American Gods [TV Tie-In]

By: Neil Gaiman

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 20 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Now a STARZ® Original Series produced by FremantleMedia North America, starring Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily Browning, and Pablo Schreiber.

Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.

But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow's best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and a rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.

Life as Wednesday's bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined. Soon Shadow learns that the past never dies . . . and that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path.

©2015 FreemantleMedia North America. All rights reserved. Artwork © Starz Entertainment, L.L.C. Starz and related services marks are the property of Starz Entertainment, L.L.C. (P)2001 HarperCollinsPublishers Inc.

Critic reviews

Hugo Award Winner, Best Novel, 2002

Nebula Award Winner, Best Novel, 2002

"Read dynamically and emotionally by George Guidall - who gives more personalities and ethnicities than one would think possible... Brilliant dialogue and profound insights into American consciousness show Gaiman to be a visionary and a master wordsmith." (AudioFile)

"Neil Gaiman enters Stephen King territory...with American Gods." (New York Post)

"A crackerjack suspense yarn...juicily original...Wagnerian noir." (Salon.com)

"By turns thoughtful, hilarious, disturbing, uplifting, horrifying and enjoyable, and sometimes all at once." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Guidall is great, the book itself no so much

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend this to a friend as this was merely av average book. The premise is actually wonderful, but Gaiman execution leaves a lot to be desired. Too many plot twists appear convenient to tie the story up into a tidy little bow as opposed to planned out with purpose.

Would you be willing to try another book from Neil Gaiman? Why or why not?

I might try another Gaiman book if it received very positive reviews.

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

George Guidall is one of the best in the business and continues to impress in this audiobook. His pacing and voice is wonderful.

Any additional comments?

The recording itself was very noisy, with almost metallic noises coming through at almost every pause. It is quite distracting, although extremely faint. I found myself trying to hear the background noise instead of paying attention to the author and reader.

A Must Read

This book was very interesting and engaging. Being from Wisconsin, I got a kick out of all the references. But even beyond that, intriguing idea of the gods still being around and being just as flawed as all of us. The adventures of the main character were engaging and I really never felt like I really knew what would happen next. Great twists in the story too that were backed up through the storyline. Neil Gaiman is such an imaginative and engaging author. Loved this book.

Another Neil Gaiman masterpiece!

I truly couldn't put this (audio)book down. Gods, felons, corpses-what more could you want. Brilliant!!

Will definitely read again!

Narrator does an excellent job bringing each character to life and paints an amazing audio picture of Neil Gaiman's writings.

A little slow and meandering, good but not great.

Hmm, I'm conflicted on this one. I do really think Gaiman has an amazing imagination, and how he even came up with the concept for this book-- that gods walk among us, all gods that ever have been, gradually losing power and influence or even dying when belief in them eventually fades -- is mind blowing. And making it kind of a slow, almost-Western feeling story works, too. But something I can't quite put my finger on kept it from being great, for me. I think I wasn't quite connected with the character of Shadow, and I wanted more information on the different gods. Hours and hours of audiobook, but not a lot of explanation or action. And it kind of ended with a whimper. I wanted to like it more.

A note on the audiobook: I bought the George Guidall version because I really don't like full cast recordings. Guidall is a great narrator, I've loved him in all the Stephen King books I've listened to, but he does age Shadow quite a bit... Shadow's in his 30s but listening to Guidall makes him seem more like an old man. Also there is an interview IMMEDIATELY after the book ends; it was an awful switch to make.

Immigrants get the job done

An eccentric, inspiring view of America that only an immigrant could provide. Fans of the STARZ series must read /listen to this book. George Guidall IS Mr. Wednesday.

Splendid

Absolutely nothing but pure entertainment! Much better than the television show , excellent story telling

Fascinating

If you could sum up American Gods in three words, what would they be?

Smart, Interesting and Engaging

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I spread it out over several days. I think it would be a lot to digest in one sitting.

I am now a Neil Gaiman fan!

Would you listen to American Gods again? Why?

Yes, i would listen to this book again. The plot and the characters were so rich and detailed that I'd love to go back and pick up things I didn't catch during the first run through.

Which character – as performed by George Guidall – was your favorite?

I loved Mr. Wednesday, Mad Sweeney, and the main character, Shadow.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I actually liked having time to think about the characters and the plot in between reading the book. While this book is really engaging, It's not one of those "OH MY GOD, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?" rollercoaster rides... and I kind of liked that about this book. It's something to be savored, not consumed.

Any additional comments?

Before reading this book, I'd heard of Neil Gaiman but never read any of his novels. I have to say that by the second chapter of the book I was a newly minted Gaiman fan. Can't wait to read more of his books.

A Great Novel

I have listened to this version of the novel three times. George Guidall does a great job of narrating this book. The characters are interesting and you pick up a little history in the process (but I am not sure about the accuracy of the history.)