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Old 06-19-2015, 06:11 PM   #1
WT Sharpe
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June 2015 Discussion: American Gods (spoilers)

The time has come to discuss the June 2015 MobileRead Book Club selection, American Gods by Neil Gaiman. What did you think?
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Old 06-19-2015, 06:12 PM   #2
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Alka-Selzer? Really? This give a whole new meaning to the phrase "product placement".
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Old 06-25-2015, 01:10 PM   #3
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I can't believe there's been so little discussion of this one, especially since Covingtoncat73 has posted so many quotes from it recently on Goodreads, and even one in the Notable quotes, excerpts, and profound lines thread.
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Old 06-25-2015, 01:22 PM   #4
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I'm still waiting to get my copy from the library. At least I'm next on the list.

I do wonder, though, how many others actually read it, since no one is commenting. Or was the book that uninteresting? Should I not bother reading it when the BC Library finally gives me my copy?
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Old 06-25-2015, 02:28 PM   #5
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I have a high regard for the YA work of Neil Gaiman and I had been told that American Gods is a masterpiece.

I haven't quite finished the book but I am disappointed. There is indeed the dark irony one finds in other works of his that I have read but I have reservations about the explicitly sexual content in this book which doesn't always illuminate thematic or character development. The very first passage is possibly an exception to this negative criticism as it could be read as a parodic parable about the self-destructive nature of certain types of masculine stereotypical gender behaviour. But I think that other sections add little.

I find too that the book is overlong. Many sections seem simply to grind away for pages. Yes, there are some quite interesting passages too. Sometimes the prose really does catch fire--particularly in dream sequences.

Possibly, this is a book that may gain on re-reading but at the moment, I'm not especially looking forward to doing so.
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Old 06-29-2015, 10:11 AM   #6
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^I'm with fantasyfan on loving Neil's YA work. The Graveyard Book is just so much fun and the illustrated books like Fortunately, the Milk are a lot of fun to read with my son.

I think Neil is trying a bit too hard in places to put a bit of everything in. I too loved the dream sequences and the myth and folklore in it. I can definitely see how it would be a strain for many, but overall I really enjoyed this. It's a book I would recommend to some people but not others and that's probably where this is going to stand for people: a boring mess or genius.
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Old 07-02-2015, 08:31 AM   #7
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i read The Ocean at the End of The Lane a few months ago. At that time it was the only Gaiman I had read and and I loved it. It was concise, beautiful and thoughtful.
I was really looking forward to American Gods, but I was really disappointed. I found it inflated and sometimes just plain boring. The writing reminded me a little of the Gunslinger series, which I gave up on after about 4 books for the same reason. I had a hard time finishing the last third - I just didn't care much what happened.
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Old 07-02-2015, 11:05 PM   #8
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I don't think I've posted in any of the book club threads before, but since I just happen to be about 70% through American Gods, I thought I would add my 2 cents here.

I'm actually in line with many of you. I've read several of Gaiman's story collections, and a year or two ago I read and loved Neverwhere - so I was looking forward to American Gods as it bubbled to the top of my TBR pile. But it's been something of a disappointment - even though I am enjoying it and it's not a slog to read through, I find that I don't really care how it ends (which is my "barometer" of whether a novel is really worth reading).
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