Rating: 
Summary: brilliant book
Review: I think all the reviewers have said it all so maybe I won't repeat except to say that I was entirely riveted by this book until the last few chapters, which is why I did not give it 5 stars. I expected a different ending, maybe because everything led up to Shadow being more of a mythical creature than he actually turned out to be. Most books tend to give you the inside track on the main character's motivations, and when this book didn't do so, even to the point of not giving his "true" name, I felt that it was leading up to something much bigger than what actually transpired. But maybe not, and maybe I am missing some vital explanation that did in fact occur. (While I do not want to spoil this for anyone, which character exactly turned out to be Baldur?!?) However, despite that, I thought that this was a brilliant book and I would recommend it to anyone. I will say that I too read "The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul," and while I did think of it while reading "American Gods" there is no real similarity at all.
Rating: 
Summary: I was taken by surprise
Review: with the story, the characters, the evrything. I could not even go to the toillet and thank God we have free working hours in my job, so I didn't have to explain my boss why I didn't come that day to work at all (imagine: "Oh Mister, I have been reading this fascinating book, American Gods, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it..." - "OUT"):)
Rating:
Summary: super lucky star
Review: this book is better than i expected, much better then the mediocre reviews i read. it is a relatively quick read, and though it does offer some of the same questions as 'the long dark tea-time of the soul' it is a completely different animal all-together. neil gaiman is sooo good.
Rating:
Summary: Oh My! Gripping!
Review: Gaiman is another one of my pet authors. A real imaginist. American Gods is this Brit author's search for the real America. If you want to read a novel that attempts to capture the soul of America, this is it. Man, this bizarre fantastical journey reaches for it and finds it. The idea? As America was created by the great melting pot, those who came here brought their culture, their lifestyle, basically, their gods. And those gods are still here, wallowing in half forgotten-ness, but still fighting for survival. It is a grand work. Read it. If you want to think about what it is to be part of America. If you want to think about how new culture and old culture combine and merge, how ideas fade through the ages, like an old forgotten god, read it. For me it was even more vivid after recent events to read a novel like this. I think Gaiman says it best in his acknowledgments, where he buried his most sturring statement, and here since I don't have the book with me, I will destroy his comment and misquote him, but it goes something like, and thanks to my family for putting up with my while I went looking for America, which ended up to be in America all along. Thanks, Neil. We needed that.
Rating:
Summary: a brilliant mind trip
Review: I've been Neil Gaiman's fan for years.I firmly believe that the sandman series are the greatest achievement of the graphic novel genre and the most sofisticated by far.This book illustrates the innerworkings of a brilliant mind loaded with an incredible ammount of information,that most would find useless.Yet,if you like world's mythology,road trips and just a great great story with terrific characters,this is the book for you.
I will not give a summary of the story,you can get that from reading a dust jacket cover.This is not in any way a light reading,it has a good pace,but it's not exactly a pageturner.It is the most accomplished and sofisticated novel to day by one of the best contemporary writers(for my money anyway),it is intelligent,off-beatly humored and is a must for any fan and a great introduction for the future ones.
So,buy it,read it and discover the mesmorizingly distorted world of American Gods by an always brilliant Neil Gaiman.
Rating: 
Summary: I guess I wasn't all that impressed
Review: If you've read Douglas Adams' The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, you already know the general ideas of this book. I was distubed by the similarity--Norse gods, bitter because of their human-imposed immortality, bringing a mortal into their own dimension, etc. I got a couple of laughs out of American Gods, and I suppose it was worth the time spent reading it, but it was nothing exciting. I enjoyed Good Omens and absolutely adore the Sandman series, and was disappointed by this attempt.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, enjoyable, but...
Review: I looked forward to this book greatly after hearing what a plot synopsis of it, and immediately ordered it when it came out. Now, it's well written, and I really did enjoy it immensely, but...
Well, it's a little to straight forward. Like I said, it's a fun read, and it's a quick read, which is too bad because you want it to just keep going, and it was clearly well researched, which is no surprise considering the author, but the twists just aren't all that shocking. The last 50 pages you see coming a mile away. On the other hand, I still read and enjoyed each one of those 50 pages, so maybe I shouldn't complain.
