American Gods

I love Neil Gaiman. A Lot. I get that you maybe don't. I do. I really do. I don't agree, but I do. I read American Gods 10 years ago when it first came out, and while it maybe wasn't EVERYTHING I wanted it to be, it was pretty damn close.

I've had more then a few people talk to me about it, and how they don't get Gaiman's books, and in particular, didn't get American Gods. Here's the thing about Gaiman - what he writes is Good Literature. He's not a writer I plow through, he's a writer I read.I admittedly read this book the day it came out - I'm not sure why I waited to write/blog my thoughts about it but I did.

Also, I feel I'm waxing poetic. Annoying. Here: Neil Gaiman. You get him or you don't.

I've always kind of loved the idea that gods do not exist on some vague eternal plane, but that they rather rise, and fall with cultures and civilizations and people and places. There's a lot of discussion about the similarities between the gods, and I love how Gaiman touches on that. I also love the idea that we have to be careful when we try and make gods into simple human forms - even putting aside my own beliefs to me the idea of simplifying our own theology is something to be careful about.

It's something of a cautionary tale - be careful what, who and how we worship, since the idea of gods lurk in our subconscious.American Gods is well worth a read. I've picked it up more then a few times over the past few years, and the 10th anniversary edition did not disappoint. I was THRILLED when I found out HBO and Gaiman are turning it into an HBO series. It's pretty much perfect for it. By pretty much, I mean totally. By totally, I mean I may just die. It's possible.