A Jesus for Everyone! American Gods.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
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A look at how Neil Gaiman explores the literal power of faith in one of his early best sellers.
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I was trying to catch a flight home from Boston a few years ago. I get through security, get to my gate, and go to pull out my book to read while I wait, only to realize in my rush to leave my apartment, I'd left my book sitting on my bed. Fortunately, I had 30 minutes before the airport bookstore closed, so I rushed over, looking for something to read on my week-long break. For some reason, a copy of "American Gods" with a cover meant to tie-in with the then-upcoming show caught my eye, so I grabbed it. As I'm going to pay for that and a couple magazines I'd snagged, the woman at the check-out smiles at me and tells me to open the book to and flip through the first few pages. Turns out, Gaiman had been through the day before and had signed a bunch of copies, so I got a signed copy without knowing it.
Cool!
My own introduction to it is different, but somewhat interesting as well. So i kept hearing about the show being advertised and seeing all the promo materials with Gillian Anderson dressed up as different celebrities, and thinking that it was a serial about American showbusiness, because 'gods' - 'idols', you know? So i didn't bother with the show until much later, when i saw a tv ad and got actually curious, so i looked it up and was blown away by the concept and started watching the show. A couple of months later my sister gifted me the book for my birthday (a copy that had the serial's Wednesday and Shadow standing next to the car in a field, with the title being fashioned after a motel neon sign). Yeah, not sure what edit that one is, but i loved it. The funniest thing is that my sister didn't even know i was watching the show.
Wooow how cool!
W
Yo mate what a score for you.
I will buy it from you for seven dollars!!! 😅😅😅
Funny story. I'm married to a man from South Africa. My husband is very proud of his heritage, but he's also remarkably compassionate and sensible. In order to really thrive in most places in South Africa, in particular where he lived, one needs to be multilingual. Due to a childhood hearing loss, I am not capable of learning a foreign language. Realizing that I would not be able to learn any other language, while he was fluent in English and could even manage an American accent that was passable, he agreed that he would move to America and we would settle here. Not only would it be easier on me language-wise, but the Americans with disability law would provide me with greater protection. But this move was with the understanding he would never accept American citizenship, just remaining perpetual American resident. He fully intended to simply renew his green card every 10 years.
Then he read this book. Almost every night brought a new exclamation from him that an American trait he'd previously found baffling now made sense. Before the book was even finished, he'd become invested in the US. And shortly after he finished, he applied to change his green card to citizenship.
So Neil Gaiman managed to explain the US to my husband.
This is just lovely.
Shadow becomes easier to "be in the headspace of" if you've ever dealt with depression or hit the low point of "i don't seek death, but willingly accept it when it comes" that people with suicidal tendencies or ideology hit far before other people do. Other people tend to hit that point far later in life.
Can confirm. I had no problem grokking him in the novel, and I was in some bad places back then. Well, worse.
Choosing oblivion is such a mood
That was my take on it too. Between 7th grade and my 24th year I had undiagnosed depression it was pretty bad and Shadow's worldview really clicked with me.
That was exactly why I COULD NOT hang with him on this ride. Trying to break out of that headspace is why I always have a podcast or an audiobook on so it was a no go for me.
Ah, so that's why I was able to empathize with Shadow so well. Makes sense.
As a Bulgarian I am absolutely fascinated with the inclusion of Czernobog. It's not everyday you get to see this deity in anything other than Disney related stuff. (Yes, I know about SMITE, SHUSH!)
I have no source to link for this but I do recall Gaiman saying something to the effect that he included Czernobog and the other Slavic deities as major characters specifically BECAUSE they get so underused in popular culture.
Only thing I know Czernobog from are the persona and SMT games
You might want to check out a novel (part of 3-book "Russian Stories" trilogy) by C.J. Cherryh called "Chernevog". The first book involves the creation of a rusalka (titled "Rusalka").
There’s an added level of nuance when you consider that Czernobog isn’t actually a REAL Pagan god, he’s just a version of the Christian devil made more palatable for the Slavic people.
The real Slavic pagan deities like Veles, Perun, Lada, Marzanna, all of them were attempted to be erased by the church.
@@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick That is one theory. There's no complete consensus on the matter of Czernobog existence or lack thereof as an actual pre-Christian deity in the area nor is there likely to be, given the lack of reliable records.
My favorite thing from reading American Gods was Gaiman's author's note where he mentions that he wrote Coraline while he was suffering with writer's block for American Gods.
