American Gods Volume 2

It's hard to define what shelves American Gods fits onto. It's a modern fairy tale of sorts, that in stretches reminded me a bit of a Stephen King tale of small-town America and the horrors beneath the surface.

Our protagonist is Shadow, a big guy who is waiting for release from prison so he can rejoin his wife Laura. A day before he was due to be released, his wife dies in a car crash together with his best friend, and Shadow ends up having nowhere to go. This is when the mysterious Mr. Wednesday shows up to offer Shadow a job as his associate. Soon, Shadow is mixed up in a mysterious war between old gods, who have come to America in the past and who now face annihilation because no one worships them anymore, and the new gods, like Media, Internet, and the like. Mr. Wednesday is Odin Allfather, trying to mobilize the old gods.

In the end, it turns out that Shadow can decide this war, but it's a long trip until then.

My favorite part were probably the interludes, the stories of how all those different gods, afrits, spirits, ended up in America, brought by Vikings, Irish, African slaves etc. Loved them. My favorite gods were probably Mr. Ibis and Mr. Jaquel, and their kitty Bast.

A very enjoyable novel, it sometimes felt a touch too plodding, too aimless, with very little going on. For a good amount of time, Shadow is living in a small town called Lakeside, and very little, other than character development, is happening. I also felt that there was great potential for more tension, for more horrors, to leave more impact on me as reader. Maybe I am too much of a Stephen King fan.

I'm slowly learning that my appreciation for Neil Gaiman lies solely with the Sandman graphic novels. Although similar in theme, American Gods does not deliver the goods in the same way. I can't explain what it is I'm missing, but halfway through the story, reading is more of a chore than it is an enjoyment.

Perhaps in a shorter format this would've worked...