DNF: American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Jaclyn’s review)

American Gods
written by Neil Gaiman
published by William Morrow, 2011

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Target, Walmart, Book Depository, Goodreads

Where I stopped reading: about 10% through

Did I enjoy this book? Nope. I think this book has had a lot of hype, but this was just not my cup of tea.

I think the idea is that most mythology comes from other countries or cultures (i.e. Roman or Greek mythology). The author wanted to explore what happens when people from these other cultures move to the US. My problem is that the book is just weird. I only made it about 10% through before I had to put it down. There was a lot of vulgarity, both scenes and language. This isn’t something that usually bothers me, but I just didn’t care for the plot so the vulgarity was hard to swallow.

 

 

Would I recommend it? Honestly, I wouldn’t. I just didn’t like it. If you’ve read it and disagree, I’d love for you to convince me to finish it! I’m open to debate on this one!

 

 

What others have rated this book: According to Goodreads, the average rating for Falling Immortality is 4.11 stars. It looks like a majority of readers gave this book 5 stars. The average rating on Amazon is 4.4 stars. Just because I didn’t finish this book doesn’t mean you won’t. 

About the book – from Goodreads: First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic—an intellectual and artistic benchmark from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman. Now discover the mystery and magic of American Gods in this tenth anniversary edition. Newly updated and expanded with the author’s preferred text, this commemorative volume is a true celebration of a modern masterpiece by the one, the only, Neil Gaiman.

A storm is coming…

Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the magic day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.

But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.

Life as Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined—it is a job that takes him on a dark and strange road trip and introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. Along the way Shadow will learn that the past never dies; that everyone, including his beloved Laura, harbors secrets; and that dreams, totems, legends, and myths are more real than we know. Ultimately, he will discover that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path.

 

 

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** This post first appeared on Every Free Chance Books (everyfreechance.com) on October 15, 2018.