American Gods: An Ostrich by Nature

Since I was a child, there were few things that excited me more than the subject of mythology. From the story of Atlas to the trickeries of Loki, every tale was a saga to another realm, a journey into mystery. So upon my search for great books to read, I was bombarded by recommendations to read American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Never having read a book by the legendary author, aware that he uses a strange style, I decided to pick up the novel which modernized the idea of what it means to be a god, and created its own unique mythology.

The story begins with a man, simply named Shadow that is released from jail after some time in prison. He is let free with no family or home to return to, and is offered a job by a man known as Mr. Wednesday. Through the series of events that follow, Shadow finds himself in the center of a clash between the old gods of the past, and the new gods of today.

I was amazed at what interesting world Gaiman crafted, bringing forth an innovative idea and making it genuinely fascinating. If only he put more effort into it. Truth be told, American Gods is one of the most disappointing books I have ever read for several reasons, some of which are common in weak novels and others that one might not expect. First, and foremost, I did not like a single character in this book. It is one thing for a character to be boring, it is another for the reader to not be able to empathize or connect with them on a remote level. This is what I felt toward every character, for they were either as bland and unrelatable as Shadow, as strange as Sam, or as annoying as most of the new gods. This lack of connection with readers weakens the work significantly.

Story-wise, I despised the book even more so. I spent the entire time reading expecting something incredible to happen, yet nothing ever came; not only that, but I often felt that the book had no real direction. While it makes some interesting stops between the book’s major events, I always questioned where it was headed, and although there were a few interesting surprises, I ultimately felt that it didn’t lead up to anything either astonishing or worthwhile. Also, for a fantasy book, I found that it had very few action scenes or thrills to offer; even when we are told there is fighting or action, Gaiman refuses to give readers a glimpse of the mayhem. The most notable example (spoilers in this example) is when the new gods and old gods finally go to war, and Shadow is trying to find a resolution. We saw close to nothing about what happened on the battlefield. Why an author would write something as epic as that, and then not share it with readers, is beyond me. Furthermore, I found the epilogue, which was more of a short story, to be much more engaging than the lackluster main story. That should give you an idea of how mediocre the heart of the story actually is.

On a more minor and personal note, there was plenty of cursing, a few nude scenes, and some mature themes that were apparent in the book, such as Sam’s questionable sexuality. While there were times I found that it added layers to the atmosphere, there was such a lack of direction in the book that I felt it was tacked on just to make the book seem darker and edgier, something to catch readers in a culture that loves that style. A lot of it served no purpose in my opinion, and added something that was unnecessary. I felt it would have felt smoother without all of it, but it is more of a personal grudge. However, this last point is anything but personal.

It is a shame when something doesn’t reach its potential. What’s worse is when there is no effort made to strive to achieve that potential. That is the case with the American Gods mythology and story. I cannot emphasize enough, how genius the ideas Gaiman presented are, but it ultimately led to nowhere. Not only that, but the story was crammed into just a few hundred pages. While not everything so grand necessarily needs to be written on a grand scale, this universe was a creation dying to be expanded and explored. It deserves that treatment, but it is denied that. What could have been one of the most epic book series ever written was never given an opportunity.

If I had to make a comparison, American Gods is like an ostrich in its nature. It is colossal, striking, and stands strong, being the mighty bird that it is. But it refuses to fly. American Gods, is a book that never took off, never expanding upon what it built and never treating readers with what they deserve. It was world left unexplored.

Rating: 2/5 Stars