Good Omens. Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett June 22, 2009
Posted by Cyd in fantasy.Tags: angels, apocalypse, comedy, demons, fantasy, humour, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
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Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
This novel was originally published in 1990, before Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett were as well known as they are today. It’s a terrifically fun book, full of the silliness that I associate with Pratchett, and the inventiveness that I associate with Gaiman.
Eleven years ago, the stage was set for the end of the world. And now everything has been put in motion for the final battle between the armies of Good and Evil. Except for one small problem – someone’s botched things.
Aziraphale (an Angel) and Crowley (“an Angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards”) are pressed by their respective bosses to make sure that everything goes right in the final moments of the Apocalypse. The problem is things aren’t going right, and the pair, who have been friends for ages (literally), are actually rather happy about that.
Enter into that mix a descendant of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the last existing members of the Witchfinder Army, a group of kids and an assortment of other characters, and you get this funny story of the end of the world (maybe). There is a lot of action, a lot of confusion, and a good bit of satire about the nature of good and evil, and of end-of-the-world prophecies.
I completely enjoyed reading this book. It’s a great light read, perfect for summer.
The Graveyard Book. Neil Gaiman March 1, 2009
Posted by Cyd in fantasy.Tags: coming-of-age, Dave McKean, fantasy, ghosts, Graveyard Book, murder, mystery, Neil Gaiman, urban fantasy, YA
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Illustrated by Dave McKean.
This book is marketed as YA (young adult) fiction, but that doesn’t mean it is only interesting for the under 20 set. I enjoyed it from start to finish. It’s a fun combination of urban fantasy, coming-of-age story and mystery all in one. And it is definitely a Neil Gaiman story. Fairy tale-like in it’s telling, it’s the sort of story that Gaiman excels at.
The story starts with a murder in progress, being committed by a mysterious “man Jack.” Somehow one intended victim manages to escape and wander off down the street. He is taken in by the residents of the nearby graveyard, and hidden and protected when they realize that the man following him means him harm. The man Jack leaves without completing his grizzly task, and the baby becomes a ward of the ghosts.
The rest of the story follows the child as he grows up in the graveyard, with ghosts for parents, and a mysterious guardian as provider. It also reveals more of the mystery of the murders. It was a fun read, with humour and some horror, and enough mystery to keep me interested all the way to the end. And although the story comes to a satisfying end, I can’t help but hope that we will hear more about Nobody Owens in the future.
