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

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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May 05, 2012 Jesse rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: jesse-s-all-time-favorite-authors, fantasy, modern-fantasy, horror-dark-fantasy, detective-mystery, books-brooke-should-read

Hello there and thanks for checking out my review. This is quite probably my all time favorite book in the world. I don't just say that lightly either, I had to pause for a few seconds and look off to the side before I typed that. So you can tell I'm serious. This is a book I have read 3 times since its arrival in 2001. Now I will say, this is entirely my first time having read the "10th Anniversary Edition" with an additional 12,000 words. So I must say here and now that I'm not sure if what di Hello there and thanks for checking out my review. This is quite probably my all time favorite book in the world. I don't just say that lightly either, I had to pause for a few seconds and look off to the side before I typed that. So you can tell I'm serious. This is a book I have read 3 times since its arrival in 2001. Now I will say, this is entirely my first time having read the "10th Anniversary Edition" with an additional 12,000 words. So I must say here and now that I'm not sure if what different things I got out of this book this time are because of the different person I am reading it now, or if its because its somewhat reworked version of the original story. I'd like to think its a little of both.

Let me start by saying that this book has a bit of everything. A fight in a bar, a bank robbery, death by sex, pasties (the delicious pie not the things to cover nipples), gods, monsters, marital problems, love, and even self-discovery. Its pretty much a book for all seasons, so one can't really say "its like this plus this" or "its this kind of book". Thats great too, because truly amazing and artful books should be like people, one of a kind.

Ok, now to what I got out of this book this time. I still loved the bank robbery, its one of the most clever and cool things I've ever read and always makes me smile. I also loved that even after three readings (partly because I'm lazy and don't go and sleuth them out on the internet like a good nerd) there are still strange folks in this book that I can't place in any mythology I know (and since I'm a nerd you can count on me knowing plenty). Yet the thing I noticed the most in this reading of the book was Shadow and his own personal problems, especially those with his wife.

It comes through to me a real personal feeling of loss and disorientation that comes from your marriage collapsing. Its a bitter sweet recurring theme of Shadow being cast to the wind by the loss of his marriage.

Now the last and final thing I got out of this reading, is something I always get out of reading this book but bares saying each time for how amazing I find it. This is a book that, in my opinion so quintessentially captures the Unites States of America (in all of its national discontinuity), and its written by a man who is not from here. I think it takes an outsider to see the forest for the trees if you will. I myself have always been an American, yet because I grew up overseas in 3 different countries, I find this land and its people often times more difficult to understand than other people and places. Neil Gaiman went and he discovered America, and then he wrote a beautifully amazing book about it.

Ok this got longer and more rambling than I intended it too so let me close with this. This book is really amazing in every way. Its amazingly insightful, its amazingly entertaining, and its amazingly written. Read this book because its fun to read and it will really make you think, and that's not a combo you get in the same book often.
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May 04, 2012 Carol rated it liked it · review of another edition

I'm giving this three stars because even though I ended up really liking the book, it was many pages too long and it took a long time for me to warm up to some of the characters.

I'm glad I read it. ...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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Nov 02, 2011 James rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish

Like some others I found the characters too unsympathetic despite a fine premise and good writing.

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Sep 09, 2008 Bryan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

I really wanted to give this four stars, but the plotting has too many flaws. It's pretty obvious he was still in serial narrative mode when he wrote this. His magical tone pervades regardless. ...more

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