American Gods is just one of my favorite books of all time and I never had any problem reading it, I just enjoyed from start to finish. But I had years of Gaiman behind me when I read it, having read all of the Sandman series and probably Neverwhere and/or Stardust too. I can understand it might be confusing if someone is expecting a straightforward history or is unfamiliar with how Gaiman works, but when you're into it it's just pure delight =D

I feel like I really needed this video to answer all the questions I had after reading American Gods, so thank u!

It reminded me of Sandman in its impressionistic nature, which is why I liked it! A matter of expectations for sure. Sandman and then Good Omens were my first Gaiman, many years ago, neither of which I suppose are very reflective of his later work as a novelist :P

American Gods was my first or second Gaiman book I read. I'd listened to his reading of Norse Mythology before but the show piqued my interest in the book and then I got it as a gift and read it in a week. Comparing it to an impressionist painting where the larger picture is finally revealed after stepping back is PERFECT.

I started with American Gods as well! It's a really strange book, and I didn't love it the first time, but I think it would really benefit from me revisiting it. I did not expect the meandering nature at all, and I don't even mind that in a story, but like you said, expectations... lol. I also love the comparison to an impressionist painting, it really does capture the feeling

Love your analysis. It's helped me to understand some of my problems with a book I really want to like, feel that I absolutely should like based on the premise and yet somehow don't like despite generally admiring Gaiman's work. Oddly enough it's not the length or the number of snapshot stories within stories that bother me. I'd have been happy for it to be even longer if I'd ever felt it was delivering on the promise. I just wanted so much more from the ancient versus the modern gods. So many ways I felt it could have been cooler than it was and sharper. I wanted to see more of the conflict from the perspective of the modern gods and I wanted a more epic conflict. I kind of feel the opposite of your metaphor about an impressionist painting. For me the brush strokes were excellent but the painting left me cold...

Loved American Gods, and all his books, but my favorite is the Graveyard Book…especially the audiobook full cast production. Much more straightforward, but there is still so much there!

I like the idea that it is like all of his other works all at once. This is the best way I have heard it described. It was the second book, I think, I read of his. I started with Stardust and then was blown away with American Gods. I think I am in the minority though in that I had zero expectations or ideas as to what the story was going to be and therefore had no particular feeling about it either way. The only time of the story that I felt it was less compelling was when Shadow is in Lakeside. I feel like the adaptation had the potential to be excellent had it been done as a mini-series. All it needed was 6-8 episodes. I think even 2 seasons would have been pushing it. I understand that they wanted to flesh out particular characters and that Gaiman himself said that he had close to 1000 pages of background on all of these characters, it made the story drag on in a really negative way. Great video!

I had seen Gaiman’s comic, TV, and movie works, but the first novel I read of his was American Gods. I absolutely loved it. Perhaps it’s just because I’m a mythology nerd, Norse mythology especially, but I’ve enjoyed that book the most out of any book I’ve read in probably 10 years.

Frankly I went into it not knowing what to expect even after watching this video halfway through and knowing some spoilers to the plot and still found it an amazing book that surprised me in alot of ways. I found some parts like the sex and slice of life almost over the top in detail and it felt like it took away from the story at hand which ended up being far more provoking towards the end than I expected. I'm not a prude, but it kind of felt like that and the constant meandering over every insignificant detail did stain the book for me despite the rest of it being highly readable. The highest point for me was the vigil and afterwards. Best part of the book and everything ties in so well then, it drew me in for an amazing ride.... kind of like riding the lighting

I personally started with America Gods and Norse Mythology by Gaiman. AG is by far my favorite book ever and everytime I re read it or listen to the audiobook again I get something new out of it. It’s VERY different from any of his other work, but I think if I had started with anything else I wouldn’t have read AG because I’d expect it to be similar to his other stuff. Even with some weird or uninteresting parts, I find it to be a perfect novel for my tastes. I think a way to gain better appreciation for anyone wanting to read his stuff or just AG is to watch the different interviews, podcasts, and lectures of Gaiman just talking about writing. There’s a shit ton on KZfaq alone. In a recent one he said his goal for AG was to write an “American contemporary story with very straight forward prose and honesty” and that’s why I love AG. It’s a fantasy book that doesn’t bog itself down with florid language or enormous spectacle. It’s a road trip, a murder mystery, and a hidden world myth wrapped in one. Yes go into it knowing it’s nothing like what he has written, but I think that’s the charm of Gaiman. Nothing is like nothing he has written. Stardust is just as different as Sandman is to Coraline or American Gods is different to The Ocean at the End of the Lane. All they have in common is it’s his name on the cover. You don’t have to like multiple or all of his work for them to be good. Each stands on its own.

