Okay, sorry guys. I know that all of you are desperately awaiting my review of I am the Messenger, but I'm afraid that's going to be put on hold for another week or so because I've just been so busy. Yes, I know you're all disappointed but please try to contain it.
Still, I think you all would enjoy this next book. I certainly did. The title is Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, both excellent authors by the way. If I had to choose a couple adjective to describe this book (like in that SSO homework stuff), I would choose awesome, hilarious, and clever. Plus, it's super cool. I mean, just look at this cover title. Tell me you wouldn't be attracted by this. Yes, yes you would. Also, the beginning letters of each chapter are really big and intricately designed. I love it when they do that.
Anyway, if you've ever read anything by either one of these authors, you'd have a pretty good sense of what the book is going to be like. Most people I ask who have read Good Omens say that they prefer Neil Gaiman but I personally like Terry Pratchett better. He's definitely got an off beat sense of humor which you probably won't grasp the first time around until you go back and read it again. You will often be struck by this realization that a particular inane comment regarding some character's name was actually a clever reference and completely hysterical.
Silly me, I haven't explained the premise of the book. The protagonists of this book are a fallen angel named Crowley, an angel named Aziraphale, a witch named Anathema, and a witch hunter named Newt. Oh, and the Antichrist. There is also a quote on the front of the book by Clive Barker (author of Abarat--also a good book) saying, "The Apocalypse has never been funnier." That is quite a good description seeing as this book is describing the Apocalypse and how it plays out.
Already, this sounds like a promising book, doesn't it? Well, trust me, it's well worth the time. It starts out with Crowley (supposedly the serpent that told Eve to eat the apple) delivering the Antichrist to a hospital. However, this hospital, staffed by Satanic nurses, misunderstood Crowley's overly subtle hints, and they ended up switching the Antichrist with another ordinary Muggle. I mean, human. That human child was raised by Satanic and Angelic guides with both sides hoping to "convert" him to their side. Satanic forces sent a nanny who told the child this lovely nursery rhyme:
"This little piggy went to Hades
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy ate raw and steaming human flesh
This little piggy violated virgins
And this little piggy clambered over a heap of dead bodies to get to the top."
Somewhat different from the more common version, no? Still, isn't there something inherently wrong about pigs eating roast beef? I don't know. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, this is the beginning of the supernatural beings' side of the story.
The other half is focused around a man named Newt and a witch named Anathema. Anathema's great-great-great-great-great grandmother, Agnes Nutter (also a witch), wrote a book known as The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. This is also a key point in this book seeing as these prophecies were often cryptic, extremely confusing, supremely vague, but always correct. Newt signs up to be a witch hunter in the hopes of finding a simple, paying job, and lo and behold, he actually finds a witch. Anyway, whenever I start to summarize, I tend to just ramble on and on, so I'm going to stop myself and let you figure out what happens for yourself.
All right, so you've got a general idea of what's going on and, in case I haven't made it clear, I am highly recommending this book. There's a possibility that you won't understand all the subtleties the first time but trust me, it will be worth it to go back and read it again. It's an awesome book. Also, something that could add to the confusion would be the fact that if a character has an accent or a certain way of speaking, the authors wrote it the way it was pronounced. For those of you who read Wuthering Heights (Oh my God, that book was awful. Bored the pants off of me. I mean, it probably wouldn't have been too bad if I wasn't forced to read it within two days so that I could finish my paper, but still), think of Joseph and his Yorkshire accent, tone it down about four notches, and you'd have a pretty good idea of what you can expect from certain characters in Good Omens. However, don't freak out--it honestly isn't that bad.
All right, that's it for now. Enjoy Good Omens!
