American Gods Book Review. Summary

Summary

American Gods by Neil Gaiman follows a man named Shadow as he enters the strange world of the gods. Shadow has just been released from prison and has learned that his wife recently died in a car crash, and that she had been cheating on him. With no one and nothing left to go back to, Shadow accepts a job from the mysterious Mr. Wednesday to travel with him, run his errands, be his bodyguard, and pretty much anything else he needs.

Shadow learns that Mr. Wednesday is really the Norse god Odin, reduced to a petty grifter. All the old gods (like Czernobog, Anansi, Easter, and Thoth) had migrated to America when the various cultures brought their beliefs over, but they are growing weaker since people are forgetting about them and ceasing to give them worship. The old gods are being replaced by new ones, like Technical Boy (the god of computers and the internet), Media (the goddess of television) and the Spookshow (the gods of conspiracies).

Odin is gathering his allies for a final battle between the old gods and new, and Shadow is along for the ride. All the gods seem interested in him, and he’s not sure what part he’s meant to play in the coming war, but he’s got nothing to lose.

My Thoughts

I loved the concept behind American Gods. The idea of the things Americans worship (sports, money, fame, etc.) personified like the Greek gods is brilliant. However, I felt the story didn’t quite do it justice.