The soul of our nation? (My take on American Gods)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Shadow is intent on minimizing the risks in his life. After carefully serving a prison sentence, he anticipates a quiet life with his wife. However all of Shadow’s plans are destroyed and, following his release from prison, he is hired by a mysterious con artist and begins a journey.

This book definitely is unpredictable and original, although it compares in ways to The Odyssey. The worse criticism I can give is that it tries to be too many things at once and the character development suffers. Also the plot at times seemed to wander. The best thing I can say about the book is that American values are portrayed in a symbolic and ironic manner. I especially enjoyed Shadow’s trek from Wisconsin through Illinois. Anyone who enjoyed Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins will want to read this book.

The themes that I found most prevalent were the idea of how to live one’s life to the fullest and a warning about allowing our leaders to manipulate us through our fears. The author explored these themes in a clever manner and I needed to reflect a little to appreciate them.

Unpredictability 9
Character Development 5
Exploration of Themes 7

What's next?
Colors Insulting to Nature by Cintra Wilson