American Gods (American Gods, #1)

Neil Gaiman | 4.26 | 772,406 ratings and reviews

Recommended by Ricky Whittle, Scott Johnson, Marko Rakar, and 3 others. See all reviews

Ranked #3 in Tennessee, Ranked #4 in Folklore — see more rankings.

First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic—an intellectual and artistic benchmark from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman. Now discover the mystery and magic of American Gods in this tenth anniversary edition. Newly updated and expanded with the author’s preferred text, this commemorative volume is a true celebration of a modern masterpiece by the one, the only, Neil Gaiman.

A storm is coming . . .

Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the magic day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.

But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.

Life as Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined—it is a job that takes him on a dark and strange road trip and introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. Along the way Shadow will learn that the past never dies; that everyone, including his beloved Laura, harbors secrets; and that dreams, totems, legends, and myths are more real than we know. Ultimately, he will discover that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path.

Relevant and prescient, American Gods has been lauded for its brilliant synthesis of “mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose” (Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World) and as a modern phantasmagoria that “distills the essence of America” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is, quite simply, an outstanding work of literary imagination that will endure for generations. less

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Reviews and Recommendations

We've comprehensively compiled reviews of American Gods (American Gods, #1) from the world's leading experts.

Ricky Whittle Nobody can break my family.I’m proud to be apart of this diverse cast & crew who are working their butts off to deliver a fantastic season 3 continuing to tell Shadows story and the awesome characters he meets along the way as in @neilhimself incredible book #readit #details🤔 https://t.co/PahPC9j3HB (Source)

Scott Johnson American Gods by Neil Gaiman. This is a brilliant thought experiment about what happens to a god when its believers stop believing. My preferred edition is the 10th Anniversary release with expanded text. (Source)

Marko Rakar Basically, first of all, I am a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy books and I grew up with Douglas Adams and Arthur C Clarke. For me, this is the best of Gaiman’s books and I’ve got all of them. It’s set in the present time and talks about settlers who have settled a continent and have brought their gods with them. So, if you are Swedish and you cherish Nordic gods and move to the US, the gods go with you and the more you believe in them the stronger they are. But if fewer people start believing in them then they get weaker and eventually they become mortal and die. So, it’s about all... (Source)

Rankings by Category

American Gods (American Gods, #1) is ranked in the following categories:

#89 in 11th Grade
#89 in 16-Year-Old
#11 in 21st Century
#44 in Adaptation
#40 in Adult
#12 in Adult Fantasy
#25 in Adult Series
#37 in American
#17 in Americana
#27 in Audible
#33 in Audio
#43 in Author
#36 in Award-Winning
#24 in Awarded
#98 in Bucket List
#17 in Candy
#62 in Collection
#82 in Cool
#11 in Dark Fantasy
#20 in English
#36 in Entertaining
#36 in Entertainment
#87 in Epic
#18 in Fantasy
#57 in Fantasy Adventure
#23 in Fantasy Fiction
#26 in Fantasy Sci-Fi
#52 in Fiction
#45 in Folio Society
#46 in Fun
#42 in Gift
#21 in God
#51 in Gold
#43 in Holiday Reading
#7 in Hugo Award
#78 in Intellectual
#8 in Interviewing
#19 in Kindle
#17 in Learning English
#30 in Legend
#40 in Library
#83 in Light
#21 in Long
#91 in Magic
#38 in Magical Fantasy
#17 in Magical Realism
#21 in Modern
#83 in Modern Classic
#5 in Modern Fantasy
#30 in Modern Fiction
#21 in Mystical
#88 in Mythical Creatures
#15 in Mythology
#57 in Nerdy
#42 in Nook
#76 in Novel
#51 in Paperback
#37 in Possession
#54 in Poster
#51 in Prison
#31 in Quest
#76 in Rated
#53 in Recent
#47 in Recommended
#61 in Religion
#64 in Reviewed
#17 in Sci-Fi Horror
#23 in Science Fiction Fantasy
#34 in Scribd
#63 in Signed
#91 in Smart
#97 in Summer Reading
#48 in Supernatural
#39 in Surrealism
#99 in Thought-Provoking
#37 in Top Ten
#23 in Twist
#80 in UK
#23 in Urban
#8 in Urban Fantasy
#47 in Vacation
#6 in Weird

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