Book Reviews and Thoughts :: The world of Books and Literature

Neil Gaiman’s imagination rocks! And, this in itself is a fabulous reason to pick up American Gods.

Gaiman tells the story of Gods, who have traveled from different distant lands to America, with their believers who moved to this land in search of their dreams. This is also a story of Shadow, just another ordinary guy deeply in love with his wife. Only, his life is anything but ordinary. Shadow is let out of the prison a few days before the planned date to make it on time for his wife’s funeral. Shocks galore when he is faced with the reality of the outside world; while trying to escape one such reality, he bumps into God. Life is a thrilling whirlwind from there. Shadow hops from one place to the other, meeting intriguing characters, dodging goons, robbers, and Gods, and making the readers flip the pages in frenzy.

Presence of umpteen complex characters does not harm the razor-sharp plot of the book. The segregation of old and new Gods is a treat to read. The wit is interwoven in the storyline making every sentence a joy to read.

However, in the middle of the book, you reach a point where nothing much happens and you want to rush to the end. There is a separate storyline about Gods moving to America, which runs in parallel. At places, it bored me. I like flow and proper transition. But its absence is also a style in its own right.

All in all, a fascinating, unputdownable read. Take my word, you have never read anything like American Gods before. Go for it.