I've heard of Neil Gaiman for awhile now, but never had a chance to read his books until now. I loved the movies based on his books, but I didn't want to tamper with my enjoyment of the films by reading the books. When I saw him on Craig Ferguson promoting the anniversary of American Gods, I jumped at the chance to read something by him.
The book is about Shadow, a guy who's down on his luck and is approached by a mysterious man to be his muscle. Without much choice, Shadow agrees and becomes the companion of an immigrant God, specifically Odin. Together, they embark on this mission to gather all the immigrant Gods to battle the new gods, namely Technology and Media, etc. There are lots of interesting twists in the story and a number of parallel story lines. The ideas are very rich and could be explored repeatedly while still being an easy read.
I liked the ideas presented by the book, but I'm not sure I'm a fan. It just didn't grip me. I could put it down without feeling empty for not finishing the story, even though it's my kind of book.
