God is CEO of Heaven Inc. From the Sunsets Department and Geyser Regulation to the Department of Miracles, Heaven Inc has the earth covered. Unless of course someone is away from their desk. But these days, God is kind of disillusioned. He knows he should be keeping an eye on the genocide happening on Earth, but he finds himself drawn instead to watching the Church channels on satellite TV. His first priority is the team of angels he's asked to get Lynyrd Skynyrd back together. Meanwhile, Eliza has been promoted from the Prayers Department to Miracles, and Craig, a workaholic angel devoted to averting accidents, has to show her around. Having totally turned the Prayers Department around, and instituted a system for dealing with the millions of pleas that came in every day, Eliza is shocked by the casual attitude of many of the angels in her new department. And she's even more shocked when she discovers that, despite her elaborate prayer-answering system, God has never looked at, let alone answered, a single one. Eliza is furious, storms into God's office, and suggests that if he doesn't care about the Earth, why bother? 'You're right,' he says, 'I'll destroy Earth in 30 days and open an Asian-American fusion restaurant instead.' So Craig and Eliza, who really care about humans, must come up with a plan to save Earth. And maybe even get a promotion, too.
What In God's Name
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Review
'One of the best American comic novels of the past few years ... a near-perfect work of humour writing strikingly original, edgy but compassionate, and most importantly, deeply hilarious' NPR
'Deliciously funny' -- Kirkus Reviews
'Truly hilarious' -- Observer
'One of the funniest writers in America ... Rich evokes enough of the hellish qualities of Earth (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Walmart, a screenplay for Finnegans Wake) and of the little things that we'll miss (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Walmart, a screenplay for Finnegans Wake) that it feels like a little love letter to the world. Thanks, life. Good of you to let me drop by.' -- Daily Beast
'The super-funny Simon Rich . . . a literary romcom . . . Properly laugh-out-loud funny and sweetly charming. You'll be rooting for the angels to save the world' --Heat
'Deliciously funny' -- Kirkus Reviews
'Truly hilarious' -- Observer
'One of the funniest writers in America ... Rich evokes enough of the hellish qualities of Earth (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Walmart, a screenplay for Finnegans Wake) and of the little things that we'll miss (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Walmart, a screenplay for Finnegans Wake) that it feels like a little love letter to the world. Thanks, life. Good of you to let me drop by.' -- Daily Beast
'The super-funny Simon Rich . . . a literary romcom . . . Properly laugh-out-loud funny and sweetly charming. You'll be rooting for the angels to save the world' --Heat
Book Description
How can you help mankind, when they won't help themselves? Welcome to Heaven Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By M. R. N. Shackelford
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
A very short and light story set in Heaven, with a God who can't really be bothered and a range of incompetent Angels making miracles to help a few humans out here and there.
It is supposed to be a comedy, but it didn't make me laugh. The plot was thin and the characters forgettable.
The author has apparently written for US TV - and I guess that shows in the light, fluffy style.
It is supposed to be a comedy, but it didn't make me laugh. The plot was thin and the characters forgettable.
The author has apparently written for US TV - and I guess that shows in the light, fluffy style.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Mark Webb
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
What in God's Name is funny, off and on; the humour feels forced for the most part, though I laughed long, hard and out-loud at the bit with Regis Philbin. Other than that... I'm finding it hard to find anything to say about this book.
What in God's Name is a very short novel that imagines God as CEO of Heaven inc. God doesn't have much time for humanity, he doesn't answer prayers, he's lost what little interest he ever had in Earth. Humanity has become such a bore, God thinks he might just end the world soon so he can concentrate on his real love, an Asian-fusian restaurant he's planning to open in Heaven soon. Two Angels set out to change God's mind by taking a bet to make a seemingly easy-to-achieve miracle happen - a task that turns out to be the hardest thing they've ever done and... that's pretty much it.
The premise is all. The characters are caricatures and the plot - two Angels race against time to push two social inepts into each other's arms - was tired and predictable. Along the way, there are a few laughs. It's very filmic; at times it reads more like a detailed treatment for a sitcom than a novel. It's VERY American, there is nowhere on Earth or in Heaven that isn't a mirror-copy of the USA.
In short, it's a quick, sometimes funny read, nothing more. I still can't decide if the appearance of Alexander the Great as an impregnator of many women was meant to be a joke.
What in God's Name is a very short novel that imagines God as CEO of Heaven inc. God doesn't have much time for humanity, he doesn't answer prayers, he's lost what little interest he ever had in Earth. Humanity has become such a bore, God thinks he might just end the world soon so he can concentrate on his real love, an Asian-fusian restaurant he's planning to open in Heaven soon. Two Angels set out to change God's mind by taking a bet to make a seemingly easy-to-achieve miracle happen - a task that turns out to be the hardest thing they've ever done and... that's pretty much it.
The premise is all. The characters are caricatures and the plot - two Angels race against time to push two social inepts into each other's arms - was tired and predictable. Along the way, there are a few laughs. It's very filmic; at times it reads more like a detailed treatment for a sitcom than a novel. It's VERY American, there is nowhere on Earth or in Heaven that isn't a mirror-copy of the USA.
