American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition (A Full Cast Production)

By: Neil Gaiman

Narrated by: Ron McLarty, Daniel Oreskes, full cast

Length: 19 hrs and 39 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.

"Mystery, satire, sex, horror, poetic prose—American Gods uses all these to keep the reader turning the pages."—Washington Post

©2011 Neil Gaiman (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"This full-cast performance of the tenth anniversary edition of Neil Gaiman's American Gods (think director's cut) is one of the most mesmerizing audio experiences ever.... Ron McLarty plays a randy, crusty old Odin disguised as a white-collar con man to perfection. Daniel Oreskes's Shadow, the hero who doesn't know quite what he is, is masterful. Oliver Wyman, who did Mad Sweeney the Leprechaun, is a genius. Hats in the air for the whole cast, a flawless production, and a tour de force of a tale." ( AudioFile)

Classic Listen

A fantastic read that still has me thinking about it months later. You may need a second listen just to make sure you didn't miss anything. A truly great novel

American Gods gets a FIVE but this audio book gets

slightly less than that. A three, I suppose, which averages out to a four. I love the story and the narrators do an OK job. OK, not great. Some of them sound robotic and unpersonable but some of them do very good.

I was dissapointed in that it's called a full cast audio book but it's really not. There are only a few voice actors reading a story with many, many, many amazing characters.

If you've never read American Gods or never listened to it, you should know that it is a slow book and the protagonist doesn't actively want anything. He's called Shadow and it suits his personality. Many readers/listeners get frustrated with this but I found it to be a great way to approach the story told.

It's an amazing story if you're into dark fantasy, mythology or post modernist writing.

Not Sure Longer = Better

I read the first (shorter) edition of American Gods some years ago and loved it. This longer version is still good, but I don't think the additional text adds much to the book. In fact, I think the shorter version is tighter and the story moves along much better. The narration was fantastic, and of course the story is a fun, thrilling ride, but overall, I prefer the tightness of the first version. Gaiman's editor had the right idea. Although, if you can't get enough of Gaiman and want to live in his world and words as much as possible, you would enjoy this edition.

Great story, great performance

I was born in Wisconsin and spent every summer there until I was about 16. Many of the roadside attractions were favorite stops on the way up or on the way back home to Kansas. I vividly remember the House on the Rock on one such visit.

Growing up in Kansas the "geographical center" of the USA in Smith County was another familiar day trip.

From Chicago to Mt. Rushmore I have visited most of the places in the book and that made the story more interesting.

The premise of the story is original and compelling, a nice mix of mythology and magic from all around the world. It is the classic American melting pot told from a different point of view.

The production of the story and voice actors are excellent, making for an extremely entertaining listen.

I would highly recommend this audiobook for any listener, except possibly the children under 14..

it's a good audiobook

good for a road trip or a walk in the woods. good for getting a taste of america.

Roller coaster!

I was all over the place on the feels with this book. I loved it, hated it, cheered and yelled in frustration and just as I guessed what was going on and what I thought was going to happen bam! Brick wall. I listen to books at work to pass the time and loneliness of working along most days this book was amazing. Performance was great, story was great, and the entire experience was astounding. Highly highly recommend.

GREAT,GREAT,GREAT!!!

This is the most true experience of listening to a book I ever had! To start , I'm a Gailman's and I,absolutely, love his comments and dialogs with the reader about how his writing process worked for the book. The plot is great, this Gailman's twist he gives to everything he writes about is so unique. I would describe the experience of listening this book to the one of tasting a wine that everyone swears about its greatness but you can only understand once you tasted it! GREAT,GREAT,GREAT!!!

This is my favorite book

I love this book because it's complex and rich. I have read it twice and I'm always getting new things from it. The characters are nuanced and intriguing, the plot is multidimensional and always interesting. Great narrator! The performances of Shadow and Wednesday were fantastic.

best book ive ever read/listened too

this book has everything, from mystery to murder to extreme details and specific hystorical and biblical scriptures. The author captures so much its like you can actually see and feel the emotions of the characters. absolutely amazing job. - SO

Doesn't get much better than this

I've only read the unabridged version, and can't imagine that they've edited so much out. The concept, story, and execution is nothing short of brilliant. Sadly, there's no place to go but down from here in the fantasy genre.