American Gods is a fantasy novel by British author Neil Gaiman. Released in 2001, it swept a series of awards worldwide.
AMERICAN GODS RESUME
In the novel, we follow Shadow, who has been imprisoned for three years and is close to being set free; however, shortly before his release, he is informed that his wife died in a car crash.
Once out of prison, on his way to the funeral of his wife, Laura, he meets a very strange gentleman who offers him a job. Shadow refuses at first, but due to the aggravating circumstances of his situation, he ends up accepting the offer.
At Laura’s funeral, things get even worse because Robbie’s wife tells Shadow that they died together in the car accident, and that Laura died with her husband’s penis in her mouth.
Once the funeral arrangements are finished, Shadow departs with his employer, Wednesday, serving as a sort of security guard on a journey that will take them across the USA.
During this trip, he will discover that gods are real and that they walk among us, taking on human forms and living mundane lives.
And that a war is brewing between the new gods and the old gods—and he will be right in the middle of it all.
BEST BOOKS FOR BEGINNERS
American Gods is certainly not a book for beginners; its text is dense and complex. Although I highly recommend it, if you are just starting to build a reading habit, I suggest you first read my article: BEST BOOKS FOR BEGINNERS.
NEIL GAIMAN BOOKS
The first Neil Gaiman book I read was Coraline, back when I was in school. I remember I had already read some fantasy stories like The Chronicles of Narnia, but nothing I had read before was quite like it.
That was diferent. The magic it had a diferent form. It was a book for children and teenages, but was enough mature to in your form how trate the reader. I was fascinate.
That was over ten years ago, and I still remember how great it was to read that almost terrifying book.
Years later, I read The Ocean at the End of the Lane by the same author, and once again, I felt a spark of that same emotion.
But with American Gods, it’s a little different. In no moment does Neil Gaiman propose this as a story for kids or teens. This is a novel for adults from beginning to end, with sex, zombies, gods, and sacrifices.
SHADOW IN THE BOOK
SHADOW
It is common to see online reviews criticizing Shadow’s unusual demeanor. An introverted main character is certainly not a common trope, whether in fantasy, science fiction, or any other genre.
Shadow is a man of very few words, and because of this, his intelligence is underestimated on several occasions throughout the story.
However, I believe this outlier enriches the narrative rather than detracting from it. We don’t always need the same hero archetype.
Neil Gaiman left many clichés behind in this story; it is only fair and logical that his hero would also break away from these paradigms.”
LAURA IN THE BOOK
Shadow’s zombie wife, Laura, is one of the most interesting characters in the book. I’d like to say that Laura also breaks several clichés as a zombie, but that’s hard to claim since there are all kinds of undead nowadays.
Perhaps this vast diversity is partly due to the influence of American Gods, after all, it’s been 25 years since the book’s release.
To avoid spoilers, I will simply say that the Laura from the TV series and the one from the book are very different—as is the emphasis given to them, which was much greater in the series.
Furthermore, the show explains certain things about the couple that aren’t in the book, such as how they met.
Although Neil Gaiman served as one of the executive producers of the show, I’m not sure if we can consider these events canonical.
THE ORIGIN OF THE GODS
The main gods we encounter in the story come from various parts of the world: Norse gods, African gods, Egyptian gods, Russian gods, and some Native American deities.
In fact, it’s not just gods, but also other entities of various classifications. These gods and entities ended up in the United States thanks to immigrants who arrived there and continued to worship their old gods.
The book mentions only once that there is a God (or force) who created the universe, but the earthly gods originate from human faith.
In other words, when a group of people begins to worship a non-existent entity, the continuity of prayers and sacrifices causes it to come into existence.
Remember the biblical passage where the people make a golden calf and worship it? In the world of American Gods, that calf would have become a real deity.
GODS IN HUMAN FORM
In general, the gods take on human form and live among people, answering their prayers. However, this common form is not a rule; a god will take whatever shape they are imagined to have.
If worshippers imagine them as an ox, then they will take the form of one. If they are imagined as a blue man with multiple pairs of arms, that is what they will be.
Despite this, the vast majority seem capable of assuming an ordinary human appearance. It is possible that they can all do this, though the book never explicitly states it.
THE GODS OF AMERICAN GODS ARE NOT IMMORTAL
This is another unconventional concept in Neil Gaiman’s book. Although the gods are immune to mortal diseases and possess indefinite lifespans, they can die.