I think I started with American Gods as a teenager lol cause of all the books on the shelf at books a million it had the plot that seemed most suited to my taste 😅 its also why I think I wrongly thought he was an American author for a very long time 😂 I do think its my second favorite having read Neverwhere, Oceans, American Gods and Stardust. But it was an odd time and one I want to revisit one day

The thing about American Gods is that it's not a traditional fantasy novel, not in the way something like The First Law or Game of Thrones is. It's trying to capture a mood, a feel if you will. Some people will like it and some people probably won't. I personally love it. I love how Gaiman plays with myth and explores our relationship with myth and the stories of the past. There's few others quite like American Gods. It does hurt my heart to see a lot of American Gods/The Sandman hate though.

The other Gaiman I had read before this was Sandman, another long, meandering tome. I think you can see a lot of relation between those two. I vibed with that aspect a lot. In fact i think i would've been disappointed if it were a much more streamlined book. The digressions were most of my favorite parts. Could be WILDLY jarring if you're only familiar with his other books, definitely Wonderful video!

Definitely agree with your assessment of American Gods. I've DNFed it twice because of the meandering and how uninterested I am in Shadow. Recently got the annotated version on Book Outlet so I'll probably give it one more shot before I decide that it's the single Gaiman book that isn't for me.

I'm starting this video knowing he's updated the book with every rendition and I read the first version and just learned he keeps updating and changing this book any chance he gets

American Gods captivated me… pageturner, no book compares. It had EVERYTHING. A good book means that you can remember it, and I still think about that book. I have to reread it soon.

9:25 LMAO! Liene is boss. Any chance on some Allan Moore action on this channel? Gaiman owes his career to Moore.

I first read it quite young and its amazing atmosphere gripped me almost immediatelly and didn't let go until I finished it. Listened to it recently, still briliant. Can't relate to any of the cons you mentioned, I feel like even the pacing was one of the strokes adding to overall feeling of the book. Can't say that about the series, dropped it after that Vulcan episode (the hell was that?) and didn't feel the need to resume watching ever since.

"H8-watchn" only works when its thru pie rat sea...

I think you’re the first person I’ve heard say _not_ to start with American Gods. American Gods wasn’t my first Gaiman (first was Stardust), but I picked it up (and dnf’ed it) originally because it was sold to me as Gaiman’s magnum opus. Like, not long after it was published, people started saying, oh new classic of the genre just dropped. It immediately started showing up on must-read fantasy lists. Which _isn’t_ the same thing as a Where to Start with Gaiman rec, but since it’s frequently billed as a classic, it hadn’t occurred to me that American Gods might be a _bad_ place to start.

Gaiman has this thing with a string quartet too. He is doing exactly on earth what he is supposed to do - I question not I accept & enjoy.

9:25 interesting choice of words Liene…😂

I started with Armeriacan God and I probably wouldn't have continued reading his work without this book,It is a book that goes beyond the novel. while reading it I understood various concepts ranging from Thomas Kuhn, René Girard, Edgar Morin, Richard Sosis, Deleuze and many others. That said, I understand that it might be a good idea not to start with this book.

Tale Foundry and Hellow Future Me have both talked about this book and what it's trying to do. Also, in comparison to other Gaiman stories. From what I understand, the book is very 'Merican. So if you don’t care or don't have a strong connection with the US, you might miss a lot and not like the story. I haven't read it, but I love other books I read by Gaiman. (I still have to read Neverwhere and his Sandman comics.)

