somehow I had it in my head that he had no kids. Wonder why? Rhianna's a pretty name.

Nope, you'll be able to tell if/when I finally am, my avatar will be jumping up and down for joy ! We have been working on it for quite some time, unfortunately it's rather difficult and complicated, so we have had plenty of time to think about names and things.
Esme isn't that odd a name, especially in this contry since the "musical" the Hunchback of Notre-Dame had a big success a few years ago. Gytha. That would be pushing it

Surely it's "Magrat" that would really be pushing it!

(Or possibly "Note Spelling")

Or Agnes. Or Perdita.

I always took them as your stereotypical rascals. I mean, isn't the hellhound even turning into a small terrier with one black circle around the eye, like the one in that ancient tv series you see parodised (sp?) everywhere? They're not meant to portrait actually 11-year-old personalities, but an idyllic perception known from TV, I guess. That's why Adam seems to mature in the book: He gets a few dimensions added.

Well, yes, of course they're stereotypes, as are all the characters in the book, they're real people but pushed a bit further in the direction of a caricature, in the same way that Aziraphale is pushed towards the effeminate bookshop owner, and Newt is the lame would-be geek, etc. But still, you have to actually observe people before doing a caricature, that's what makes a good one...

Not Omens related but

Back to topic, this is really a fantastic book that i remember being in tears laughing at.. however ive not read it for a while because i miss being a kid in Wales at the moemnt, i live in a city in another country and the gang of kids "Them" remined me so much of being a kid in Wales, im homesick enough

I think it depends what public school you're talking about, and the parents that send the kids there. I won't mention any names, but my friend went to a cheap private school because it was in a safer area than where she lived, and the students there weren't very focused on schoolwork.

Not unless you count a discussion about what color hair dye to use or what tanning salon to go to an intellectual or scholastic conversation, that is.


The Them reminded me of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn in terms of their lifestyle, but they weren't nearly as in tune with nature. If the Them had been more into literature they might have recognized the peril involved in recreating the world by developing their intellect, or just by avoiding the mistakes of antagonists.

The Them have always put me in mind of Richmal Crompton's "Just William, combined with Enid Blyton's "Famous Five" with a touch of Arthur Ransome's "Swallows and Amazons" (although without the boats in the last case!) - but avoiding the updating effects of Robert Heinlein's "Space Cadet" and "Tunnel in the Sky" - among others.

Yarrr !! The swallows and Amazons were Ruthless !!! (The one called Ruth was renamed Nancy so they could be TRULY Ruthless - if I remember the names right... )

I think it was one of the first Pratchett books I read from the library. It was a famntastic book. my favorite part was when death was playing the question game in the bar.

My ex veto-ed Esme for a girls name. I had a boy anyway, and calling him havelock would be going too far.
A bit like pippin galadriel moonchild, if you get my drift.

Miellyn

Neil Gaiman has three children, Michael, Holly, and Maddy. I think the oldest are teenagers now and Maddy is nearly so, if she isn't already. Michael might even be in his twenties?