Once upon a time, fantasy author Terry Prachett had a brilliant kernel of an idea. He, a master of hilarious subplots and idiosyncrasies, actually wrote in one of his earlier Discworld series that the strength of belief was the food that sustained Gods . Neil Gaiman, while collaborating with Terry Prachett for the novel "Good Omens," compounded on this little idea, and asked if he could take Prachett's idea and run with it.
Run very far, indeed. In this book, Gaiman asks, "What would Gods look like in modern times, and what would they do if they have no more believers left?"
Shadow, an ex-convict, is hired by a mysterious man to act as the muscle upon his release from the pen. This old man has so many hidden resources and knowledge of human nature and is able to manipulate others to do his bidding. Shadow gets to meet very strange "people" along the way as he drives the old man around the country to recruit their support for the old man's mysterious cause. Obviously, something big is going to blow over, and it is this suspense that keeps the pages turning.
What is remarkable about this novel is the sheer grand scale of it. Incredible research has gone into writing this novel on the various settings all over the map of the United States. The characters are enriched with full backgrounds and histories that compels you to identify with them. There are ancient fertility symbols come to life, as well as a winking Lucille Ball to entice Shadow to betray his employer. The sub-plots are developed extensively and may even teach you something about slave trading in the West Indies and Eastern European sacrificial rites. This book is not for those religious conservatives who insist that the Christian god is the only god, because oddly enough, Jesus or Jehovah doesn't appear in this novel.
This book is very highly recommended, especially for those who enjoy Nordic mythology and funky potpurri of religious factoids. Others will enjoy seeing their god of choice making cameo appearances.
Run very far, indeed. In this book, Gaiman asks, "What would Gods look like in modern times, and what would they do if they have no more believers left?"
Shadow, an ex-convict, is hired by a mysterious man to act as the muscle upon his release from the pen. This old man has so many hidden resources and knowledge of human nature and is able to manipulate others to do his bidding. Shadow gets to meet very strange "people" along the way as he drives the old man around the country to recruit their support for the old man's mysterious cause. Obviously, something big is going to blow over, and it is this suspense that keeps the pages turning.
What is remarkable about this novel is the sheer grand scale of it. Incredible research has gone into writing this novel on the various settings all over the map of the United States. The characters are enriched with full backgrounds and histories that compels you to identify with them. There are ancient fertility symbols come to life, as well as a winking Lucille Ball to entice Shadow to betray his employer. The sub-plots are developed extensively and may even teach you something about slave trading in the West Indies and Eastern European sacrificial rites. This book is not for those religious conservatives who insist that the Christian god is the only god, because oddly enough, Jesus or Jehovah doesn't appear in this novel.
This book is very highly recommended, especially for those who enjoy Nordic mythology and funky potpurri of religious factoids. Others will enjoy seeing their god of choice making cameo appearances.
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