Yet another Neil Gaiman success, the story of "American Gods" centers around a character named Shadow -- an enigmatic everyman who is hired by a shady con artist by the name of Mr. Wednesday.The underlying premise of the book is that various waves of immigrants (going back to those who came over the land bridge) brought their gods with them to America. These gods, made physical by the worship and adoration of their believers, still exist today -- although largely in a diminished capacity.
Now Mr. Wednesday is rounding up all the gods of the ancient mythologies to do battle with the "new gods" of the American pantheon -- Media, Internet, and Mass Transit to name a few. Apparent there's only so much worship to go around and each group is somehow threatened by the others existence.
Nothing is as it seems in this book which I can safely label as a "fantasy thriller". "American Gods" is a delightfully layered read which remains engaging from cover to cover despite complication after complication after complication...
Recommended.
3 comments:
Every time you review this guy's books the more intrigued I am. I've definitely gotta check him, he comes up with the most unique stories!
I agree. He's very imaginative and original. There's a definite dark and sly sense of humor in Gaiman's books too. Check him out if you're in the mood for a fun read that's a little different.
I like dark and sly, and I love different!
Post a Comment