Hot off the Shelf: What I'm Reading - "American Gods", Gaiman, Neil.

This was a big book. As Gaiman himself says in the introduction:

I wanted it to be a number of things. I wanted to write a book that was big and odd and meandering and I did.

Man, he delivered on that front. American Gods is not only big physically, but big in the subject matter. However it doesn't become overbearing. It meanders, but you don't get lost. It's like doing a big jigsaw puzzle, or rubix cube, you puzzle over it for ages (this took me forever to read, and I'm usually a fairly quick reader), and in the end you finally slot the last couple of pieces in - the important one's - and it all makes sense and you slap yourself round the face *mentally* for not seeing it before. But that's what keeps it interesting. The whole thing has a dream-like essence about it, real...not real...everything is blurry enough so you're in that zone but grounded enough to keep you with things. The main character, Shadow helps with this grounding.

Shadow is a fantastic character. Some people have complained that he's too emotionally detached. Not really. His emotions are played down. There's a subtle difference between the two and Gaiman's writing style is what makes it work. It's Shadow who keeps us following the story, he keeps us 'with it' because he's 'with it', even during events that are rather not 'with it' at times.
Other people have complained because they think there's some sort of derogatory tone about America and it's culture going on. Not being American I don't think it's any wonder it didn't stir up any of these feelings in me. But even if I was...it's like it said somewhere in the book...
"Nobody's American [...] Not originally. That's my point."
It's crucial to the plot - people brought the Gods to America with them, and now they're being forgotten. I don't think Gaiman is being derogatory. I think it's so because the plot needs it to be so.

That's about all I have to say about American Gods because I'm tired and have other things I should be doing today. Grumble.

Go on a journey with Gaiman and see how you come out at the other end. I think it's worth it.
Rated 4/5.

Over and out.