"AMERICAN GODS" by Neil Gaiman

Let me start off by saying that I haven't tasted any fiction by Neil Gaiman other than his Sandman graphic novels, (if you're rolling your eyes due to my lack of experience, I don't blame you). I'm always late, it seems, to the "critically acclaimed" authors; for some reason I duck those authors that are supposed to be the "it" thing - (perhaps that's why I came to King and Keene so late too...). Anyhow, American Gods is a triumph. It's been a long, long time since a novel has spoken to me in such a unique and satisfying way. The only others I can think of that have gotten under my skin quite as much are King's "The Stand" and Barker's "Galilee". American Gods tells the tale of a man named Shadow who moves across the country - spending quite a bit of time in Wisconsin (Yay!) - in the employ of a man named Mr. Wednesday. The book moves at a thoughtful pace as Shadow tries to figure out just who he is and what he's doing in the world, and yet it never slows enough for you to lose interest. Gaiman's imagination just spills onto the page, and you never know what's going to be around the next corner. The novel is a behemoth at almost 600 pages, and yet I found myself not wanting it to end... and yet I was satisfied when the story - not Gaiman - decided to stop; I say that because this book really seemed to tell itself. It's one of those "epic" things that seems to be a story that's always been around - or a story that "should" have always been around, and Neil Gaiman was just the one that put it down on paper.

I can't say enough good things about American Gods. This is the best book I've read in years, and I wish I would have read it sooner.

Rated: 5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on April 23rd, 2006)