4 out of 5 stars!
A co-worker actually recommended the TV show to me not too long ago, not knowing there was a book that it was made from. When I talked to my friend, he said he had read it before and it was pretty good. So, I ordered it used on Amazon and fell right into it.
The book didn’t feel like anything else I’ve read before. The basis is old Norse Gods and new American Gods (such as media, technology, ect) are in a war together. An ex-convict named Shadow is caught in the middle of them working for a man named Mr. Wednesday, who isn’t really who he seems.
The characters were great, though not what I expected, especially of the old Gods that I’ve read about in mythology and in comic books (such as Odin and Thor). Shadow was somewhat interesting, but seemed bland compared to the outlandish behavior of the Gods that surrounded him. I really liked his wife! I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but if you read the book you’ll know why.
I read in an article that Neil Gaiman wrote this book while on a road trip across the United States. He didn’t want to write about any place he hadn’t visited himself. I find that interesting. In my Chronicles of a Supernatural Huntsman series, the main character travels across the United States as well, hunting evil beings, and I had to write about tons of place I’ve never been to. Thank God for google street view. That saved my butt most of the time.
The ending was my absolute favorite, not because there were all these twists and turns, but because it took place at Ruby Falls in Tennessee! On my very first road trip with my parents when I was twelve, we drove from Valparaiso, IN to Tampa, FL. Our main stop was at Ruby Falls! We went through the caverns and saw the waterfall and I bought a little tube of real gold from the gift shop. I always held that memory as a happy one in my heart and I couldn’t believe this incredibly talented author chose that place of all places in the US to stage the end of his novel.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mythology or action/adventure/thrillers! The only reason I gave it a 4 out of 5 is because some of the characters could have been better and because of what the author claims happened to Thor (watching the Marvel movies right now, I hold him dear to me.)
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If you’ve already read “American Gods” I would love to hear what you liked or disliked about the book, or its comparison to the TV show. Feel free to comment below!
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