http://norman.walsh.name/2003/12/24/americangods 6 135 2003-12-24 $Date: 2005-09-11 10:27:02 -0400 (Sun, 11 Sep 2005) $ Norman Walsh 2003 Norman Walsh Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is good stuff. J. R. Lowell The intellect is a diœcious plant, and books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind. I’m not generally inclined to post reviews of books, movies, or plays. Criticism, literary or otherwise, isn’t really my strong suit. I know what I like, but not always why. And I know what I don’t like, but I don’t often attribute that to a failure on the author’s part. Having said that, I just finished Neil Gaiman ’s American Gods last night, and a few words about it follow (but no spoilers). I really like Neil Gaiman . He’s one of a few authors that I’ll buy sight unseen. For my money, Good Omens, a collaboration with Terry Pratchet is, if not the funniest book every written, certainly in the top ten. American Gods is good stuff. The american landscape and the mythologies imported by our immigrants have clearly been meticulously researched. The story is clever and thought provoking and the characters are well drawn and interesting. Yet somehow the story never really caught me as deeply as his other work. I think Neverwhere is still my favorite of his solo ventures. I haven’t read any of the Sandman novels yet, but maybe I’ll fix that with a gift certificate after Christmas.