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Ok, jumping in here (a bit late, I know).
First, I'm glad I finished this time, but man, this book has a rough start. I think it's best suited to those who have a deep love of mythology of all kinds. I also think that, for better or worse, Gaiman tends to write similar themes into his books, and having read all of Sandman, Neverwhere, Stardust, and now American Gods, I'm not sure I need to read more. I kinda feel like I've had my fill of reading about how myth and fantasy blend into real life, if only we know how to look for it.
In terms of Shadow, for me he's the personification of American doubt in the idea of *any* belief. He has no strong feelings for anything, whether it's Native American, Norse, or Modern gods. He'll go through the motions of worship, but for him, he'll never more than shadow the beliefs that others have had before him. So I don't think he's Balder or Thor (my initial guess, for what it's worth) or anyone so much as he's a part of all the gods, and never ever to be one incarnation of anything.
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