American Gods

[Anthony Fattore]

Imagination can be a very powerful tool, as Gaiman illustrates in his novel, American God’s, where all the myth and lore we grew up with as children are true manifestations of the collective human psyche. As times change, so do the Gods that humans create. In this wonderfully creative novel, Gaiman draws forth the vivid imagery found in his graphic novel series, Sandman. The main character Shadow, after being recently released from prison finds himself under the employ of a mysterious man named Mr. Wednesday, later revealed to be Odin, travels across America in order to unite the old gods of ancient mythologies against the new American Gods manifestations of modern life and technology. Gaiman’s American interpretations of Egyptian, Norse, and Anansi gods creates a clever atmosphere where the reader is immersed in a completely new world. Shadow is introduced to both a magical world and also the darker side of the world he already knew. Gaiman’s novel focuses on reflecting America's obsessions with media, celebrity, technology, and drugs, and many more, and hits deep at the notion that America is slowly being separated from its roots by modern conveniences and the inability to be satisfied with what you have. However, shadow uncovers the terrible secret of his origins, and fears he has been fooled by the king of cons himself, Loki. When all is said and done, Shadow learns that there are many versions of the old Gods and stories than he thought. Each incarnation is simply a different perspective that people have had of the same figure. Gaiman’s novel plays on perspective and expectation in order to achieve a genuine reaction of self-realization from the reader. Overall the piece all the classic elements of Neil Gaiman’s popular works, as it creates a new, more interesting, perspective on something that everyone that could not be made original again, Neil Gaiman has certainly succeeded where so many others have failed.

[Skillian]

How interesting! Thanks for posting about it. *adds to reading list*

[Anthony Fattore]

Yea, definitely! and if you like graphics novels and the 80's, I would also suggest his Sandman series as well.

[gali]

Duplication - there is already a topic open for this book.