Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't Put It Down!!
Review: I first read Neil Gaiman in the Sandman comics from DC (seems like that was ages ago). In American Gods, Neil draws you into a magical and utterly engrossing tale! Funny, poignant and a true masterpiece! If you like Neil's previous work or stories that mix fantasy and present day, you'll love this book! Even if you don't like this genre you will enjoy this one!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but needs some editing
Review: I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fan and enjoyed this novel, but after reading his earlier novels, short stories, Sandman and other works I found that this novel often walked over ground he's covered better elsewhere. Some of Gaiman's vignettes work better in the context of a serial (such as Sandman) than a novel.Much of this novel reads like a road diary of a foreign traveller visiting the US for the first time. Most of the conversations are in cars, airports, motels and fast food joints. If you like travelogs you'll like this book, but after a while you feel like you've been travelling for a very long time without actually getting anywhere. The novel is divided into three main sections. The setup is excellent. Gaiman is one of the best at drawing a reader in. The second section remains entertaining but Gaiman's interest seems to wander and he throws in several stand-alone pieces that might have worked better as short stories as they don't effectively advance the plot and instead disrupt any sense of suspense that might have been building. The final section ties up most of the loose ends but a bit too abruptly and neatly. Again, it seemed like Gaiman was losing interest or being pressured by his publisher to wrap this up and get on with it. Granted, it is difficult to offer much closure in a world where death has very little sense of finality. Given a tighter focus and more aggressive editing this novel might have worked better. Gaiman is capable of working at a higher intellectual and emotional level than he presents here. To experience Gaiman at the height of his powers read "Stardust" (the original edition illustrated by Charles Vess) or the Sandman series. Still, his prose is a delight to read and his sense of whimsy is delightful. I look forward to reading Neil Gaiman as he matures as a novelist.
Rating: 
Summary: Overwrought Greatness
Review: American Gods has the hints of a great novel hidden under too many pages and too many words. It has an original story at its center, but so many subplots and unecessary character arcs that it becomes easy to lose interest in the narrative. This is a book which, unfortunately, should have been a hundred pages trimmer. Gaiman brings us another one of his wonderfully imaginative plots; here, we have a tribe of old gods, all of them forgotten by American citizens, many of them dying or fading away. And then you have the new gods, the Wall-Street gods, the dot-com gods, the city gods, the ones that are powerful and presently active. But these gods also fear; today's people forget quickly and changes their taste often. A god can disappear in not time. And thus, a war is forming between the old gods and the new gods. And at the center of this war is Shadow, an ex-con human who is brought into all this madness against his own will and who will become a key character in the threatening war. The plot per se is interesting. But Gaiman often forgets what the main tale is. Instead, he often gets lost in subplots and unnecessary story arcs that leads us nowhere. Often, you have sections of great suspense and thrills followed by twenty or thirty pages of nothing. Nothing at all. Reading this book can often get quite tiresome. And I was disppointed that this book doesn't hold as much cynicism, wit and irony as other, better Gaiman books do. I am a huge fan of Neverwhere and Stardust; both books were highly imaginative and both books had this strange sense of dark humour that just amazed me. Those books were purely magical. There isn't much of that to be found in American Gods. The story is a bit dry and empty at its center. Gaiman tried to write an American novel, when what he should have done is keep on doing with what he does best; British fantasy (if such a genre does exist). This is an epic book which has too many words and too many pages. And it's too bad, because within those 470 pages, you have a very good story which is dying to come out. It's just never really given the chance to do so properly.
Rating:
Summary: Great mix of fantasy and reality
Review: An awesome mix of fantasy in a reality setting, multi-layered plots and a good mix of action, suspense and fantasy elements. I am a role-player gamer and find it an invaluable resource for inspiration. If you are a fantasy fan, you will love it. If you are a mythology buff you will love it also. There was only one place in the middle where the story tended to lag, but it wasn't enough to cost it a star in my rating. Highly recommended, highly praised!
