American Gods

by Neil Gaiman | Mystery & Thrillers |
ISBN: 0380789035 Global Overview for this book
Registered by notbob of Omaha, Nebraska USA on 5/8/2003
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6 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by notbob from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Thursday, May 8, 2003
I'm not sure how to describe this book without spoiling it, so I'll just write what it says on the back cover.

Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible accident.

Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible.

He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming. And from that moment on, nothing will ever be the same...

...ok, well that wasn't very helpful. The basic plot of the story is this: Every deity or higher power that mankind has ever believed in was actually real. Now man has become materialistic and jaded, and they've chosen new gods to worship. The Old Gods want a piece of the action, but first they have to wage war against the American Gods.

It's a very good book, one that will make you think long after you're finished reading. Pretty much like anything Neil Gaiman has written.

Journal Entry 2 by notbob from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Friday, May 9, 2003
Mailed to daidy on my lunch break today.

My first book release! I think it's a good thing I don't have any kids... if it's this hard to let a book go, I'd be a basket case on their first day of school.

Journal Entry 3 by daidy on Thursday, May 15, 2003
Just got this today. I'll take good care of it! Thanks for the trade.

7/21/03
I got a bit sidetracked in the middle of reading this one, but I am almost done. I am sending this to oh-jeez-tower as a continuation of this PIF/RABCK kayters sent me.

Didn't quite live up to what I expected after having read "Good Omens." I was very interested for the first part of the book, but then about halfway through I couldn't read much of it at a time since it didn't hold my attention as much.

Journal Entry 4 by oh-jeez-tower from Iowa City, Iowa USA on Monday, August 4, 2003
I came home today from Brazil today. An enormous pile of mail was waiting on my bed, and, atop it, this book. Despite the fact that Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere did not live up to my expectations, I'm willing to give him another chance.

As reassurance, I want to mention that I will be continuing the chain of Random Acts of BookCrossing Kindness. As detailed, I will send three books of my own to other BookCrossers, inviting them to pass along the favor.

I'd also like to mention that this book has come back to Omaha, the city where it was registered by notbob. Okay, so I don't exactly live in Omaha, but I'm only a half an hour away.

Journal Entry 5 by oh-jeez-tower from Iowa City, Iowa USA on Thursday, August 28, 2003
I have to admit that American Gods is considerably better than Neverwhere. American Gods kept me intrigued through most of the book. It was well-researched and follwed a clear and logical order. So, what is my complaint with American Gods?

I can't explain it exactly, but I think it just comes down to Gaiman's writing style. There were some parts of this book that were truly magnificent in content, but these parts just led me to expect more. At times, when I was reading with more pretenses, the story felt utterly immature.

And what is the story? A brawny ex-convict meets a Norse mythological figure who's organizing a group of the "old gods" to fight the "new gods," with America as their battlefield. Shadow, this man, is an utterly mundane protagonist, and I got tired of every woman in the book falling for him.

Journal Entry 6 by oh-jeez-tower from Iowa City, Iowa USA on Thursday, August 28, 2003
Here are the three books I have sent off to continue the Random Act of BookCrossing Kindness chain:

1. Sophie's World to Davitraka
2. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit to gaysocialworker
3. <a href="http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1227709>The Motorcycle Diaries to Dozer

Journal Entry 7 by oh-jeez-tower from Iowa City, Iowa USA on Tuesday, September 9, 2003
I'm bringing the book with me tonight to the Omaha Meet-Up at Caffeine Dreams, and I'm going to force some unsuspecting BookCrosser to take it.

My suggestion is to read it while listening to this Tom Waits album: Rain Dogs. It fits well, and the author even quotes one of the songs from the disc.

Oh, and in the acknowledgements, look for the mention of "Mrs. Hawley." She's the one that wants to keep the ghosts in her Irish house. Well, you may be interested to know that this refers to Tori Amos, my favorite of musicians. Tori Amos and Neil Gaiman are good friends. Tori Amos is an American who lives in Britain (with her British husband, Mr. Hawley), and Neil Gaiman is a British fellow who lives in the United States.

And, to complete the circle, Tori Amos features a Tom Waits cover on one of her CDs.

In conclusion, I hope a receptive Omahan will get this. Good luck, book.

Journal Entry 8 by suburbangoth from Bellevue, Nebraska USA on Wednesday, September 10, 2003
one of my friends lent me her copy of neverwhere, and it had the first ten pages or so of american gods included in the back. i cannot wait to read this. got it from the bookcrossing meetup last night. am frothing with anticipation.

Journal Entry 9 by suburbangoth from Bellevue, Nebraska USA on Tuesday, November 25, 2003
okay......after having this in my posession for about three months, i have finally finished reading american gods. and my, what a long strange trip it's been.

i must say, i am utterly amazed by this book. the amount of research neil gaiman must have put into writing it is just phenomenal.

i'm studying world religions at school, so american gods was right up my alley, subject-wise, and i was impressed by the range and scope covered in the novel's content.

reading this made me realize two things: 1) gaiman is either completely insane or a total genius [perhaps some of both?]; and 2) i need to do more reading on norse myths.

i'm passing this on to a friend from school who's expressed interest in reading it. godspeed!

Journal Entry 10 by strawdog from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Wednesday, May 5, 2004
Got it from suburbangoth, will read after finals!

Journal Entry 11 by strawdog from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Thursday, May 13, 2004
Okay, I read it after finals, but keep in mind that i was hallucinating from the flu the entire time I read it...

All I can say is, feh. Interesting, but not groundbreaking. Didn't change my life. It was a quick read, but the first 100 pages or so was maddeningly boring to me. Maybe it would be better if I read it sans-flu, but I don't think I'll do that.

I'm dropping this off at my favorite coffee shop in Omaha, the Blue Line, at 50th and Underwood. It'll be underneath the coffee beans.

Journal Entry 12 by notbob from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Thursday, June 3, 2004
This book took the long way back to me!

I'm a little bit older and wiser since the last time I read it... let's see what I think of it the second time around.

Journal Entry 13 by notbob from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Friday, July 2, 2004
American Gods was better this time... I had a much easier time keeping the characters straight, and I caught a lot of humor that I missed before.

Journal Entry 14 by notbob at Blue Line Coffee -50th and Underwood in Omaha, Nebraska USA on Friday, July 2, 2004
Released on Friday, July 02, 2004 at Blue Line Coffee -50th and Underwood in Omaha, Nebraska USA.

I'm going to put the book back where I found it on the crossing zone shelf at the Blue Line.

Journal Entry 15 by biologyfangirl from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Amazing book, once again Neil Gaiman has written a masterpiece. This book will be returned to the wild tomorrow, so that (hopefully) countless others can enjoy it as well.

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