“Pointed, occasionally comic, often scary, consistently moving and provocative....American Gods is strewn with secrets and magical visions.”—USA Today
Newly updated and expanded with the author’s preferred text. A modern masterpiece from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman.
First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic, lauded for its brilliant synthesis of “mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose” (Washington Post) and as a modern phantasmagoria that “distills the essence of America” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is the story of Shadow—released from prison just days after his wife and best friend are killed in an accident—who gets recruited to be bodyguard, driver, and errand boy for the enigmatic trickster, Mr. Wednesday. So begins Shadow’s dark and strange road trip, one that introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. For, beneath the placid surface of everyday life, a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and Shadow is standing squarely in its path.
“Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive.”—George R. R. Martin
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shadow gets out of prison early when his wife is killed in a car crash. At a loss, he takes up with a mysterious character called Wednesday, who is much more than he appears. In fact, Wednesday is an old god, once known as Odin the All-father, who is roaming America rounding up his forgotten fellows in preparation for an epic battle against the upstart deities of the Internet, credit cards, television, and all that is wired. Shadow agrees to help Wednesday, and they whirl through a psycho-spiritual storm that becomes all too real in its manifestations. For instance, Shadow's dead wife Laura keeps showing up, and not just as a ghost--the difficulty of their continuing relationship is by turns grim and darkly funny, just like the rest of the book.
Armed only with some coin tricks and a sense of purpose, Shadow travels through, around, and underneath the visible surface of things, digging up all the powerful myths Americans brought with them in their journeys to this land as well as the ones that were already here. Shadow's road story is the heart of the novel, and it's here that Gaiman offers up the details that make this such a cinematic book--the distinctly American foods and diversions, the bizarre roadside attractions, the decrepit gods reduced to shell games and prostitution. "This is a bad land for Gods," says Shadow.
More than a tourist in America, but not a native, Neil Gaiman offers an outside-in and inside-out perspective on the soul and spirituality of the country--our obsessions with money and power, our jumbled religious heritage and its societal outcomes, and the millennial decisions we face about what's real and what's not. --Therese Littleton
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Now a STARZ(R) Original Series - Season 3 premiere in January 2021"Pointed, occasionally comic, often scary, consistently moving and provocative.American Gods is strewn with secrets and magical visions."--USA TodayNewly updated and expanded with the author's preferred text. A modern masterpiece from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman.First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic, lauded for its brilliant synthesis of "mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose" (Washington Post) and as a modern phantasmagoria that "distills the essence of America" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is the story of Shadow--released from prison just days after his wife and best friend are killed in an accident--who gets recruited to be bodyguard, driver, and errand boy for the enigmatic trickster, Mr. Wednesday. So begins Shadow's dark and strange road trip, one that introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. For, beneath the placid surface of everyday life, a storm is brewing--an epic war for the very soul of America--and Shadow is standing squarely in its path."Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive."--George R. R. Martin Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780062472106
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Book Description mass_market. Condition: New. Anniversary. "Product DescriptionNow a STARZ® Original Series - Season 3 premiere in January 2021"Pointed, occasionally comic, often scary, consistently moving and provocative .American Gods is strewn with secrets and magical visions."-USA TodayNewly updated and expanded with the author s preferred text. A modern masterpiece from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman.First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic, lauded for its brilliant synthesis of "mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose" (Washington Post) and as a modern phantasmagoria that "distills the essence of America" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is the story of Shadow-released from prison just days after his wife and best friend are killed in an accident-who gets recruited to be bodyguard, driver, and errand boy for the enigmatic trickster, Mr. Wednesday. So begins Shadow s dark and strange road trip, one that introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. For, beneath the placid surface of everyday life, a storm is brewing-an epic war for the very soul of America-and Shadow is standing squarely in its path."Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive."-George R. R. MartinReview"American Gods manages to reinvent, and reassert, the enduring importance of fantastic literature itself in this late age of the world. Dark fun, and nourishing to the soul." - Michael Chabon"Provocative yet fun . . . Gaiman has applied his vast breadth of knowledge about all things mythological to a truly high concept." - Entertainment Weekly"Gaiman returns to the fertile killing ground that nourished The Sandman: that peculiarly American crossroads where pop culture intersects with religion, violence and death." - Village Voice Literary Supplement"Immensely rewarding . . . . Suffused with . . . powerful imagery and deftly painted characters . . . . A finely crafted novel of weight and significance [with] poetic descriptions, sharp-eyed criticism, and first-rate storytelling. There is much to enjoy, to admire, and to ponder in this unforgettable tale." - Cleveland Plain Dealer"Pointed, occasionally comic, often scary, consistently moving and provocative . . . . American Gods is strewn with secrets and magical visions." - USA Today"Mystery, satire, sex, horror, poetic prose-American Gods uses all these to keep the reader turning the pages." - Washington Post"Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive." - George R. R. MartinAmerican Gods is sexy, thrilling, dark, funny and poetic." - Teller, of Penn & Teller"American Gods is like a fast run downhill through a maze -- both exhilarating and twisted." - Jane Lindskold, author of Changer andFrom the Back CoverUpdated and expanded with the author s preferred textA modern masterpiece from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction Neil GaimanFirst published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic, lauded for its brilliant synthesis of "mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose" (Washington Post) and as a modern phantasmagoria that "distills the essence of America" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is the story of Shadow-released from prison just days after his wife and best friend are killed in an accident-who gets recruited to be bodyguard, driver, and errand boy for the enigmatic trickster Mr. Wednesday. So begins Shadow s dark and strange road trip, one that introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. For beneath the placid surface of everyday life, a storm is brewing-an epic war for the very soul of America-and Shadow is standing squarely in its path.About the AuthorNeil Gaiman is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for children and adults whose award-winning titles include Norse Mythology, American Gods, The Graveyard Book, Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), Coraline, and The Sandman graphic novels. Neil Gaiman". Seller Inventory # BKZN9780062472106