Neil Gaiman's American Gods

[Guest The Last Free Voice]

I finished it today, and it may well be the best book I have read in my young life. Discuss.

[Steviekick 0]

I haven't read it yet, but I'd expect it would be good. I've read Good Omens and it was amazing.

[Vyce 0]

Yes, it's quite good. Gaiman is pretty much one of my favorite writers. He's acquired "must have" status with me - everything he puts out I must get my hands on.

[thuganomics 0]

This is old news for me now.

 

I'm trying to get my copy on Legends II without paying $25 dollars now.

 

Short story sequel featuring Shadow in it.

 

Oh, and 1602 is also a damn fine read. Quite different than most of Gaiman's work.

 

And anyone who doesn't own the Neverwhere DVD should go find a copy immediately.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

I liked American Gods and also thought Neverwhere was fun, but the man is definitely at his best in the comic form. He's slowly learning how to do the novel thing, but American Gods stumbles cumbersomely towards the end. It's still a big improvement over Neverwhere, though.

[Guest The Last Free Voice]

I don't think it stumbled really. It just got kinda confusing with the whole life/death thing...

[thuganomics 0]

I don't feel the book stumbles at all. It's incredibly weighty compared to even his Sandman work, but it still possesses an uncanny level of depth to it.

 

As to Neverwhere, it isn't exactly a masterpiece novel, but it is still a very high quality book (not to mention mini-series).

[The Ill One 0]

God I love that book. I rarely re-read books but I can read over and over. My friend, who lent me American Gods, also gave me Stardust. I enjoyed it and all, but I don't really like fantasy. That's probably why American Gods surprised me, the general concept, the dialouge, characters, and in-depth thoughts (maybe I think too much into the religious references). Any other books that he's written like American Gods that I could enjoy as much? (I've heard of Neverwhere).

[Vyce 0]

I also suggest reading Coraline. Quite good little dark fantasy / children's book. Brief too, you should pound it out in just a couple hours or so.

[Jingus 0]

I liked American Gods, though not quite as much as some of Gaiman's other work. (The "big surprise" about the real reason for the war was pretty lame, I saw it coming a mile away.) And Shadow himself was actually a fairly one-note character, in a Steven King sort of way. But still, it's Gaiman, and that means it's worth reading no matter what the flaws. I love the way he'll throw in random little details about subplots that really don't have anything to do with the story, but are stll great vignettes by themselves. I damn near cried when I read the part about a certain unusual lady getting a 3rd-shift job at a gas station.

[EricMM 0]

It was a good story, and i really liked Wednesday.

 

But I really really preferred Neverwhere, in terms of pacing.

 

American Gods was a mammoth book. I liked the idea, and the characters, everything about it individually. But put together it was so daunting, and I'm someone who likes to sit down and spend four hours reading It.