05 January, 2004

02 January, 2004

American Gods (Neil Gaiman)

American Gods is one of Neil Gaiman's later novels, published in 2001. Like much of his work, it's contemporary dark urban fantasy, weaving mainly Norse mythology into the modern world.

If you've never read any Gaiman - when I say dark, I mean dark. The world he writes about is often filled with betrayal and horror, but it's terribly beautiful and fascinating as well.

This is a well-crafted story, with a fascinating plot - what you expect from Gaiman. However, it's also stuffed with details - almost too many details for me, as I enjoyed it much more when I read it the second time. But enjoying something more the second time is not a terrible flaw, and I like this book very much. It doesn't sizzle with sheer brilliance, but it's a great read.