Gaiman’s American Gods
From upcoming English author of Neverwhere and the successful Sandman comic book series, comes Neil Gaiman’s first great epic, American Gods. In the metaphysical vein, Gaiman has created a world to rival those of Clive Barker’s, presenting new insight into n otherwise ignored genre.
Our main character is a man recently freed from prison, known as Shadow. He is now heading for what he thinks will be a return to his former, happy life with a beautiful wife and his old job already lined up. What he does not know is that his wife is dead, killed in a car accident while “administering: some pleasure to his best friend, the very man who gave him his job back.
Shadow is going to meet some very strange characters that go by some most unusual names: Mr. Wednesday, Mr. Nancy, Easter, Ibis, Jaquel, and Czernobog. What he does not know is that he is very special, not just to these bizarre characters, but to the fate of two great armies – one as old as time itself, the other as new as the Internet – who will war against each other to decide who will have the right to govern the country as gods.
American Gods is a compelling, driving novel that enraptures the reader. And while Shadow’s full potential and significance is never truly understood, as well as Gaiman’s obsessive use of dreams to explain crucial details, the novel on the whole is an enthralling read for any who profess to enjoy a kaleidoscope of horror/fantasy/metaphysics/sci-fi.
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Originally published on February 18th 2002.
Originally published in the Long Beach Union.
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