Rating:
Summary: Jim Thompson meets Robert Heinlein
Review: If the _Grifters_ and _Glory Road_ had somehow been recombined in the uterus of a drunk goat (a mad scientist as the progenitor, or perhaps one of those conversational AIs on steroids was fed the text to the two books as source material), _American Gods_ would have been the result. Maybe. Maybe Gaiman is just a schozophrenic channeler, an auto-writer possessed by two shades. Whatever, he is a genius, and _American Gods_ is a work of genius. The thing about _American Gods_ is that it ISN'T Gaiman's best book. It is his most ambitious, his most accepted by the sci-fi literati, and it came out in hardcover, so it is cool to talk about it and be seen carrying it by the geek-chic--but dammit! His previous novels were as good or better. I bought my copy when it first came out, and read it straight through and told everyone I knew about it. Now, I am embarrassed to talk about it. It's like Ann Rice. Her first book was enchanting--fresh and passionate and unpolished and pure. I read it back in the early 80's before Rice was discovered. Then suddenly everyone had read it. Tom Cruise was in the movie. It turned into a phenomena. And ruined it all. .... I first encountered Gaiman years ago via his Sandman series of comic books. Darn good stuff for the genre. At the time it was new and interesting and creative as all get out. I enjoyed the first few issues, then went off to Japan for a few years and forgot about Gaiman. Ran into _Good Omens_ while living in Boston. He collaborated with Terry Pratchett on that one, and it was not bad, but not very good either. I dismissed Gaiman at that point as being another comic book author novelist wannabe. Years later I was talking to some friends about Gaiman and _GO_ and the Sandman series and felt ashamed at my shallowness. When his next book came out I bought it just to be open-minded. Damn. Gaiman's first novel was better than most authors' best novels. _Neverwhere_ has some of the most disturbing evil-doers I have ever run into. A few years later _Stardust_ came out and proved Gaiman was not a one-hit wonder. Completely different style and feeling. And now _AG_ is another completely different book. Gaiman is the best original artist on the SF&F scene. His creativity knows no artificial boundaries--he has plumbed the fairy tale psyches of multiple cultures: comic book sub-culture, Edwardian British Pavlovian Miltonian anti-culture in the sewers, and the 50's depressing noire crime novel of violence and manipulation/uplifting golden age of sci-fi fantasy novel of dragon slaying and heroism. I wish I was Gaiman.
Rating:
Summary: Weird, hard to read..
Review: Not sure what it was, but it was a hard book to get through. I did not hate it, as such, but fealt uneasy and strained while reading.. Not a bad ending overall.. I just can't put my finger on what I didn't like about it.. Besides being long..
Rating:
Summary: A dark and beautiful tale of devotion
Review: This is a brilliantly dark and moving tale of love and devotion. The central idea is that gods who are worshipped as ominoptent actually need the belief of their followers to survive. When mankind immigrated to America (and Gaimon speculates that there has been a thriving ancient trade and immigration in America long before recorded history), they brought their belief in their Old World gods along with their hopes and dreams. America is a difficult land for gods, however, as their followers rapidly assimmilate into mainstream America. Money and technology are what many modern Americans worship, and old gods are now threatened by new gods- Internet, Media, Automobiles, and Credit. The old gods, who have degenerated into mundane careers like supermarket clerks and funeral home directors, must now fight for their survival. This is where a young American named Shadow Moon comes into the tale. Shadow is co-opted into the divine struggle when he meets an elderly con artist named Mr. Wednesday who seems to know too much about Shadow's life. Wednesday offers him a well paying, dangerous job, which Shadow takes, believing he has no future. A reformed prison convict, Shadow was looking forward to a new start. Days before his release, Shadow's beloved wife, Laura, dies in a car accident under very unexpected circumstances. Shadow soon finds out that his employer is the American incarnation of the Norse god, Odin. Odin and Shadow embark on a bizarre road trip across America, encouraging a very interesting group of displaced "American Gods" to unite. Through the story Shadow, Odin and their allies are pursued by destructive modern gods. Shadow also repeatedly encounters the reanimated corpse of Laura. What could be a macabre ghost story instead turns sadly touching as Shadow and Laura try to deal with what happened and come to closure. The story has an amazing plot twist, though Gaimon gives several clues to what will happen. I liked the characterizations- even minor characters have depth and believability. For example, Odin is not entirely a grim god. He has a sense of humor and chases (often successfully) after Nordic girls. Laura turns out having a pivotal role in the story. Shadow, however, is the most complex character. Initially he seems like the big and stupid, strong and silent type. He is actually very intelligent, perceptive and compassionate. As the story develops, he realizes he has more power and courage inside of him than he ever realized. Mr. Gaimon's views of the oddities and charms of American small towns and roadside attractions are very accurate. I also enjoy that Mr. Gaimon focused mainly on the rural Midwest, Great Plains and the South, including a Wisconsin town spookily like the one where I went to college (which had a contest with a car on a frozen lake). The Interludes showing how various immigrants brought their belief in Old World gods and magical beings to America are also intriguing (I especially like the idea that Vikings discovered America some 200 years before Leifur Eiriksson). I agree in theory with the comments that this book would make a smashing film, especially if Mr. Gaimon could write the script and you had a director who could present American culture with Mr. Gaimon's affectionately quirky view. My one fear would be that the film would focus too much on the macabre aspects of the book instead of on the compassion and dignity that underlies these macabre scenes. All in all, a very beautiful book and, honestly, one of the bestI read this year.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun story with some ancient dudes