I did like in the TV adaptation, there was a scene where at a party for Easter, there was a lot of JCs attending, each representing a version different cultures and ethnic groups worship at church
And the casting was tremendous. I also think the show did a good job properly modernizing the idea of the New Gods.
The moment where one of them drops his drink into the pool he's sitting atop, and just looks down at it with a sad little "oh", utterly killed me 🤣
@@SennaHawx Yessss all of this
I am very sad that the quality went down hill after the original showrunners left. Season 1 was one of the best TV series I ever watched.
Also liked the scene where we get "Illegal Immigrant Jesus" vs "Border Patrol Jesus". Fantastic illustration of how different aspects of the same deity exist in Shadow's world.
Something about Shadow as a protag is something called out in-story: That he has very little presence to HIMSELF. Like his sense of identity is just not there, and, yes, that CAN make it hard to get inside his head, but, honestly... I think serves as a strength of the story because it both ties in with the theme, and also makes it easier to digest what's going on without a potential unreliable narrator problem.
Also, the one line "That one hurt. Everything else just sits on the surface." is such a FUCKING apt description of also why he seems to be so numb and empty.
EXACTLY this. You put it so well!
Yeah that was my take on Shadow as a character as well. Gaiman seemed to write him as this "proto-god" being, always in flux, his fate undecided.....but the way it was written came off as a very milk-toast, bland, uninvolved character, who just seemed to sort of "Meh" his way through the events of the book. Nothing really motivated him, he never really seemed to have emotional extremes, despite the insanity going on around him. He just sort of floated through the narrative. And as a protagonist, it made for a very dull character, that I couldn't really root for. I had no real empathy for him, and he left zero impact on me, other than his lack of impact.
I agree, it's not the protagonist I usually love. And he's not a "great protagonist" but that also wouldn't work at all. With everyone trying to get all the attention and energy he was who could have this story happen to him. The story would not be this way because if he was more "impactfull"
*Edit: And it's a great contraste to who Baldr was before he did, I didn't get that reference until this video!
@@ApequH it's still not very entertaining to read about him though. i get the narrative/thematic intent, but the reality is it makes for a very uninteresting protagonist to follow throughout an entire book.
Yeah, this is where I really struggled with AG, and sadly (because I fucking love Neil) I never managed to enjoy this one, even though I read it through twice trying! But Shadow felt like a blank space - which may have been deliberate (presumably was based on his name) but unfortunately it just wasn't something I could push through.
Plus side, it led to Anansi Boys which is one of my favorite books ever, both of Neil's and in general. Fat Charlie is the antithesis of Shadow. Falling into his headspace was like falling into a comfy chair with a pillow and warm blankets on it - it would have been harder not to, and once there it felt like such a natural fit I just kinda wanted to stay there forever. I've lost count of the times I've read that one.
Baldr being a light god while the main character's name is Shadow Moon is also hugely amusing.
The funny thing is, Gaiman and Prachett's concept that Gods come from the collective worship of people might have inspired Rick Riordan in his own worldbuilding of the Percy Jackson universe, because its often mentioned how Gods wouldn't exist if the people who remember them cease to exist. This takes quite a depressing chapter in the "Throne of Fire" of the Kane Chronicles and an important character development in "The Burning Maze" from The Trials of Apollo. In both novels (and possibly more), its mentioned how a god being forgotten by its worshippers is like a cripling dementia and severe aging resulting in the god losing sentience and even ceasing to exist.
Also how the different ways Greek and Romans worshipped the same gods caused them to develop a godly version of Bipolar disorder.
I was always, since I was a kid, deeply saddened by the fate of Pan, a deity forgotten even during Greece's prime. But ultimately it makes sense for such ancient concepts and traditions to be forgotten and replaced
Idk i kinda thought like this as a kid growing up loving magic but with parents who came from different religions and a mum who studied the ancient Greeks and Egyptian gods. It just makes sense as a concept seeing as there’s no evidence in any god except they’re believed in.
Also I named my cat black cat ‘Pan’ in honour and perhaps slightly to resurrect, he’s super loving but loves the outdoors and exploring at night 😉
@@federicosavorani6320 Pan's demise was so sad, buit for me, that chapter in Throne of Fire showing the "nursing home" of the gods legit got me depressed, especialy when tawaret have to calm down an old goddess looking for her non-existing temple, talking about how she is sure her worshippers will show up, that delusion really hit me.
