This is my favorite book of all time. It is written by two authors that are amazing by themselves, but somehow get even better working together. Terry Pratchett’s quirky sense of the oxymoronic nature of human speech and Neil Gaiman’s eerie portrayal of evil and irony balance each other out perfectly. One sentence can remind the reader about just how twisted and dark the world can be, but in a way that makes the reader laugh (in my case, out loud - the first book to ever make me do that).
The only warning I would give is that this book pokes fun at a lot of things (Elvis, McDonald’s, diet fads, etc.), but it mostly pokes fun at the events that are supposed to herald the coming of the Antichrist, and therefor, Christianity. If you are easily offended, or just don’t like having someone poke fun at your religion, avoid this book. If, however, you have an open mind to the possible interpretations of the Apocolypse, this book is hilarious. I personally have bought five copies. One was given away as a gift, I have one in my possession, and the other three are circulating.
The only complaint I have heard about this book is that the beginning is a little slow, and I agreed with that the 4th time I read it. The end flies and that makes the first part feel slow, once you know what is coming. The first several reads, however, I had no problem with the speed of the book.
The best way to describe this book (and put a quick plug in for my two favorite authors)is:
1 part sunny, Sunday afternoon lying by the pool book
(Terry Pratchett’s Disc World series)
1 part early Halloween evening, getting in the mood book
(Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere or Sandman comic)
pinch each of luck, brilliance, and good cover art
Mix well. The result is something that is so funny it can’t possible be true, but has enough of the uncanniness of life, that it makes you wonder, ’’But what if...?’’