"American Gods" by Neil Gaiman - Rereading Norse mythology and American culture

For our 7th book, we dove into "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. The first thing someone said was "This book has everything: humor, sex, violence, drama, gods." He really enjoyed it. One thing that stood out to everyone was immigration and what happens when one leaves their homeland goes somewhere foreign. What do people bring with them? What do they forget? What fades over time? And when do they wear different hats? In the novel, the gods are feeling forsaken. One reader related it to his grandparents who would come visit him growing up from Mexico. They were sad to see they were speaking English in the home, and that they were not doing their best to preserve the cultures of their family.

The status of being an outsider was also a big theme here. Shadow is an outsider in many ways, and the Norse gods have come to America, so they are feeling like an outsider as well. The outsiders look at those being prioritized and favored (new gods) and call them fat and foolish because they are taking their attention and worship for granted.

There were some similar sentiments in Atwood's "Penelopiad" that showed up in "American Gods." The old gods see people worshiping new things. Freeways, phones, television, internet. All these things are where people spend A LOT of time. Thus, the older gods and characters don't have a lot of time with newer generations. Both Atwood and Gaiman see the internet and TV as a "shrine" of sorts, where people sit transfixed for hours on end.

The readers called this book an epic, not only because of its length, but because of its complex themes and ideas. There are a lot of different ideas that Gaiman puts forth, and he lands most of them with grace. The readers kept bouncing around the book, pointing to different passages and explanations of this world. For example, with the dead Laura making multiple appearances, she talks of how her time as a mortal is now like a "photograph" to her. What a fascinating way to put our mortal experience into the perspective of a dead person. Another example is how the gods participate in different worldly things to get attention (casino, prostitution, etc.), much like in "Penelopiad."

Every reader commented on how this novel brings up many questions within the reader. It's hard to read this and ask yourself questions like what do I worship? Why do I worship this way? Where am I spending my time? What am I forgetting that I inherited?

Gaiman is great at "closing the loops," or in other words, he mentions something early in the book and it comes back around towards the end and is explained or resolved. One reader commented that, with Gaiman being British, perhaps he was more "gentle" than an American author would have been. He wasn't angry and wasn't picking a side. Not sure what that's saying about American authors, but I get their point. They really enjoyed this one, much more than I thought they would.

Next week, we are reading our last book for this group, Jennifer Egan's "The Keep."

Here is a link to an essay talking about "American Gods" as a postmodern American epic. You can also buy the book we read on Amazon and IndieBound. And here's an Audible link.

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Thanks! And keep reading.

-Elliot