I’d liken Roman vs Greek gods more to DID
Funny how this concept probably exist only in western society. Not only in percy jackson and american gods, but even in that bad movie called clash of the titans (not the original), and even in Supernatural gods feeds on sacrifices and worship and die without it.
This is sad actually, in real life people always believes that their gods are powerful, they rule over humans, not the way around. But them it comes post christian western cilization, thinking that gods can die because humans did not worship them anymore hahahah, is so stupid.
Also, Percy Jackson dont make sense. Humanity was created by the titan gods in percy jackson. Yet, gods needs human worship to exist. This dont make sense, who worshiped the gods before humanity was created by them? Also, why titans gods like Iapetus and Hyperion are in full strenght when no one besides academics and nerds know who they are? Why Zeus, Poseidon have lost their powers due to the lack of worship (and freaking Helios has even faded), while titan gods that were never worshiped (with exception of Cronus or Atlas) or remember have strenght to fight the gods? Is so stupid this entire concept.
I still remember reading his first encounter with media, how it takes the form of an episode of I Love Lucy that suddenly and shockingly turned into a scene of domestic abuse. That whole scene unfolding before Shadow or the reader really understood what was happening was so creepy to me.
That scene is really unsettling, but also in a way it reminded me of when the demons in "Good Omens" would communicate with Crowley through Freddie Mercury, so it also kinda made me chuckle.
Which episode was it?
@@Mudfire15 Of "American Gods" or "Good Omens"? Actually either way I don't know which episode, because I was referring to the books lol.
@@Mudfire15 I don’t recall the episode. I was referring to the book.
@@Mudfire15 Oh, wrong comment.
I think the part that contradicts Dom’s assertion that Shadow is a sad character comes in the “My Ainsel” section. That’s one of my favorite parts of the book because Shadow starts living a more carefree and joyful existence as though that town was designed to shut out most of the world. Hint hint
I wonder if part of his apparent persistent sadness is because of his lineage, considering the famous poem that could be a spoiler if I clarified further.
To me he came across as apathetic, but somehow not boring.
@@JackieTheCatfox yeah, no idea how gaiman managed to make that into an actually interesting character trait.
@@mistared4021 I think he is Just That Good ™
I love that part because it also reads like a detective novel. And you can figure out what's going on by reading carefully.
Fun fact! I took "Anansi Boys" with me on vacation once with my family. My mom, who was having trouble reading from a distance, asked me a question I'll never forget.
"What's that you're reading? 'Anus Boys'?"
That is hilarious. I was actually really reluctant to read Anansi Boys because I'm terrified of spiders. It wasn't until a different book by a different author inspired me to conquer that fear that I finally read it. I loved it so much, it really spoke to me, so much so it almost fell like it was written specifically for me. It's tied with Neverwhere for my favorite Gaiman novel.
No mom, that's not the kind of book I would take on vacation... That's a bus book.
@James Ball Amazon Prime is doing an adaptation. Whoopi Goldberg is set to play Bird Woman. Not sure how I feel about that, personally. I don't know if I can be scared of Whoopi. I'd rather see her as the neighbor lady who split Spider and Charlie.
@James Ball Hello fellow old person. I don't think Sister Act is going to be the role that clashes with villain for enough of the contemporary audience to be a major factor.
I was going to suggest that the clash is more likely to come from her Star Trek TNG character... but then I realized that I was mentally conflating that show and her characters reappearance in Picard.
I'm not going to check Wikipedia for which of these is slightly more dated.
Getting old: it beats the alternative. (But damn did it have to sneak up on me like that?)
😂😂😂 Uranus
personally, my favorite aspect of the version of this that i read is the bit where laura, in the confrontation with loki, lakes the spear and tosses it over the battle to consecrate it to shadow. such a great way to foil the big bads` plot, using information they either didn`t know she had or thought she didn`t understand.
You know, I never thought of Shadow as a sad protagonist. To me he came across much more apathetic than sad. And somehow, it suited him, it never got boring.
Ricky Whittle played him perfectly in the adaptation, methinks. And Ian McShane was PERFECT as Wednesday.
I never thought of him as sad either, but I've been clinically depressed for most of my life, so...
Ricky Whittle’s Shadow definitely grew on me. He’s got that rough stoic exterior and dryness that the book version has but you always get a sense it’s more because he’s been through so much. But I was always a fan of McShane as Wednesday. Perfect casting. Literally exactly how I thought he’d look and sound when I read the book.
