mass market paperback, 784 pages
English language
Published Aug. 16, 2016 by William Morrow.
First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic, lauded for its brilliant synthesis of “mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose” (Washington Post) and as a modern phantasmagoria that “distills the essence of America” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is the story of Shadow—released from prison just days after his wife and best friend are killed in an accident—who gets recruited to be bodyguard, driver, and errand boy for the enigmatic trickster, Mr. Wednesday. So begins Shadow’s dark and strange road trip, one that introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. For, beneath the placid surface of everyday life, a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and Shadow is standing squarely in its path. --back cover
I read the 10th anniversary edition, which is longer than the original. It seemed a little slow at times and I think the original edition might be better.
I read this both in print and as audiobook. The audiobook version is narrated by Neil Gaiman himself, so it is, of course, amazing.
While I usually read for character development, that isn't a big part of this book--the characters are fun, but you don't come out of it feeling like you know them that well, or, at least, I didn't. Instead, this book is about story and about exploring "what ifs."
It's one of Gaiman's best, which means something.
