American Gods by Neil Gaiman
American Gods, a novel by Neil Gaiman
American Gods begins with a man, known only as Shadow, in the process of being released from prison. He’s a few days away from the finality of it, and he’s confirmed it with his wife, Laura, over the phone. Shadow’s life has nearly been repaired. He will resume life as it was, or so it is assumed. On the day of his release he is informed that Laura and will not be coming to pick him up. Her death was quick; a traffic accident. In the car with her was the man she was sleeping with, who was also the man that held the job and home for Shadow upon his release, and whom was also Shadow’s best friend.
It happened so quickly that Shadow had not yet had the opportunity to feel normal again, and as it turns out, that time may never come. He soon meets an older man who introduces himself thus; “Well, seeing that today certainly is my day — why don’t you call me Wednesday?” Given the title of the book, and with some specific knowledge, it’s only a little less than difficult to grasp who he is immediately, if not harder to believe. Wednesday proposes Shadow work for him, to which he finally agrees, after some hard to swallow tests. Among those, fighting a drunken Irishman calling himself a leprechaun and toasting on a drink that could be considered a relic in this day of age.
Shadow’s New Job
Shadow’s new job leads him in circles around the United States, and plowing his way through every situation that could possibly go wrong. As it happens, Wednesday is a con artist (emphasis on the artist part) and needs Shadow to be his bodyguard and partner, although that sounds simpler than it turns out to be. Wednesday is finding it hard to keep up with the new generation, but I’ll leave it to you to find out who they are specifically.
The minute you pick up the book there’s absolutely no way to put it down, even after multiple times read. The characters and plot get only more interesting, especially with the additional side stories included between some chapters, and the stirring plot twists and reveals. It’s entertaining to figure out just who each character really is, and there are a lot, all relevant and fleshed out. The inclusion of many real cities may strike familiar with readers, and it’s certainly welcome, and interesting to learn the mysterious past that surrounds them.
Combining mythology with reality as it is today, American Gods has all the things necessary to become a modern classic, along with the author, Neil Gaiman (Stardust, Anansi Boys) himself. I can’t recommend this book enough. It has changed the way I think about writing and storytelling in general. A somewhat noir, somewhat fantasy story that can’t receive enough praise. Gritty, powerful, intelligent, and magical in ways you wouldn’t expect, American Gods has found a permanent space on my shelf.