Neil Gaiman's American Gods

Spy_Smasher

Spy_Smasher

Well-Known Member
Was doing so research for a new comic pimping project and I can across an interesting little tidbit on Neil Gaiman's website. Apparently, he and his publisher are offering his novel American Gods for free over the Intarwebz. Having enjoyed this book very much, I thought I'd share it with some people. But who? Why, Literature Nerds, of course!

How good is the book? Well, it's a New York Times bestselling novel that was awarded the Hugo, Nebula, Locus and the Bram Stoker award. It's that good.


Anyway, , if you're interested.
, too.
 
Damn, I just recently bought this book ('cause it was on the cheap). Obviously this would be why.
 
Actually, I read this a while back, around junior year of high school I think. I thought it was definitely a good story and some awesome originality, but I guess, I wasn't as completely blown away by it as some of other Gaiman's works. My personal favorite is atually Neverwhere which I think I had much more fun with. Nevertheless it's a great book in it's own right. I'll probably have to go back and re-read all of it again though, seeing how time is killing my memory of the book. I love Gaiman's style.
 
Mmm, compared to Good Omens, I'd have to say Gaiman's stuff is a lot more dark and mellow without Pratchett's flairs. Gaiman's style is much more of making the illusion believable as much as the reality. He blends the greatness of myths and the grit of the real world seamlessly. At points, the elements in his story can even be bold, but bold in a quiet way. He's throws sex, the macabre, and the absurd into this boiling stew that just comes together. He's probably one of those British writers who I'd say uses a similar, yet his own distinct brand of magical realism framed with the backdrop of fantasy.

Some of his short stories in Smoke and Mirrors, probably illustrate best his varying style. Here's an example I found online:

Nicholas Was...​

Older than sin, and his beard could grow no whiter. He wanted to die.

The dwarfish natives of the Arctic caverns did not speak his language, but conversed in their own, twittering tongue, conducted incomprehensible rituals, when they were not actually working in the factories.

Once every year they forced him, sobbing and protesting, into Endless Night. During the journey he would stand near every child in the world, leave one of the dwarves' invisible gifts by its bedside. The children slept, frozen into time.

He envied Prometheus and Loki, Sisyphus and Judas. His punishment was harsher.

Ho.

Ho.

Ho.

~~~

The foregoing is excerpted from Smoke & Mirrors by Neil Gaiman. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without permission.
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Source:

His books are difficult (for me) to get into at first, but once you get going, you're kinda drawn into following along to see where the path leads or if it even finishes.

My favorite actually involves this little old lady finding the Holy Grail in a second-hand/antique shop.
 
Book of the month, anyone?

It's legally free, it's Neil Gaiman. We won't get anything even near this appropriate any time soon :oh
 
Bah, I'll buy it at the bookstore. I hate reading books on the computer. I bet I could get it for a song anyway.
 
Jus' read that book, and it's restored my faith in fantasy. Really fantastic.

I thought the way that it all unfolds and the layering of metaphors is fairly incredible, but the downright bones of the story are what really make it so good. One of the best books I've read in a long time.
 
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