Tuesday 14 August 2012

Audiobook Review: Good Omens

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

Written by Neil Gaimen and Terry Prachett

Read by Stephen Briggs
According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter--the world's only totally reliable guide to the future--the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just after tea...

Neil Gaimen and Terry Prachett and two of the most popular and inventive British writers and this come through in spades. Good Omens is essentially the story of the Apocalypse and the end of the world. But somehow it’s so much more fun, thrilling and imaginative than that suggests. Set in Britain we follow a demon and an angel, a witchfinder and a descendant of a witch as well as the son of the devil himself as they all orbit the end of days. With everything from Atlantis rising to aliens landing thrown in as well there is no end of unusual and unexpected elements which will have either laughing over the sheer absurd or wondering how you missed something so obvious!

Having read the book in the past, I was aware of what to expect, but one of the joys of this audio is the life given to the characters and events by Stephen Briggs. He seems to throw himself fully into the story telling, and your ears become glued to the ups and downs of the anti-christ. I loved how some of the elements felt so British and yet universal – from cold calling salesman (and women) making the world a worse place to every tape in car turning into a Best of Queen album after 2 weeks. (Although these days it could equally be a best of Michael Jackson album!)

Little side stories build up to one big finale where everyone gets a chance to shine. In fact having been rewatching Supernatural season 4 & 5 recently, I have to say it reminds me a bit of these book – but with much less deliberate humour! This is a fun audio book that will distract and entertain and leave you wishing these authors would collaborate more often.

Recommended for fans of Tom Holt and Jasper Fforde. 9 out of 10.

4 comments:

  1. I haven't read a book by him in ages!

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  2. I think I've seen this book and thought about picking it up. Only reason I'm not sure is I've seen, just in the US, two different covers on this one...I think. lol. Thanks! And sounds like a must have. :D

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  3. Hm... I do think I'll be adding this one to the wishlist! I've been thinking about this one and you pushed me to add it.

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  4. I really enjoyed reading this-so much fun! What did you think of the narrator?-bad narrators always kill a book.

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