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Summary: One Strange Read....
Review: Well, after see all the great reviews here, I thought I'd better give this one a shot. Glad I did. Never having read any previous books by this author, I was unsure of what to expect. Expect the unexpected! Wow....I don't recall the last time that I could go from one chapter to the next and come away with such varying feeling....repulsed, excited, happy, disbelief, you name it and you will probably experience it while reading this one. I may have to try another of Mr. Gaiman's books.....Enjoy!
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Summary: Finally -- Gaiman's prose epic
Review: Up until now, Gaiman's prose novels have been small works -- Stardust is a light fairy tale, and Neverwhere is a small urban fantasy. They're good books (Stardust, as those who can remember what I wrote a paragraph above, is in fact excellent), but they're not on the epic scale of Sandman.Neither is American Gods, not quite; but it's definitely in the same league. This is most definitely a book from the author of Sandman -- it displays the same erudition and deep knowledge of myth, the same interest with how mythological figures would interact with the modern world, the same skilled prose, the same knack for memorable characters, and the same deft plotting. The plot was perhaps the most surprising element of this book: throughout the book, I found myself growing irritated with small, but noticeable, gaps in the backstory, and was convinced that Gaiman had tried to shoehorn in a weak plot to explore a theme he was taken with. So I was absolutely delighted when... don't worry; I won't give away the ending. But I will say that it's best to suspend judgment on the plot until you've finished the book. This is good stuff, and anyone who's been wishing that Gaiman would try his hand at something similar to his Sandman stories just got their wish.
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Summary: What a wonderful ride.
Review: American Gods (I love the title.) is a wonderfully imagined piece by a very smart writer. Anyone interested in comparative religion, world mythology, fantasy or just a good story well told will find much to love in this novel. My only complaint -- and I suppose my highest praise -- is that Mr. Gaiman ruined me for the next three or four books I've read. He's so wide screen, technicolor, dolby surround-sound and everything else seems black and white with subtitles.
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Summary: Waaaay Overrated
Review: After reading 112 pages into this book, I asked myself 'OK, when is this book going to GRAB me, and reel me in with it's brilliance...' Needless to say, it didn't. What with this book being showcased everywhere from glaring displays set up at your friendly neighborhood bookstore, to gleaming write-ups in a lot of book magazines, I was expecting something more. I know, I know... I only got to page 112, but still, THE HOOK should have been evident early on - to me, it was not. I felt like I was forcing myself to finally get to the part that deserves all the adulation. Not to be too critical, the pages I did read were well written and interesting. The story of old gods vs. new gods is a cool idea to show how artificial and materialistic our culture now seems to be... but ultimately, THE HOOK just wasn't evident enough to justify the price tag. Wait for this book in paperback...used.
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Summary: A Missed Opportunity (Warning: A Couple of Spoilers Herein)
Review: The basic premise of the book is the story of the last of the American gods, including those brought over from the old country that are disenfranchised and forgotten by today's future-looking culture. That is a cool idea that leads to some interesting characters (although the gods he chooses to introduce seem picked at random). Also,the main character "Shadow" is attractive enough that you want to see what happens to him. The prose is crisp and humorous which also keeps you reading. Interspersed with Shadow's story are little vignettes of the arrival of gods from different countries to America. These are gripping and emotional, and worth reading as short stories in themselves, but at times they seem more like essays interspersed into the story. But these excellent traits are offset by a couple of flaws. First, there is no driving plot discernable. Shadow's character is lethargic and he seems to wander through life letting things happen to him. That would be fine if others took charge, but they don't. Instead, Shadow is crucified on the One Tree. Is he Christ? Is he the evil hanging god? A clear sense of who Shadow is supposed to be is missing even though there are hints he is "somebody." There are veiled references to an "armageddon" between old and new gods that never materializes. The conflict in the book is mysterious and never clear. The two main groups-new gods and old gods--are planning a war the entire book and end up not fighting. I think that is the probably the whole point-but it still makes for a book without seeming direction or tangible conflict. I wanted to root for Shadow and it was hard to do so. This is especially surprising since in earlier works Gaiman was a master of the sprightly plot. Gaiman latched on to a nice idea but it does not seem to be carried through or thought out enough. One gets the feeling there could have been a mystery here, a revelation, and something deeper and more solid about gods and their relationship to humans. A lot of potential not met. Summary: The prose, ideas, and main character will lead you through, but don't look for a clear battle or result.
Rating: 
Summary: <sigh>
Review: a long-time gaiman fan, i was truly disappointed with his latest novel. (i'm not even sure i would have recognized this as gaiman, if not for his name printed on the front cover.) the gaiman i've known and loved for years was a scruffy-haired, unshaven writer- the gaiman who penned "american gods" was a tousled-haired shaven *author.* while the premise was original and interesting, it's delivery seemed 'best-seller' formulaic. inserted plot twists (especially those developed in lakeside) felt more like a cheezy mystery novel than the classic gaiman combination of mythology meets modernity. his past writing has always placed an emphasis on the story-telling, while "american gods" seemed to be more of a writing exercise. i was disappointed in the development of the gods themselves... it was never really clear what character was what god, let alone the development of their powers. the ending was a weak tie-up of over 400 pages of growing frustration... for those familiar with gaiman's sandman series, "american gods" uses the same character retrival trick but it is expected and unsurprising. the true strengths of this novel lie in it's utter creativity and descriptive nature- i certainly feel like i just finished a long road trip of the states, but i'm not sure i ever want to get back into the car...
