Book Club

[everythingshiny]

CHALLENGE 63: Book Club

Description This Months Book is Good Omens by Terry Pratchett

Comments

[everythingshiny]

Questions/Comments

[cardboardcornea]

Gah! I did not think this post was going to go up by the end of this phase so I didn't get a chance to reread. But I read it over spring break and I guess that wasn't that long ago. Let's see how this goes

[catko]

Ah, looks like we somewhat agree, except I remember not liking American Gods better, but now I can't remember why. :)

[cardboardcornea]

For me, American Gods is something I'll probably reread down the road because I really want to dig into it instead just kind of passively reading it while traveling.

[catko]

True confessions time. While I rather admire Neil Gaiman and his public persona, I don't find I enjoy his books 100%. I mean, they are in a genre I enjoy, and I like the humor, and the mix of sillyness with profundity and life philosophy. In theory. But in reality it ends up being just a bit too silly, almost arch, and I have trouble sustaining my suspension of disbelief all the way to the end.

I liked Good Omens better than others I've read, maybe due to the conditions of having borrowed it from our most awesome coffee cart lady way before I'd heard of Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett; after I returned it, we were discussing with a third person and I described it as being "fun, thoughtful, and a bit hippie-esque." Frankly that's all I remember about it, except what I've seen in reference to various characters and plot points around the Internet. Maybe I should re-read to see how I'd feel today...

[cardboardcornea]

Too silly is a great description of this book in particular.

[mark_pierre]

I love Pratchett and generally enjoy Gaiman, but this book was too much for me. I've started reading it... and couldn't finish it. Hell, I don't know if I've read 20 pages. I don't know - maybe the fault is in translation... but 10 years later and I have no desire to return to this book. Oh, and I remember nothing of the plot. :/

[catko]

Funny how some books can be unmemorable. Even if you enjoyed it while reading (which you didn't, but I kind of did), it just evaporates...

[cardboardcornea]

Yeah, I'm really surprised by how little I remember. Sadly, it's not like I've even read all that much since then.

[cardboardcornea]

Now I'm trying to figure out how the book even started. Was it with baby being born? Chronologically that's the first thing I remember.

[skieswideopen]

I've tried reading this book a couple of times before and didn't get very far, and honestly, I didn't make it to the end this time either. I'm not quite sure why, since I generally like Gaiman (his novels at least--I tend to be less fond of his short stories). Maybe it's Terry Pratchett? I haven't read any of this other books, so I don't know if I like his style. Or maybe it's just that this particular book doesn't work for me, even though on the surface, it seems like it should.

None of which really answers any of the questions past the first one, I'm afraid!

[cardboardcornea]

I think this book does skew more toward Pratchett's usual style which is way more comical than Gaiman's.