I guess my only real complaint here is that I expected more depth to the story, and I expected it to make me think more when I put it down. With Gaiman, I think I just expect more cerebral challenges, and this one is just something of a straight forward, albeit highly enjoyable, read.
Rating:
Summary: INCREDIBLE... my second favorite Gaiman novel.
Review: Whereas this novel is different in concept and theme than Neil Gaiman's past (Neverwhere & Stardust), it is equally as magaical and transporting. It tells the story of a man, Shadow, that was just released from prison. He meets Wednesday, who offers him employment - which seems like a streak of good luck... or is it? Shadow is sent on a series of adventures all over America... risks danger, meets ghosts, and of course... gods. Like all of Gaiman's novels, this is a fantasy novel with language so rich, you can step into the story. But unlike the others, this is the first one to take place in America (Gaiman himself is British), which makes it kind of fun for American readers. In story form, he reminds readers what happens when people start forgetting the past and their heritage and allow for technology to take over. With personified gods and an outrageous, yet incredible story... this book gets the point across delicately. "Neverwhere" was the first Gaiman book i ever read... and still remains my favortite. It was so enthralling, i couldn't even put it down.
"Stardust" was the second i read... and was a fairy tale told for adults... which was uplifting and beautiful.
But "American Gods," is like a whole new sophistication for Gaiman.... i was shocked at the intensity and complexity... but pleasantly surprised... and i can't wait for more.
Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: Simply put, this story is amazing. The characters are likable, the situations are both extreme and believable and the concept is unique. If you are a fan of Gaiman, pick this up. If you are not, pick this book up, it will change your feelings. I don't want to write about the concept of the story, because IMO it could easily ruin the surprises this book will give you. BUY THIS BOOK!
Rating:
Summary: A bad land for gods
Review: A wonderful modern fantasy, Neil Gaiman turns the genre on its head with this book. No false heroics or quests for rings or captive maidens. This story is about today's values and how they impact tradition. Gaiman adds a further novel touch by locating this tale in America's Midwest, the final stop for countless immigrants. Small towns, flat country, constrained people, far from the rush and bustle of cities. A perfect site for a cosmic battle. Gaiman has written before of the last battle - Armageddon. Good Omens, written with Terry Pratchett, pictured an angel [good] and a demon [evil] reassessing their roles before the final confrontation. American Gods is likewise a departure from the traditional, with ancient gods rising to confront the new American god - Technology. Odin, whose believers brought him across the Atlantic, conscripts Shadow, an ex-con, into acting as a cup-bearer. Having lost his wife and the possibility of employment in a stroke, Shadow takes on the role. He's not a believer, for him it's bed and board. He grows attached to the idea that there may be something in helping the old duffer - a near-faith hardened by encounters with acolytes of the modern creed. Odin, known to Shadow as Wednesday, is hardly the epitome of "good." Technology's adherents, while not evil, are cold, harsh and power driven. As it turns out, they are typically American - practical. Shadow's role grows from mere go-fer for Wednesday to something more significant. After all, why does Shadow's wife Laura return from the grave [and are there ever some grim scenes in that regard!]? Why sequester a go-fer to a "perfect town" in northern Wisconsin for his protection? Why do the Technology deities, especially the Media Goddess, work so hard to woo him to their cause? Shadow dreams with such intensity it would put a normal person in a room with soft walls. What keeps him sane? What keeps him going against what appear to be insurmountable odds? The answers aren't readily anticipated with Gaiman's skillful plot, darting and weaving as it builds. It's not obscure, but neither is it predictable. Gaiman's prose holds the reader's attention throughout. With many threads of story line kept under tight discipline, Gaiman weaves a tapestry incorporating the real and the fantastic, the mundane and the bizarre. The emerging picture makes compelling reading. Gaiman's research for this book stands out everywhere. The gods standing with Odin are nearly all Norse deities, but there's a sprinkling of others. The Greek and Roman pantheons are ignored, perhaps because their adherents were suborned by the Eastern Mediterranean Mob, J.C. and The Boys. Norse mythology has a comforting appeal, and "good" and "evil," "sin" and "grace" had no place. Besides, in the confrontation with technology, there seems little room for compromise, and a warrior deity to lead the host seems fitting. Shadow, who has no religion, is gently educated in these northern gods as he encounters them. They are his collective mentors, helping and encouraging him. The reason for this attention is finally revealed at the end. It's worth going there to find out.
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