This week, my sister went back to school on Thursday. On Monday, I realized I had few plans after Wednesday, so I needed something to do. I decided instead of calling my friends at home and forcing them to do stuff with me or doing something constructive (like packing) I would go to the library and pick-up a few books to read.
Somehow, I stumbled upon "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman — a humorous take on the Apocalypse foretold in the Bible. The book follows Aziraphale, an angel, and Crowley, a demon, who have both become accustomed to life on Earth and each other. After having bonded over their love for classical music, sushi and slight disinterest in their sides' agendas for thousands of years, the two supernatural beings have become closer to being friends than enemies.
After living his life happily for thousands of years, Crowley receives a wake-up call when he discovers the Anti-Christ will rise and begin the end of the world. He doesn't like this because Hell doesn't have the pleasures Earth holds. So, with the help of Aziraphale (who will also miss doing something other than strumming the harp for eternity), Crowley sets out to convince the Anti-Christ to be a force for good so the world will never end. Which means he can eat sushi for eternity. Not that their plans pan out, of course...
I've always admired Neil Gaiman and have been dying to read "The Graveyard Book" since it first was published (I'm in the middle of it now), and I hoped this book would be just as hilarious as the review on its jacket promised (not that those reviews mean much, after all, the publisher picks them out). The reviews did not overrate the book, and I found myself reading until one a.m. in the morning and snickering as a character delivered a particularly snarky remark.
During the moments when Crowley and Aziraphale were on the page together, the book truly became alive and the fast moving dialogue snapped with life. I loved every minute I spent with the demon and angel and when the book focused on the other characters (who were likable as well and actually were fleshed out), I sometimes felt myself wondering when I could get back to the unlikely duo's antics.
And, even though the book was extremely funny, it carried weight with the implications Gaiman and Pratchett left at the end of their story. It lets the reader question who is good, who is evil, what destiny means and how one becomes the way one is. I was captivated and fascinated by each part of the book, and when I closed the pages of the novel I was left with the impression that I could read it again and again and still not catch all of the subtle details the authors layered in their story.
My only regret? That I didn't discover this book earlier. It was published a little over twenty years ago, though it is so oddly relevant it could have been published today.
No comments:
Post a Comment