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Summary: Excellent, but not Neil's very best work
Review: Shadow, on being released from prison for serving a sentence for aggravated robbery, finds himself at the mercy of forces beyond his control. His wife and best friend are killed in a car accident the night prior, and Shadow is suddenly loose in the world without hope and without purpose. On a plane flight home to his wife's funeral, he meets an odd man, Wednesday, who knows all about him. He convinces Shadow to join him and his exotic colleagues as his retainer to assist him in the increasingly palpable doom that approaches. Shadow reluctantly participates in the various errands and tasks given to him, but he soon realizes that he is involved way over his head and it is too late to back out of the coming apocalypse that he is helping bring about. Neil Gaiman shows his usual stuff here: an unquestionable command of mythology and religion coupled with strong, believable (if somewhat superlative) characters, authentic dialogue and setting. He appeals to the mythopoetic in us. Still, I feel this would have been somewhat better captured as a graphic novel. Gaiman is visually evocative as a writer, and his writing is up to the task of his own images. For Gaiman fans, this book is mandatory. You know the quality and style to expect from Gaiman, and he doesn't disappoint. For those not yet fully immersed in his style, it will remind you of Stephen King, but not so long-winded and a little more cerebral. It even can be seen as a modest foray into the mainstream. Worth the price of admission.
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Summary: Sacred fun on the road with Odin and the gang.
Review: How ironic when the Great American Novel is written by an Englishman! The absolutely elfin Neil Gaiman earns himself a lasting place in American literature with this novel. There are echoes of Hawthorne, Melville, lots of Lovercraft, and more than a smidgen of Kerouac here. While wonderfully providing quirky and fascinating personalities for all his mythic cast, the characterization of the Egyptian cat goddess Bast (a Gaiman essential from his Sandman days) and of Whiskey Jack, from Native American folklore are quite unforgettable. But most amazing of all, is the precise and flawless capture of the quintessence of the American character. Mr. Gaiman's scalpel-like intuition and perception of who we are as Americans is awesomely brutal and unflinching. Few writers born on this side of the Atlantic understand and portray it a quarter as well. This would be an excellent choice for academic study, but that detracts nothing from the fast-paced, page-turning excitement and sheer joie de vivre. Life-affirming literature and a rollicking good time --- can't ask more of a novel!
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Summary: Clive Barker and Stephen King fans - check this out!
Review: There are only a handful of authors that consistently push the boundary of "imaginative" fiction, that every time I hear of the emergence of a "truly new talent" I'm really skeptical. Neil Gaiman, however, has completely won me over, and American Gods was a real eye opener in many ways. It's the story of a completely rootless, and emotionally impoverished "regular guy," freshly paroled from prison only to discover that the life he's longed for in the joint has been totally annihilated with the unexpected death of his wife. At loose ends, he meets a mysterious, burly traveler who offers him a job on the spot, which Shadow (our hero) declines. As Shadow discovers not only that his wife is dead, but was killed during a sexual liason with his best friend and former employer, the tiny flame of emotion, so carefully guarded and cared for in prison, is snuffed out. The mystery employer, introducing himself as Mr. Wednesday, reappears to press his case once again, and this time Shadow takes him up on it. Shadow is brought into a weird, orbiting subculture of seemingly everyday people, living on the fringes of American life. Each seems oddly familiar to him - as they will seem to you. And slowly, Shadow begins to realize the scale and scope of what he has become involved in - an impending battle between the scattered, ancient gods of immigrants and slaves, and the emerging gods of the American cultural and technological revolution. For me, simply the amount of creativity put into the plot makes this a terrific read; but add to that Gaiman's craft of description and narrative - very stylish and stark - that combination makes American Gods a real treat. Ordinarily, I might observe that a hero with only a hole for a heart is hard to identify with, but Shadow isn't really heartless, you discover as the story progresses, and Gaiman does a great job of slowly bringing the reader along for the ride, with a boatload of creative plotwork along the way. Neil Gaiman has placed himself outside of the current state of fantasy or horror - forgoing Clive Barker's tendency for cheap thrills, and Stephen King's dense description for a more economical style that describes in shadows and light, with occasional vivid color. American Gods is a well-crafted and imaginative trip behind the scenes in a land whose gods are as vulnerable as the people themselves.
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Summary: Good story, great imagination
Review: I have been a Neil Gaiman fan back to his days doing graphic novels. Unfortunately, I have found that his prose, while excellent when paired with vivid art, often don't stand up on their own. American Gods demonstates that he is matureing as an author and growing beyond the need for multi-media. Many reviewers have given far too much of this book away. That is unfortunate and I will not repeat their mistakes. The book is intersting and fun. The philisophical conflicts that it embraces harken back to some of Gaiman's best work in Sandman. The subject matter is engrossing and his strong central character is one that the reader wants to follow. While I do not think the writing is great, it is good enough to be entertaining and carry a very imaginative story. Gaiman has a gift for vivid imagry and a seemingly endless collection of interesting factoids that continue to peek the readers interst. This work represents a leap forward for a matureing author. As such, it a worthwhile read.
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