Product Description

After three years in prison, Shadow has done his time. But as the time until his release ticks away, he can feel a storm brewing. Two days before he gets out, his wife Laura dies in a mysterious car crash, in adulterous circumstances. Dazed, Shadow travels home, only to encounter the bizarre Mr Wednesday claiming to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. Together they embark on a very strange journey across the States, along the way solving the murders which have occurred every winter in one small American town. But the storm is about to break... Disturbing, gripping and profoundly strange, Gaiman's epic new novel sees him on the road to the heart of America.

Includes extra material exclusive to Headline Review's edition

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #177715 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 672 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Within just a few pages of Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods, he commandingly reveals that he is at his considerable best with this disturbing and dark journey into the hidden soul of America. Gaiman, one of the most talented and imaginative writers at work today, achieved nigh-legendary status with his comic Sandman, which took the genre to heights that even the equally talented Alan Moore had not attained; Gaiman's subsequent career as a novelist has displayed the same glittering inventiveness and exquisite use of language.

Gaiman's protagonist Shadow has patiently done his time in prison. But as the moment of his release approaches, he begins to sense that some unnamed disaster is lying in wait for him. As he makes his way home, he encounters the mysterious Mr Wednesday, who appears to be both a refugee from a distant country at war and the King of America. And perhaps even a god. As Shadow and Mr Wednesday begin a bizarre odyssey across the United States, solving murders is only one of their accomplishments. With an epic storm of supernatural origin brewing, one questions whether they will be destroyed before Shadow pays the price for grim mistakes in his past.

The use of language here is impeccable, and it is wedded to a surreal narrative that brings out the most quirky and unsettling aspects of Gaiman's imagination. Forget Gaiman the Guru: just enjoy Gaiman the consummate writer:

He opened his mouth to catch the rain as it fell, moistening his cracked lips and his dry tongue, wetting the ropes that bound him to the trunk of the tree. There was a flash of lightning so bright it fell like a blow to his eyes, transforming the world into an intense panorama of image and after-image. The wind tugged at Shadow, trying to pull him from the tree, flaying him, cutting to the bone. Shadow knew in his soul that the real storm had truly begun...

Synopsis
After three years in prison, Shadow has done his time. But as the time until his release ticks away, he can feel a storm brewing. Two days before he gets out, his wife Laura dies in a mysterious car crash, in adulterous circumstances. Dazed, Shadow travels home, only to encounter the bizarre Mr Wednesday claiming to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. Together, they embark on a very strange journey across the States, along the way solving the murders which have occurred every winter in one small American town. But the storm is about to break...Disturbing, gripping and profoundly strange, Gaiman's epic new novel sees him on the road to the heart of America. It includes extra material exclusive to "Headline Review's" edition.

About the Author
Neil Gaiman was born in England but now lives in Minnesota, in a big house of uncertain location where he accumulates computers and cats. He is the author of the internationally bestselling Sandman graphic novels.

Customer Reviews

A wonderful blend of myth and magic, highly recommended
Shadow is about to be released after serving 3 of his 6 year sentence in prison to begin rebuilding his life with his wife Laura. He has a job waiting for him working in a gym and things are looking up. A couple of days before he is due to be released however, he learns that his wife was killed in a car accident and he is released early to go home for the funeral. On the flight he meets enigmatic Wednesday who claims to be a god. He offers Shadow a job working for him doing errands, which he eventually takes after his other options are eliminated. They seal their deal with mead and set off on a journey across America.

Wednesday feels a storm coming that will be a battle between the old gods brought over by settlers to America (Bast, Horus, Ganesh, Anasi, Easter, Thoth, Anubis etc) and the new (railroads, cars, internet, television etc). Shadow seems somehow caught up in the middle of things with the added problem of the dead not staying dead. The novel is filled with myth and magic from the anicent world and how it might interact in a more modern setting.

I loved this novel from the beginning. I have a passion for mythology and my favourite genre is fantasy so it was right up my street. I knew a lot of the gods and was able to recognise Wednesday for his true name which helped a little. I liked that it explored their darker sides and wasn't light and fluffy. It was a little strange reading a book by an english author that was so american even though I knew this was Gaiman's aim. It expanded nicely on the ideas from "Small Gods" by Terry Pratchett so if you liked that you will definitely like this too. Truely unputdownable!

"excellent"
Probably one of the finest books I have ever read.
This book is an absolute must for anyone with an interest in religion, mythology, america, history or pretty much any other subject.

A real gritty story about an ex-con whose wife has just died. Shadow finds himself in the employ of the enigmatic Mr. Wednesday and his life starts to unfold in all manner of strange and outlandish ways.

By far Gaimans best work, and I include the awesome Sandman series in the comment, this book is unmissable.

A bad land for gods
A wonderful modern fantasy, Neil Gaiman turns the genre on its head with this book. No false heroics or quests for rings or captive maidens. This story is about today's values and how they impact tradition. Gaiman adds a further novel touch by locating this tale in America's Midwest, the final stop for countless immigrants. Small towns, flat country, constrained people, far from the rush and bustle of cities. A perfect site for a cosmic battle.

Gaiman has written before of the last battle - Armageddon. Good Omens, written with Terry Pratchett, pictured an angel [good] and a demon [evil] reassessing their roles before the final confrontation. American Gods is likewise a departure from the traditional, with ancient gods rising to confront the new American god - Technology. Odin, whose believers brought him across the Atlantic, conscripts Shadow, an ex-con, into acting as a cup-bearer. Having lost his wife and the possibility of employment in a stroke, Shadow takes on the role. He's not a believer, for him it's bed and board. He grows attached to the idea that there may be something in helping the old duffer - a near-faith hardened by encounters with acolytes of the modern creed. Odin, known to Shadow as Wednesday, is hardly the epitome of "good." Technology's adherents, while not evil, are cold, harsh and power driven. As it turns out, they are typically American - practical.

Shadow's role grows from mere go-fer for Wednesday to something more significant. After all, why does Shadow's wife Laura return from the grave [and are there ever some grim scenes in that regard!]? Why sequester a go-fer to a "perfect town" in northern Wisconsin for his protection? Why do the Technology deities, especially the Media Goddess, work so hard to woo him to their cause? Shadow dreams with such intensity it would put a normal person in a room with soft walls. What keeps him sane? What keeps him going against what appear to be insurmountable odds? The answers aren't readily anticipated with Gaiman's skillful plot darting and weaving as it builds. It's not obscure, but neither is it predictable. Gaiman's prose holds the reader's attention throughout. With many threads of story line kept under tight discipline, Gaiman weaves a tapestry incorporating the real and the fantastic, the mundane and the bizarre. The emerging picture makes compelling reading.

Gaiman's research for this book stands out everywhere. The gods standing with Odin are nearly all Norse deities, but there's a sprinkling of others. The Greek and Roman pantheons are ignored, perhaps because their adherents were suborned by the Eastern Mediterranean Mob, J.C. and The Boys. Norse mythology has a comforting appeal, and "good" and "evil," "sin" and "grace" had no place. Besides, in the confrontation with technology, there seems little room for compromise, and a warrior deity to lead the host seems fitting. Shadow, who has no religion, is gently educated in these northern gods as he encounters them. They are his collective mentors, helping and encouraging him. The reason for this attention is finally revealed at the end. It's worth going there to find out. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]