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American Gods [TV Tie-In]: A Novel
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The storm was coming...
For the three years Shadow spent in prison, all he wanted was to get back to the loving arms of his wife and stay out of trouble for the rest of his life. But days before his release, he learns that his wife has been killed in an accident, and his world becomes a colder place.
On the plane ride home to the funeral, Shadow meets a man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday, a self-declared grifter, who offers Shadow a job.Shadow, a man with nothing to lose, accepts. But he soon learns that his role in Wednesday's schemes will be far more dangerous than he could have ever imagined.
American Gods is a dark and kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an America at once eerily familiar and utterly alien. Magnificently told, American Gods is a work of literary magic that will haunt the listener long after it has been heard.
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Recenzii
I've been meaning to read this one for a long time, though various factors have intervened. It was indeed good. I particularly liked Wednesday, and Shadow was strangely winning for such a deliberately blank protagonist. I liked the Lakeview sections, but I found that they distracted quite a bit from the main thrust of the book. The cast of supporting characters and the historical interludes add a great deal to the book's charm and richness.Audiobook-specific note: I'm not sure I'd recommend listening to this one as an audiobook. I think the action would benefit from a faster reading than this form provides. Also, while Guidall's reading is generally excellent, his voice for Laura partakes of the annoying falsetto he sometimes uses for attractive or flirtatious female characters, which made her even less sympathetic as a character than she already was.
There's a war coming, but it's not a war in the physical sense--it's a war between gods--gods brought over from foreign countries, now mainly forgotten as the original immigrants die off. They are stuck here, unable to return to their countries of origin. (why? if they are gods, and there surely must be stronger belief in their countries of origin, then what, exactly, is holding them here? I never figured out the answer to that question.)As memory of them fades, so does their supernatural abilities. Which raises another question--are gods really the product of the human imagination, whose power rests on the strength of their followers' beliefs? The answer the book seems to give is 'yes.' And that question is the book's biggest weakness, in my opinion. The gods come across as not really gods at all, but fatally flawed superheroes who are more mortal than not-at least the old ones.
The old guard faces war with the new guard--the gods of Media, Celebrity, Technology etc.--of American making. These new gods aren't much, really. All looks and no substance, but quite capable of violence when it suits their purposes.
There is one being that can save them--a savior, who is still trying to figure out his role in all of this. Once he figures it out, though, the ending is fairly simplistic. Gods can be easily swayed, it turns out-just like people.
American Gods is a good read, albeit a long one. There is a ghost who wants to be alive again, since death is turning out to be one long slog. Shadow--the main protagonist--is caught up in a war he figures out as he goes along. He must also stop watching TV because the characters within the shows begin to talk to him, trying to convince him to switch his allegiance from the old guard to the new, which adds a touch of humor to the book. It is also a book that will make you think as you read.
The old guard faces war with the new guard--the gods of Media, Celebrity, Technology etc.--of American making. These new gods aren't much, really. All looks and no substance, but quite capable of violence when it suits their purposes.
There is one being that can save them--a savior, who is still trying to figure out his role in all of this. Once he figures it out, though, the ending is fairly simplistic. Gods can be easily swayed, it turns out-just like people.
American Gods is a good read, albeit a long one. There is a ghost who wants to be alive again, since death is turning out to be one long slog. Shadow--the main protagonist--is caught up in a war he figures out as he goes along. He must also stop watching TV because the characters within the shows begin to talk to him, trying to convince him to switch his allegiance from the old guard to the new, which adds a touch of humor to the book. It is also a book that will make you think as you read.
I thought this book was very interesting and had a unique voice. I loved that all the ancient gods are living among us, slowly fading away as they are forgotten. I liked the portrayal of the new gods media, technology, roads, etc.
The book follows Shadow, and ex-con who finds himself right in the middle of a war between the old and the new gods. In order to really enjoy this book, you just have to give yourself over to it and go where it takes you. This is basically what Shadow does, and what the reader should do to.
The book follows Shadow, and ex-con who finds himself right in the middle of a war between the old and the new gods. In order to really enjoy this book, you just have to give yourself over to it and go where it takes you. This is basically what Shadow does, and what the reader should do to.
Not quite as great as I was expecting coming from Neil Gaiman, but still a decent read.
The writing in this book was really enjoyable, writing that made me want to read it out loud. I did eventually notice that the vocabulary used in this book was less exciting than I expected, lacking in beautiful words despite the beautiful sentences. The plot of the book reminded me of a thriller, with lots of action and lots of sex. I was a bit disappointed by how much this book resembled the archetypal thriller, since I’ve not been in the mood for thrillers lately. However, the writing was far above average, as was the creativity of the plot. The integration of mythology into a book that otherwise would fit neatly into the thriller genre was an exciting twist. And the plot twists at the end caught me completely off guard in the best of ways. Overall, I think this was probably Gaiman’s version of a thriller; I think I liked it far better than I would have a more stereotypical book in that genre; and I think there are probably other books of Gaiman’s that I would be blown away by. I’ll definitely be looking to read more of his work.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
I came to this book with no knowledge of it's vast cult following. All I knew was that the author also wrote Coraline. I did not read the summary, and so I dove in blind. So glad I did that!! The reviews can't help but spoil the sense of discovery.
