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Old Flame: "American Gods"

This Fairytale is Not for Kids

New / Old Flames are our favorite books  – the ones we really think you’ll love too.

 

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Reviewed by Karen

As a youth services librarian, I have long been a fan of Neil Gaiman’s children’s books, but never read his novels for adults.  As many of my friends have raved about “American Gods,” I decided to start there.

In “American Gods,” Gaiman takes the old world’s gods and deftly interweaves them with America’s new world gods: technology, television, etc. Lack of belief has eroded the old gods’ power, and lead to a war between the old and new. The book starts with a seemingly ordinary man, purposeless after his release from prison – until he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday who offers him a job and leads him deep into the heart of the gods’ hidden war.

I’ve always been fascinated with folklore and fairytales, and with every new chapter there was another character I recognized, but couldn’t quite pin down. Why did Czernobog and Bielobog sound so familiar? And what about Hinzelmann?  Trying to find the connections was a mystery in itself. When I had the “aha” moments that revealed Czernobog and Bielobog, it was like remembering a life I’d forgotten – my years in Ukraine. And Hinzelmann brought back the German stories my grandfather told me when I was a little girl.

But you don’t have to have lived abroad or be well-versed in folklore to enjoy “American Gods.” While few readers are likely to catch all of the references, trying to figure them out – and learning more about Indian, Chinese, Middle Easter, Norse or Native American lore – is half the fun! And Gaiman’s use of obscure Americana like The House on the Rock is compelling, as the author visited each location he uses in the story.

I should be clear that “American Gods” is no kid’s book. Despite the folklore story line, some scenes are shockingly graphic. So if this book isn’t for you, I can heartily endorse all of his work for children and teens – they’re great for adults, too.

 

Karen is currently the manager and children’s librarian at Cherrydale, as well as the leader of Lit Up’s awesome Commuter Book Club.

 

March 6, 2015 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

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