books 2011 // # 12 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Title: American Gods by Neil Gaiman [New York 2001]
Series: ---.
Genre: Urban fantasy. Mythology.
Length: 588 pages.
Summary: 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. [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Ancient Gods go noir | Very complex plot | Great characterization & atmosphere | Very clever, although slightly abrupt ending |
Personal Rating: ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ of 5.
Review:
I never really understood that hype around Neil Gaiman. Previously I had read Stardust which was a nice book but, in my opinion by no means justified the heights of enthusiasm Gaiman usually seemed to inspire. Good Omens, an admittedly brilliant cooperation with Terry Pratchett, was great but didn't tell me that much about Gaiman as an author since the book felt more "Pratchett" than "Gaiman" to my untrained eye.
Either way, I got my hands on American Gods out of curiosity to finally find out what Gaiman really writes like and now I get the hype. The book was great.
Amercian Gods reads like a daydream. I can't quite pinpoint why it works so well, but from the first page on I was dragged into the book so thoroughly that at times I had trouble to snap back to reality. Nevertheless I would be lying if I claimed that there haven't been parts where I rolled my eyes at certain things the characters said or did. It's just that overall, the atmosphere is impressing.
In terms of the roadtrip that Shadow embarks on, American Gods reminded me of King and Straub's The Talisman which also tells the story of a slightly darker journey through America.
Another thing that stood out to me even in Stardust, was the quirky sense of humor. For instance we get all those incarnations of ancient Gods and what do Ibis, Bastet and Anubis do? They work as undertakers. This quirky sense of humor kept up throughout the book (pretty often when you expected it the least) and kept me amused at all times as well.
In fact this combination of mythology from all over the world, twisted and adapted for emigrated Gods, as well as the gritty, noir style were easily enough to keep me entertained. Add to this the great characterization and the really clever subplots (not to mention the main plot!) and I found myself addicted to the book - especially in the second half which read a bit like a modern adaptation of mythology up to a point where Shadow's adventures did not only mirror those a hero in Greek mythology could have had (i.e. the travel through "death" and the choices he faces there) but also mirrors Odin's tale (hanging from the tree for nine days and nights, his side being pierced by a spear). Modern mythology at its best and privately at this point I accepted for myself that Shadow has become a new sort of incarnation (or a re-interpretation?) of Odin. Before that my money was on the bet that Shadow was Thor with amnesia, but apparently I was off about that.
Overall I really, really enjoyed American Gods. Not every detail, some of which didn't appeal to me, but overall it was a strong book with an impressing plot, great characterization and a really clever, albeit slightly abrupt ending and just enough mythology to get my inner nerd excited. It's a book you need to be in the right mood for but if you catch it at a good time so to speak, it's absolutely fascinating.
Links: official website, @ wikipedia
Other books I've read by this author: Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett, 1990). Stardust (1999).