This was my second time through American Gods, I have been wanting to re-read it before watching the Starz adaptation and a friend handed me his book and asked me if I wanted it. I said yes, because that means I did not have to search for my copy of it. I enjoyed the book a lot, and I liked knowing how some story lines ended because it upped the creep factor.
So, because I know that there are people who have not heard of American Gods (no really, I talked to one over the weekend, I was raving about it and he was just super puzzled and wondering what I was talking about), here’s a quick and non-spoilery synopsis. Shadow Moon is given an early release from prison when his wife dies and on his way home, he runs into an old man who is far more than he appears. Shadow quickly gets caught up in the old man’s life, and learns there is far more to the world than meets the eye.
The novel is structured in an episodic manor. Reading, I could definitely tell that this was written early in Gaiman’s novel writing career and close to his comic book period. It felt very much like reading a comic book, which isn’t a bad thing it’s just something I noticed while reading. Of course, I don’t know how influenced that is by the fact that I know Gaiman started his career in comics, but I could see the relation.
I really like the book, it’s extremely readable, and there are parts that are far more horrifying when you know how those situations turn out. However, I can’t quite give it five stars. I’m not quite sure why. However, I do think that it’s one of those books that everyone should at least attempt, even people who aren’t fantasy fans.