American Gods. Book Review.

American Gods Book Review

American Gods by Neil Gaiman is a complex, gritty, easy-to-read, and long novel.

The plotline itself will make any potential author envious that Gaiman came up with it first, and is reflected most clearly in its two-word title. There are Greek Gods, Norse Gods, African Gods, Native American Gods, Indian Gods – what about American Gods?

What happened to them when people brought them to this new land across time? And what will happen to them as Americans forget them, and turn their short attention spans to new gods?

Gaiman applies the storytelling powers of thousands of years worth of myths to a 700-page-saga, bringing these gods to life in a way that’s been done for thousands of years, reflecting these gods’ humanity and faults, as well as their powers.

The book follows a man called Shadow, though his name is fluid throughout the book, who’s been recruited into this world of gods. The reader follows Shadow and learns with him, Gaiman only showing a few of his cards at a time, enough to keep the reader interested, but not enough so that the reader stays guessing throughout the very end.