American Gods

A wonderful book – some cross between a road trip buddy movie and a psychedelic drug experience.

I’ll try not to spoil anything, but the basic premise is that when immigrants came to America, they brought their gods and superstitions with them. Norse gods, and Pagan gods, and elves and leprechauns and such. And then they abandoned them. Technology and media and Wall Street became their new gods.

As people stopped believing in them, the old gods lost their power. They became mortal, started inhabiting human bodies, working as cab drivers and funeral directors. Well, there’s a war brewing between the old gods and the new gods, and this is that story.

This is my first Gaiman book. I love how he writes. He’s clear, straightforward, with minimum of unnecessary style to get in the way of the story. Yet he still does a fantastic job of time, place, and character. Still, some things don’t make sense, but given the subject, I guess that’s expected.

The story rambles for a long time, and the ending of the story proper is a little unsatisfying…but then everything comes to together in the epilogue. All the threads wrap up nicely, and my mind got a little blown.

Good book, but one that I think I need to ruminate on for a few days to really little it sink in.