Book Review: American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Media Type: Print Book
Title: American Gods
*Series: American Gods #1
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Pages: Paperback; TV Tie-In; 792
Release Date: March 28, 2017
Source: HarperCollins / TLC Book Tours
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Genre: Urban Fantasy / Fantasy
HDB Rating: 5 Keys to My Heart
Recommended to: Readers who love rich, deep stories with mythology to spare. Fans of Gaiman!
Add it on: Goodreads | HarperCollins | Amazon | B&N
First published in 2001, here is the New York Times bestselling novel that became an instant classic and was hailed by USA Today as “a powerful, searing force that makes readers confront what is real and what is not…”—now a TV series from FremantleMedia North America is coming to STARZ with Bryan Fuller and Michael Green as showrunners, and starring Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Crispin Glover, Cloris Leachman, and Gillian Anderson.
Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.
But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and a rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.
Life as Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined. Soon Shadow learns that the past never dies… and that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path.
First, a confession. I confess that I am shamelessly in love with Neil Gaiman. If you are worried that this will sully my unbiased review of this book, worry not. In fact, this was my second read through of American Gods and, truth be told, I wasn’t all that in love with it the first time I read it. Maybe it was where I was at in my life, or the current reading mood I had, but despite my love for Gaiman this book and I just didn’t click. So, when I was offered the Author’s Preferred Text version for review, I was eager to give it another chance. Oh, I am so glad I did. So, so very glad. This book is an experience. Brutal at times, beautiful at others, and full of things that will have you questioning reality. In other words, it’s Gaiman. At his finest. I don’t know why I ever thought otherwise.
Shadow’s journey is a strange, and fascinating one. Whether you’re familiar with the Norse Gods or not, Shadow will always be there to stumble right along with you. Here’s the thing though, Shadow is infinitely more steady than I expected him to be. He’s a character who, despite having done things in the past that he regrets, still believes in the inherent good in people. He walks around partially blinded to the world that he’s found himself wrapped up in, and yet he never seems inept. I loved Shadow. Every single messy part of him. The book is long, this is true, but with Shadow as my guide I didn’t mind one bit.
Then there are the Gods themselves that slither, flap and saunter through this book as if they own every page. Gaiman’s broken world pits the Gods of old against the Gods of new. Odin and Bast against the manifested Gods of technology and progress. It’s an intriguing premise. If a God is birthed and sustained through worship, why wouldn’t we have birthed new ones that relate to cell phones, internet and music? Simply fascinating. What’s more interesting than that though, is all of the underlying lore that is penned into these pages. Stories of Thunderbirds, coins that bring back the dead, and areas that shouldn’t exist but do. It’s so easy to lose your footing in reality and go crashing, right along with Shadow, into this world.
In an effort not to endlessly ramble on, let me assure you that this book easily made my favorites shelf this time around. As I mentioned, this is the Author’s Preferred Text version, and actually contains quite a bit of content that was originally cut out. I think it’s perfect. The story, the extras, the whole package is perfect. Pick this up! You won’t believe how easily you can get lost in Gaiman’s world. American Gods is well worth your time.
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.
