Reading is Fundamental
I've been reading a book that hugemind mentioned in my rewatch of Hammer of the Gods called American Gods by Neil Gaiman. My long wait at the Immigration the other day helped me finish it.
I would describe it as an "adult book" - which to me is one that does not make/let me speedread. It is filled with dry humor and an almost dispassionate narrative, there is mystery to be solved but no real suspense or excitement so that I could put the book down and pick it up again when I wanted. Interestingly enough, that didn't make it at all boring, and I laughed and I also cried several times at the end.
It starts out with a man, Shadow, who was imprisoned for something he did for the sake of his wife. He gets released on parol only to find that his beloved wife had not only died but had died in very compromising circumstances. Hurt, and grieving and not knowing what to do with himself, he is on the way home to where he used to live when he meets the god Odin and is hired to do the following:
"You protect me. You transport me from place to place. You run errands. In an emergency, but only in an emergency, you hurt people who need to be hurt. In the unlikely event of my death, you will hold my vigil."
It seems Odin is trying to rally all the old gods that the immigrants brought from their home country for a war against the new gods of television, media, internet and others (all personified). Of course at first Shadow does not believe that any of these "people" are gods. But he is loyal to the deal he made Odin, and as he journeys with him, he gets to know the various gods and they him. He changes them, and they change him for a pretty awesome ending. I laughed and I even cried in several parts.
It's supposed to be made into a TV series which means probably that they are going to be adding a whole bunch more meetings with the gods and other details that the author did not elaborate much on in the book. To me, the book is black and white, while I imagine the series will be colored in every color possible.
It's definitely a good read, if you want to have a go!
Some spoilery stuff for people who have read it!
[Spoiler (click to open)]I definitely got the parallel between this story and the Supernatural 1-5 mytharc. Odin and Loki, like the angels, are bent on making everyone believe that this war is necessary. Shadow, like Dean, ends up showing the gods that it is not necessary, that it is all a trick by Odin and Loki to gain power - and changes the course of destiny.
It is also interesting how Shadow is actually one of the gods as well, as Odin's son. He is born as a true American God in a sense, just like the immigrants were not really Americans, but the children they bore became the natives of the land and made their own gods.
I liked also how Shadow finally came "alive" through death. The whole scene at the tree was my favorite of the whole book. I think that really was the climax and an ending in itself.
I would describe it as an "adult book" - which to me is one that does not make/let me speedread. It is filled with dry humor and an almost dispassionate narrative, there is mystery to be solved but no real suspense or excitement so that I could put the book down and pick it up again when I wanted. Interestingly enough, that didn't make it at all boring, and I laughed and I also cried several times at the end.
It starts out with a man, Shadow, who was imprisoned for something he did for the sake of his wife. He gets released on parol only to find that his beloved wife had not only died but had died in very compromising circumstances. Hurt, and grieving and not knowing what to do with himself, he is on the way home to where he used to live when he meets the god Odin and is hired to do the following:
"You protect me. You transport me from place to place. You run errands. In an emergency, but only in an emergency, you hurt people who need to be hurt. In the unlikely event of my death, you will hold my vigil."
It seems Odin is trying to rally all the old gods that the immigrants brought from their home country for a war against the new gods of television, media, internet and others (all personified). Of course at first Shadow does not believe that any of these "people" are gods. But he is loyal to the deal he made Odin, and as he journeys with him, he gets to know the various gods and they him. He changes them, and they change him for a pretty awesome ending. I laughed and I even cried in several parts.
It's supposed to be made into a TV series which means probably that they are going to be adding a whole bunch more meetings with the gods and other details that the author did not elaborate much on in the book. To me, the book is black and white, while I imagine the series will be colored in every color possible.
It's definitely a good read, if you want to have a go!
Some spoilery stuff for people who have read it!
[Spoiler (click to open)]I definitely got the parallel between this story and the Supernatural 1-5 mytharc. Odin and Loki, like the angels, are bent on making everyone believe that this war is necessary. Shadow, like Dean, ends up showing the gods that it is not necessary, that it is all a trick by Odin and Loki to gain power - and changes the course of destiny.
It is also interesting how Shadow is actually one of the gods as well, as Odin's son. He is born as a true American God in a sense, just like the immigrants were not really Americans, but the children they bore became the natives of the land and made their own gods.
I liked also how Shadow finally came "alive" through death. The whole scene at the tree was my favorite of the whole book. I think that really was the climax and an ending in itself.