American Gods (American Gods, #1) in The Lucid Garden

Jun 17, 2007 Jesse rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: jesse-s-all-time-favorite-authors, modern-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is brilliant, and when I have more time I'll explain why. I just want to put up a bit here after reading a few reviews of this book about how many complete IDIOTS read this book. It astounds me that so many people could read this book, quite possibly one of the best pieces of writing I've ever read in my 30 years, and find it "ok" to "it sucked". All I can say in response is, "I kick your face!". More later.

I just reread this book after about 3-4 years since my first reading. It just a This book is brilliant, and when I have more time I'll explain why. I just want to put up a bit here after reading a few reviews of this book about how many complete IDIOTS read this book. It astounds me that so many people could read this book, quite possibly one of the best pieces of writing I've ever read in my 30 years, and find it "ok" to "it sucked". All I can say in response is, "I kick your face!". More later.

I just reread this book after about 3-4 years since my first reading. It just as amazing the second time around. I rediscovered little segments of the story I had all but forgotten about, and visited the ones again that I'll never forget. Mr. Nancy still made me laugh, Czernobog still made me wish I new more about Eastern European mythology, and the bank heist was still one of the coolest scenes.

This book is poetic, simple, and life altering. It has messages about who we, both Americans and citizens of the world in general, are. I felt like I breifly glimpled the heart of my homeland, and the vision was provided to me by a man from England. I'm gushing I know, but I can't help it. I want anyone reading this to understand how amazing this book is.

When people ask me to describe this book to them I usually tell them two things. One, it is quite simply the best book I've ever read in my life. Not the best fantasy novel. THE, BEST, BOOK, I've ever read. And two, its essentially a road trip story. These are the best things I can think of to describe this book in broad strokes. Yet its so much more. Its a story about gods, the title did not lie. Its about the land, soul, and people of America. There are momments of pure hummor. There is a woman that is a zombie. A dog that is a mortician. Easter, slave revolts, and Las Vegas are all in this book. Between the begining and end of this book you will attend 1 funeral, and 2 wakes (one vastly more fun than the other, and one VASTLY more enlightening than the other), 1 bank robbery, ride in several cars, and witness countless coin tricks. A man will fight a tall leprechaun. I could go on and on. This book has mystery, magic, tragedy (both human and mythic), jokes, stories, morticians, bad food, good food, there is even a half-demon hooker (quite possibly the first hooker).

I am a man that has never reread a book in his life. This is my first one. I type here as a man who doesn't reread, and I tell you this book was just as good when I reread it as the first time I read it. So go read it. You'll discover quite possibly the greatest writer of his generation, or at least in the top 5. I've started a tradition now. Every time an election comes around, I'm going to reread this book. That way I'll always be remind of a time before that future present, and will always look on this master piece with new experiences to take it in anew every time. ...more

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Jun 04, 2008 Nicky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: based-on-myth-saga-etc, fantasy, favourites

I love this book, and I've read it so often. The concept is amazing, and I love all the little details. It kind of makes me want to go to America on a road trip... ...more

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Jun 15, 2010 Benjamin added it

Shelves: audiobook

Since I don't remember very much, I can say that this didn't really make an impression on me; I only vaguely remember thinking that the book's metaphysics seemed a little too loosy-goosy, which I guess is what you need if you're trying to reconcile several mythologies without making any a clear winner. I like Gaiman's range of knowledge about folklores and mythologies, but this is one of his works where I probably enjoyed reading up on the original myths more than I enjoyed reading what Gaiman d Since I don't remember very much, I can say that this didn't really make an impression on me; I only vaguely remember thinking that the book's metaphysics seemed a little too loosy-goosy, which I guess is what you need if you're trying to reconcile several mythologies without making any a clear winner. I like Gaiman's range of knowledge about folklores and mythologies, but this is one of his works where I probably enjoyed reading up on the original myths more than I enjoyed reading what Gaiman did with those myths; in short, I'd rather read the non-fiction book version.

Update on re-reading for the ThinkProgress online book club: There's a real incoherency here that I can't really get beyond: is it belief that's important? In that case you can follow what two of the characters say and believe in everything--you can even believe in exclusive things (the sun is a mass of incandescent gas AND god's fiery chariot). Or is it sacrifice that's important? That seems to be the case with Chernobag being rejuvenated by centuries' old blood sacrifice. But if that's the case, then you have to choose--you can't sacrifice to everything in the way that you believe in everything. Or, lastly, is the power of the gods and culture heroes derived from being remembered or talked about?

Part of this confusion probably comes from the fact that we see things through the eyes of a new guy who gets told how the world works by shady characters. But the result is that the stakes of the game aren't clear. (Oh, Odin just killed the Internet--but since people still sacrifice time to the Internet, he's not really dead? Or is he?)

And if this is all about American Gods, where's the multiple forms of Jesus--the dewy-eyed lamb of Christ, the muscly soldier of God, the self-help guru, the helps-those-who-help-themselves guru, etc.?

The best part of this book, for my money, has to do with the yearly sacrifice of a child to keep the prosperity of a small town going; but that's also the part that feels most re-warmed, simply a version of Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas."

This is my least favorite Gaiman novel probably. ...more

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Jan 29, 2008 Scott rated it liked it · review of another edition

I guess it was pretty good. Gaiman’s characterizations are always brilliant, and this was no exception. It’s a solid novel, fully realized and written with his usual grace and wit, but something about it just made it kinda flat to me. I suppose I didn’t find it especially believable. It seemed like everything was happening for the sake of happening. It’s extremely clever in a lot of ways, but I feel like it got caught up in that and occasionally forgot to be about people. It’s hard to explain, b ...more

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