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Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
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2009 Group Read Discussions > June '09 Good Omens * What did you like?

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John Beachem | 373 comments What (if anything) did you really like about Good Omens?

There were a lot of things I really, really liked about this book, but my favorite bits were the scenes between Crowley and Aziraphale. They had such wonderful dialogue between them, even when they were still in Angel/Snake form ("Didn't you have a fiery sword?" "Well they were so cold, and she was with child!")


colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) Erm - sort of the same answer as the fave character for me.

I also liked the bits between Crowley and Aziraphale, and they were my favorite parts. I liked the start of the book the most. The set-up, and the dimwitted Satanist nun(s). I liked watching Crowley and Aziraphale trying to cancel each other out with the wrong Anti-Christ. (It would've been interesting to see the effect this had on him later in life. Conversely, it would've been interesting to see what their meddling produced had it been the actual Anti-Christ.)

I also liked the descriptions and interactions of the 'Horsemen' of the Apocalypse, though I'm not sure the lengthy individual descriptions of them closer to the beginning were entirely necessary.

And, lastly, some of my favorite parts were the parts with Dog. The best was when he first arrived and went from terrible, huge Hell Hound, to small, tail-wagging Dog. But I also liked watching the bits of Hell get burned out of him bit by bit, and as I think these were some of the funniest parts, I would've liked to have seen far more from his perspective.

Also, while I'm sort of lukewarm on the ending (I'll get to that in the other thread) - I love the last line about there not being an apple in the world that wasn't worth the trouble you got in for eating it.

And, lastly, I liked some of the overall themes about how it's not really about good and evil, but just about people being people.


John Beachem | 373 comments Hehe... the cat worrier...


Robin (robinsullivan) | 629 comments John wrote: "What (if anything) did you really like about Good Omens?

There were a lot of things I really, really liked about this book, but my favorite bits were the scenes between Crowley and Aziraphale. T..."


I so agree - some of my favorites was when they were drunk talking about the end of the world and the whales and dolphins getting killed. It was also very cute when they walked by a cop and each thought the "other side" had invented them.



Robin (robinsullivan) | 629 comments Another particularly funny part was when the war correspondent was being introduced and they talked about the interview:

That was the National World Weekly. They sold four million copies a week, and they needed a War
Correspondent like they needed an exclusive interview with the General Secretary of the United
Nations. [The interview was done in 1983 and went as follows:
Q: You're the Secretary of the United Nations, then?
A: Si.
Q: Ever sighted Elvis?]
So they paid Red Zuigiber a


John Beachem | 373 comments LOL, I forgot about that part. So many really funny little bits scattered throughout this book.


message 7: by Random (new) - added it

Random (rand0m1s) One of my favorite parts:

He sat at his desk quietly leafing through International Maritime Codes, whose six hundred pages contained brief yet pregnant messages designed to transmit the news of every conceivable nautical eventuality across the world with the minimum of confusion and, above all, cost.

What he wanted to say was this: Was sailing SSW at position 33°N 47° 72'W. First Mate, who you may recall was appointed in New Guinea against my wishes and is probably a head-hunter, indicated by signs that something was amiss. It appears that quite a vast expanse of seabed has risen up in the night. It contains a large number of buildings, many of which appeared pyramid-like in structure. We are aground in the courtyard of one of these. There are some rather unpleasant statues. Amiable old men in long robes and diving helmets have come aboard the ship and are mingling happily with the passengers, who think we organized this. Please advise.

His questing finger moved slowly down the page, and stopped. Good old International Codes. They'd been devised eighty years before, but the men in those days had really thought hard about the kind of perils that might possibly be encountered on the deep.

He picked up his pen and wrote down: "XXXV QVVX."

Translated, it meant: "Have found Lost Continent of Atlantis. High Priest has just won quoits contest."


Robin (robinsullivan) | 629 comments Another great scene...

The table in front of the two of them was covered with bottles.

"The point is," said Crowley, "the point is. The point is." He tried to focus on Aziraphale.

"The point is," he said, and tried to think of a point.

"The point I'm trying to make," he said, brightening, "is the dolphins. That's my point."

"Kind of fish," said Aziraphale.

"Nononono," said Crowley, shaking a finger. "'S mammal. Your actual mammal. Difference is-"
Crowley waded through the swamp of his mind and tried to remember the difference. "Difference is,
they-"

"Mate out of water?" volunteered Aziraphale.

Crowley's brow furrowed. "Don't think so. Pretty sure that's not it. Something about their young.
Whatever." He pulled himself together. "The point is. The point is. Their brains."

He reached for a bottle.

"What about their brains?" said the angel.

"Big brains. That's my point. Size of. Size of. Size of damn big brains. And then there's the whales.
Brain city, take it from me. Whole damn sea full of brains."

...

"There you are, then," said Crowley, sitting back. "Whole sea bubbling, poor old dolphins so much
seafood gumbo, no one giving a damn. Same with gorillas. Whoops, they say, sky gone all red, stars
crashing to ground, what they putting in the bananas these days? And then-"

"They make nests, you know, gorillas," said the angel, pouring another drink and managing to hit
the glass on the third go.

"Nah."

"God's truth. Saw a film. Nests."


Some of the best dialog I ever read ;-)

-- Robin The Crown Conspiracy | Avempartha | Nyphron Rising (Oct 2009)


John Beachem | 373 comments You're cracking me up reposting these things, Robin. Those scenes between Crowley and Aziraphale are bloody brilliant.


Kathy I would like to make a general statement about British humor in this book. I have a new appreciation for the dry wit that Pratchett and Gaiman bring to the novel. Come on, the fact that the only music in Crowley's Hell is anything by Queen? That's priceless.

I did love the drunk scene that Robin so eloquently re-wrote for our benefit.

Again, some of the clips of prophecies that Agnes wrote were pretty witty, too.


Robin (robinsullivan) | 629 comments The best thing about that excerpt above is that he says "the point is" more times then any writer would normally do. It gave it so much more realism then editing it down to just 2 occurances. I could really "see" this conversation going on.


Ravenskya  (ravenskya) I personally loved "Dog" and anything to do with him. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time. The best is when he morphs from the giant hell hound to the cute little mutt.

And I LOVED Crowley, anything to do with him.


message 13: by Robin (last edited Jun 27, 2009 01:16AM) (new) - rated it 4 stars

Robin (robinsullivan) | 629 comments I also really liked that baby switching scene - very funny. There is also the "quirky" things that I found great enjoyment in - like the fact that music left in his car for too long turns into a Queen album.

-- Robin The Crown Conspiracy | Avempartha | Nyphron Rising (Oct 2009)


Sandi (sandikal) Robin, I loved that because Queen is one of my favorite bands.


Robin (robinsullivan) | 629 comments Well if I was rich Sandi - I'd buy you a sports car and stock it with Queen so you could channel Crowley.


message 16: by Joy (new) - rated it 5 stars

Joy (crowgirl) John wrote: "What (if anything) did you really like about Good Omens?

There were a lot of things I really, really liked about this book, but my favorite bits were the scenes between Crowley and Aziraphale."


I second that!


Barbm1020 I thought the supernaturals were funny, but I also loved the Them, and Anathema. Having read some Discworld books, I could see the hand of T. Pratchett in Newt's religious cult and of course in the appearance of Death as a character, recognizably the same Death who frequently appears to Rincewind the Wizzard. Loved this book!


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