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American Gods by Neil Gaiman, by the author’s own description, is a work that has inspired strong emotions and little in between �� readers have either liked it a lot, or loathed it entirely.

Reading some of the reviews bears witness to this dichotomy.

I liked it, liked it a lot, but I can also understand why someone may dislike the work. Gaiman, in his storyteller way, has stepped over boundaries and stepped on toes. And not just religious or theological ideas, but nationalistic ideals as well. Gaiman has painted a portrait of America that is not photographic, but impressionist enough to grasp a resemblance of us as maybe we are, and maybe he gets closer to the truth of the matter than some are comfortable with. And I’m not talking about myths, but rather, as he puts it, the myths we have lived with, tangled into the skein of our culture and even formed ourselves.

Like many great works, and I do count this work among that group, the story works on multiple levels. It is on its surface a fantasy, rich in detail and fun to read, but also on the level of metaphor with complicated ideas and symbols thrown in, a novel that leaves the reader satisfied but still with a lot to consider once the book is put down.

Like almost all great works, putting the book down is not an easy thing, and difficult to admit that the story is over.

2017 re-read

“What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it’s got a bookstore, it knows it’s not foolin�� a soul.��

“Hey," said Shadow. "Huginn or Muninn, or whoever you are."
The bird turned, head tipped, suspiciously, on one side, and it stared at him with bright eyes.
"Say 'Nevermore,'" said Shadow.
"Fuck you," said the raven.��

“Every hour wounds. The last one kills.��

“I believe that life is a game, that life is a cruel joke, and that life is what happens when you're alive and that you might as well lie back and enjoy it.��

“The house smelled musty and damp, and a little sweet, as if it were haunted by the ghosts of long-dead cookies.��

“Religions are, by definition, metaphors, after all: God is a dream, a hope, a woman, an ironist, a father, a city, a house of many rooms, a watchmaker who left his prize chronometer in the desert, someone who loves you—even, perhaps, against all evidence, a celestial being whose only interest is to make sure your football team, army, business, or marriage thrives, prospers, and triumphs over all opposition. Religions are places to stand and look and act, vantage points from which to view the world. So none of this is happening. Such things could not occur. Never a word of it is literally true.��

** 2019 reread �� So I had to reread this because I watched the Starz series.

Liked it. Liked the direction, liked the casting. Good adaptation.

The pace of the series is too slow, though, and moving in odd directions, I’m ready to get to Chattanooga!

Anytime I get to read about or see something in my state I get as excited as a dog riding in a car and looking out the open window.

“Hey! I know that place, I’ve been there! Hey everybody, you can see my house from there!�� and so on. I turn into a six-year-old when I eat too �� “Why yes! I did have spaghetti with red sauce for lunch, how on Earth did you guess??��

One other thing all my GR friends should know about us Tennesseans. Doesn’t matter if we’re a hillbilly from East Tennessee or a Blues Traveler from Memphis, we all agree on one thing: anybody disrespects Dolly Parton, and you’re looking for a fight.

OK.

So.

On to the 2019 reread of Gaiman’s masterpiece.

I love this book, enjoy the story immensely. What Gaiman has done is to create an urban fantasy that blends elements of myth and legend into a realizable whole, deftly combining theology with mystery.

This time around I paid closer attention to the characters, not just Shadow and Wednesday, but also Laura, and Anansi, and Easter and Mad Sweeney, and Bilquis and Czernobog, and Whiskey Jack. I liked how the Starz series developed Laura’s character (though I did not like the casting) and also Mad Sweeney’s storyline.

I have picked out seven books that are my favorite and this is one of them, and I’ll read this again.