Friday, August 04, 2006

Good Omens

I just finished reading Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. In short, it is a comedy about the Apocalypse in which an angel (Aziraphale) and a demon (Crowley) attempt to circumvent the prophecies of the End Times because they actually like humanity. Meanwhile, War, Pollution, Famine, and Death, the four bikers of the Apocalypse are coming, followed by the self-styled four other bikers of the Apocalypse:

(1) Grievous Bodily Harm
(2) Cruelty to Animals
(3) Things Not Working Properly Even After You've Given Them a Good Thumping But Secretly No Alcohol Lager
4) Really Cool People


For the most part, I found this story enjoyable to read, with enough thought-provoking material to remind me of humanity's responsibilities toward Earth and all living things. Some people may think that the treatment of the subject matter is too flippant, but remember, after all, that The Devil Hates to Be Mocked.

I shall resist the temptation to fill the rest of this post with quotes from Good Omens (along with a similar penchance for inserting quotes into conversations from Eddie Izzard's comedy routines.) However, I found Aziraphale's and Crowley's New Year's resolutions for 2006. How can I not pass it along?

My favorite Crowley resolution:

Resolution #3: Try to come up with something as good as cell phone ringtones, following one last stab at convincing Downstairs that cell phone ringtones are right up there in the whole Human Misery stakes. And iPods. Has anybody Down There even said thank you for iPods? Or "Googling yourself?" Frankly, I deserve some kind of award for "Googling yourself."

My favorite Aziraphale resolution:

Resolution #10: On the orders of Head Office I will encourage the belief in Intelligent Design – despite the fact that the human airway crosses the digestive tract. Who thought that was intelligent?

If "Good Omens" is ever made into a movie, Eddie Izzard could play either Crowley or Aziraphale. Izzard is versatile.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

well spank my perky bottom and call me Salamina... I did not know the had Eddie on Wiki.... oh GLEEE!

Liz said...

I just want to know one thing about the book. How many times did you LOL? That's my true test for a humor book.

Now, after reading your comment at Birdy's I must know about this Pirate themed event your attending.

Saints and Spinners said...

Nonny: I chuckled quietly to myself during the first bit, and then snickered and guffawed repeatedly during the middle and end bits. It was good to laugh. Re: the pirate show, check out the Captain Bogg & Salty link under the "Song and Dance" headline. I'll see if I can take photos today.

Lurch, aka Salamina, I too was thrilled. You can only imagine my joy when I found Eddie on Youtube.com too.:)

Lady K said...

I'm definitely going to have to check out this book. One of MANY on my list.

Unknown said...

Nonny, I can verify that the number of LOL's was approximately 1 every 3-4 minutes. Darned annoying when you're trying to parse regular expressions.

Anonymous said...

It is ironic that you chose Eddie Izzard as an ending to your blog...I have always fevently hoped that when the movie gets made, that Mr. Izzard will be cast as the illustrious demon Crowley. :) (Also, am I the only person who would really love to see Stephen Fry cast as Azirophale?)

Saints and Spinners said...

Stephen Fry would be lovely as Aziraphale. In fact, why don't we just cast the entire movie right now. Maybe that will help greenlight the project. Alan Rickman can reprise his role as Metratron (from "Dogma"), methinks.

Anonymous said...

Funny--I'm cruising through via the "next blog" button and saw your Eddie Izzard reference. I'm watching "Glorious" on BBC America whilst I surf :D Love him!

Saints and Spinners said...

Rebecca, I'm so glad you stopped by. Now, I have a cunning plan to insert Eddie Izzard somewhere in all my blog posts.

Lone Star Ma said...

I am definiely going to have to read that, even though it is written by the author of the dreaded Coraline. - shiver. Those button eyes...

Anonymous said...

Weirdness. I just finished that book too. I laughed out loud most during the beginning, which was slightly embarrassing as I began the book on a plane.

The casting is perfect so far (yea, Eddie Izzard!). How about the Four Bikers of the Apocolypse?

War: Cate Blanchett
Famine: Hugh Laurie
Pollution: Paul Bettany
Death: Christopher Lee

Saints and Spinners said...

Goddess: Good casting call, especially Cate Blanchett. I'm rethinking Stephen Fry for Azirophale (sorry, Galetea!), and am voting for Chiwetel Ejiofor instead. Also, I'd like to see more of Natalia Tena (who totally charmed me in "About a Boy"), and shall cast her as Anathema.