedy with those two.
The story primarily focuses on the characters and the timeframe more than place. I still liked the attention to detail on London and the small town of Tadfield. Simple and quaint is exactly how I imagined it. Aziraphale’s bookstore had to be my favorite setting because, well duh, I love books!
The extras and side notes that came with the book made it even better. While I can’t give any away, they’re definitely funny and give great backstory, much like in history books. They add so much fun and I like it when authors give the reader extra goodies. Not once did I ever feel like this was drawn out. I know books, even the best ones, can have those moments but I didn’t get that at all. Non-stop entertaining.
On the show…
So, after reading the book, I went right to work watching the show and it did not let me down. From the narrations to the cast and crew outdoing themselves for 6 episodes with some outrageous and epic drama, I was in love. There have been questions about a second season and honestly, I’m with Gaiman. This is a nice one season show. I don’t think it absolutely needs more. However, I do need more American Gods. LOL.
Overall
A memorable book with great lines and funny characters that really hit home with some truth. Colorful and lively. Not a dull moment and definitely going up on my favorites shelf. A must, absolutely, no excuses read.
Quotables:
“That’s how it goes, you think you’re on top of the world, and suddenly they spring Armageddon on you.” (Crowley, p. 24)
“Evil in general does not sleep, and therefore doesn’t see why anyone else should.” (p. 42)
“It is said that the devil has all the best tunes. This is broadly true. But Heaven has the best choreography.” (p.103)
“What I’ve always wondered is why they call ‘em UFOs when they know they’re flying saucers. I mean, they’re Identified Flying Objects then.” (Brian, p. 188)
“Just remember I’ll have known that, deep down inside, you were just enough of a bastard to be worth liking.” (Aziraphale to Crowley, p. 441)
On a side note…
I just finished Stranger Things and I don’t know about you guys, but that ending left me devastated and emotional. I didn’t cry, but my heart basically detached itself, saying, “Nope. I can’t believe you tortured me like that, you asshole. I’m out.”.
If you’ve never watched the Netflix show, but love apocalypse, paranormal, kill your emotions with a lot of feels then watch it! It’s incredible. The 80s. Scary monsters. Kids with an endless supply of badassery. And those coming of age feels.
#StrangerThings
More to come soon…
-K.
P. S. Song today? It’s The End of the World by R. E. M.
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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below.
The Scarlet Reader 
Great review! I really want to read this and watch the adaptation 🙂
(www.evelynreads.com)
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Neil Gaiman is a MASTER.
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Nice post. The show really was a great adaptation of this book. I though David Tennant was amazing as Crowley. As for Stranger Things, I’m not ashamed to admit I ugly cried for like ten minutes after THAT scene.
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ME TOO. That season was intense and I’m already desperately needing the next season because that ending really hurt. Like you said, lots of ugly crying. And yes, the show did quite a masterful job with its adaptation.
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