Just in time for the premier of the TV show later this month -- Neil Gaiman's book American Gods (2001) is a folk tale for the modern age with plenty of action and unexpected twists. This is one of my favorite tropes / sub-genres: taking gods and other mythological elements and inserting them into the normal, current world in a way that explains how they appeared in stories of yore but are not apparent today. This book takes the added twist of contrasting the Old World gods with the modern phenomena that we 'worship' today through use and dependency.
Though the story and some character plots were not always easy to follow, the slight confusion was such that it put me in Shadow's (the main character) shoes. He never really fully knew what was going on, so when I was a little confused, I connected with him more.
The story was epic, the characters interesting and sometimes astounding, and overall this book was pure Gaiman heart and soul, which is always a good thing.
“People believe, thought Shadow. It's what people do. They believe, and then they do not take responsibility for their beliefs; they conjure things, and do not trust the conjuration. People populate the darkness; with ghosts, with gods, with electrons, with tales. People imagine, and people believe; and it is that rock solid belief, that makes things happen.”
Keep reading! Beth
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