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catterwaul 's review for:
The Annotated American Gods
by Neil Gaiman, Leslie S. Klinger
Reviewing the 2020 Annotated edition specifically—
I love American Gods, it having been either my first or second Gaiman book (I read it and Anansi Boys at almost the exact same time, and forget which was first). The annotated edition uses the 10th Anniversary text.
The notes are, in some cases, very helpful—they explain who certain obscure gods are, the lore behind references made about gods, and identify changes between the manuscript (first draft), first edition, and tenth anniversary editions of the text. However, there were places I felt the annotations were lacking—like being directed to go to a website with a typed-out URL, rather than summing up the information in the note. Or, perhaps most annoying in the entire book for me, the moment when Klinger, rather than explaining in his annotation what the “Black dogs of the moor” are, recommends that readers consult his annotated edition of Sherlock Holmes for that information.
Still, I love and have always loved the world Gaiman built, and if the notes are perhaps a bit thin on the ground toward the end of the book—well, maybe I could work up some courage and pencil in a few notes for myself on the next read-through. There’s plenty of pages for it.
I love American Gods, it having been either my first or second Gaiman book (I read it and Anansi Boys at almost the exact same time, and forget which was first). The annotated edition uses the 10th Anniversary text.
The notes are, in some cases, very helpful—they explain who certain obscure gods are, the lore behind references made about gods, and identify changes between the manuscript (first draft), first edition, and tenth anniversary editions of the text. However, there were places I felt the annotations were lacking—like being directed to go to a website with a typed-out URL, rather than summing up the information in the note. Or, perhaps most annoying in the entire book for me, the moment when Klinger, rather than explaining in his annotation what the “Black dogs of the moor” are, recommends that readers consult his annotated edition of Sherlock Holmes for that information.
Still, I love and have always loved the world Gaiman built, and if the notes are perhaps a bit thin on the ground toward the end of the book—well, maybe I could work up some courage and pencil in a few notes for myself on the next read-through. There’s plenty of pages for it.