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I finished reading Good Omens on Friday, and was quite pleased with the ending. The last time I read anything with such a huge buildup to the end was reading Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age years ago, and, well, Neal Stephenson is not so much with ending his stories well at all, so I was happy that Neil and Terry didn’t leave me in the same lurch.

As noted in a review by Rebecca Swain, my problem with the book is the “almost exaggeratedly English” writing. I could tell the difference between when Neil’s story voice and Terry’s story voice, and I kept wanting Terry to be quiet. I’ve often been asked why I’m not a Terry Pratchett fan, given my attraction to Neil Gaiman and Neal Stephenson, and I think the multiple commas in a sentence to say something simple puts a finer point on it. It’s cute in a more AV context, like on TV, or in a recording, but on paper, it breeds impatience in me. Yes, I realise that the Pratchett fans out there might come to get me for this, and to them I say I’ll really just agree to disagree.

Overall, I did like the story very much. My SO is intrigued to read it after hearing me giggle like an idiot for 2 weeks, but refuses to until he gets a chance to read the Book of Revelation in the Bible. (Timeline of Revelations hard to follow? Or, are you just a process geek? Check out the flowchart.) I don’t think it’s necessary, but that’s just me. I guess a quick skim and outline of Revelations, or even someting more Cliff’s Notes-style, and a Saturday afternoon screening of The Omen would really suffice, either before or after. A reader might have a real belly laugh of some of the jokes with the background, but even without, I still think it’ll still solicit a giggle from the uninitiated.

The book itself, however, isn’t really *religious*. It uses a religious context as a backdrop for irreverent humor (or, so might say some of the easily aggravated devout christians of the world, I’m sure). If you’re looking for a broader scope of the apolcolypse historically and religiously, the PBS site on their “Apocolypse” special is pretty keen.

So yeah, if you like the idea of the struggle between good and evil as a partnership between and angel and a devil to keep the 11-year old Antichrist from destroying the world, read this book. It’s funny.

Speaking of Death, destruction, and my growing fascination with Neil Gaiman, I am pleased to mention that New Line has picked up “Death: The High Cost of Living” to create a feature film, which Gaiman will direct. This pleases me a great deal. I think the story will adapt nicely to the screen. What I don’t know is whether it’ll be live action or animated. Either way, I think it’ll be spiffy.

Tags: reading