Well if he's actually Baldur, then apathetic kinda works better.
@@nickasaro8789 Yeah, exactly! He got across Shadow's personality very well. Stoic and apathetic, but for a reason, and NEVER boring.
And yes, while the casting in general was pitch perfect, Ian McShane just shone above the rest as Wednesday. And he was clearly having a LOT of fun with the character, which is always welcome to see.
Is it depression, or apathy? I forget these lessons once taught to me.
American Gods is the first book I ever read from Gaiman and my absolute favorite. A very small detail, but imo it has the best modern depiction of Thor.
Edit because I felt like expanding on this: It's a very small section in the book, and I don't remember the quote exactly, but it was Mr. Wednesday talking about Thor, and he said (paraphrasing) "Not bright, but he'd give you the shirt off his back if you asked". It seems like a lot of modern authors (and video games, looking at you God of War 4) are making Thor either just a moron or outright malicious/a giant gaping asshole, so Gaiman remembering that he's supposed to be a really nice guy makes me happy. It also makes the fact that Thor killed himself in the book all the more tragic.
If you like American Gods, you should read the pseudo sequel, Anansi Boys.
I guess you could like the Iron Druid collection. Is pretty good in the description of gods.
Mythological Thor does get to be in a bunch of stories where he does things like getting tricked into drinking an ocean because he thinks it's booze.
@@adrianodrika okay, but THAT Thor *is* a malicious asshole. That's why... spoiler...
He is dead. And then is MARVEL Thor lololololol
@@adrianodrika I've read it. One of the worst versions of Thor and Loki I've seen, which sucks because I liked the series up until then
Dom: Take care of yourselves. Your boy worries.
Me, after having a long week: Awwww! Thanks, Dom!
I'm not going to lie...when the murdered children's story started to unwind in the Audible version I was SO on edge!
I don't know why I found it humorous how many times people just couldn't figure out what the heck Shadow was ethnically.
I like that the tenth-anniversary edition included the Jesus bit and he was all, "Yeah, my people are kinda oblivious and wouldn't know who I was if I rocked up and slapped them."
Honestly, the ethnicity thing was something that went completely over my head years ago when I first read the book.
I knew they were implying he was darker skinned then most of the cast but in my mythologically fixated mind I thought they were implying something more metaphorical. Especially when the characters of Czernobog and the constant themes of light and dark centering around shadow are everywhere in the book.
Felt like an idiot when I saw the first depiction of Shadow in visual form and realized it was half metaphor half literal. XD
@@Mister-Thirteen your comment made me think...well, there's the significance of the name "Shadow." What is a shadow but a meeting of light and darkness?
Ricky Whitle was the perfect casting choice to play Shadow, because I keep thinking he's white. I'm watching him on the screen, looking directly at him, and my brain still tries to tell me he's a white guy.
I really like that Jesus quote because it is both true to the current affairs of the world, but it is ALSO a reference to the fact that actual scene really happens multiple times in the bible
It's mentioned that Shadow's mom died of complications of sickle cell anemia, a disease that only affects people of West African descent.
As a Dane reading American Gods was especially delightful, because it was fun to see how an American Odin might work and I was oddly emotional about Shadow going to visit the "real" Odin at the end (in Iceland, not Sweden, as it happens - unless that's something he changed too ofc).
One thing you didn't mention that struck me when I read it was that it felt like a comic serial written as a novel. Obviously Neil Gaiman had a prolific career as a comic writer (not just on The Sandman) and I think some of the structure of comic arcs carried over into the structure of the book. You have world building shorts unrelated to the main plot, you also have specific instalments, episodic chapters,and separate incidents that build to a conclusion but they're somewhat standalone.
There are two sequel short stories, Monarch of the Glen and Black Dog. The premise is basically Shadow wandering through Europe, encountering its folklore. They’re very good, and Gaiman’s said he’s got a couple more stories with Shadow to tell.
Ooh, glad to hear this. :D
Yeah, I was really pleasantly surprised when I found that short story in one of him compilation novels.
Oh, I didn’t know about those. Where can you find them?
@@nickasaro8789 Monarch of the Glen is in the short story collection Fragile Things, Black Dog is in the collection Trigger Warning.
Monarch of the Glen also has a crossover moment with two characters from the short story Keepsakes and Treasures, which also appears in Fragile Things.
