Miracle Workers: A Novel

Hi,This book had all the right pieces in all the right places. The dialogue was witty and sincere. The characters were hilarious and the various sub plots felt natural and easy to follow. I could imagine anyone with eclectic tastes would find this a refreshing happy ever after story. It is definitely not for someone searching for action sequences or intense philosophical discussions. It’s a “what you see is what you get” kind of story. The plot starts by following two angels trying to stop the destruction of earth and ends with a more surreal ending that satisfies the romantic at heart and the eternal cynic we all have inside.Thanks for you time,FV

It's been a long time since I read something that made me literally laugh out loud as much as this short book did!Not to be taken seriously, just a fun poke at our human ways and a silly take on the afterlife. The characters are all likeable, the pacing of the plot of great, and the jokes land perfectly. Even the acknowledgments at the end made me chuckle.Overall, a fun read for the day.

Not the best book I've ever read, but enjoyable. Easy to pick up and put down, at times laugh-out-loud, and generally clever. I find with Simon Rich that some of the jokes land and some don't, but the ones that don't are easy to gloss over, and the ones that do are worth it. In general he's worth reading, and this book is no exception.

I sat down and read this in basically one sitting. The characters are amazing and the story line is captivating. I laughed out loud and read portions out loud to my wife. I loved the ending,a bit of a fun surprise by the way the story progresses. Highly recommend!

The best thing about "What in God's Name: a Novel" is the struggle between free will and predestination done with such a light touch I almost missed it. Humans like to believe that things are pre-ordained, that you got sick on Sept 11, 2001 and missed your plane because you weren't meant to die that day. And yet there is still that decision - maybe I'm not that sick...that makes the whole thing live and unpredictable. This is the basic tension in the plot involving two human schleps, Laurie and Sam who can't seem to have a date, requiring the angels to move mountains to make it happen before the appointed moment that God will destroy Earth unless the schleps kiss.God himself reminded me of a less intense version of George W. Bush. Clueless, privileged, destructively powerful, he doesn't care much about humanity or Earth for that matter. In fact, he is much more excited about opening the Asian fusion restaurant the day after the end of the Earth than he ever was about human beings. He is kind of sweet and even fun but his limitations also impact the novel because he can't make too much of an impact on the action or his vague and out-of-touch persona would be hard to maintain. As a result the novel becomes a sketch comedy that can barely sustain itself for it's short span.To call the novel a satire is pushing it. Yes, God is the out-of-touch CEO of a pointless corporation but not too much is made of that fact. It seems like a send up of Google and that company is actually mentioned making the send up rather obvious. The bigger point that could have been made, is that nothing escapes capitalism's grasp but that isn't even addressed. This is a novel of small ambition in that regard but as a light, fun, engaging read, the book works. And given that we are talking about "God" here, that is no small feat.

Have you ever wondered what God is thinking? How about the criteria for getting into Heaven? These answers are provided to you with wicked humor in Simon Rich's enjoyable and fast-paced book. I have to admit that this is one of the books where I think, "why didn't I think of this idea?". Alas, I did not, so I give Rich all the credit he deserves for transforming a potentially simple and silly premise into a rich comedic story that is built upon a scaffolding of truth.The story centers around Craig and Eliza, two Angels working for God at Heaven, Inc. They find themselves in a situation where they have one month to save the Earth from God's wrath by performing a miracle of their choosing. As we follow their quest, Rich sprinkles the story with funny anecdotes demonstrating just how silly human beings can be. What do we pray for? How are these prayers prioritized? How might one's prayer adversely affect another? Again, it seems a simple premise but there are some uncomfortable truths beneath it.I finished this book in a day, and it was a really nice break. It is a fun read that had me laughing out loud at some points, it also made me consider What in God's Name we do here on Earth. And it also reveals God's favorite band, which I have always wanted to know. All in all, this is a highly recommended fast read to take your mind off your worries for a little while.

Sometimes a light weight book still offers a whole new way to view the world. That’s the case here. I’ve always suspected that God is irrelevant and life is a series of minor miracles, so when I started reading this it was easy to enjoy. Try it, and decide for yourself.

Okay, God opening an Asian fusion restaurant and being the founder/CEO of Heaven Inc is genius. The youngest Rich knows how to fully explain and help visualize really unique and funny moments in compact verbiage. This is the first novel of his that I have read but I am an instant fan. I will be checking out all of his stuff from now on. Fantastic, if you enjoy a good chuckle about an almost believable (albeit amazingly funny) premise that is an enjoyable read.The story arc kept me engaged to finish as well. I'm always reading at least two books at a time and this one was one of four. I finished it first because I just had to see just how/if the Angels would save earth. Don't expect to have lingering thoughts or questions, as it's not exactly illuminating or especially thought provoking, as you might expect from the title. What he does manage to do though, is strip human actions down to the bare idiosyncrasy which is where the humor is often hiding. Just open it up and enjoy the fun ride.

Great read for those who may be interested in the subject.

This book felt like a bit of a struggle in the beginning, but I enjoyed it from the half way point. Leaves you with a warm glow!

If the idea of two lovestruck angels battling to save Earth from destruction sounds too ridiculous then you won't get this book. But it's a hilarious, sympathetic and moving story, crammed with Simon Rich's particular brand of wacky humour. Tremendous.

Laughing out loud whilst reading this light-hearted treatment of Heaven gave this reader a most enjoyable buzz. Thevery idea of God as CEO of Heaven Inc. was a tonic in itself. Of course there were one or two twinges of guilt mixed in but that only served to heighten ones' appreciation of this book.

Extremely funny book about heaven. It was an interesting decision to create the offices of heaven which worked remarkably. The different departments within heaven and humorous miracles and opinions of earth was a great perspective. I particularly found the scandalous opinions of God a fresh approach in discussing his behaviour. I was not predicting this to be a love story in sorts but was pleased with how it was portrayed in the text. I would recommend.