In short, it's a quick, sometimes funny read, nothing more. I still can't decide if the appearance of Alexander the Great as an impregnator of many women was meant to be a joke.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A. Douglas
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
God spends his time watching disasters on TV alongside his favourite teams/ bands etc. the author is American, therefore this book is. Everything has an American edge and this is why I can only give it a low star rating. I think it's funny in parts but this could just have been an American office, rather than anything to do with God. The author missed a trick here. If this had a neutral theme it would have been brilliant!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By totnes_nigel
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I thought that this looked like the kind of book I would enjoy. I like the overall approach of it - we meet God as CEO of Heaven Inc and discover why Earth was created. We also discover that God has really lost interest in the human inhabitants of Earth and is going to destroy it. Two fairly junior angels in the Miracles department have a bet with God which, if they win, will save humans. So far so good and I really did like this until I got to the detail. The jokes are not the best in the world and some may want to bear in mind that many are very USA centric too. I am a fan of off the wall writing and love the likes of Christopher Moore, Carl Hiaasen and similar however this one is sadly not really in their league.
By Bela Lugosi's Dad
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Writing comic fiction is hard, reading it is sometimes harder. I started Simon Rich's slender tome with a sense of trepidation, realising that I would be done in about an hour and possibly left with the same sort of pointlessly pigged-out feeling I get from scoffing a whole bumper bag of Revels in front of some terrible horror DVD. I needn't have worried, the Gospel According To Simon Rich is a total hoot from start to finish.
You want snappy dialogue? You got it.
Lashings of super-smart satire? Check.
A bit of a love story (not too mushy,mind!) going on at the side? Affirmative.
Will it offend your God-bothering grandma? Well...
I'm a religious sort of guy myself - I run my own cult (mainly for tax reasons)and I've predicted the world to end in a ball of flame on the 9th of June 2027, at about 4.15 in the PM - and I didn't take the teensiest bit of umbrage at the depiction of God Our Father as the CEO of a company which is running all the more efficiently without his active involvement. You've got be able to laugh at yourself, right? I shop for Cheerios at the all night Asda wearing my second best crown of thorns and you should see some of the looks I get. It's true what they say about a prophet never being recognised in his home town. At least I don't have to wear a funny green uniform - I CHOOSE to wear it, okay? I look gosh-darn good in green,a bit like Robin Hood in actual fact. Any of youse got a problem with that?
Another day gone, another day nearer our fiery end....Enjoy the book, my children.
And repent! Before it's too late!
You want snappy dialogue? You got it.
Lashings of super-smart satire? Check.
A bit of a love story (not too mushy,mind!) going on at the side? Affirmative.
Will it offend your God-bothering grandma? Well...
I'm a religious sort of guy myself - I run my own cult (mainly for tax reasons)and I've predicted the world to end in a ball of flame on the 9th of June 2027, at about 4.15 in the PM - and I didn't take the teensiest bit of umbrage at the depiction of God Our Father as the CEO of a company which is running all the more efficiently without his active involvement. You've got be able to laugh at yourself, right? I shop for Cheerios at the all night Asda wearing my second best crown of thorns and you should see some of the looks I get. It's true what they say about a prophet never being recognised in his home town. At least I don't have to wear a funny green uniform - I CHOOSE to wear it, okay? I look gosh-darn good in green,a bit like Robin Hood in actual fact. Any of youse got a problem with that?
Another day gone, another day nearer our fiery end....Enjoy the book, my children.
And repent! Before it's too late!
By Olympic owl
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Easy read, funny to look at heaven with a 21st century corporate twist, great characters. Will read more from this author.
Format:Paperback
While the premise on which this book is based is fairly clever, and some of the characterisation is intelligent, the overall plot of this book is dire. Once the exposition is done, you could write the whole thing yourself without even trying. It's not a gripping read, but fairly humorous if you're looking for a way to ignore your life going by for 20 minutes or so.
By Alec
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
What in Gods name possessed me to read this stuff. It may have been funny twenty years ago but not now. A hip golf playing God uninterested in anything and out of touch does not cut it at all. Plodding predictable tripe that perhaps could appeal to 10 year olds but not nearly enough good stuff to be worth while reading now I am very much afraid. I do not like giving negative reviews but I am afraid this is a book that is not worth anything more.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Americanised story based in an office called Heaven
This is a good book that I read with a smile on my face throughout.
It's about heaven which is an office, where the CEO is God, and the employees are angels. Read more
It's about heaven which is an office, where the CEO is God, and the employees are angels. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Tim Roast
3.0 out of 5 stars
Froth
This is a nice gentle parody of modern life from an Angels' perspective. Faced with the end of the world because God is bored two decidedly uptight Angels must come up with a plan... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Donald Thompson
2.0 out of 5 stars
Heavenly chick lit!
"What in God's Name" is a book that poses particular difficulties for a reviewer. It is a blend of comedy and romance on a topic that can be truly emotive. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ms. R. L. A. Amelan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun read
This a fun book with an interesting take on heaven! It portrays God as the CEO of a company, Heaven Inc, made up of a staff of angels. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Sarah Lambert
2.0 out of 5 stars
White American creates God in his own image
Heaven Inc is a big company and God is its CEO. He's an ideas man who spends most of his day in his swanky office watching baseball and NASCAR. Read more
Published 8 months ago by MisterHobgoblin
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet
OK so the book is a bit on the short side and a tad US-oriented, but its a nice gentle rom-com of a book. Read more
Published 9 months ago by A. Skudder
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lazy God
A comedic take on heaven as a corporation, this stars God as a bored CEO with his angels as cubicle monkeys, with about as much job satisfaction as us mere mortals. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Catriona Reid
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funn, easy book to read.
I was fortunate to meet Simon Rich at the Edinburgh Book Festival, where he delivered a session followed by book signing. Read more
Published 9 months ago by D. Howe
3.0 out of 5 stars
Wings and a prayer
I very much enjoyed Simon Rich's debut novel Elliot Allagash. It was short and satirical, funny but with a dark centre. In 'What in God's Name', I hoped for more of the same. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Quicksilver
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