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stormeno's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Car accident and Sexual content
Moderate: Torture, Blood, Cursing, Gun violence, Alcohol, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Rape, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicidal thoughts
summercampcrush's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
For context, I listened to the 10th Anniversary edition of the Authors Preferred Text, featuring a forward and postscript from Gaimen, as well as a bonus chapter. For being an audiobook that is more than 10 years old, it held up really well!
Characters:
Shadow, our protagonist, who is admittedly an odd duck. His blasé reaction to the escalating strangeness of his encounters throughout the book begs the question: who is this guy? We only get a few passages about his life before Laura, his wife. Nearly nothing about his upbringing or formative years. I felt like I kept waiting for the character to emerge from the stupor left in the wake of the untimely deaths of his wife and best friend (and the tangential fall out thereafter).
But Shadow was a pretty blank slate, an intentional decision, I’m sure. (Obviously, it’s Gaiman)His whole issue, his flaw, is that he hasn’t died, but he’s not truly living either. He seems to feel very little emotion for the first half of the book at least, only really allowing himself to break down once - after burying his wife, after revelations come to light at the funeral no less. It’s odd though, only until other characters frame this “not dead, not living” part of him as a problem, does he seem to start considering it a negative thing.
But in a way the way he seems to be sitting and watching the world like someone looking out from a living room window. Pretty passive? It’s weird, but in a way also zen as hell too, how he lets the world move around him like water around a stone.
As you can tell I can’t really puzzle him out. And neither can any of the other characters either. He’s smart, courageous, kind and humble. His motivations belies the desperation he barely acknowledges. Because, he still is, even with my careful reflection, still so, so hollow.
He’s a lone character though, remaining guarded to everyone who crosses his path. His internal dialogue is just as guarded, and often willfully in denial. It’s like he sees this crazy shit going on, and thinks ‘wow I’m more exhausted than I realized”
😐😑
Ultimately, it does give the book a rather bleak atmosphere throughout.
At least there are interesting intermissions from Shadow’s POV introducing us to some batshit insane Gods or breaking up the plot with historical accounts of how the Gods arrived to America. From crossing the land bridge to arriving as an enslaved child.
I found these asides enhanced the atmosphere of the book, it was also a refreshing way to step away from the main plot and recenter it rather seamlessly.
Writing and Story: I know I mentioned that I do appreciate when an Author doesn’t coddle the reader with ceaseless reference information to find all the answers just as quickly as possible. No hand holding, No easy payoff, no simple answers, especially the symbolic meanings or thematic elements.
The story is well crafted, simple in the way that it’s impressive to have happened. By that I mean, the story beats jump in bursts and starts, with characters seemingly staring down a barrel (literally and figuratively) with little warning more than a few times. And yet, it’s streamlined. Considered. Deliberate.
I enjoy writers like Neil Gaimen. Those that remind me of my favorite author, Richard Powers. Even though none of Powers books are my favorite (The Overstory does come close) - and I wouldn’t wish for a world where all the books I read are as much an experience in story as in language.
Moderate: Car accident, Confinement, Genocide, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Murder, Sexual content, and Slavery
Minor: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Colonisation, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
Historical vignettes throughout the book featuring victims of colonialism, enslavement. The N-word is used once early in the book; an inmate character says it in casual conversation. Really took me off guard. Minor/adult relationship refers to the “obviously underage” girl that Oden brings into his bed. There is a very unusual sex god worship scene that some people may find disturbing early in the book. I thought it was just unusual, but not upsetting.kleinerdiktator's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Slavery, Cursing, Confinement, Colonisation, Blood, Rape, Medical content, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Racism, Racial slurs, Death, Child death, Infidelity, Murder, and Grief
jessthanthree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Torture, Animal death, War, Slavery, Medical content, Mental illness, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexism, Alcohol, Body horror, and Gun violence
Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death of parent, Infertility, and Confinement
bel017's review against another edition
Graphic: Death and Child death
Moderate: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Grief, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Blood, War, and Adult/minor relationship
justmys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Blood, Sexual content, Body horror, Vomit, Gore, Excrement, and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Cancer, Grief, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
redheadorganist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Death, Murder, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Vomit, Blood, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Cursing, and War
Moderate: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts
raelinton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Body horror, Slavery, Racism, Gore, Blood, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Animal death, War, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Child abuse, Child death, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
cstein's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Confinement, and Death of parent
Moderate: Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Infidelity, Mental illness, Slavery, Torture, Racism, Racial slurs, and Colonisation
Minor: Cannibalism, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, and Incest
zumakroom's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.75
Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Drug use, Cursing, Animal death, Drug abuse, Torture, Violence, Car accident, Child abuse, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship