A review by lancakes
American Gods by Neil Gaiman

5.0

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. This was my first Neil Gaiman book and I really enjoyed it! This rave review is even more impressive because my feelings for fantasy usually range from indifference to hatred. I'm glad I read this on my break because I couldn't put it down, it's gripping like a thriller, and I've been disappointed by the other thrillers I've read recently because of inadequate foreshadowing. This novel built up beautifully, and I blame my head cold for how late in to the book I figured everything out, but the threads were all there looking back. I think I would've enjoyed it a little bit more if I knew more mythology, there are a lot of gods that are just physically described and I'd be interested to know what they were. Also, the bits concerning indigenous beliefs and characters felt troublesome to me, but I don't know enough to articulate it and I might be wrong. The optics are bad: a British dude writing indigenous characters whose vernacular is peppered with stereotypes, one of whom is named Whiskey Jack (a misheard "Wisakedjak", but once Shadow figures out the real name he still calls him Whiskey Jack, unlike with other characters whose names are initially misunderstood). Also, the concept of the novel is that the older gods are losing their power because people are no longer worshipping, and to include aboriginal gods on the side of gods from fallen civilisations, (like Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt, Norse mythology) is part of a colonial narrative that contends that indigenous cultures and beliefs are a thing of the past, which is a form of imperial violence. Thomas King talks in his (brilliant) book The Inconvenient Indian about the modern colonial separation of dead "authentic" Indians from the "inauthentic" Indians alive today, saying "when Live Indians dance at powwows with their families and relations North America sees Dead Indians come to life", however to indigenous people there is not neat separation between past "authentic" culture and modern existence, in spite of centuries of colonial violence their beliefs and cultures have not died out. It would have been more interesting, less problematic and more powerful if Gaiman had explained the placement of aboriginal gods on the side of the old gods losing their power through less worship by citing cultural imperialism, assimilation and genocide as factors in reduced worship, but he doesn't and so the reader is left to conclude that like the other ancient gods, people just stopped believing in them. If any part of this critique is disrespectful or wrong please feel free to let me have it.