Discussion is now open :) [act]hurries to finish reading...[/act] I finally found this at my library :D
I love this book! I haven't had a chance to reread it for this, but I absolutely love it. It's hilarious!!
Ok, I'm trying to think of some things we could have a discussion about it but nothing's coming to mind...
15 years ago
Mon Mar 23 2009, 06:12pm
I'm much the same, Cat!
Ok; focusing on what I've taken away from the book, having read it in the past. I think in general the reason I love it is that it's so clever. It entirely makes fun of - but in a non-offensive way - religion, historical events, good, evil, everything.
I most of all loved the dynamic of the relationship between good and evil (being not 100% good or evil either way), and how both Crowley and Aziraphale had become so very complacent and settled in their life on Earth that they schemed to stall the Apocalypse. Plus, how majorly Crowley ballsed up the anti-christ's placement, into the wrong family :P
And Crowley's take on wreaking havoc in the world - that you had to be more subtle, by creating a hellish motorway, or Welsh-language television XD
I probably shouldn't get started any further on what I loved about it. I'll be here for hours :P
[act]is interested to see what other Obernetters take away from it[/act]
I bought this on the weekend and am only part way through- reading today on my lunchbreak was a bad idea, as I was getting some weird looks from people in the office when I started randomly laughing hysterically :P
So far, it's a win. I am loving Crowley and Aziraphale's 'friendship', and that Anathema's mother named her that because she 'read the word one day and thought it was a lovely name for a girl'- lol *classic*
I don't know why, but it sort of reminds me of Jasper Fforde- maybe it's the clever humour? I don't know...
Shall comment further once I've read some more
My Mum, who hadn't read a single Terry Pratchett book while the rest of us in the house have read about 30 of them, read this and found it hilarious. All of the humour is Pratchett's, Gaiman's other books aren't as funny (while still good, they're just different). Read Pratchett! He's great!
So.... my (currently precious) reading time would be better spent on more Prachett then? Cool :) I need a book I can laugh to/at/with- and now I think about it, all the books I've got half started atm are all humorous type books (ie Douglas Adams ;D )
Bill Bryson's also funny, but his books are travel rather than fiction (oh! You should read Notes on a Small Island - it's about travelling the UK. It's hilarious and you can find out about cool things to go see ;) )
But anyway, getting back on the topic.
Wanderer Ward
14 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
I read this not long ago and I absolutely loved it (keeping in line with the sentiments of everyone else in the thread :P) I wasn't sure if I was going to get into it when I first started reading, but that feeling was soon lost in the hilarity and cleverness of it all. Crowley and Aziraphale were a brilliant duo, balsing thnigs up left right and centre XD
I've read Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, but nothing by Neil Gaiman. Are there any books in particular of his that would be good to start on?
I started with Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, which was good. Anansi Boys kind of follows on from American Gods, but I read them in the wrong order and still liked them both. American Gods is his first book, I think, and it's good but there's a bit of swearing etc. Neil Gaiman's books are very different to Good Omens though, all the humour in Good Omens comes from Terry Pratchett. Not that they're bad, they've got great plots and writing, but don't expect them to be as hilarious as Good Omens. It's just not his style, it's Pratchett's.
Speaking of Pratchett, you should keep going with the Discwold books, they get better. I don't like the first two (that you've read) as much as I like later ones, he definitely gets more into it. I read them all in the order they were written, and the next one that was written after Light Fantastic changes characters if you're sick of Rincewind, but you can always jump around. I recommend reading the mini serieses in the right order though, they build on each other.
In a funny coincidence, I started rereading Good Omens this morning even though I didn't know anyone had commented in here. I took it with me to the Jamboree, I've been meaning to reread it ever since we started this thread, but didn't get a chance to read it so started today. Man I love Crowley.
Wanderer Ward
14 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
Hmmm, maybe I won't read any Neil Gaiman until I've finished with all the authors I'm currently tackling. It would be bad for my bank account if I were to start on any more :P
I think I am going to stick with Discworld, and read them in order (because I'm that type of person ::)). Colour of Magic I didn't like, but The Light Fantastic was a definite improvement, and I'm guessing it just gets better from there :D
You know, there are places called Libraries that give you books for free ;) And they then don't clutter up your bookcase.
Dreamweaver Ward
14 years ago
Dreamweaver Ward
Dreamscape Artist
One of my friends bought me Neverwhere last year, and I really liked it. The two bad guys creeped me out, but I loved the Marquis de Carabas, Door, and Richard, and the majority of the minor characters. The characters are well-written - all flawed to some degree, and many with an intriguing element of mystery. I also loved London Below - I thought it was cleverly done, and a much more interesting and dark place than UnLondon in China Mieville's later book. [act]coughs[/act]copycat[act]coughs[/act] Anyway, Neverwhere is my recommendation, if you decide to read any Neil Gaiman. :P
I haven't read either of those Discworld books Kaede, but the witches ones and the Death ones are fantastic! Oh, and the watch ones.
I'm planning to continue Good Omens any day now, because I loved the beginning! (Have to finish library books first. :P)
Wanderer Ward
14 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
Gah! I hardly ever think of libraries when I want something to read [act]facepalm[/act] Maybe I had a bad experience in one when I was younger that I can't remember and now I'm conditioned to keep away from them :nod: Perhaps I was crushed by a falling bookshelf or something. I'm going into town tomorrow, so I'll make sure to go to the library :P
Yeah, I used to go to my school library occassionally, but mostly read books I bought or was lent. Then last year I went a rejoined my local library (hadn't got anything out of them since primary school!) and now I'm constantly there. It's good, because when people recommend a book to me on obernet I can just open a new tab to my library website and put a hold on it.
Neverwhere was awesome, I should reread it. My favourite series in the Discworld books is The Watch, and my favourite of all the books is Nightwatch which is a Watch book. Thud! was good too, another Watch book (and how cute was Where's My Cow? it's a kids book that goes with Thud!, so adorable!) The Witches and Death are awesome too, and I do like Rincewind and the Wizards but I don't think I could read more than a few books straight of theirs without needing a break.
So, um, back to Good Omens. Wait, I actually do have something to say about it! I love how all the supernatural beings are just living regular lives. It's not like Charmed or Supernatural or things like that where none of the supernatural people have regular jobs and just go around killing people. Whereas in GO the horsemen all spread their particular problem by being somewhat regular people and taking up jobs (loved CHOW and MEALS), and Aziraphale owns a bookstore (how funny was his added verses to Genesis?)
My Google-fu is failing me, but SFX magazine put on twitter that a 4-part TV mini series of Good Omens was in the works. I can't wait for more news :)
Oooh, I hope they do it justice! I can imagine it being amazing, but I think unfortunately the more likely scenario is it being terrible...
