Rating: 
Summary: Neil Strikes Again
Review: After waiting several years for Neil's new book, I hungrily devoured the 400+ page "American Gods" in just over two days. The story follows Shadow Moon, recently released from prison, as he comes to work for a man simply known as Wednesday. Wednesday is a peculiar old man with a frightening knowledge of Shadow's past and an amazing talent of swindling people who introduces Shadow to many fascinating characters, who it is later learned, are all transplanted Gods endeavoring to hold on to life all across America. Gaiman explores the sacred power hidden in the kitschy roadside attractions doting the landscape of America's many back roads; their once glorious power waning as people worship more modern cultural icons and ideas. The sprawling story pits the forgotten gods America's immigrated citizens brought with them to the new land against the high-tech gods of modern living in a war for the very right to be worshipped. Shadow is pulled headfirst into the dispute and ends up playing a crucial role in the upcoming battle. The meanings of life and death, self-worth, spiritual beliefs, and redemption are all explored with Gaiman's witty intelligence. Gaiman's ability to entwine multiple plot lines with clever cultural critiques while maintaining fantastic character descriptions and an engaging narrative solidifies the fantasy/horror author's place as one of the world's best storytellers. Much more than a magical tale of combating Gods, Gaiman paints a picture of a melting pot left too long to boil, and a country who worships the next big thing a bit too easily and with little consideration for it's ancestry. Definitely worth buying, and undeniably worth reading (all though you might want to slow down a bit more than I did!). And while you're at it - check out "Stardust" and "Neverwhere", you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Neil Gaiman's best ever, so far.
Review: American Gods is a brilliantly crafted story - elegantly told, easy to read and impossible to put down. Neil Gaiman understands the human condition better than most and he writes about it with brutal honesty, loving compassion and a great sense of humour. With this big, fat novel Mr. Gaiman has outdone himself. It is a masterpiece and his finest work to date; stories within stories, ancient mythologies and dark mysteries told in such a way as to touch your heart and your soul and change the way you see the world forever. This story goes beyond the boundaries of fantasy, horror, thriller and road-trip genres to a magical realism where the fantastic is so seamlessly woven into the familiar world that you'll not even notice that you've suspended your disbelief and it's dangling in mid air without a safety net. Overall, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Mr. Gaiman has created a truly modern classic of a kind that will enjoy a vast audience. Those who loved Sandman will love this and those who loved Stardust and Neverwhere will be blown away. And if you've not sampled his work before - after this you will want more.
Rating:
Summary: Simply put, wonderful
Review: Watch out Stephen King and Dean Koontz. This story is amazingly told with a fresh new writing style I have not seen in ages!!! I can't wait for your next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Another success for Gaiman
Review: The short review: Oh. My. God. Read this book. The longer one: What Gaiman did for London in Neverwhere, he does for a whole country in American Gods. Does the US have room for the old gods? What new gods are formed in this age of media and technology? Shadow is released from prison a day early due to his wife's sudden death. He is offered a job by an enigmatic old man and finds himself questioning what, exactly, he believes. He is visited by his dead wife and meets a pantheon of deities from many cultures and many times. A storm is coming, a battle between the old gods and the new, and Shadow is wanted by both sides... Gaiman's vast knowlege of old stories and older gods combined with his gift for creating rich characters adds up to a beautifully crafted tale of America.
Rating:
Summary: A n adventue into otherwhere
Review: Shadow went to prison for beating up two men, but receives parole after three years of doing time. Because he is big and radiates a "don't mess" attitude, Shadow had no problems there. Two days before he is to be freed, the warden informs Shadow that his wife died and he can leave to make proper funeral arrangements. Shadow loved his wife and is rocked by the news. When Mr. Wednesday arrives on the scene just before the funeral of Shadow's wife, the grieving ex-con welcomes the craziness that ensues. Mr. Wednesday is actually Odin and with the other ancient gods and mythical creatures walks the earth though no one believes in them anymore. Mr. Wednesday and cohorts are growing weaker and he wants to make one last confrontation for the hearts of Americans. Neil Gaiman uses flashbacks to show how leprechauns, Odin, pixies other creatures of myth and legend other came to the New World. They traveled here in the hearts and souls of the immigrants. This pure epic urban fantasy demonstrates why Mr. Gaiman remains the grandmaster of the sub-genre. The Old Ones need people to believe in them again, but doubt they can achieve their noble objective. The climax is incredibly original so that no one will guess what will happen. AMERICAN GODS might prove to be the fantasy tale of 2001 as it is already that of the midpoint. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Neil Gaiman's best novel
Review: After two very good but not mind blowing novels, Neil Gaiman has really found his stride. American Gods is as good as Gaiman's classic Sandman series. It is smart, occasionally funny, sometimes scary, often moving and consistently brilliant. If you liked Sandman, buy this book. If you like reading, buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly spun tale
Review: American Gods is truly a crafted story, which is to say it is true to the craft that is writing. A satire on the American condition, it rings true to many arenas of thought, from philosophy to religion to the American dream. It was difficult to put down; it catches the reader in it completely, creating a view of the world you may have not seen before.