Review: Mr. Gaiman's writing efforts, in the past, have pleased me immeasurably (Stardust and Neverwhere). This novel was also well planned and delivered but became a bit wordy as time went by. I think Mr. Gaiman needed a slightly better editor for the piece. But his research and obvious enjoyment of the material (mythological gods) came shining through. The story revolves around a recently released convict named Shadow. He'd spent some time in jail for assault and was ready to come out and rejoin society...and he does...except as soon as he's released he learns that his wife just died in a car accident while performing a not-so-flattering act of adultry on his best friend (who was driving and was also killed). Thrown into society and now dealing with his wife's funeral, Shadow soon meets up with a stranger named Wednesday. Wednesday, as it turns out, is one of many of the Gods that Shadow will bump into on this long journey into Godhood. Godhood? That's right, Godhood. Shadow learns his lineage with the help of Wednesday and soon all the pieces of the story begin to fall into place. There's also a pivotal battle that builds from the beginning of the novel til near the end (the war of the Gods from the old world --- Odin and such --- versus the Gods of the new world --- the internet Gods, TV gods, etc.). But this is merely a big sideline to the main story: the development of Shadow into his rightful place. Which Gods are in here? Well I'm not exactly sure of all of them (indeed I'm not sure if anyone except a scholar with a degree in mythology would know), but I do know that Odin, Kali, Venus, and quite a few others play pivotal roles in Shadow's development and rise. And how does he come into this role? Well the book will have to tell you that. It's fun, it's a bit long, but worth your reading time. I'd give it an A-.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant and Complex.
Review: How can I review a book such as 'American Gods'? Well, let my say that this is Neil Gaiman's deepest and most impressive work I have read. I read many of his tales, and I believe that there is no author who has his talent for creating modern legends, and modern mythologies. So saying it's his best book should give you a rough idea how much I liked this book.
'American Gods' has a main story, and a back story. The main storyline evolves around Shadow, an ex-con who is hired by an enigmatic character called Wednesday to be his bodyguard. It takes Shadow some time to realize it, but apparently Wednesday is trying to enlist many odd people all around America for a war.. these people, Shadow finds out, are in fact the old gods from various mythologies. The war is a war of old gods against the new gods... gods of the media, computers and the internet. I would not elaborate much on this storyline, because I don't want to ruin it.
The back story examines ideas which Neil Gaiman likes to explore.. what is belief? what are gods? what happens to gods when there is not so much belief anymore? The book is filled with ideas and characters from so many mythologies.. I'm sure I missed many of these anecdotes, most are not explained at all. This creates such a deep background.
The book has such a feeling of loss, of old passing away, and new things waiting for their own demise.. this held me captivated, I could not put the book down until I finished it.
To summarize: I wholeheartly recommend this book - but beware, as it is definitely not light reading.
Rating:
Summary: One of my Top Three for 2001 !!
Review: Neil Gaiman is indeed the master. This novel is without a doubt in my Top Three Novels of 2001! This is an IMPRESSIVE novel that is SCREAMING to be optioned by Hollywood and made into the next spooky/macabre classic. But if they do, Neil has to do the screenplay!! Without repeating too much of what has already been said... the character of Shadow is instantly likeable. He is the novel's focal point. His journey and adventure through the real world and that of the Gods is highly entertaining. This novel is like a tapestry with many, many, many interwoven pieces. It is a sheer delight to read. There is something for the life-long Gaiman fan...(namely some uncredited cameos by the Endless)... and there is quite a lot for the first time reader... namely a well crafted novel. There are tales and origins of Gods of the old/ancient world, as well as appearances by America's new Gods. TV, technology, etc. Neil even crafts a story within a story for Shadow when he is hiding out in a small Wisconsin town. For television buffs, a sort of "Picket Fences"/"Twin Peaks" murder mystery. (I called it right away, fyi.) I simply cannot say enough nice things about this absolute gem from Mr. Gaiman. His depiction of the midwestern states is dead on. ALL of the characters are thought out and vividly represented. Read this one if you get the chance. You will not be disappointed.
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