GOOD OMENS : The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch – by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

I needed to laugh, so I decided to listen to this book again. A favorite book, which I first read a number of years ago and have reread and listened to since, it did the trick. It made me laugh and think, tear up and laugh some more. It tells the story of the end of the world and the eleven years that precede it, when the Antichrist is brought to earth as a newborn, to be raised by a human family. The story is told through a wonderful cast of characters – Aziraphale, an angel, and Crowly, a demon, who have thwarted and befriended each other over several thousand years; Adam, the Antichrist, and his friends, affectionately referred to as the Them; Anathema Device, a descendant of Agnes Nutter; Sargent Shadwell, the so called leader of the so called witch finder army, and his charming neighbor, Madame Tracy; and Newton Pulsifer, private in the witch finder army. Plus an assorted cast of equally interesting characters. If you have read any Terry Pratchett you know that you will find much humor with social commentary embedded in it. He never fails to make me laugh and think. The audiobook is fabulously read by Martin Jarvis, who makes the book even better, if that is possible.

Then, after you have read the book, I highly recommend the 6 episode TV series available on Amazon. Usually, when I see a film made from a favorite book I am disappointed, and often annoyed. Not so in this case because it IS SO WELL CAST! Neil Gaiman wrote the script and was involved with the production every step of the way, which I imagine supported fidelity to the book. And go ahead, if you want, and just watch the movie first. It is that good and that true to the book.