The book begins with a man, Shadow, awaiting his release from prison, just trying to keep his head down and not do anything that could delay his freedom. He senses a "storm brewing" and there is a feeling of uneasiness. And then things unspool, and it is a story unlike any I have ever read! I was so glad I did not know what this book was about, I felt like Shadow as he tries to figure out what is going on and what his role is/will be.
Midway thru the book I caved and read some other reviews on this site, and found a link to a website about the book ( only the gods are real) and it's cast of characters, as well as a blog by the author. Fun!
This is a special 10th anniversary edition of the novel, and the author was allowed to re-jig the text to his liking, adding portions that had been edited out from earlier printings. There is also an introduction and several additional notes at the end.
There seems to been consensus that this is a book that warrants rereading, as those who have done so say they find more and deeper meaning. I can see revisiting this book in a few years!
The book begins with a man, Shadow, awaiting his release from prison, just trying to keep his head down and not do anything that could delay his freedom. He senses a "storm brewing" and there is a feeling of uneasiness. And then things unspool, and it is a story unlike any I have ever read! I was so glad I did not know what this book was about, I felt like Shadow as he tries to figure out what is going on and what his role is/will be.
Midway thru the book I caved and read some other reviews on this site, and found a link to a website about the book ( only the gods are real) and it's cast of characters, as well as a blog by the author. Fun!
This is a special 10th anniversary edition of the novel, and the author was allowed to re-jig the text to his liking, adding portions that had been edited out from earlier printings. There is also an introduction and several additional notes at the end.
There seems to been consensus that this is a book that warrants rereading, as those who have done so say they find more and deeper meaning. I can see revisiting this book in a few years!
Neil Gaiman, master of all fantasy media! No need to say more.
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.
another highly recommended one I could not get into...
“Gods don’t grow well in America.” Shadow was learning this first hand. Being Mr. Wednesday’s hired minion wasn’t as cut and dried as he had thought, but where else would he go? He was just released from prison because his wife had died in a car accident with her lover. His new life was full of mythical Gods and magic and the story keeps getting stranger and stranger until Neil Gaiman throws in a shocker at the end.This book was recommended by a friend and a big fan of Neil Gaiman’s books. I agreed to listen to it because I really enjoyed Gaiman’s, The Graveyard Book. However, the 10th anniversary edition of American Gods was much darker and definitely for adults only. I can honestly say that if I had not listened to the audiobook, I wouldn’t have lasted for the 50-page minimum I give to books when I decide to stop reading them. I really liked the voices of the characters and, to me, it moved the story along even in the really odd dream sequences. Neil Gaiman definitely has a unique imagination which can grab your attention when you least expect it.Thank you to my friend Chris who suggested the book and thank you to Mr. Gaiman for giving me something out of the ordinary to add to my book palate.
It took me a bit to get into it, but it ended being a really great mix of fantasy/fiction/foreign art house film narrative/social commentary.
This is among the darkest of Neil Gaiman's books (and most of them are somewhat dark). I never got bored reading this, although with the Author's Preferred Text, there were some meandering sections that I felt were better left out.
Rich, dark, interesting, frightening, beautiful to read. An instant favourite.
Fantastic!
I truly wanted to like this book. But the novel never achieved that magical moment where I was 'in' the story and the plot became compelling. The premise was good, the characterizations were interesting (I liked Shadow) but the appearance of his wife Laura threw me off and I didn't like the intrusion of this dead woman. The story became so convoluted, I was constantly derailed trying to work out what was going on. I never really felt that Mr. Wednesday was an Odin-based character, either. Maybe I've been influenced by many other Norse God tales, which I liked better.
An outstanding book, beautifully read. The edition I listened to included an interview with Mr. Gaiman, which was delightful.
Gaiman is great at creating worlds, but his characters are one-dimensional.
This book was unusual, to say the least. I liked it OK, but I'm not sure that I will read anything else by Gaiman. There was so much in here and so many things that were just all over the place. One thing that wasn't here was a lot of closure.
Sorry Neil, but I will not be recommending this to anyone.
Sorry Neil, but I will not be recommending this to anyone.
