As Clive Barker notes on the cover of this book, "The Apocalypse has never been funnier;" he's totally correct in that assessment. The basic plot is that the Antichrist has been misplaced, and the respective minions of heaven and hell actually find themselves liking people in general, and are somewhat reluctant to bring us all to our demise.

There are lines in this book that are so funny, I occasionally had difficulty breathing from laughing too hard; this duo's clever, twisted silliness is just right up my alley. Some of the passages are so wicked, so briliant, they'll leave the reader wiping tears of mirth. Being a fan of much British humor, there was a veritable plethora of chuckles in such references as Milton Keynes, England's highway system, and in the delightful idioms. The idea of heaven and hell being run by beaurocracy is amusing as well.

Devout Christian practioners may find this book to be sacreligious, if they are unable to take their religion lightly. Apart from those folks, I'd imagine that most people will really enjoy this book.


Brilliant!   June 30, 1998
 14 out of 16 found this review helpful

Well, since everyone else has already given this book five stars, there's really not much left to say, except to agree with all of them. This book really *is* the funniest thing I've ever read--it's funnier than Doug Adams, it's funnier than Monty Python. When was the last time you laughed out loud when you were sitting all by your self in an empty room? I found myself wishing my roommate would get home so I could read it to her, and I've had friends tell me they read some passages aloud to strangers in a restaurant. I suppose it's only natural that it should be good with names like Gaiman and Pratchett on the cover. Although the writing itself if most definitely "Pratchett" in flavor, Neil's influence is quite apparent in the book's conception, especially in the ideas of heaven and hell, and in a few truly chilling images, such as when the stones of Stonehenge are seen to moving, like iron filings in a magnetic field, and the field is centered on one little boy in a small, quiet town...

You'll laugh. You'll laugh some more. You probably won't cry, unless you're just the sort of person who fancies a good cry now and again. Just read it. It's bloody brilliant.


Wonderful book full of British humour   December 21, 2001
 11 out of 12 found this review helpful

I've only read two Discworld books, but I've loved Neil Gaiman's Sandman for ages. I had heard great things about Pratchett, though, so I knew this would be a good one. It certainly didn't disappoint, as the book is almost Adams like in its absurdity. You'll laugh out loud from the first couple of pages.

Starting out with a mix-up during the birth of the Anti-Christ, things spiral out of control from there. Crowley and Aziraphale (a demon and an angel) try to stop armageddon from happening because they like living on Earth too much. Of course, Armageddon is already having trouble starting since the Anti-Christ is nowhere to be found. Throw in a couple of witch-finders, the descendent of Agnes Nutter (author of The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch), a gang of school children, and many, many more memorable characters, there's a laugh on almost every page. Even the bit parts are good.

Gaiman's mythological humour makes a good combination with Pratchett's absurdity. Underneath all of the weird situations, you can see Gaiman's knowledge of myth and legend shining through. The dialogue is great, so much so that the most absurd situations seem very real. The reactions of the characters, while really strange when you think about them, seem very proper and realistic.

I have just finished re-reading it, and I had forgotten just how much enjoyment I got out of this book. It's a heavy subject (the end of the world), but done with such a humorous touch that it's not a heavy book. If you've read any of the Discworld books, or Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker books, you'll find the same style of humour in here. If you like this type of humour (and not everybody does), you will love this book. It may offend you if you're a fundamentalist, but that's the only worry.

And whatever you do, don't leave your cassette tapes in your car too long...I'd hate to have to listen to Britney Spears sing "Another One Bites the Dust" or Pavarotti's "We Are the Champions."


My All-Time Favorite Book   August 20, 2003
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I really wish there were something above five stars that I could give this novel. It is probably my all-time favorite book. It's a collaboration by two of my favorite authors, and combines the best traits of both -- Pratchett's wonderful sense of the absurd in our daily existance, and Gaiman's extremely dark, somewhat twisted sense of humor. The result is a book that made me laugh until my sides hurt, but also gave me a chance to think about the good and evil that are intrinsic parts of humanity.
Someone recommended this to me as "a funny book about the Apocalypse", and I was a little nervous -- I've never read the Bible, so would I not "get" the jokes? But an in-depth insight into religion is not needed; all you need is a sense of humor and a knowledge of the most basic points of Christian theology/culture (angels, devils, nuns, etc.).
The book centers around the actions of Aziraphale, an angel and part-time rare book dealer, and Crowley, a demon who's in love with his black vintage Bentley. Both have been on Earth since "the Beginning," which has produced something of a sense of camaraderie, although their respective supervisors fear that the two are "going native." The Apocolypse is scheduled to begin soon, but, alas, Crowley seems to have misplaced the Antichrist. Armed with little else than "Best of Queen" tapes and a rare book of obtuse prophecies, they race to track down the Antichrist before he gains the use of his powers. Joining in the fight are a witch and a wages clerk/Witchfinder Private. Sound odd? It does to them too. But one thing's for sure: once the Four Bikers (nee Horsepeople -- War's a woman) of the Apocolypse ride out, all is lost...


Tries waaaay too hard to be "wacky"   December 10, 2004
 11 out of 39 found this review helpful

I can't understand all the great reviews for this novel!? I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fan, so I was expecting a lot when he teamed up with his well reputed friend, Pratchett. Prachett is very well known for his "Discworld" series, which I was planning on getting to eventually, but I'm not so certain now.

This book tries way too hard to be "wacky". There is no naturalness to the flow of the humor. Speaking of which, there is no naturalness to the pivotal character, "the anti-christ".

They write "Adam" and his three friends extremely poorly. They write them as how adults, who haven't seen a kid since they were one, think a wacky pack of seven year olds might act (they are eleven, but the authors put them at the maturity level of seven year olds).

I'll give the first "Discworld" novel a chance, but if starts off with the same tone as this book, I'll put it down very quickly.

BTW, some people are comparing the humor in this book to Douglas Adams??? I don't see where. It doesn't even resemble poorly done Douglas Adams work.