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Neil Gaiman: American Gods

sparkchaser said:
American Gods is a great read. I'm surprised you haven't read it yet Libra6Poe.
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I know!!! I'm a bad Gaiman fan. :p For the longest time I was just collecting his graphic novels and the only book I had read of his was Anansi Boys (and that's because I had to so I could go to the signing and actually have something to say to him). I own Neverwhere, but haven't gotten around to that either.
And, merging the threads.
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Thanky!
 
Generally I like Neil Gaiman, but it really depends on the book. I loved Coraline and Anansi Boys, wasn't a big fan of Stardust and Neverwhere, and didn't like American Gods. I read it a while ago, so I don't remember exactly why I didn't like it...I know I thought it could've been much shorter, and I didn't get attached to any of the characters. But hey, I was interested enough to finish it...it's somehow compelling.
 
The world's biggest book club (?) will be discussing American Gods as its first book.

'One Book, One Twitter' launches worldwide book club with Neil Gaiman | Books | guardian.co.uk

The aim with One Book, One Twitter is – like the one city, one book programme which inspired it – to get a zillion people all reading and talking about a single book. It is not, for instance, an attempt to gather a more selective crew of book lovers to read a series of books and meet at established times to discuss.
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American Gods by Neil Gaiman

A Classic Waiting To Happen.




What a book. It is my firm opinion that this is one of the greatest books of this generation.

I realise that I can't simply post short sentences praising the book as a paragon of modern literature, but I felt that such high praise was the only way I could express my feelings for the book.

The way that Neil Gaiman manages to combine, in one story, so many different themes can only be described as literary genius; world religions, crime thriller, fantasy epic, dark comedy, character drama, love story, horror, allegory and tragedy to name but a few.

The main character of this story is a man known only as Shadow - a hulk of a man with a quick mind; a very relateable character who is not quite the everyman but is likeably imperfect. Most of the other characters we meet in the story are Gods of old world pagan religions, brought to life in a wonderful fashion by Gaiman's unmatchable creativity and thrown to us in a wonderfully visual style that jumps off the page with very little creative effort on the part of the reader. There are other Gods too - new Gods of the new world who represent technology and capitalism, which have become the worshiped ideals of today's world (which I believe is where the allegory comes into things).

I'll not go too much into the story because I feel that I couldn't do it justice while keeping this review to reasonable length but I will try to lay out the basic premise. Over the years America has been discovered, forgotten, and re-discovered by various peoples who have carried their religions with them (wonderfully depicted by an ancient religion who worshipped a giant mammoth's head and physically carried it with them on their epic march to the new world). Each of these people left their religions in America and, with no one left to worship them, the Gods waned and dropped out of memory, left to get by as best they can with the handful of people who still remember them. Now the Gods are threatened by the new religions of the world and try to make a final stand against change.

Gaiman has clearly done his research because there are some extremely obscure characters and plot mechanics in this book which are accurate to each of the mythologies they represent, and that makes this book even more readable because there isn't anything in it that I felt I had to question.

I have put this book on a very high pedestal, but I feel that it entirely deserves such elevation - in my 20-odd years of reading books (from Smile, Crocodile, Smile to War And Peace) this one definitely makes it into my top five books, and is in my opinion one of the greatest books written to date. It should find places on such lists as the 100 Books To Read Before You Die and, because of it's messages and wide variety of themes, would not be out of place on an A-level syllabus.

If you only read one book this year, make it this one.
 
Oy. Now the TBR pile grows by handsfull at a time. But reading Neverwhere a long time ago was enough to convince me, so here goes! Thanks for the thread.
:)
 
Peder said:
Oy. Now the TBR pile grows by handsfull at a time. But reading Neverwhere a long time ago was enough to convince me, so here goes! Thanks for the thread.
:)
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Yup, you def have to read American Gods, it's well done to say the least. Although I have to add I liked Neverwhere more.
 
pontalba said:
Yup, you def have to read American Gods, it's well done to say the least. Although I have to add I liked Neverwhere more.
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I think my wet-dream of a review for American Gods shows how much I agree, but Neverwhere is also definitely worth reading. I'm directing a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream next year and I've begun working on the script adaptation and ideas for set design and costume et cetera, and I'm going for a very similar style to that which is portrayed in Neverwhere - all my fairies will be homeless people.
 
Anamnesis said:
Stunning (and I'm not a huge fan of both books). Have you seen B&N's leatherbound Vampire Chronicles compilation? That one has a lovely cover as well.
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I have! :) It is quite lovely indeed. When I first saw it, I was psyched. But I've yet to own it. I'm also in love with the Alice in Wonderland one as well. I got mom-in-law the leatherbound of HP Lovecraft's collected fictional works. Have you seen that one? Amazing!
 
Libra6Poe said:
I have! :) It is quite lovely indeed. When I first saw it, I was psyched. But I've yet to own it. I'm also in love with the Alice in Wonderland one as well. I got mom-in-law the leatherbound of HP Lovecraft's collected fictional works. Have you seen that one? Amazing!
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I looked it up. Not bad; just too modern-looking. I prefer the old-fashioned artwork for the Gaiman and Rice books. Their Ray Bradbury anthology and copy of To Kill a Mockingbird have nice cover art.
 
sparkchaser said:
Holy crap.

ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y187_sparkchaser1998_bimmerforums_dowant.jpg

I must have this.
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:lol::lol::lol:
I know, I kinda want it too... but I own both already... So probably not...

Anamnesis said:
I looked it up. Not bad; just too modern-looking. I prefer the old-fashioned artwork for the Gaiman and Rice books. Their Ray Bradbury anthology and copy of To Kill a Mockingbird have nice cover art.
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I just really like the idea of having bright pink and purple leatherbounds. :p
And agreed, the Bradbury, TKaM, and also the Jane Eyre ones are lovely. But I don't know about all these single novel leatherbounds... I kinda wish they did a Bronte collection instead.
 
My first Gaiman book was American Gods actually. I didn't like it,but I am planning to read the Anansi Boys. I was told by a lot of people that if I didn't like American Gods, Anansi Boys would be a good book for me to read.
 
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