American Gods

Updated review from 2022: Ok, tried this again for a book club. BUT I REFUSE. My Gaiman hate remains strong. Sorry, Neil Gaiman. I don't even get it. But I was so mad as I read this. It felt sexist? The emotional reactions felt shallow? I dunno, man, sorry sorry sorry.

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Poor Neil Gaiman. He is the target of my irrational wrath. But there's something about his mini-culture empire/personality cult that just... “Khaaaaan!”

Anyway. American Gods is based on a semi-cool/semi-cute premise: immigrants come to America and discard their gods (coughethnic heritagecough) during the process of assimilation. As a result, the spiritual landscape is peopled by wandering Odins, Durgas and... I can't remember any more. Then there's a conflict which I've also forgotten. I guess I was annoyed that, for a story purporting to cry out for the poor immigrants, it chose the most Anglo-Saxon/Scandinavian of heroes: Odin. Or was it (by the hammer of) THOR? Either way, it left me cold.

Two stars for decent writing, and the possibility that I am missing something fundamental about the Gaiman cult.