American Gods - Softcover

Gaiman, Neil

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0380789035 ISBN 13: 9780380789030

Publisher: Harper Torch, 2005

Synopsis

Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible accident.Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible.He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming. And from that moment on, nothing will ever he the same...

About this title

Review:

Within just a few pages of Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods, he commandingly reveals that he is at his considerable best with this disturbing and dark journey into the hidden soul of America. Gaiman, one of the most talented and imaginative writers at work today, achieved nigh-legendary status with his comic Sandman, which took the genre to heights that even the equally talented Alan Moore had not attained; Gaiman's subsequent career as a novelist has displayed the same glittering inventiveness and exquisite use of language.

Gaiman's protagonist Shadow has patiently done his time in prison. But as the moment of his release approaches, he begins to sense that some unnamed disaster is lying in wait for him. As he makes his way home, he encounters the mysterious Mr Wednesday, who appears to be both a refugee from a distant country at war and the King of America. And perhaps even a god. As Shadow and Mr Wednesday begin a bizarre odyssey across the United States, solving murders is only one of their accomplishments. With an epic storm of supernatural origin brewing, one questions whether they will be destroyed before Shadow pays the price for grim mistakes in his past.

The use of language here is impeccable, and it is wedded to a surreal narrative that brings out the most quirky and unsettling aspects of Gaiman's imagination. Forget Gaiman the Guru: just enjoy Gaiman the consummate writer:

He opened his mouth to catch the rain as it fell, moistening his cracked lips and his dry tongue, wetting the ropes that bound him to the trunk of the tree. There was a flash of lightning so bright it fell like a blow to his eyes, transforming the world into an intense panorama of image and after-image. The wind tugged at Shadow, trying to pull him from the tree, flaying him, cutting to the bone. Shadow knew in his soul that the real storm had truly begun...

--Barry Forshaw

Review:

"A fascinating tale . . . by turns thoughtful, hilarious, disturbing, uplifting, horrifying and enjoyable -- and sometimes all at once, in a curious sort of way. Those who are familiar with Gaiman's earlier work will find a satisfying yarn by a familiar master storyteller. Those who are meeting him for the first time may be surprised at just how good he is." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch

American Gods is sexy, thrilling, dark, funny and poetic."--Teller, of Penn & Teller

"American Gods is like a fast run downhill through a maze -- both exhilarating and twisted."--Jane Lindskold, author of Changer and

"Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive; a picaresque journey across America where the travelers are even stranger than the roadside attractions."--George R. R. Martin

"Gaiman understands the shape of stories."--Patrick Rothfuss, www.tor.com

Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive; a picaresque journey across America where the travelers are even stranger than the roadside attractions. --George R. R. Martin"

Gaiman understands the shape of stories. --Patrick Rothfuss, www.tor.com"

Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive. --George R. R. Martin"

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Torch
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0380789035
• ISBN 13: 9780380789030
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 592