American Gods by Neil Gaiman

From a British writer, I expected more of a snarky portrayal of things that are American, like fast food and the kkk. From strip malls to hidden histories, to tourist traps, to Cairo Illinois, I think American Gods managed to display a responsible reverence gor our grand old country.

It seems bulk of Gaiman’s novels are intended for young audiences so I might not read all of them. We’ll see. I want to designate the month of my birthday to young material and hopefully lighten the inevitable feeling of oldness. The thing I like about adult fiction is that I relate to it more. Often the characters have real problems and aren’t constantly being out-witted by ignorant kids. Adult books typically illustrate points beyond ‘why you should be good and not bad’ or 'why you should have high self-esteem'.

So what is the point to American Gods? I don’t know. I do consider it an ‘offering’ to the art of story telling. Aside from the subtly violent presence of mythological gods, it has a comic booky feel which is totally cool with me. Gaiman has a talent for writing poetically while making sure something is always happening and that whatever is happening is relevant to the story.

There are even history lessons told from the perspective of fictional characters, in between the main story line: the kind of stuff that keeps you turning pages. I think the history of our country is interesting and brutal, regardless of what we were taught in school. If you have intentions of reading more but nothing is really gripping you, then I strongly recommend American Gods.