I don't know which edition I read, but the biggest difference that stood out to me is, in the edition I read, Laura dedicated the battle to Shadow, which I thought was a great touch.
hmm, I think that was the version I read, or at least it had the same scene. I didn't realize the different versions changed so much until Dom said it, then started mentioning /not mentioning characters and plots I was familiar with.
Sounds familiar to me. I think I remember her beating Loki, Loki finishing the ritual, then her dedicating it to Shadow and that bringing him back to life as an actual god? Then he goes to Europe and meets a better, cooler Odin
Two things to note: It's interesting that Shadow is AFAIK never called "Shadow Moon" in the book. We can only infer to that being his name because his wife's name is Laura Moon. He's called that in the show constantly.
Also when Shadow and Wednesday make their contract over three pints of met, one doing vigil for the other in case one dies was part of that. Shadow just held his end of the bargain there. Keeping one's word is kind of a theme in the book.
Also I might just be imagining this but there was this weird, illusory god that took part in the meeting of the carousel and later in a car with Shadow and Kali. He was indescribable and impossible to grasp somehow. I never figured out who he was suppost to be. Does anyone know?
Me, a pagan: Uhhm, I'd have to re-read that passage (sadly I don't have my copy anymore) because that could be easily 100+ different dieties. The concept of a member within a Pantheon that takes shape beyond mortal understanding is probably one of the *most* ancient concepts of all.
I'm usually really really good at this but I definitely would need context.
I've read arguments that the illusory god is meant to be Hades, as he's also described as "giving off a sense of wealth" or something to that effect. Hades was known both for being invisible and unseeable, but one of his lesser known aspects was the aspect of the God of Wealth.
I always thought he was a god that was forgotten enough that while he still exists physically, he doesn’t exist in people’s minds.
@@freyasacksen6878 Interesting. Hades does have an invisibility helmet, but I thought the association with precious metals was a Roman retcon for Pluto, when they accidentially synchroniced him with Plutos.
Also Hades is still very well known in modern pop culture. I think we would be doing quite well.
@@LeoFieTv But whether he's doing well in pop culture isn't actually a measure of whether he's receiving worship.
Like, this point is made pretty explicitly when they meet up with Eostre; despite the fact that of all the gods, she receives the most sacrifice, because we still go through all the Easter worships, she is the least well-known. No one in the coffee shop knows who she is, and Wednesday reduces her to tears. By contrast, Wednesday does still retain some power from pop-culture imaginings, but no one is swearing deaths to him anymore as they once did; he is no longer receiving sacrifices in the old way. That's the plot of American Gods; a giant grift to *get* Wednesday the sacrifices in the old way that he needs.
Hades (Or Pluto, or Dis, or Dark Zeus) may be well recognized, but nobody is slaughtering calfs to him, eating the flesh and then leaving the offal and bones in his name.
God I love American Gods so much. I grew up a Percy Jackson kid so discovering that book as a young adult was massive to me. Still one of my faves
One of my most vivid memories of this book is having the reveal of a certain mis-spelled but very important name and castigating myself for days afterwards because I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THAT.
That was me, shouting out loud, reading it about 3am 😅 Was already a Gaiman nerd when American Gods came out, and a big folklore/mythology reader, but somehow missed that until way later than I should've. The power of the written word is stronger than we acknowledge.
It was low key the best part of the book
The Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for Wednesday is "Onsdag", which is the modernized version of "Odins day".
I didn't know the English word came from Odin too.
I've been considering giving this book a go for a while now...
The English version isn't on Audible and my German is *not* good enough for regular books. Maybe I should just add the physical book to my wishlist, for when someone insists on giving me gifts.
I found it quite comfortable to be in Shadow's head. He's a gentle giant who is misunderstood by a lot of people he comes across, but it makes it all the more rewarding to read when he comes across someone he can have a profound conversation with / find some comfort / recognise some commonalities. He's a lonely figure, which I felt was even more pronounced than his sadness, and to know that if he was not the POV character, I would have never known what was on his mind was one of the things that made this book an intriguing and emotional reading experience for me.
I love anything Gaiman does. He's my favorite living writer, and was good friend to Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, who tie for my favorite past-tense writers.
One of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors. He is very interactive on social media. I had an interaction with him after I cussed out someone who was on his Twitter account spewing anti-semetism. I got to tell him how much I love his work and how much books like Anancy Boys mean to me as a British born Caribbean American.