This happens because they are strong and imposing only as long as they are worshipped; once they are forgotten, everything changes. The source of a god’s strength is precisely the prayers and sacrifices made to them.
Without these, they slowly wither away.
Since they must live in the world of men, they face the same dangers as we do. Thus, over the generations, they can end up being murdered or killed by trivialities—such as a car accident.
WHERE ARE THE LATIN AMERICAN GODS?
Where is Mestre Tarrachá, or the King of the Fish (entities from the Pankararu tribe)? Or Inti, Viracocha, and Mama Quila (the Inca gods)?
And what about the Greek gods? Where are they?
In fact, none of these appear in the book or even in the TV series.
As previously mentioned, the primary gods in Gaiman’s story are those brought to the U.S. by immigrants. And, of course, the New Gods, who emerged only recently.
Thus, we don’t initially see Latin American gods in the story, as they wouldn’t have enough devotees in that land to dwell there as well.
AMERICAN GODS AND JESUS
And what about Jesus? Is he in the story too?
No.
At least not in the original version of the text, which is the one I read.
Jesus is mentioned several times in the way people and even the gods speak—phrases like: ‘For Jesus!’, ‘My Jesus!’, or ‘Only Jesus can help’ (that last one is actually a very Brazilian expression :)). However, Jesus himself never appears. When you think about it, it’s a bit strange, but understandable.
About 80% of the U.S. population is Christian, and some have even formed quite violent sects.
Now, imagine if Gaiman had portrayed Jesus as a god just like all the others in the story?
Well, actually, he did.
I can imagine his editor nearly pulling his hair out, anticipating the ‘shitstorm’ that would rain down on him.
He must have convinced Gaiman to remove the Christian god for everyone’s sake—especially his own. I say this because, in the extended version, there is a chapter featuring Jesus.
AMERICAN GODS: THE AUTHOR’S PREFERRED TEXT
Recently, the extended version of American Gods was released—the so-called ‘Author’s Preferred Text.’ It includes more details and the controversial chapter featuring Jesus. Apparently, enough time has passed for the book to be digested and for the idea of Jesus among the gods not to cause such a stir, as there was hardly any backlash. After all, times are changing.
As I mentioned in my video—but it’s worth reminding you—I haven’t read this version. My copy contains the text as it was originally released. Interestingly, everyone I’ve seen complaining about the book read the extended version. It’s possible that the extra details made the reading even slower than usual. As I also said in the video, the pace is a bit sluggish at certain points, though that doesn’t take away from the brilliance of the work.
However, there might be another reason. The story itself is very different from the norm, and its rhythm is unique. This might have caused rejection from a minority of readers. Or, they simply didn’t like the story—which makes any book a drag, regardless of its length. Nevertheless, even with the added content, the majority of readers, myself included, loved the story.
AMERICAN GODS: THE TV SERIES
This isn’t a blog about shows or movies, but there’s no reason not to make a few comments on these adaptations, as they certainly introduced the book to many readers. The series ran for three seasons, yet they weren’t able to adapt the entire book. Its final season was released in 2021.
I’ve already discussed Shadow and Laura enough in previous sections, so I’ll simply say that while they are very different in the show compared to the book, they do maintain their core essence. As for the first few chapters, the show is almost a visual transcription of the book, which made me a bit apprehensive at first. However, that changes as the story progresses.
From the fourth episode onward, the plot begins to take a very different path from the original text. For me, having read the book first, it was actually a relief to see new elements in the story. One of them is the emphasis given to certain characters. For instance, the leprechaun Mad Sweeney gained a much more relevant role, appearing in almost every episode. Bilquis is another character who was given much more screen time. Her portrayal—consuming men and women through her vagina—likely played a part in the decision to increase her relevance.
In short, the series is very good. It takes different paths to reach the same results we see in the book. So, if you liked the book, watch the series—and if you’ve only seen the series, read the book.
FINAL VERDICT: WHICH VERSION SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
After all this, you might be wondering: which version is right for me? If you are a purist like me and want a tighter, more rhythmic experience, the Original Edition is a masterpiece that stands the test of time. However, if you are a Gaiman superfan and want every single drop of lore—including the infamous Jesus chapter—then the Author’s Preferred Text (Extended Version) is your best bet.
Whichever you choose, American Gods is an essential journey for anyone who loves deep, thought-provoking fantasy. You can grab your copy through the links below and support the blog at the same time!
