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American Gods: Tenth Anniversary (American Gods, #1)

Neil Gaiman

Start date: September 1, 2016

Finish date: September 30, 2016

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: Winner - September 2016 - Modern Must-Read Poll
[close] Winner - September 2016 - Modern Must-Read Poll

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What Members Thought

Sep 28, 2016 Matthew rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, 2016, completist-book-club, hoopla, library

My first thought on this book:

This is a 2.5 to 3 star book max for me. I am pretty sure this will be my last Neil Gaiman book. I have tried two others (Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch and The Ocean at the End of the Lane) and one of those was okay (Omens) and one of them I couldn't stand (Ocean).

I realize that my feelings on Gaiman and his books are contrary to popular opinion, but they are just not my cup of tea. They are slow. They seem intentionally odd and ...more

552 likes · Like · see review

Apr 20, 2014 Kirstin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

"Man is quite insane.
He wouldn't know how to create a maggot,
and he creates Gods by the dozen." ~Michael de Montaigne

Welcome to American Gods, where roadside attractions are hallowed ground, ancient gods drive taxi-cabs and checkers is played to-the-death.

American Gods is an outstanding novel and now a favourite of mine. This is my first Neil Gaiman book and he writes with style. Like a cross between Stephen King and Tom Robbins, in the best way.

Highly recommended to anyone with a love of mag ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

May 14, 2017 Rasib Majid rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Okay.....Hold on! I need to re-read the book or listen to the audio book right away!

Apart from presenting a great story, this book aka Neil Gaiman hit me hard from multiple angles on a personal level. Being an immigrant myself, I could totally relate to the tales titled "Coming to America." On the other hand, as an enthusiast of the lives of people in small towns, I found the parts of the book taking place in the town "Lakeside" absolutely fascinating.

Oh! I feel so much like taking a road trip ...more

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Apr 05, 2014 Srividya Vijapure rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: srividyas-2014-challenge

Bizarre, surreal, quirky, funny, poignant and brilliant are some of the words that come to my mind as I set to review this book.

Definitely brilliant and worth every moment spent reading it for saying anything else would be pure sacrilege. That said, it does not mean that I never experienced the sheer frustration that most of us feel when reading, especially when that book does not move forward or does not reveal anything to you.

The story is of a man Shadow, who after being released from prison Bizarre, surreal, quirky, funny, poignant and brilliant are some of the words that come to my mind as I set to review this book.

Definitely brilliant and worth every moment spent reading it for saying anything else would be pure sacrilege. That said, it does not mean that I never experienced the sheer frustration that most of us feel when reading, especially when that book does not move forward or does not reveal anything to you.

The story is of a man Shadow, who after being released from prison finds out that his wife is dead and goes on to work for a man named Wednesday and there starts the actual story. What happens later is brilliant melange of theories, mythological as well as folklore, as passed on through the ages struggling to gain acceptance and acknowledgement in the face of the more modern theories and gods.

What makes the book truly interesting and brilliant is the fact that through all the stories and metaphors (numerous as they were), it transmits a simple truth what you believe is what IS! Many may accept while several will deny but the fact simply remains that it is your action that actually rules your life!

Another endearing factor about this book, which incidentally was also a point of frustration, was the writing style. It simply flowed in almost a poetic manner, which at times can be quite frustrating as you simply want the story to move ahead. There were several mistakes, grammatical and other errors, but the flow more than compensated for any irritations caused by these. :)

Would have actually given the book a complete five but for the frustrations that I underwent, especially in the middle, where the book's ramblings (Sorry if I have inadvertently insulted or hurt any literary gods as well as their followers) often forced me to simply put it away.

However, am glad that I stuck with it and completed it, for it is truly one of the best reads of this year. Will definitely recommend it to one and all, albeit with a caution that this can be frustrating in parts :)

...more

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Sep 12, 2016 James Joyce rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aa-series-part-of, a-fiction, aa-have-a-copy, fantasy, adventure, other-dimensions

I like Gaiman. He's like a more mature, controlled Ray Bradbury. I've never read the comics, but I loved Neverwhere. And I really enjoyed American Gods.

Shadow, on early release from prison, attends his wife's funeral, gets hired by a god, is visited by his dead wife (“I’m cold, puppy.”), meets old-world gods and fey and heroes, serial killers and fortune tellers who lie (and even worse, fortune tellers who tell the truth), finds out where Americans really worship, and helps arrange a battle of ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Dec 16, 2014 Jess Penhallow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, usa, 1990s

This book is like nothing I've read before. Its so weird and wonderful but at the same time gripping. It is definitely a book you have to persevere with as I was comletely lost for about the first third. However once I stopped trying to follow it as a linear and literal story and just accepted that random things could occur at any time I began to really appreciate the imagery and characters and after that the story all came together. By the ending I was hooked. I cannot recommend enough. ...more

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Dec 26, 2014 Kim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was fantastic. The ending was beautiful and made me want more. I loved seeing all the gods and the stories interwoven into the plot. My only criticism is that you can tell Gaiman was a graphic novel writer which means his prose is fairly plain. But that's ok with me. I'm a visual thinker and whatever wasn't fully described by Gaiman my imagination went wild. I figure that was also part of the point of the book to let the imagination take its full flame. ...more

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Sep 30, 2016 未知生焉知死 Anvil rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction

Its start was strong and solid, but the follow up didn't live up to it. And the conclusion was anti-climax. But most of the side stories in the novel were well written and enjoyable.

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Jun 20, 2017 Rachael rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"Shadow shook his head. 'You know,' he said, 'I think I would rather be a man than a god. We don't need anyone to believe in us. We just keep going anyhow. It's what we do.' "

AHHH this book!

...more

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