Rating: 
Summary: ETBR - American Gods
Review: 1. Reflections: When this book was written, it became an immediate bestseller. Previously, Gaiman had only been known for his lengthy and verbose Sandman graphic novels, more of a specialist collection of the strange and beautiful. Why did people respond so well to American Gods? 2. Thematics: American Gods continually claims that the existence of gods is only because we need them, and when we lose the need, they fade into oblivion. Does Gaiman offer any solutions to this problem? 3. Characterization: From the moment we are introduced to him Shadow remains a mystery. As we follow him on his journey, it could be said that he is a walking shadow. Yet there is a deeper significance of his name. What is it? 4. Symbolism: Gaiman asserts that many objects in today's world, such as historical monuments, popular festivals, and contemporary philosophies, had their roots in a pan-theological foundation, or from the hands of many gods. What examples do you see in American Gods? What examples do you see that Gaiman doesn't mention? 5. Authorship: In Gaiman's other works, he often writes about similar themes. The gods in the contemporary world, the reality of the dream, the immortal nature of the spirit world, the failing of the gods to appease mortals and thus are forgotten, the mastery of the human over the material but limited in the spiritual: these are all themes be tries to work into his books. In what ways does Gaiman break with his tradition in American Gods? In what ways has his philosophy changed by becoming a novelist?
Rating: 
Summary: Gaiman's over-rated as a novelist for this one
Review: After "Neverwhere", I was looking forwards to "American Gods". Unfortunately it's not his best work. Sure, all the cool stuff is there - new modern Gods of plastic and wire coming up against old ones of blood and trickery - but it's curiously un-compelling. The whole book feels as it could have been more cohesive. Many of the creatures and gods Shadow and Wednesday meet have little impact on the final showdown between the pantheons, and it makes the scenes episodic. "You know what would be cool? If they met the original Easter. And hey, genies are neat. I'll write a short throwaway scene with them in it." It feels like Gaiman just wanted to introduce as many different religious myths as he could. And he HAS done his research, there's no mistake. I appreciate how much work has gone into looking it up - it's interesting so see just how OLD the variations on our myths are. The problem is that they don't really flow into the plot, which is a bit thin as it is. The climax reflects this: it makes sense in its way, and it's not TERRBILE. But it'll leave you wanting something deeper, a little something more, especially from Neil when we know he can do better. Another thing that fell flat were the new Gods of the modern age. Aside from a few interesting scenes with Media not much of them stood out for me. The Deity of the Internet, for example, was ripe with potential. He acts obnoxious in a few short scenes and then degenerates into gibbering. It's disappointing. Good points, well, hey, it does have its cool bits. As I said, the research into religions shows and it adds some nice verisimilitude to the story. The character interaction works, and it has some lovely descriptive scenes. (The ones detailing the decay of Shadow's dead wife's body were particularly riveting) But in the end the flaws overbalanced the fun of reading it for me - It came off as a merely adequate piece of work, especially from Gaiman. Some more editing would probably have netted it another star. I wouldn't purchase it but simply take it out from the library.
Rating:
Summary: That Ol' Time Religion
Review: Mr. Gaiman is a really good writer. This is one that is hard to put aside. Starting from the introduction of the hero in prison, to the end, you feel that this could happen. The oddest part of the story is that when you reflect on the happenings, you feel that to describe them a person would be thought insane, these things can not happen in real life, yet, in the story, it is very real and possible.
It may be trite, but his reference to Greek girls is funny (Who does he hang out with that he heard this? I did not hear this until I was 45 or so.), and the little poke at modern pagans is truly telling. The ending is rather unusual and a surprise.
| 