Read through this and sandman, and you saying its bloated and meandering made me feel validated and not a crazy man

Sound like grapes of Wrath

The book has changed. And honestly I found it very short. The first version. But he's added and subtracted in a way I've yet to read because now that I'm forty and life is tough to live. I spend more time trying to sleep and work to live than having time to read

Decent book. I took it as a commentary on what war means to America. The end is hopeful, saying that the everyman+ individual portrayed by Shadowmoon can exert a peaceful influence.

I was about to argue when you said it was nothing like his other works - it is one of three books that I'd say define Gaiman. That said, "Neverwhere" is better.

It is the wood that satisfies

I was quite disappointed with the book's ending. I had questions for Shadow Moon, and by extension, Neil Gaiman. How could he dare to not only face Odin but also the last of the old gods? And even the new gods, who were ultimately nothing more than papier-mâché puppets in a gigantic bluff (believe me, they're truly going to be our new gods, they already are). I was hoping for an epic battle at Mountain Rock, because it's men who retreat, not gods. I'm starting to believe that the TV series "American Gods" was cancelled due to the weak final plot, which is a shame because the book excels in character development and the individual final scenes, like what unfolds in Lakeside (which I won't spoil here). The concept that the old gods live in America because immigrants brought them with them is both simple and brilliant, deserving a more epic execution.

Loved the book!... watched the show, and I wanted it to be good... and there are significant parts... unfortunately, the show was canceled... what a missed opportunity.

I've read it several times, but before I read American Gods I'd read all of Sandman (except Endless Nights and Overture, which didn't yet exist, but had read all 75 issues of the regular comic, and the 2 Death mini-series), Neil's Swamp Thing annual, Stardust and Neverwhere (the novel -- it would be years before I'd see the BBC series... which was surprisingly good, IMO). I'm not sure where a reader should start. I guess I'd ask them what other things they like and point them to something like that. For example, If they loved Stephen King's The Stand... I probably would suggest American Gods, since both are sprawling tomes. If they don't know what they like, or are looking for something different, I think I'd suggest short fiction to start - when reading writers I haven't read before I usually start with their short stories. I'd probably suggest Smoke and Mirrors - - Neil's first short story collection. Yes, Neil's short stories are all over the place, but that's good... gives them a sense of his range. If they read comics, that makes it even easier... I'd suggest something short like the hardcover Creatures of the Night - - which contains the story "The Price", because it's a good story, with wonderful art by Michael Zulli, and as the internet has proven, most people like cats.

i think i started with neverwhere, i'm not sure. but i liked the long meanderings of american gods a lot.

So, I did start with American Gods and it was not my cup of tea. I wanted to like it, I really did. And there were definitely moments where I was like, "This could be really good." But I just couldn't do it. I lost interest about half way through and just gave up. I usually stick it out, probably even when I shouldn't. Let's face it, there are a lot of crappy books out there and you know when you are in the middle of one and you should just cut your losses. However, I am the kind of person that likes to finish what I start. Unfortunately, this is one of the few times I didn't finish. After hearing you talk about it I might go read some other stuff by Gaiman and then return to it some day.

Started with American Gods and loved it!!! So much so that I feel disappointed in other Gaiman works because it wasn't like American Gods. The other Gaiman I have finished are Anansi Boys and Snow, Glass, Apples. Still trying to make my way through Neverwhere but slowly since it didn't grip me like American Gods. So maybe don't start with it because it will spoil everything else?

were to start, you are pretty correct, I was first introduced to neil gaumens work from reading arkham asylum and black orchid, and well lets just say those are some amazing concepts and writting that got me interested in gaimens work. Now i never picked up sandman but always heard so much about it and to be honest i am more into stories of shakespear, the alchemist, theif 0of Bajdad but i did once see the show the show onHBO maybe and i just couldn't get it, you are right gaimen is a great writter and well i thought the show was really stupid and i didn't bother cause i was thinking this is some stupid crap shit who the hell came up with this stuff, it is dumb but its when i read sandman and went back and appreciated arkham asylum even more . Most batman comics have him as the hero adn saves the day but what i liked about arkham asylum was the chilling horror aspect and the darkness of batman and it also made me appreciate black orchid, I didn't like the NetFlix show as much cause Tim Sturich did a great ob but the other cast members just put me off and i didn't enjoy the Wokeness aspects too much but then i actually realized Dream lost his ruby, helm and pouch and how he got them back and shows how mankind is corrupt and the power wasn't for them, it made me realize how great of a writer Gaimen is, the battle between Dream and Lucifer wasn't a Kung fu faceoff but a contrast of views and beliefs and spoiler, How dream eventually was able to escape hell. then i realized my first thoughts were not the right ones, though i have never gone back to reading it, I don't think now as i did at the first.

