Reviews

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

smsienk's review against another edition

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4.0

I listened to the author's cut version and wished I hadn't. It was sooooooo long. Editors are wonderful and do good work.

There is a lot here that interests me - good vs evil, mythology, the purpose of humanity, meaning of relationships. Gaiman is obviously an accomplished author and builds worlds and characters extremely well. My main complaint is the women - I don't know how such an acclaimed author gets away with such underdeveloped female characters. It really took away from my ability to fully dive into the book.

ellis1002's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.0

ash_leslie's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

swarmofbees's review against another edition

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

gwise489's review against another edition

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slow-paced

3.25

thehectorperez's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.75

bccorrea's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Don't get me wrong it was very good and I enjoyed it. But I think there were some things left open ended and at times the story telling was inconsistent. Some sections well built out others not so much. The end felt kind of shoed in. But it was good. I enjoyed Mr. Ibis very much but I'm a sucker for Egyptian mythology.

krenglish's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

mattrw88's review against another edition

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3.0

2.5 Stars

m_klevenberg's review against another edition

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5.0

Finished the first time November 12, 2013. Well I successfully made it through a Neil Gaiman book. I think the way Gaiman writes requires the reader to almost read it start to finish without ever setting it down. I definitely enjoyed the book and the ideas behind it, it takes you to places that are difficult to imagine. I found myself wondering, "where the heck does Gaiman get his imagination!" Some of the ideas are just soooo abstract. But gosh was it entertaining. I'm not sure I'd recommend the book, I'm not sure it was my cup of tea. But if you're a Gaiman fan than this is definitely a book for you. I think I've been enjoying books with a tad more substance lately. Rated 3 stars the first time through after listening to it on audio book.

The second time through was better. I don't know if it was because this book was made for being read versus being listened to -or- I'm in a different point in my life and I've learned more about Neil Gaiman and the evolution of American Gods. I'd lean towards the latter. I picked up American Gods again because I read some of View From The Cheap Seats and it inspired me. This book creates a great escape and makes you think about the history of America. I hope I read this book again in another few years.