Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't put it down.....
Review: Wow! What a terrific book, fun to read. The characters are well written, the plot twists and turns like a maze and there's plenty of humor. (check out the Raven's response when asked to say "Nevermore") I love fantasy fiction, but too many times I've lost interest halfway through the book. Not this time. I read it in a weekend and was sorry when it ended. Relax and enjoy the ride.
Rating:
Summary: Old gods, new skins
Review: Other writers (e.g., De Lint) have written about old gods in the new world but with an unfortunate New Age approach and never nearly as good as this. This story is a thrill-feast and highly evocative. As others have noted, it disgusts, amuses, saddens. I found myself repeatedly duped by Gaiman with surprising slap-to-the-forehead twists in the storyline. This book has it all: full, living characters, exquisite writing, a full-speed twisting story. Don't take my word for it, just try the first page and then hang on tight, the book will take you from there.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read
Review: Gaiman weaves a new mythology from the old. He's been through this territory before, but this time he fully explores ideas that were little more than tantalizing hints. His characters are excellent, his plot is tight, and his ideas are very engaging. I read it in about three days. I had a hard time putting it down. A fabulous novel to crawl into and wrap around yourself...
Rating: 
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating: 
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.
Rating:
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...
Rating:
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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