American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition: A Novel by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a remarkable book, big and sprawling while also close and intimate. The idea of the gods of America — old gods brought from the various Old Worlds, new gods engendered by American culture — is presented in ways both wildly fantastic and hauntingly gritty.
I read this book several years ago (though I didn’t review it, dagnabbbit), but it’s gotten better with age (or I’m more of a fit to it). I liked it a lot then, but consider it “amazing” now.
The main protagonist, “Shadow,” is arguably the weakest part of the tale. He’s a bit of a hole, a player somewhat sleepwalking through the tale, as through his life. Even his wife comments that he’s not really alive, not living. This allows for some projection by the reader, perhaps, into that void, but it also makes the story more about the setting and the actions of the supporting cast, less about the protagonist. Perhaps that’s appropriate in a myth, and certainly the setting and cast more than uphold their end, but at times it rings a bit odd.
The Tenth Anniversary Edition includes text that was originally trimmed out (though not all of it). I don’t know all the bits that were restored, but the book doesn’t seem to have suffered for it.
Highly recommended.