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Neil Gaiman - American Gods (Author's Preferred Text)


Kell

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  • 6 months later...

Hope you enjoy it, Mau - I rather liked it. I've been thinking of getting Anasi Boys which is kind of a sequel to it, but a story in it's own right too.

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I liked this book. Chose it on a whim - and because I remembered that Kell liked it, and it was a good choice. I read the first chapter, and all was well and good. Then I was thinking that it would drag on and on, and would hate it - esp when I hit the first spot of fantasy. But I was wrong, even though that is a genre I hate, as it has so many genres simmering slowly together, that the flavour of one of them is short-lived, and seasoned with another one. Some of the characters I loved, others put me off - the author gives them life and a lot of character - and they seem like real people.

If you are stuck in a rut - and find yourself reading the same kind of book over and over again, I would suggest you give this a try. (All 600+ pages of it! :))

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I read American Gods, Neverwhere and Stardust this summer and liked all three. I liked Neverwhere best, my husband liked American Gods the most.

 

I really liked the idea behind American Gods, the story of how they came over and their current roles/lives was my favorite part. I would of liked a bit more detail for Shadow I think but I can see how the lack of detail suited his character.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

I read this book a year ago and am now encouraged to try some more. Having read American God's, I thought one was enough by this author.

 

It was clever on many levels and had some nice surprises but sometimes it just seemed to be yearning for something to ... happen. It was a good read but there were little emotional pay-off for me and so, little satisfaction by the craft of writing.

 

I've wondered about the readers in this forum who don't care for the fantasy genre; did those same not care for movies like Big, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Freaky Friday, Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Chicago, The Wizard of Oz, ET or Raiders of the Lost Ark?

 

Steps up on the Soapbox:

Fantasy is not just dragons and magic swords, though they are popular. Fantasy taps into the collective unconscious, the archetypes, the gestalt and the mythology of the human race. Fantasy (and science fiction) has built our vision for the future; our ever-shrinking cellphones are the devices imagined in Star Trek. Authors have imagined worlds just one step abstracted from the one we live in and our technology is following suit.

 

It has elements of mystery, romance, horror, old west, gothic-history and even biography in alternate universes. It has shaped our story-telling, expanded the craft beyond the trilogy and given us worlds to which we can escape.

 

Elements of fantasy are commonplace in novels (Time Travelers Wife), in horror (Steven King's Dark Tower) series, mystery (Sherlock Holmes) and even romance (Nora Roberts - Dance of the Gods). All forms on some level have been tainted by the fantasy genre; while I can understand rejecting it, I'd plead for a least a small chance when the genre truly shines.

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  • 1 year later...

This book was chosen for the reading circle a couple of years back. The discussion can be found here. There's also this additional thread that may be of interest.

 

We also have threads on a couple of other Neil Gaiman books: Neverwhere (from February's reading circle) and Anansi Boys. These might give you more of an idea of what his books are like.

 

I hope these threads help! I read my first Neil Gaiman recently (Neverwhere) and I'm planning on reading more of his work. In fact, I'm thinking of picking up American Gods myself.

 

And...you're in luck because I've just remembered that HarperCollins were going to make the full text of American Gods available online. You needn't pay any money at all! It's available on the HarperCollins website for the duration of March.

 

Welcome to the forum, by the way! :blush:

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Thanks very much kylie!!

:blush:

Yes it helps alot, i may have to give it a go,as it sounds intresting if nothing else. Hmm im not sure i should read the online text or buy it..i think i may buy it, as i do prefer reading the books,i also love the smell of new book's! hehehe but thanks very much again for the links and the information. :cry2:

xx

Edited by Echo
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Hey Moonlight,

 

I've read it: it's really good. It was a fantasy, but with a gritty, real edge to it.

 

Weaveworld (I think that's by Clive Barker) is similar in the sense that's it's not an airy-fairy fantasy like some of them are, but it's much more magical than American Gods, so if you do read American Gods and enjoy it, then you might want to try that one too.

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  • 2 years later...

I am approaching halfway through American Gods at the moment. I've been hit and miss with Gaiman so far, Stardust was very charming and wonderful to read. The Graveyard Book I found a little lacking, but I appreciate now by reading some of his interviews and reasons behind it, the point of the story.

 

I am quite enjoying it so far, there have been a couple of things that have grated on me however. The use of profanity relating to sex and crude language has been plentiful, in the dialogue it doesn't really bother me much, though when it's repeated in the actual prose for no apparent reason, not in character form or stream of consciousness narration, that stands out like a sore thumb, so that stopped me a couple times. The sex so far has been a little overdone, I know aspects of it fit with the plot but I still find it a little silly and jarring with the main plot, but that's just me.

 

Anyhow, it is enjoyable enough to read and I am looking forward to exploring some of his ideas upon America. The story is fun and winding with a couple interesting characters, I seem a little detached from Shadow, but perhaps that is the point. There is nothing overly wrong with the book up to here, just a few bits and pieces that I can't put into the flow. We'll see how things continue :irked: There's my random five minute observation thus far :smile2:

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Oooh, you found the thread - yay you!

 

Well I'm up to page 33, so not a great deal to note yet.

 

As you know from WC Rawr, I already agree with you as far as the graphic and profane content.

 

If it wasn't for the blurb on the back of the book, well, lets say that at the moment I'm up the creek without a paddle. Minus the blurb I would be short of the boat as well. I'm extremely lost, with no idea where it's going or if it even can go anywhere.

 

My initial impressions of Shadow are that I quite like him. I'm not sure that he makes a suitable protagonist though, because despite my general liking of him, I can't relate or empathise.

 

I'm hoping that some point fairly soon something will start to make sense or seem to have some relevance. Usually at this point I would have given up, but as it's Gaiman, I'm going to give him a fair trial with this one and try to get to the end.

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I think things lessen up a little on those tedious fronts and the plot opens up a little more over the next twenty or so pages, you can get into things more I feel :smile2:

 

Yes, I still haven't figured Shadow out, now I do not know whether this is the point or whether he just does not flourish too well as a character.

 

I am interested to see how things progress for you :irked:

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Will keep posting to keep you posted...erm....:smile2:

 

Same goes though. Please let me know if it picks up.

 

I hate thinking a novel has potential and getting to the end wondering what I missed. I'd rather know ahead of time so that I don't persevere with the same high expectations I had at the title page. At least it isn't so bad if I already know it's going to be pants...:irked:

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Well with that coming from another Tolkien Maniac, I hardly have a choice Echo. Persevere I will then, until the very end :irked:

 

Edit to say that I'm going to take it to bed with me now, so I should hopefully have some thoughts tomorrow. On your head be it Echo :smile2:

Edited by Vanwa
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