‘American Gods’ by Neil Gaiman
‘Are you enjoying the book?’ asked a fellow customer today in Flat Caps Coffee, one of Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s best independent coffee shops and a favourite haunt of mine. (If ever you find yourself in Newcastle and in need of proper coffee, be sure to look it up!) The book in question was American Gods by Neil Gaiman, a six hundred and thirty-nine page behemoth that was included in an extensive 'books we love’ selection at the nearby Waterstone’s. I told the lady who asked that, yes, I was indeed enjoying the book, though with just ten pages left I was beginning to despair of its impending end. She agreed completely, and before climbing the spiral staircase to the world above (another cool thing about Flat Caps is that it is hidden under one of those esoteric gift shops which stocks everything from dreamcatchers to diamante-encrusted skulls) she advised that I read Anansi Boys, the spin-off of American Gods, also.
I mention the exchange in Flat Caps as it demonstrates just how well-loved Gaiman’s work is; I cannot remember the last time I was asked about a book in this way. Of course, this does not include the time a semi-drunken Geordie asked me to sum up Story of the Eye between scaled-down cans of lager on an early morning flight to Amsterdam. Anyone who has read Story of the Eye or knows anything of its subject matter will appreciate why I was reluctant to discuss it with an intemperate stranger at six o'clock in the morning. Alas, I am not here to discuss drunken strangers, or the transgressive literature of Georges Bataille, I am here to discuss Neil Gaiman; specifically, American Gods.
American Gods was published on both sides of the Atlantic in 2001. In 2002 it won a bunch of prizes, including the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, SFX Magazine and Bram Stoker Awards, and it has since been translated into over twenty-three languages. American Gods is one of those novels that in spite of its brilliance, or perhaps because of it, is difficult to categorise or define. So, just this once, I shall defer to Wikipedia: 'The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on a mysterious and taciturn protagonist, Shadow.' And by Wikipedia standards, this is a very good summary. As for the plot, American Gods concerns an ex-convict, Shadow, whose wife dies unexpectedly as he is being released from prison. This tragic event sends Shadow on a journey across a weird and wonderful alt-America, a land populated by criminals, crackpots and gods old and new.
To elaborate on American Gods without any of my customary tangents, I will again call upon Wikipedia (sorry): 'The central premise of the novel is that gods and mythological creatures exist because people believe in them. Immigrants to the United States brought with them dwarves, elves, leprechauns, and other spirits and gods. However, the power of these mythological beings has diminished as people’s beliefs wane. New gods have arisen, reflecting America’s obsessions with media, celebrity, technology, and drugs, among others.’ Seriously, whoever edited the American Gods Wikipedia page deserves a medal for services to accuracy…or something like that. American Gods is generally described as a fantasy novel - indeed you will find it in the sci-fi/fantasy section of your local bookstore - however to pigeon-hole it as such would be to do it a disservice. I generally don’t care much for fantasy, but I loved American Gods, perhaps because, even at its most fanciful, the language used remains succinct and matter-of-fact, making even gods and ghosts seem somewhat real.
Now that I’ve exhausted the themes and ideas explored in American Gods, allow me to state my opinion - I loved it. In fact, scratch that, I adored it. And I have to say that Chapter Eight may well be my favourite piece of writing anywhere, ever. I would love to write a more extensive piece about the novel, and Gaiman, but anything I write on this humble little blogging platform will only fall short of getting you to read American Gods for yourself. To conclude, I cannot imagine any other novel being able to do so much with such broad and varied themes.
This piece was originally published on alisonlaurabell.tumblr.com in February 2013.