Author: Neil Gaiman
Read if:1) You always enjoy the scandalous drama between pantheons of gods.
2) You want some feels.
3) You like mead.
Read if:1) You always enjoy the scandalous drama between pantheons of gods.
2) You want some feels.
3) You like mead.
The Deep End
I have read this book multiple times and every time I find myself newly astounded by the creative genius and profound messages hidden within the pages. Every time I find myself saying, "Oh, this is one of my favorite books," I also find it being one of his books. It's only reasonable given he's currently my favorite author at the moment. I love all of his works and as I've mentioned before, "Good Omens" is one of the most entertaining pieces of fiction I have ever read. "American Gods" however is not only entertaining, but it gets deep. Real deep. (Said the actress.)
The Shadow
In a book structured around metaphors and mythical beings, the main character is named Shadow. A built quiet loner who was recently released from prison to find his wife not only to have been unfaithful to him, but also dead. On a plane ride he meets a man who calls himself Wednesday. He offers Shadow a job as his body guard but is rejected. After realizing the life he knew before prison was gone and encountering a few odd characters about which he is seeking answers, he meets up with Wednesday and accepts the job. The two seal the relationship with a few glasses of mead, the drink of the gods, and call it a day.
Shadow soon finds himself meeting a wide array of outlandish characters who are clearly not as human as they appear to be. They are gods from all over the world who were brought over at various points in time within the minds of immigrants to the New World. They have taken new shapes and adapted to their new environments, just trying to survive. They are all in different states of well-being depending on their importance in the modern world.
It quickly becomes clear that a chasm is forming between the old gods and the new. War is imminent if the old gods can even be bothered to fight. Many simply want to go out quietly. Thanks to Wednesday, Shadow is dragged into the middle of all of this, used as a pawn by each side, and left alone to uncover the solution to some immortal tantrums.
Shadow soon finds himself meeting a wide array of outlandish characters who are clearly not as human as they appear to be. They are gods from all over the world who were brought over at various points in time within the minds of immigrants to the New World. They have taken new shapes and adapted to their new environments, just trying to survive. They are all in different states of well-being depending on their importance in the modern world.
It quickly becomes clear that a chasm is forming between the old gods and the new. War is imminent if the old gods can even be bothered to fight. Many simply want to go out quietly. Thanks to Wednesday, Shadow is dragged into the middle of all of this, used as a pawn by each side, and left alone to uncover the solution to some immortal tantrums.
In Short...
This is the story of a journey. The journey of a shadow to find its source; traveling through a world where everything is to be questioned, everything can be true and untrue, and everyone in it was created by and exists on belief.
No comments:
Post a Comment