I really wanted him to write in Reddit the I don't work here sub the chain about his failures in Rings of Power 🤣
@@nikwalters1029 Neil Gaiman hasn't got anything to do with Rings of Power. That show is based on JRR Tolken work.
@@cherijoseph7819 That's why the whole thread was funny. Neil replied to someone who asked his opinion of the show and then a guy responded trying to come at Neil for being "woke" as if he had anything to do with the production. It basically devolved into us teasing Neil about being the reason something wasn't what we expected or didn't get made. Pretty sure I claimed he's the reason we can't make Blazing Saddles today because he was working on Rings of Power and someone else "blamed" him for the last season of GoT.🤣
He's oddly enough on TUMBLR still of all places XD I follow him there and he's pretty active, I agree.
Weird flex: Neil Gaiman was seated four rows in front of me at a Jonathan Coulton concert in Minneapolis right when JC blew up. Probably the whole room knew he was there, but we were good Minnesotans (and also in our late 30’s) and did not bother him.
It took me sooo long to realize Low Key is... Loki. I don't know why I didn't pick up on it earlier when I read American Gods, but it never occured to me they are the same. Probably because Low Ki is a wrestler and I mixed that up in my head.
Still a great book!
Maybe also if you were reading in your head. I feel like it’s easier to catch those things when reading out loud because you are actually hearing it.
I didn't catch it either. I'm sure I would have if I were reading it aloud, but in my head I never noticed. I felt so dumb bc I was able to clock Odin right away 🤣
Yeah I didn’t get it either - probably because the name Shadow was weird enough that I didn’t interrogate the names.
@@katiehanson2290 Also didn't make the connection to Baldr until it was pointed out here, despite having read the prosaic Edda... I just did not make the connections. When hearing Dominic talk about Shadow hanging from the tree for 9 days my mind went to "Wait, Odin sacrificed himself to himself to gain more knowledge by hanging himself from Yggdrasil for 9 days!"
My mind was just too fixiated on reading the book to make any connections.
@@diamondpython8034 I caught the Egypt ones quickly, probably because they are in my head for much longer. Mr Nansi was a complete mystery to me because I am not really good with African culture.
Mr. Wednesday may be the most brilliantly obvious foreshadowing I have ever come across. It’s a dead giveaway, but at the same time brilliantly setup - obvious if you know the story or Germanic culture, but otherwise surprising. Love it.
I obliviously read right past 'Low-Key' as Shadow's cell-mate the first time, and felt like a huge idiot later.
The biggest missed opportunity of this timeline was that we never got the Neil Gaiman Norm Macdonald collab that he talked about. Just imagine how sardonic weird and fun that book would be
Gaiman is my favorite author and I even got an American Gods t-shirt as a Christmas present one year. I've personally read the author's preferred text version of the book along with all three volumes of the comic adaptation so I can't attest to what the original version of the novel was like. Not to mention that whenever I looked into the changes made in the show along with its behind-the-scenes troubles I figured that it wasn't worth my time, but because I haven't watched it I can't say that I truly have a whole opinion regarding it.
I watched the 2 seasons, and really only the 1st season is worth anyone's time. The atmosphere, costumes and acting, interspersed with the Coming to America segments gave it an otherworldly epicness that was very enjoyable. Season 2 was a slog to get through, the plot didn't advance much of anything. I think the only highlights were Mad Sweeney and Laura bitching at each other, and Thor's tragedy. Other than that, pretty forgettable. If you're ever curious about the show, I recommend season 1, you can skip season 2.
@@tatianamelendez490 I've heard that most of the bts troubles were during season 2 so that checks out.
There are 3 seasons btw. The second one is a bit slow and a bit of a mess because of bts troubles, but the third one was great!
@@YukiDelValle They made the 3rd season? With all the production troubles? Huh, didn't know that.
@@tatianamelendez490 Yes! Then it was cancelled :( they were talking about a possible movie to finish the story, I really hope it happens.
Your comment about Shadow being so depressed to care about what happened to him hit the mark to me because he was the perfect companion to me when I read the book as a teen. 'Cause I was very depressed too and then my father died and it is funny because I read Anansi Boys first (didn't know it was a sequel of sorts) and I remember thinking, I should read it again as an orphan but Fat Charlie and Spider are so funny I ended up reading American Gods for a second time lmao
Shadow, was a good companion to my grief and his story was entering enough to keep me reading but not overwhelming, I even forgot that the whole bank robbery and the old man killing girls were parts of the same book and not something I heard from the news 🤣
I do hate that bit with Shadow and the young girl tho, and kinda broke my immersion. And even as 15 years old when I first read those books, I noticed that Shadow, Richard and Fat Charlie are all shackled by wicked exes, Neil Gaiman might be my favourite author but he still a man.
