An Introduction to American Gods: A NovelOne question that has always intrigued me is what happens to demonic beings when immigrants move from their homelands. Irish-Americans remember the fairies, Norwegian-Americans the nisser, Greek-Americans the vrykólakas, but only in relation to events remembered in the Old Country. When I once asked why such demons are not seen in America, my informants giggled confusedly and said “They’re scared to pass the ocean, it’s too far,” pointing out that Christ and the apostles never came to America.
—Richard Dorson, “A Theory for American Folklore,” American Folklore and the Historian (University of Chicago Press, 1971) |
 “Odin the Wanderer” by Georg von Rosen (1886)
Picture from: http://norse-mythology.org
"It's about the soul of America, really. What people brought to America; what found them when they came; and the things that lie sleeping beneath it all. " Neil Gaiman |
The novel American Gods was written by Neil Gaiman and originally published in the UK in June of 2001. The tenth anniversary edition (the edition I am using for this academic review) was published in June 2011. The novel has won 4 literary awards thus far:
Like all of Neil Gaiman's writing, American Gods is rich in fantasy, mystery, mythology, symbolism, and satire. This story outlines ancient mythological Gods struggling to be relevant in contemporary America. Gaiman himself is native to the UK, making this an interesting tale of America written by someone who is not American. The fact that Gaiman is not American and yet captures the magic, myth, and culture of America is impressive and notable. It is written as if from the view of an insider, but it has all the novelty of someone observing a place from the outside.
In the first paragraph of Gaiman's introduction to the Tenth Anniversary Edition, he writes:
"I don’t know what it’s like to read this book. I only know what it was like to live the writing of it. I moved to America in 1992. Something started, in the back of my head. There were unrelated ideas that I knew were important and yet seemed unconnected: two men meeting on a plane; the car on the ice; the significance of coin tricks; and more than anything, America: this strange, huge place where I now found myself living that I knew I didn’t understand. But I wanted to understand it. More than that, I wanted to describe it."
Gaiman uses his writing to explore American* culture, how it began, and what it is today. Through his characters, diverse themes, use of mythology, symbolism, and exploration of the people of this culture, Gaiman has painted a picture that is revealing of contemporary America and our values.
- Hugo Award for Best SF/Fantasy Novel
- Bram Stoker Award for Best Horror Novel
- Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
- Nebula Award for Best Novel
Like all of Neil Gaiman's writing, American Gods is rich in fantasy, mystery, mythology, symbolism, and satire. This story outlines ancient mythological Gods struggling to be relevant in contemporary America. Gaiman himself is native to the UK, making this an interesting tale of America written by someone who is not American. The fact that Gaiman is not American and yet captures the magic, myth, and culture of America is impressive and notable. It is written as if from the view of an insider, but it has all the novelty of someone observing a place from the outside.
In the first paragraph of Gaiman's introduction to the Tenth Anniversary Edition, he writes:
"I don’t know what it’s like to read this book. I only know what it was like to live the writing of it. I moved to America in 1992. Something started, in the back of my head. There were unrelated ideas that I knew were important and yet seemed unconnected: two men meeting on a plane; the car on the ice; the significance of coin tricks; and more than anything, America: this strange, huge place where I now found myself living that I knew I didn’t understand. But I wanted to understand it. More than that, I wanted to describe it."
Gaiman uses his writing to explore American* culture, how it began, and what it is today. Through his characters, diverse themes, use of mythology, symbolism, and exploration of the people of this culture, Gaiman has painted a picture that is revealing of contemporary America and our values.
*1. I want to point out here why I have placed an asterisk next to the word American. Technically, as I talk about America throughout this website, I am actually talking about the United States of America. America would include South America and Canada as well. I am using the terms America and American specifically to discuss the United States of America while talking about this novel in order to continue the use of the author's choice of that word throughout this novel.
