Good Omens the book was written by two magnificent authors: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Together, Pratchett’s clever humor combined with Gaiman’s darker twists lend themselves to create a profound but fun book centered around themes of humans’ inherent good or evil, the end of the world, and partisan conflicts. This end-of-the-world comedy about the spawn of Satan, a colluding demon and angel, witch hunters, and a descendant of the only accurate prophet of the apocalypse is set in an alternate version of our world, and with older references.
I actually picked this book up once before but never finished, since it was initially hard to follow. Multiple storylines are used before they converge into the climax, so it takes some work to figure out where you are in each scene. However, on
ce you get the hang of the switching points-of-view, settings, and moods, and can even see their connection, the irony and themes come through easily and the book becomes like a fun puzzle. Among the themes the book explores, the most notable one is Good vs. Evil, in a much more concrete way than other stories normally do. Pratchett and Gaiman present the idea that the individuals making up the side of Good and the individuals making up the side of Evil are much more alike than either side will have you think. It was an interesting take, one that can be applied to everyday life, and I agree with them. Most conflicts, big and small, are not so black and white.
Filled with wit, humor, and thoughtful parallelisms, Good Omens will take you on a journey exploring the sides of Good, Evil, and Human in the universe’s ultimate battle of justice. It can also lend itself to interpreting lots of modern conflicts, personal or global and I would definitely recommend it to anyone willing to put up with a bit of initial confusion for a good story, or who liked the series adaptation.
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