How Much I loved Neil Gaiman’s American Gods
I feel many different things about his book. That is, I think, what makes it so great, and why I always love Neil Gaiman.
Neil Gaiman’s American Gods starts by doling out plot details at a meandering pace. In the early parts, the book holds my attention by establishing a mysterious protagonist, and a mysterious cast of characters around him. I get the feeling that these people aren’t who they say they are, and that their motives may be suspect as well.
And that’s the crux of the book. A mystery and parade of (seemingly) unrelated events that drive the plot forward. The most accurate review summary I could give is that this book won me over gradually… ¼ way through I was interested, ½ way through I was hooked, at ¾ through I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out what was going to happen.
As the climax approaches, there’s a series of logical, surprising plot twists that are quite worth the wait. And it even ends with a bit of a message. I won’t spoil it for you, because hearing the message isolated won’t have the same effect as if you actually read the book…
It’s like: you can tune into the last two minutes of Jerry Springer Show just to hear Jerry’s Final Thought about accepting responsibility, but if you didn’t watch the whole show – if you didn’t get to see Bobbi Jean hit Bobby Joe in the face with a chair because he slept with her sister – then you just don’t get the same effect. I know you know what I’m talking about.
The writing is very plain and simple. There’s not much flowery description, which struck me as very odd for a fantasy book. Normally, them suckers are just filled to the brim with adjectives and adverbs and minute details about every last thing. My only real experience with this kind of fast-paced “urban fantasy” genre has been Chuck Wendig, who writes a snarky kind of pulp fantasy, usually YA-heavy. He has a very distinct voice.
Neil Gaiman’s American Gods reads like a war novel or a biography, with virtually nothing but dialogue and action. Largely, though, it works.
This novel will appeal to: Fans of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Fans of mysteries, mythologies, detective novels, Americans, and people whose first toe is longer than their big toe (you know who you are)