American Gods

Okay, so I liked this book. I liked this book ALOT. It was awesome and now I see why everyone has been talking about it literally all the time. IT IS BECAUSE OF ALL THE AWESOMENESS. Not as awesome as The Picture of Dorian Gray but somewhere in the large and deep bottomless void of the ballpark. Also, the fact that it's written so beautifully shouldn't surprise you - because it's Neil Gaiman - it's ALWAYS written beautifully :)


I found this book whilst browsing in the bookstore at the literature festival. I tried to buy lots of books so I wouldn't look out of pocket or like a "casual reader". There were a few problems with that:
1) Now I am out of pocket
2) The way I read - the books will last probably about a week or so
3) My back hurts from carrying them in my backpack 

Back to "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman 

Characters:

I love Shadow. Admittedly, the first time I heard his name, I envisioned "Shadow" from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. But, as the book went along that picture cleared from my mind and I realised that Shadow would most likely be able to exist in our world as a person. His wife dies in a car crash just as he gets out of prison - and he is destroyed constantly seeking redemption and an antidote for his pain. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was pain. This is because every time Shadow mentions his wife's death - it seems like the book falls silent for a moment. He then gets told about someone's nephew that went missing and that they don't even know whether he's dead or alive. This is something that Shadow can relate his pain to - and it's written beautifully. 

Storyline:

I loved the part where Shadow and (unnamed character because no spoilers here!) are discussing their lost ones. It's a beautiful moment in the book and the first time when Shadow feels like he truly fits and belongs somewhere - after this he seems to be at more ease with characters such as Wednesday. It's also a moment in the book where pain perpetuated tranquility - I love those little moments of deep thought. Almost like a prayer and all the characters are bowing their heads in honour of it.

Verdict:

I give this book 9.

100% for characters: Shadow is a beautiful character with some painful memories. He has a very human personality and his quest for belonging shapes that part of his identity that falls out of place when his wife dies. 

100% for themes: I loved the theme of pain. It was so well explored that I couldn't possibly imagine a way to better describe it. It was given in pieces so each step was felt by the reader - and I think that empathetic value is very important for character relations. 

100% for storyline: Again, those moments of silence were written in the best possible way - pain is poetic and prayer-like. It resonates a beautiful silence that comes across even when the characters are still conversing.