Information I feel is important to share: I have a cat named Shadow after the American Gods character. He is a VERY large black cat (26 lbs), extremely sweet to everyone, and scared of all strange noises and people. A gentle giant. Which since I named him when he was little ball of fluff seems to confirm there's something to the idea that pet names bestow character. (He also had a brother I named Sweeney, who unfortunately ran out the front door and into the woods and was never seen again...sad but also strangely appropriate.)
The idea that gods exist and derive their power from human belief in them is an important aspect of Japanese shintoism. There are all sorts of artifacts and items whose devine elevation is due to their worship by humans. This isn't true of all Japanese deities, but it's something you'll come across frequently in Japanese culture. Anime with Shinto-based themes and plot elements like Natsume's Book of Friends make constant reference to the divinity of mundane yet important daily objects. Just like in American Gods, as their worship and importance diminishes, the belief is that so do these gods, though lingering hints of them may remain. It's one of my favorite things about Japanese culture.
Hearing Hinzelmann called Hershel through me for a loop ngl, but it makes sense. I just hit the Lakeside part of the story (I don't care about spoilers so I loved hearing Dom's opinion on it). Great work as always and can't wait to see the Lost in Adaptation! Edit: In my copy he's called Richie Hinzelmann
I didn't know much about Norse Mythology back when I first read American Gods and to be told who Shadow was supposed to be is just the greatest revelation in this video imo
I believe it's pronounced "Kay-ro," not "Cairo." We like to mess up pronunciation over here. Looking forward to your lost in adaptation. I love the novel and liked parts of the series (especially the first one). Particularly loved how they grew Mad Sweeney's role.
Yeah, the Wikipedia page lists "/ˈkɛəroʊ/ KAIR-oh" as the pronunciation, so somewhere between care-oh & kay-row depending on accent
Learned it was Kairo from Huck Finn.
So i listened to this book on audible which is a full cast but the narration is done by Gaiman. The interesting part is he has a foreword describing the book as a almost indiscernible in genre as it was put up for a Sci-Fi lit award, a Horror award and a Fantasy award. It really codifies how hard the book is to pin down in its influences and not only that he mentions that the book is intentionally meandering because a person's lif is not just an A-z linear trip. I found myself bored at time in the middle section but in retrospect its some of the most interesting parts of the book because it's shadow kind of finding a happy life and having just a story to himself in the world. Its like Volume 2 of sandman a nice little vignette in the middle. Also heads up the full cast audio version has a major spoiler in it, Lowkey Liesmith and Mr. World clearly have the same performer and so the Loki twist is straight up revelaled by the audio way before its supposed to.
Also as a fairly devout follower of the Christian faith I liked the Jesus deleted scene (in the version i read) and thought the part with Easter and the Jesus' in the show was great. Also Gaiman calling out the hijacking the catholic church did of the equinox festival was great and very educational about where the bunny thing came from, lol
My only complaint about this video is that you didn't talk about his obsession with coin tricks. I thought it was an interesting part of his character and it ends up being a weirdly relevant part of the plot.
There's something kind of sad and wholesome about a guy who keeps quarters as contraband in jail as something to keep him sane. And it's cute how every time he sees a kid he uses it as an opportunity to practice. It's sweet and it says more about his character than anything that's in his head.
Also I think all of the little sub stories are really cool. The one about the Piskies and the twins who were slaves really stick out to me.
Not complaining that you left out bellaquis. The Red room scene... Yikes. 😶
Huh, I didn't catch that angle on the coin tricks, I'm going to have to reread this one
@@mxpants4884 so I read the 10th anniversary edition, that is a little bit longer than the original. There's some extra scenes in it. I haven't actually read the original version so it might not focus as much on the coin tricks. I don't actually know. But if you haven't read the 10th anniversary version I highly recommended it for your re-read.
Having just finished what i believe is the original edition, not the 10th anniversary one, I thought the coins were a prominent motif/thread/symbol throughout the book. When shadow’s on the world tree, there’s even a line where the sun is described as a pewter coin.
