Leaving for a trip that will usually allow me around 8 hours
of listening time in the car, I couldn’t decide on any of the audio books I
have in my unit. Some were tempting but too long, others I just wasn’t in the
mood for. So I decided I’d listen to music for this trip, for something
different.
Knowing I had 3 hours of the first stretch ahead of me I wanted something upbeat. I don’t think I got to the end of the first song when I knew
I’d made the wrong choice. I just kept thinking this is such a waste of
perfectly good audio book time. I searched around in the car for something I
could listen to. When I found American Gods I knew I was in the mood for some
Neil Gaiman.
It was only later, that I discovered how long the book went
for… around 20 hours. It would definitely spill over from the listening time I
had on that trip. Oh well, on I soldiered.
I loved the idea behind this book: everyone who has ever
come to America brought their gods with them, in some form, these deities
immigrated with their believers.
However many years on, there are so many gods that live on
in the hearts and minds of someone, so these beings live on in the American
landscape, noticed or not by those who they pass by.
One thing I have to say about Neil Gaiman is he is a genius
of epic proportions when it comes to intertextuality and blending/adapting
mythology and classic texts. American Gods was not the first time I noticed
this, Neverwhere is brilliant, and then there are
touches of it in his other books too. It fills me with such awe and jealousy,
and makes me want to have his brain-children.
I think I need to say that I felt American Gods was a little
unnecessarily long. But I strongly believe that it is worth it. It’s a
staggering undertaking, and he certainly has accomplished great things with his
concept, and I can understand why he kept it at its length, It might have just
benefited from some trimming here and there.
So, if you ever find you have the time to offer to this
book, it’s worth it.
Find it on Goodreads
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