Another Pratchett title I read, written together with Neil Gaiman who I’ve never heard of. This book is an absolute gem.

Imagine the movie Dogma, but funny and intelligent. That is lightly skimming over how good this book is. The story traverses through time – past, present, and future. 300 hundred years previous the initial beginning of the book, a lady named Agnes Nutter predicted the apocalypse and the future up till the end of the world. It would happen on a Saturday, caused by the Antichrist.

The beginning of the book introduces us to two core characters – the snake that instigated the temptation in the Garden of Eden, a la the apple, called Crawley (and later Crowley the fallen Angel and servant of the devil) , and Aziraphale, an Angel with the flaming sword. After several thousand years, both have settled on Earth happy with doing what they do. The angel a rare book collector and Crowley…well…..is just Crowley doing whatever he does.

Assigned with the duty to deliver the Antichrist to be brought up by Satanists, and to assist in the education of the boy to be evil, Crowley doesn’t feel comfortable with the whole idea of the end of the world. He’s happy where he is, he doesn’t want things to change, even though he knew this day would come. He also owns a Bentley, in pristine condition, where any tape that is left in it for more than two weeks turns into a Queen tape…...Devil music.

Aziraphale equally is happy being a book collector, content with the life led by itself. Not interested in the war against good and evil. Heck he even gave Adam and Eve his flaming sword to keep them warm at night after they were booted from Eden.

Pestilence retired after the introduction of penicillin in 1963, and passed the reigns on to Pollution

Thus both decide to amicably keep the world neutral – and the Antichrist is educated by both in both good and evil, making the boy constantly neutral in choice. And if the Antichrist is neutral there will be no war…..in theory….

We’re introduced to some hilarious characters, including the “hound of hell” that turns out to be scared of cats; witch hunters; psychics, old prostitutes (or was she?) and all manner of interesting and varied characters. Every single character has a part to play. No one is left out in the cold, they either live, die or disappear.

Not forgetting the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; now the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse as motor bikes are faster: War, Death, Famine and…..Pollution. Yes, apparently Pestilence retired after the introduction of penicillin in 1963, and passed the reigns on to Pollution. They all work, have jobs and so on.

From start to end, this book captures the imagination – this is the most interesting hell and heaven you will read about or imagine. If the Bible or any other holy book was written with such humour, they would have more followers guaranteed….

Everyone works, everyone has a life to lead, and years pass, and time changes, and they adapt and so on and so forth. The authors have managed to capture so much realism in a wonderfully created “religious fantasy”. It mesmirises as much as it humours and makes you think.

Gradually reaching it’s climax – and it does it with style, growth and patience. It is wonderfully paced, drawing you in slowly without flooding your brain – allowing you to take in the characters, the intertwined plots in order to understand the final conclusions.

any tape that is left in it for more than two weeks turns into a Queen tape…...Devil music

The relationship between both angel and the fallen angel is great to read; they don’t like each other as such, they’re just used to each other. They’ve been around each other for so long they can predict each other’s movements. It’s a comfortable and convenient friendship that culminates with the final showdown.

Equally, we watch as our young Antichrist grows up – trying to understand the world, and it’s disappointments that will show themselves in the end. It’s a wonderful flashback to an innocent time – when the world is simple, and the world is easier to distinguish between right and wrong – there are no politics, just vivid imaginations of what the world is really like, because all you’ve seen is a small part of your own town – you’ve never been anywhere else.

The book is absolutely superb, I cannot emphasise this enough. Please buy it, you won’t regret it.

Verdict: Heaven and Hell with a Pratchett spin. Genius