Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch is a novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
Finished on: 28.6.2019
[Here’s my first review.]

Content Note: racism, sexism

Plot:
The angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley have spent a lot of time on earth, doing their respective duties and have got pretty comfortable here. So when the news reaches them that the Antichrist is about to be born and the apocalypse is drawing closer, they are not really happy about it. But Crowley sets things in motion, as they are supposed to be set in motion, though coincidence seems to have a hand in it as well. But it has all been predicted by Agnes Nutter, a witch who died a while back, but still has an heir in Anathema Device who keeps up the family tradition. While the Horsemen of the Apocalypse start to gather, it turns out that the boy everybody thought was the Antichrist was actually switched at birth and nobody really knows where the Antichrist really is.

It doesn’t feel that long that I read the book, but I had forgotten a lot about it. But in this case that is absolutely great because it meant I could enjoy much of it as if I actually read it for the first time. And there is certainly a lot to enjoy.

Good Omens is one hell of a funny book (the Spanish Inquisition alone had me in tears, oh lay), hitting the perfect balance between Gaiman’s and Pratchett’s style and sense of humor to get the best out of both. And Crowley and Aziraphale are simply fantastic characters. As are the Four Horseman – especially Famine is supercreepy.

There was only one part that didn’t work for me at all, or rather one character – and that’s Shadwell. He’s sexist and racist and that’s all played for jokes. It is especially disappointing in a book that recognizes ecofascism so clearly for what it is. That it apparently doesn’t recognize the problems with Shadwell that are so much easier to spot is weird and sad.

The ending also felt a little lackluster, but that may have more to do with the fact that I just couldn’t get into Adam’s story (just like the first time I read it). But other than that, I really enjoyed Good Omens for the entertaining, fun and well-observed book it is.

Summarizing: Very good.