American Gods

Summary from the Publisher...

book coverReleased from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming -- a battle for the very soul of America . . . and they are in its direct path.

One of the most talked-about books of the new millennium, American Gods is a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an American landscape at once eerily familiar and utterly alien. It is, quite simply, a contemporary masterpiece.


Awards

Discussion Questions

  1. Where is Shadow at the beginning of American Gods? Where is he at the end? Of the many characters he encounters along the way, which did you find mostmemorable? What did you make of Shadow's obsession with coin tricks? How did you interpret his determination to participate in the vigil for Wednesday?
  2. How does Laura die? Were you surprised by what happens at her funeral? How does she come to Shadow's aid? What explains the phenomenon of her persistence in the world of the living? How does Shadow release her from her state of limbo?
  3. How would you describe Wednesday? How does he interact with Shadow at the start of the book? Did you find any of his grifter schemes especially entertaining? What is his connection to Odin? By the end of American Gods, what relationship between Wednesday and Shadow is revealed?
  4. Who is Czernobog? How would you describe him? What is his relationship with the three Zoryas? What did you make of this group? What role did they play in Shadow's experiences?
  5. "There are new gods growing in America ... gods of credit card and freeway, of Internet and telephone, of radio and hospital and television, gods of plastic and of beeper and of neon." How do you interpret this remark? Do you think there's any element of truth to it?
  6. How would you describe Shadow's sojourn in Lakeside, Wisconsin? How do Hinzelmann, Chad Mulligan, Marge Olsen, and Missy Gunther treat their mysterious new neighbor?
  7. Who is Alison McGovern and how does Shadow come to know her? What clue enables Shadow to determine her killer? What did you think of the outcome of this mystery?
  8. "Would you believe that all of the gods that people have ever imagined are still with us today?" Shadow asks this question of Samantha Black Crow. Do you find this premise compelling? Did any elements of the plot of American Gods push this idea in interesting directions?

Links

neilgaiman.com
Exclusive materials, a brief biography, reviews, an online journal kept by the author, and even a FAQ that addresses questions about American Gods.
The Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers' Web site for the book.
at bn.com
Includes many reviews as well as full interview with bn.com.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
A review from Salon.com by Laura Miller.
New York Times Bestselling Author Neil Gaiman: _American Gods_
An in-depth interview with the author from The Well.
Only the Gods Are Real
A Web site by a hard-core fan that really puts a strong focus on the mythology of American Gods. It also includes some nifty maps to illustrate the movements of the story.
A Review
This review, from sfsite.com, is by author Lisa DuMond.
Neil Gaiman on writing and 'American Gods'
An interview with the author by CNN.com.
A Review
A 5-star review by Sharon Schulz-Elsing for Curled Up With a Good Book.
American Gods in a High School Classroom
An interesting blog entry by a teacher about how he used this book in a high school AP American literature class.
A Review
The /. review.

Other Resources

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Updated: 10/3/2005