I read this a number of years ago, and remember feeling fairly "meh" about it. Nevertheless, I was excited to hear it was being adapted into a TV series. I watched most of the first season with a friend who loved this book, who had read/listened to it multiple times, and who would nitpick the changes with me (hardly any of which I remembered) after each episode.The whole thing got me curious for a reread, but I'd offloaded my copy years and years ago, I thought the new copies were ugly (what is with this terrible new cover aspect ratio I'm seeing all over sf shelves?), and no used copies seemed to exist in stores, because of the TV show.I was shocked when I saw a reasonably priced copy (that looked just like my old copy -- bonus!) at Curious Books, so I snatched it up immediately.I definitely got a lot more out of it this time around, due to premade emotional connections to the characters via the TV show, but I suspect more importantly, that this time around I know approximately 1600% more about Norse mythology. Of course, it's not only the Norse pantheon that is important in this book, but it's pretty front and center.Speaking of which, surrounding the final conflict and its resolution are a series of reveals of various characters and mysteries in the story. Before my reread, I only remembered ones of these reveals, and that was probably what I would have told you the book was about, had you asked. This time around that part of the storyline felt much less central, as I got more about of the Norse-related portions.Lesson learned: while a familiarity with Norse myths is not absolutely essential, I'd say it definitely would increase your engagement with this book. Fortunately, Norse mythology is now kind of everywhere in our culture, thanks partly to the MCU and also to Neil Gaiman himself.
One of the best books I've ever read. I have now become a huge Neil Gaiman fan!
A fairly well done and engaging audiobook that simply didn't work for me. I love Ron McLarty who does on of the main characters and the rest of the cast were very good but this book just did not hold my attention.
There's no way I could ever review this book. On the surface, it's a book about Shadow and gods of other cultures. But it's so much more and yet it's just that. Gaiman has written a book that is extremely readable. However, the book is deep and inhaling the book isn't an option.
Loved this book.
Best novel of Gaiman's
Wonderful book. Very evocative.
Great book, bad ending.
Loved the idea, enjoyed the writing and the characters. The actual story was meh. The pacing was bad. Chapters felt longer than it needed to be thanks to ~15 page "Coming to America" side stories about characters and events that have no effect on the story. These sections always popped up when the book finally managed to hook me in and really took me out of the story. My favorite parts of the book happened in Lakeside where it mostly abandons fantasy and gods in favor of relationship building and a little mystery. What's the point of certain gods gaining power? None of them did anything with the power they had. Exception for an old man.
This is one weird book. It`s a battle between good and bad. there are Gods,living dead not only is there a battle between the gods but also the main character Shadow battle with his conscience. Well written, colorful characters you either love this one or not but it`s an interesting read.
As with all Neil Gaiman books, I began reading without a peek at the description or reviews. Because his writing is a journey with twists and turns - best to go in and enjoy the ride. In the beginning, I tried to figure out with the plot was. But then I gave it up and just let the story go where it may. I'm not even sure I can describe it well if I tried, so I'll just say it was a great read! The story is so much more than I expected.
American Gods was one hell of a labor of love. I've had the book sitting on my bookshelf ever since it was in talks with the big guns in Hollywood that someone might pick it up. Well, a couple of weeks ago it was confirmed that STARZ got the rights and will be making it into a television series. So I decided it was time to read the book rather then let it keep collecting dust.I really enjoyed the story, even the stories within the story, the mythology on how "gods" weren't born in America, but traveled over with the people that came here. And how those gods slowly were forgotten and how new gods, created by the age of technological advancement, started taking over. American Gods is deep, heavy, thought provoking. I enjoyed the variety of colorful characters, gods of old (Egyptian, Norse, Biblical, Indian etc.) in disguise as humans and had fun figuring out who they were with the subtle and sometimes not so subtle hints Gaiman dropped along the way. Shadow, the main protagonist, was a very interesting study that I originally thought was kind of dull but ended up becoming a very well rounded character by the end of the novel. My problem, thus the reason for the 4 star rating, is because, as I stated above, it was a labor of love. There is no doubt that Gaiman is a great storyteller, however, the story got bogged down with tedious details. There were parts I wanted to skip, but then I feared I would miss something big if I did. There were just details within the scenes that could have been cut out. For example, I didn't need to know that someone cooked Shadow bacon and eggs and how it was placed on the plate, and how it was placed on the table and what he poured himself to drink and how he sat down, and how long it took him to eat, etc., etc. Where the hell was his editor? On the flip side to all the unnecessary details, this will, no doubt, be a great thing for the creators of the television adaptation. They have so many details at their fingertips to work with. I will also say that I look forward to seeing how they bring some scenes to life on screen. My favorite part of the story (slight spoiler) is when Shadow rides on the "World's Largest Carousel" and some of the magical creatures that are on this Carousel come to life. How are they going to show him riding a griffin? Or how will they portray some of the gods in their natural form, such as Ganesha (Hindu god, half elephant, half man) or the Egyptian gods Horus & Anubis? I definitely can't wait to see how they make these things come to life!American Gods is a unique tale of gods, those that have been forgotten and those who are fighting not to be. If you have a nice chunk of time set aside to get lost in a story, I definitely recommend it. Even better, this may be worth an audiobook listen. Rest those eyes and let someone else take you on the journey.