After binge-reading Educated (see yesterday's post), I binge- watched Good Omens. Five or six enthralling hours that took me from from the Garden of Eden to what might have been Armageddon but, thanks to an angel and a demon and a witch and a computer-illiterate dork and the Anti-Christ himself, wasn't. I've read/listened to the book multiple times and was pleased at how much of the original dialog and narrative was preserved in the series. There were some omissions--understandable--and some additions--delightful. After all, the series had Gaiman himself doing the writing. And the casting! Every character was perfect. But if any one was more perfect than the others, it would be David Tennant as Crowley, the demon with the catwalk swagger. The whole thing exceeded every expectation. I rarely like adaptations of books I've loved, but this was just right. I don't know how it would seem to someone who wasn't already familiar with the story. John isn't, and he isn't a fantasy fan either. But he started watching with me then dozed off and was hopelessly lost in the (admittedly intricate) story when he awoke. I'll watch it again. And again.
After binge-reading Educated (see yesterday's post), I binge- watched Good Omens. Five or six enthralling hours that took me from from the Garden of Eden to what might have been Armageddon but, thanks to an angel and a demon and a witch and a computer-illiterate dork and the Anti-Christ himself, wasn't. I've read/listened to the book multiple times and was pleased at how much of the original dialog and narrative was preserved in the series. There were some omissions--understandable--and some additions--delightful. After all, the series had Gaiman himself doing the writing. And the casting! Every character was perfect. But if any one was more perfect than the others, it would be David Tennant as Crowley, the demon with the catwalk swagger. The whole thing exceeded every expectation. I rarely like adaptations of books I've loved, but this was just right. I don't know how it would seem to someone who wasn't already familiar with the story. John isn't, and he isn't a fantasy fan either. But he started watching with me then dozed off and was hopelessly lost in the (admittedly intricate) story when he awoke. I'll watch it again. And again.