American Gods is like a psychedelic trip.

He wrote it in like ten years

A painting? Okay. As far as I'm concerned, it should be a painting. But would Monet have demanded that a viewer of his paintings look at every single brushstroke in order to find the picture beautiful? I don't think so. Besides, Isn't the story too simple for all these explanations? After all, we're not talking about James Joyce's "Ulysses". By the way, I reject impressionism as an art direction. I rather vote for expressionism. For me, the book was a patchwork quilt, which is precisely why it lent itself to a TV series. At least it already read like a TV series. As we all know, there's no accounting for taste. Unfortunately, I couldn't get anything out of the story. All the time, many disgusting and brutal things happen, but I still found it boring. Somehow, that's exactly what couldn't captivate me. Even the new gods couldn't convince me. Neil Gaiman's books and I will probably remain a love-hate relationship. Greetings from Berlin Andy

I enjoyed the start of American Gods, but it just becomes kinda stale after a while. None of the characters are very likable or much worse, interesting. Shadow is just a shadow of a protagonist. Odin is kinda ok but that's it. I have the big leatherbound that combines American Gods and Anansi Boys but I couldn't be bothered with Anansi boys after finishing American Gods. I was kinda over it, I felt we just kinda walked along with a bunch of grumpy senile old people, one of whom was kinda interesting. I also didn't like his zombie wife Laura or the whole relationship they had. And it doesn't help that I absolutely hate cheaters with a passion and her whole thing was this "redemption arc" type deal for her cheating that I couldn't care about. Shadow being so .. docile when he learns that Laura passed with his friend's D in her mouth" was also weird.

I have read Stardust and The Ocean At the End of the Lane, I disliked both, Stardust more so. Do you think I should try another or write Neil off?

I quit the book when Shadow was in the town with the frozen lake. It was just too boring.

It was really interesting to me when I read it how Gaiman chose to represent Mr. Coyote, and all native mythic figures. If he didn't represent Shadow (no relation to the hedgehog) as a black man, would be kinda sinister the optics of a British tourist commenting on mythologies and cultures that are indigenous to uh.... America... I watched interviews where he talked about the process of writing AG and how he tried to go to reservations and "gather native gods" for his book. Not surprisingly, the native elders weren't too keen on telling sacred stories so a British man could write fan fiction about them, so they brushed him off. Admittedly there are tricksters and most native spirituality was animistic, but he clearly struggled with incorporating native voices and stories in a story about .... America through the eyes of a British man. He also had a subplot that involved "Ancient Egyptians" coming to America in antiquity, and when I read that I laughed so hard I almost spat coffee all over my anthropology degree. It's has a complicated relationship as a piece of post colonial literature

I reject your "Not Like That" and continue to laugh like a certain pair of animated idiots. I've never understood, much less subscribed to, this whole notion of where to start. I've been told I was certifiable for starting Don DeLillo with 'Underworld,' but it worked out fine.

Its just so dull, never got invested in any of the characters so i didnt care what happened in the story which was slow and interspersed with blunt moments shoehorned in to tey and provide some shock value. A really disappointing book

Never heard much of this book never seen the tv show. But I ordered the book of the new sun set from the folio society and was captavated by their stuff saw this on the list and it looked really good! Hella expensive 140$ for that version and like 200$ for the gene wolfe book set. I told my girlfriend id let her read it first so I can get through this other gigantic book, but after that it sounds like I'll really enjoy this one. Reading dracula now, it really got me craving more from the fantasy fiction.