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Guests | October 15, 2009

Michelle Wildgen: IMG A Few Initial and Not-Comprehensive Meditations on Group Novels



I am a sucker for a book about a group. What reminded me of this was Joanna Smith Rakoff's A Fortunate Age, her homage to Mary McCarthy's endlessly re-readable... Continue »

American Gods

by Neil Gaiman

American Gods Cover

Awards

Winner of the 2002 Hugo Award

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

A master of inventive fiction, Neil Gaiman delves into the murky depths where reality and imagination meet. Now in American Gods, he works his literary magic to extraordinary results.

Shadow dreamed of nothing but leaving prison and starting a new life. But the day before his release, his wife and best friend are killed in an accident. On the plane home to the funeral, he meets Mr. Wednesday — a beguiling stranger who seems to know everything about him. A trickster and rogue, Mr. Wednesday offers Shadow a job as his bodyguard. With nowhere left to go, Shadow accepts, and soon learns that his role in Mr. Wednesday's schemes will be far more dangerous and dark than he could have ever imagined. For beneath the placid surface of everyday life a war is being fought — and the prize is the very soul of America.

Review:

"The book has wit but is too busy and not very engaging and includes some graphic language, sex, and disturbing events." Library Journal

Review:

"A magical modern Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — this book will astonish you on ever page." Tim Powers, author of Declare

Synopsis:

Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible accident.

Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible.

He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming. And from that moment on, nothing will ever he the same...

About the Author

Neil Gaiman is the author of the New York Times bestselling children's book Coraline and of the picture books The Wolves in the Walls and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, illustrated by Dave McKean. He wrote the script for the film MirrorMask and is also the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning novels and short stories for adults, as well as the Sandman series of graphic novels. Among his many awards are the World Fantasy Award, the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Bram Stoker Award. Originally from England, Gaiman now lives in the United States.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 4 comments:
CjmsCapitalPM, June 11, 2007 (view all comments by CjmsCapitalPM)
The beginning may remind you of Stephen Kings' The Stand, but this is not a good vs evil.....it is ancient gods against gods created buy progress in a technological wold...or is it? From the first page you will be taken on a wild ride, one you may be reluctant to get off. I can't wait to read more of Neil Gaiman's books.
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cynthiacody22, April 24, 2007 (view all comments by cynthiacody22)
Yes, up all night...drawn tightly into this world of story with its links into other worlds, and flung into the past and future of the Gods....I almost felt like at times they should make reference to me.....moon goddess that I am...or I should turn and someone would be in the room...it was intense...I think I was tired at the end....Shadow becomes substance ...for real!!!! Neil Gaiman is a Word God.......and probley a time traveler as well!
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(18 of 34 readers found this comment helpful)
slavetowhim, August 24, 2006 (view all comments by slavetowhim)
Fascinating. Possibly Neil Gaiman's best novel (not including his Sandman series). The basis of this story is not that gods existed and created the earth and life, but that human faiths created gods--but once created, what happens when their worshippers stop worshipping?

Much based on Germanic mythology or Norse mythology, American Gods tells the story of forgotten gods, who have not mellowed with time...
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780380789030
Author:
Gaiman, Neil
Publisher:
HarperTorch
Author:
by Neil Gaiman
Location:
New York, N.Y.
Subject:
Spiritual Warfare
Subject:
Fantasy - General
Subject:
Fantasy fiction
Subject:
Fantasy - Contemporary
Subject:
National characteristics, american
Subject:
Bodyguards
Subject:
Ex-convicts
Subject:
Widowers
Subject:
General Fiction
Copyright:
Edition Number:
1st paperback ed.
Series Volume:
no. 431-S
Publication Date:
May 2002
Binding:
Mass Market Paperbound
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
624
Dimensions:
6.92x4.12x1.33 in. .65 lbs.

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