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American Gods

By Neil Gaiman, George Guidall (Performer)

(579)

| Audio Cassette | 9780694525492

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Book Description

The storm was coming...

For the three years Shadow spent in prison, all he wanted was to get back to the loving arms of his wife and stay out of trouble for the rest of his life. But days before his release, he learns that his wife has been killed in an accident, and his world becomes a colContinue

Critics

American Gods

La trama e le recensioni di American Gods, romanzo di Neil Gaiman edito da Mondadori. Dopo tre anni di prigione Shadow sta per tornare in libertà quando viene a sapere della morte misteriosa della moglie e del suo migliore amico. Sull'aereo che lo ri ... (read full critics)

Qlibri published on Thu, 25 Nov 2010

"American Gods"

(Reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer JUN 02, 2002) Shadow Moon has just served three years in prison - years spent because he took the blame for his wife, Laura’s, part in a bank robbery. All he wants to do now is live the quiet life, get his old job back, ... (read full critics)

mostlyfiction published on Wed, 29 Sep 2010

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34 Reviews

7 people find this helpful

I have to admit I was highly disappointed by this book, which is loved by so many of my friends.
The first 100 pages are quite good, and I was sure the story was about to begin, but then I struggled to get to page 242 and nothing had happened so far.
I was really tempted to give up. The ma ... (continue)

I have to admit I was highly disappointed by this book, which is loved by so many of my friends.
The first 100 pages are quite good, and I was sure the story was about to begin, but then I struggled to get to page 242 and nothing had happened so far.
I was really tempted to give up. The main character was unimpressive (okay, his name is Shadow, what can you expect?), and the plot simply was... well, impossible to see.
I asked myself more than once, what is the plot of this novel? and, more importantly, where is it? There were no traces of it in the too many pages I had read so far.
Shadow's interest in doing magic with coins made me yawn, and I finished the book trying to figure out if it was necessary to the story. My answer is no.
I think the book could have been a good 150 pages shorter, and I also think Gaiman simply took advantage of the reader's suspension of disbelief: there are many details that end up being unbelievable even in a book like this. Mixing up fantasy and reality is a very hard job, which JK Rowling does perfectly for instance, but I can't say Gaiman is as good ad his fellow citizen..
The whole part of Shadow and his lot riding the carousel simply didn't fit, it was comic rather than fantastic... I don't know, I think I won't read another Gaiman's novel in a while...

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Miss Piggott said on Sep 9, 2007 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

2 people find this helpful

Until the last chapters I didn't get to see how the puzzle exactly fit together(which was annoying), but in the end it all gets cleared, everything's turned upside down and the "big picture" is quite an amazing revelation..definitely worth the waiting!

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RubraAddicted said on Oct 14, 2010 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

2 people find this helpful

I don't know.
I guess I missed out on the neilgaimanism.
Perhaps I should have started from "stardust" or "the sandman".
The story seemed interesting, reading it was not.
I have found it obvious, the narrative mode did not seduce me in the least and it gets worse towards the end. ... (continue)

I don't know.
I guess I missed out on the neilgaimanism.
Perhaps I should have started from "stardust" or "the sandman".
The story seemed interesting, reading it was not.
I have found it obvious, the narrative mode did not seduce me in the least and it gets worse towards the end.
Overall: a great disappointment.
Left it on a platform' seat at borough station for someone else to enjoy it.

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isabella said on Nov 6, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

American Gods has a Deep Meaning

I would appreciate it if i knew the Gods & Goddesses mentioned in the book. Thought Zeus will be featured but it would be good if he will show.
See my full review here: http://www.literateknolohitura.com/2012/02/book-review-…

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Joy Bagong-sibol said on Feb 13, 2012 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

This could be Zelazny

There is more than a little Roger Zelazny - themes and inspiration - in this book. The difference is that Gaiman goes where Zelazny never did - in the mythology of America. And where there isn't one, he makes one up. It's a good story from many points of view. No wonder NG won so many prizes with th ... (continue)

There is more than a little Roger Zelazny - themes and inspiration - in this book. The difference is that Gaiman goes where Zelazny never did - in the mythology of America. And where there isn't one, he makes one up. It's a good story from many points of view. No wonder NG won so many prizes with this novel.
My first Gaiman book. Very good indeed.

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KillingTime said on Feb 12, 2012 about the eBook edition | Add your feedback

Barker would be bloodier

So I read this because, well, Mr Gaiman recently came onto my radar with his writing of an episode of a certain TV show I've followed since forever. I liked his episode. I'd just never followed him and his writing. So I heard that this is his classic and figured a good place to see what I was mi ... (continue)

So I read this because, well, Mr Gaiman recently came onto my radar with his writing of an episode of a certain TV show I've followed since forever. I liked his episode. I'd just never followed him and his writing. So I heard that this is his classic and figured a good place to see what I was missing. I wont spoil the plot, you'll get it from the book summary itself. The book is long, very detailed, heads off into a number of dream/altered state sequences. And while reading I kept wondering 'how would Clive Barker write this?'. Because you see the story isnt that dissimilar to a Barker style story - mankind, higher being walking amongst, battle for humanity etc etc. I think Barker would have amped up the viscera, the sex (neither of which are missing), but would have gotten the story done in 200 fewer pages, with more ooomph, more dead, more disbelief and more spectacle. Yeah all the way down to the resolution of all of the character to character feuds. The dream/altered state sequences were very Harlan Ellison & it was not surprising to see the call out in the acknowledgments. I'm tempted to go read Anansi Boys which has some level of sequel apparently to American Gods. But if its as flowery I may just skip

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John Trigg said on Nov 6, 2011 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback