I am writing this review ten months after I started this book, and eight months after finishing it, because in addition to me taking two-thirds of a year to get around to penciling in some thoughts I also took straight up sixty days to read it.

Well, not read it. Listen to it.

This is the first audiobook I have ever listened to, and it is twenty hours long. This event caused me to give myself the well-earned and extremely catchy nickname “the real American God of this whole situation - get it because that’s the title of the book? Funny, right? Yeah.”

I have read five Neil Gaiman books, and I have given three of them five stars. THREE OF THEM. THREE OUT OF FIVE. SIXTY PERCENT. What a track record!

I have three starred the other two. One of them was Fortunately, the Milk, which, like, who cares at all, and the other was this book.

This didn’t feel Gaiman-y to me. The books of his I’ve five starred have been a touch creepy, magic-feeling, atmospheric. The language has been amazing and the depictions of the world (and of childhood) are unparalleled and I’ve come away from each one with a changed view of the world that sticks with me fully for days, and remains in bits and pieces for the foreseeable future. They’re quotable and memorable and gorgeous and visceral and I can imagine rereading them immediately after finishing them.

This book was NONE OF THOSE THINGS.

It was okay. That’s it.

Unfortunately my thoughts on this are inextricable from my listening experience, and double unfortunately that will never be corrected because I’m not going to reread this. (Or, really, read it for the first time. Because of the whole listening thing. Ugh you get what I mean.)

I was more excited about the concept of this book than I’ve been for any Gaiman stuff, and loooooook where it got me. This sounds so flippin’ cool and instead it’s boring and confusing. The characters are as interesting as the underside of most shoes (this in spite of the fact that most of them are ANCIENT GODS, so that’s quite a feat). The plotline is not gripping.

A book whose main conceit is that every god that has ever been worshipped exists should be fascinating. A book in which that is true and also the gods are going to war should be fascinating AND fun. A book in which the aforementioned is true and also it is written by Neil Gaiman should be fascinating and fun AND full-on amazing.

American Gods is none of those things and it will be the great quest of my remaining days on this earth to figure out why the hell not.

Neil, if you’re reading this, shoot me an email.

Bottom line: I’M SORRY I DIDN’T LIKE THIS I’M CONFUSED AND UPSET EVEN EIGHT MONTHS AFTER THE FACT SO CUT ME SOME SLACK OK. Emotional turmoil central over here.


--------------------
currently-reading updates

yes, this is the 7th book i'm currently reading. what of it? please send help.

the first book in my audiobook extravaganza! thanks to Caidyn and James for recommending.

I have a lot to say about this book because it is one of my ALL TIME favourites so bear with me please! It's been around two years since I last read this book, I remembered adoring it it but I definitely didn't remember it being so bloody mind-blowingly awesome! I love love loved the whole concept of the story and the idea of old versus new. And if you think about it, it really does apply to today's society. The things that we worship and cherish as a culture have so drastically changed from just 15 years ago to now that as crazy as it may sound, I can actually see this story being plausible.

A huge part of my enjoyment of this novel is most definitely the wild and crazy cast of characters. There are so many epic characters all throughout the book but my favourite remains Shadow. I love how there's two sides to him, he's incredibly flawed but he's also incredibly dedicated and loyal. I do wish that some characters had been developed a tad more, but their lack of development didn't negatively affect my enjoyment of the story so I can't really complain!

My favourite part of this book would definitely have to be the snippets telling us how the old gods came to America. Despite being a little heartbreaking, they were so detailed and absolutely fascinating to read! I thought they added a really interesting aspect to the story.

Every time I read this book I feel like I’m experiencing the crazy ups and downs of this book like it was the first time. And does it ever get crazy toward the end! I'm still in total shock from that insane twist that was revealed during the final battle three reads later. And I still think the ending is ABSOLUTE perfection!

Anybody who tells you that the book is about old and new gods, or about a man named Shadow, or about coin tricks, or about having one's head smashed in for losing a game of checkers, is selling you a line, because those are just details, not the story itself.

Much like any Neil Gaiman story, the devil is in the details, and you just have to resolve yourself to coming along for the ride, or you'll miss it. It's not one story, or two, it's many, and it's all complete...and you have just to read it, and enjoy it, and accept it. Or don't bother.

I might as well sell you a violin as sell this book to you, or pluck a synopsis of it from behind your ear and then deposit it in my hand, only to have it turn into a critical review while your attention is elsewhere. But I won't; you'll just have to find the magic yourself.