Awards
Winner of the 2002 Nebula Award
Winner of the 2002 Hugo Award
Synopses & Reviews
Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming a battle for the very soul of America... and they are in its direct path.
One of the most talked-about books of the new millennium, American Gods is a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an American landscape at once eerily familiar and utterly alien. It is, quite simply, a contemporary masterpiece.
Review
"[A]mbitious, gloriously funny, and oddly heartwarming....A magical mystery tour through the mythologies of all cultures, a unique and moving love story and another winner for the phenomenally gifted, consummately reader-friendly Gaiman." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"American Gods is a crackerjack suspense yarn with an ending that both surprises and makes perfect sense, as well as many passages of heady, imagistic writing. And for all that he's missed in the American propensity for religious fanaticism, Gaiman has exactly nailed the way we talk..." Laura Miller, Salon.com (read the entire Salon review)
Review
"Mystery, satire, sex, horror, poetic prose American Gods uses all these to keep the reader turning the pages." Michael Dirda, The Washington Post
Review
"Shadow's poignant personal moments and the tale's affectionate slices of smalltown life are much better developed than the aimless plot....Mere mortal readers will enjoy the tale's wit, but puzzle over its strained mythopoeia." Publishers Weekly
Review
"With his latest novel, Gaiman has created an engrossing mythology already begging for new installments....[F]iercely imagined..." Chris Barsanti, Book Magazine
Review
"By turns thoughtful, hilarious, disturbing, uplifting, horrifying and enjoyable and sometimes all at once." St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Review
"After two sterling fantasies...Gaiman comes a cropper in a tale that is just too busy and, oddly for him, unengaging. His large fandom may make it a success, but many of them, even, will find it a chore to get through." Ray Olson, Booklist
Review
"Every word in this amazing book is loaded with double meaning, every line of the story has a purpose, and each character is more than he or she seems....Filled with sly, dark humor and vivid personalities..." VOYA
Review
"Immensely rewarding....A finely crafted novel of weight and significance." Cleveland Plain Dealer
Review
"Provocative yet fun....American Gods works because of Gaiman's singular control over the proceedings, his nimble and intelligent voice, and his gift for painting spectacle and splashing big themes across his canvas. (Grade: B)" Entertainment Weekly
Review
"Smart, dark....Uniquely ambitious." GQ
Review
"Shadow's personal tale and the details of American small-town life are well developed compared with the not-well-defined plot....The book has wit but is too busy and not very engaging..." Library Journal
Review
"Pointed, occasionally comic, often scary, consistently moving and provocative....Gaiman's novel will probably please newcomers to his work while convincing many devoted followers that his creativity and craft are still razor-sharp." USA Today
Review
"Gaiman is fast becoming one of the most important of modern writers. In American Gods he has crafted a novel that is unique, literate, and highly readable. Don't miss it. (Grade: A+)" Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)
Review
"American Gods manages to reinvent, and to reassert, the enduring importance of fantastic literature itself in this late age of the world. Dark fun, and nourishing to the soul." Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
About the Author
Neil Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including the novels Neverwhere, Stardust, Coraline, Anansi Boys, and The Graveyard Book; the Sandman series of graphic novels; and the story collections Smoke and Mirrors, Fragile Things, and M Is for Magic. He is also the coauthor (with Terry Pratchett) of the novel Good Omens, and coeditor (with Al Sarrantonio) of the fiction anthology Stories. He is the winner of numerous literary honors, including the Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards, and the Newbery Medal. Originally from England, Neil Gaiman now lives in America.