Rating: 
Summary: Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines
Review: Disclaimer: Am a diehard Gaiman fan...have read everything he has written (more than once), own signed limited editions, etc. While I was enchanted by the potential of this book, I was not blown away reading it. It has all of the trappings of Gaiman's work....mythical & transformative themes (this one involving an archetypal journey into the heart of America), wierd and endearing characters, twisted and dark subplots, rich layers of historical reference, and magical juxtapositions of worlds and dimensions with the "commonsense and everyday". But I was left feeling like this was a pre-final draft with many of the concepts remaining hazy and underdeveloped, not crisp and polished, perfect and savory. Possibly a reflection of an unrealistic publisher's deadline?
Rating: 
Summary: A contemporary fantasy with sophistication and style
Review: This is one wonderful read. From beginning to end, Gaiman hooks the reader with humor, history, fascinating little side trips on the road to the heart of America. From the bar fight with a leprechaun and the beginning to the pagan crucifixion at the end, the book is wrought with stylish images, keen imagination and a look into the soul of a country of blended immigrant cultures.What a wild ride!
Rating:
Summary: An extremely well-written book
Review: As a big Gaiman fan, I'm probably prejudiced in favor of his books, but I still have to say that I was quite taken with this book. I bought it the day it came out and was done with it in less than 24 hours. Without trying to give anything away, I have to say that I really enjoyed all of the obscure references made in American Gods to (what else) various gods and other mythic figures. The concept, while not necessarily original, was presented here in a fresh perspective. The main character, Shadow, while at first glance a rather shallow character, turns out to be exceedingly deep and multi-faceted upon closer inspection (sorry for all of those literary clichés).
One should not go into this expecting Stardust II. At the same time, while American Gods shares a tome similar to that in the Sandman series, one shouldn't be looking for another Morpheus story. This novel is a category into itself in Gaiman's repertoire. In other words, being a Gaiman fan is no guarantee that you'll like it; at the same time, even if you didn't like his other books, this novel might still be accessible.
Rating: 
Summary: The One Gaiman Book
Review: I dare you not to like it! Finally, a Neil Gaiman book that rivals even his masterpiece THE SANDMAN. Dark, twisted, poignant: AMERICAN GODS is a journey through the world's largest melting pot of history & culture. & what a trip! Rare is the author (& his tale!) who can take you so far that what you see in paper comes to life & moves you. If you are to read only one post-SANDMAN novel of Gaiman's, let it be this.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but standard Gaiman
Review: Gaiman is an excellent storyteller, but a curiously afflicted writer. He seems to have a single dominant thread that runs through his work, and perhaps I'm only frustrated with it because I'm not from the UK. That thread is this: his protagonist always seems to get shoved, manipulated or dragged around in the story without ever exhibiting much control. Like in this book: eventually it becomes clear that Shadow is the hero because of his remarkable capabilities, but emotionally and mentally, he remains passive, directionless and often -- whether literally or figuratively -- completely in the dark. I like Gaiman's work, and I understand how writers write themselves "into" their work, but I can't imagine that someone as successful and well-regarded as Neil Gaiman is as big a zero as most of his main characters seem to be.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I like Gaiman's writing quite a lot and this is the first time I've seen his Sandman style of mixing massive myths with everyday life. Great book. Actually good enough that I bought the audiotape of AG for my wife and I to listen to on a long car trip. Sooner or later, I'll get her into Sandman....
Rating:
Summary: Excellent audiobook
Review: I have to commute two and a half hours a day and audiobooks really help. This is by far the best one I've heard yet. The story is superbly written (the book edition has excellent reviews) and George Guidall is amazing in the reading of the book. I will probably buy more audiobooks just because of his excellent pace, pronunciation and character depictions. Read the book reviews for opinions on the story and if you like to make your commute disappear into thin air... buy this audiobook!
Rating:
Summary: A Gripping and Involving Tale
Review: Since everyone else has summarized the plot for you -- the ancient gods are alive and not so well in America, and competing with the new gods of consumerist society, and trouble is a-coming -- I'll just stick to the mechanics, This is a beautifully plotted and written book, free of loose ends, and surprisingly well constructed at every turn. It's full of surprises, and you get to feel the identities of all the characters, whether real or 'imaginary.' Maybe it takes a while for the central character, Shadow, to become real, but then, that's probably the idea. I'd vote this the best sci-fi I've read since Cryptonomicon...It would make a great movie
Rating:
Summary: Myths, Dreams and the Road Trip
Review: Neil Gaiman is one of the most creative forces in literature today. His latest novel combines the art of storytelling, mythology, and a love of grift. Shadow has just been released from prison only to have his life fall apart. His wife is dead, and his job gone. Then the world goes on end when he meets a very pecular man named Wednesday with a job offer.
Enlisted to the side of old gods Shadow travels America to help Wednesday recruit gods for the coming storm. Along the way he meets characters of all shapes and psychosis. He also learns about his past. The journey is the destination.
Rating:
Summary: Shadow faces the coming storm of the gods in America
Review: "American Gods" is something of a misnomer as a title since this is more acurately a story about "Gods in America," most of whom immigrated to the new world as their followers trekked across the oceans to come here. Most of this is news to Shadow, the main character in Neil Gaiman's novel, who learns his wife, Laura, has been killed in a car crash just as he was about to get out of prison. But if you remember one thing about this novel it is that there are no accidents, nothing is coincidence, and everything has meaning. Shadow, who has a modest talent for doing coin tricks, becomes the employee of a strange being who goes under the name of Wednesday and is warned by everyone he meets or dreams about that a storm is coming. Soon it becomes clear that this is not an allegorical statement, but that there is a coming battle between the "new" gods and the more ancient variety of deity. Ultimately the sum of the parts of "American Gods" is not greater than the whole, and when the war of the gods ends with a whimper instead of a bang, it is an unsatisfying climax as is the resolution of Shadow's relationship with his dead wife, Laura. Gaiman has actually done too good of a job on his research of the ancients gods, so that it becomes difficult to tell whose rules apply; are we dealing primarily with Norse mythology here or is there a more general set of rules that apply? I am sure some academic can explain it all to us, but do not ask me and while I do not expect to be able to guess where Gaiman is going with his story, I do want to feel that this story is more than slight of hand or some type of con game. The best part of the ending was the truth of the quiet little town of Lakeside; again, the pieces fall into place, this time with a more satisfying sense of conclusion. "American Gods," despite its problems, most of which can be forgiven since Gaiman is clearly trying to construct an epic, is an interesting tale, well told. Michael Crichton talked about a paradigm shift in "Jurassic Park," arguing that science no long produces truth; Gaiman touches upon this, but without really developing the new paradigm (and its attendant gods) in significant detail. However, through out the novel Gaiman's characters consistently captivate us even when the story becomes obscured. In the end, "American Gods" is a good read.
|
