The seed of the story is so simple and astute that many writers are kicking themselves for not having seen it before (although, since this article was originally written, I’ve had the pleasure of rediscovering the amazing and harrowing Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison, that Gaiman unashamedly admits to being the inspiration for this novel): since before its founding, the United States has been a magnet for immigrants from all areas of the world, entranced by a certain ineffable quality; be it freedom, foreign-ness, adventure, or the potential for individual success. The country was flooded by a myriad of cultures, all coming together to form the multi-ethnic populace that would define America as a unique chance to start anew, with freedom for all.

    So the question is: with this influx of cultures, where did the immigrant’s Old World beliefs fit into this? Where did their gods go? Did they come across with the settlers? If so, what happened to them?

    American Gods is the story of Shadow who, after serving time in prison, is released to put together the pieces of his life. When he discovers that his wife and best friend are dead (killed in an accident, and not a plot-spoiler), Shadow becomes numb to life and feels purposeless. That is until he meets a mysterious gentleman by the name of Mr. Wednesday, who hires Shadow and in doing so thrusts him into the middle of a war of the gods.

    Lesser authors would take this premise and run it into the dirt with a lengthy trilogy, but Gaiman shows great restraint, to the overall benefit of the story, by staying focused on the life of Shadow. This causes American Gods to aspire to greater things; the Great American “Mythical” novel. While fantastical events help shape the story, Gaiman’s compassionate and complex interpretation of Shadow’s struggle for self-redemption is entrancing and keeps the reader grounded, relegating the “magic and lightning” to the periphery for most of the novel.

    Gaiman peppers his novel with vague hints as to the characters and which gods they are analogues of, while creating new gods based around modern America’s fixations; money, technology, etc. Small interludes smuggled into the book serve to define Gaiman’s concept without hampering the narrative; they are so well crafted that they stand as short story gems in their own right. Most evocative is the tale of African twins brought over as slaves, whose tragedy and resilience adds to our understanding of the Middle Passage and its role in shaping The African-American/Caribbean mindset.

    The author states that this novel is about America, and I believe it is, even with such an audacious premise. The majority of Shadow’s interactions are with “normal” people; store owners, single mothers, runaways, waitresses. All of whom radiate a different kind of “magic,” the essence of what unites Americans regardless of their origins. The day-to-day takes precedence over the supernatural events, the landscape of a wintry America is as enchanting as the glimpses of the Old Gods themselves.

    This novel marks another milestone in his continual growth as a master storyteller, as he charts the nebulous territory between reality and imagination first explored in his Sandman series, and pursued with equal passion in Neverwhere, Stardust, and Smoke and Mirrors…

    And like his character Shadow, whose coin tricks define a certain type of magic, Gaiman creates his on brand through his understanding of human nature and belief, and the limitless stories that blossom in-between. –Vladimir Verano, 2000

(Editor’s update: Gaiman’s loosely related sequel Anansi Boys will be published by William Morrow in September, 2005)