I love how shadow talks down the war. God I love Shadow so much just, hugs and squeezes and cries over this book a thousand times over
I distinctly remember Shadow travelling to Iceland at the end. Maybe that was one of the details Gaiman changed?
Wasn't that in the one short story about Grendel?
I read it when it first came out. He very distinctly described a bit of down town Reykjavík, which he visited while writing the book. Dom being confused or did Gaiman replace it in later editions?
No, he definitely went to Iceland, I think Dom just mixed up his Scandinavian countries.
@@gracecarpinter8623 It's fair, Iceland and Sweden do sound very similar.
Spoilers
Being really baldur explains alot of Shadows powers and abilities. Baldur is a spring god, which explains why: he accurately predicts when the car will sink (first day of spring), why the spring goddess has the hots for him and the weather changing powers. Baldur was also universally loved (excl. Loki) which makes him handy in recruiting gods. It also means odin sacrificed his son for more power.
which one thing that Dom does not mention or forgets, he doesn't do the vigil for Odin because he just felt like it. No it was a duty to an oath, because Odin set it up from the beginning as an oath each of them takes to stand vigil if the other dies and Bauldur being so upstanding would never not follow through on his word
It was also my first gaiman book and i was overwhelmed by the story, the characters and the feeling. Made me aware of many gods that are invisible in the french littérature. I found hilarious that gaiman downgraded house on the rock to make sure that its not invaded by fans.
I can't say how much the "Take care. Your boy worries" at the end meant to me. It's very sweet and kind of you to always been thinking of and concerned for your watchers. It's little things like that that show how much you support us as much as we support you, even through entirely different ways. It's been a rough month so that genuinely brought me to tears. You're a wonderful human, Dominic.
American Gods is my absolute favorite Gaiman book and has been for a long time. It's truly a love letter to the Midwest - Gaiman lived in Minnesota for many years, so even though he didn't grow up here it's not like he's a stranger to the region. He even mentions the tiny town where I went to college (population 8000). The guy clearly loves the Midwest as much as he loves Norse mythology.
I'm in the northern midwest myself and I felt SO many of those northern winter references XD Ah yes, casually getting frostbite cuz you weren't dressed appropriately for the weather. A lake of solid ice that takes forever to melt. People go missing and you have no idea who could possibly be responsible. Just Northern things~
This is hands down my absolute number 1 favorite novel of all time. So much poetic richness and complexity
Me realizing you didn’t mentioned the God that everybody forgets: I see what you did there
I read the book years ago and listening to the summery it's like I never did! Oddly enough it's the little details and side story-gods that stuck to my mind. A good book.
One of my favorite books by Gaiman. I especially love when all the "old-new" gods show up, like the god of trains or the one of muscle cars, lol! A really fun book!
Great summation, but rather disappointed you didn’t talk about Bilquis. She was the only Black goddess and one of my favorites. (Also that scene in the show-you know the one-was mind-blowing and the most creative of the entire show lol)
Also, love your nail polish. That’s how I wear it: different color for each hand
That Il Neige song 👍🏿
Shadow’s European vacation short stories make him a little less Sad, but he still seems to be someone who tries to have agency but stuff gets in his way. Always hoped the short stories and Nancy boys could have been turned into a bonus season of the show and that possibly getting Neil to at least write/release the story where Shadow heads home. Since the sequel sequel may not be a thing to expect even if it gets referenced once in a while as a possible thing
Being the only among my friends to actually relate to Shadow has been one of my waking up calls about the necessity of going to therapy for my depression lmao. More seriously, Shadow is one of the few example I can think of of a depressed, yet functional individual, which is way more common that it seems. Depression tends to incapacitate characters in most stories or to lean into the dysfunction for (often well-made, I'm not complaining) drama.
Yeah, his "I'm just witnessing this, I don't care really" attitude really synced with me. It wasn't until people were like "wow he's really depressed" that I considered I must also be like that to them.
Iirc I’ve heard that the ‘warm beer’ thing stems from British beer being ‘room temperature’, but the room in question is a cold underground cellar, so it’s room temp for the cellar, not room temp for the bar/pub, but people don’t realise that and mistakingly think it’s the ambient temp of where it’s being drunk.
When I first read this I was so excited to have a name sake in a book for once and he never got a break. I was like you know what, relatable.
I read the book years ago. I remember it being a slow burn. It didn't call me to read all day as some books do, but once I got into it again it was difficult to put down. Cool vibes. Also loved the way the truth(s) were revealed at the end, Gaiman is such an intricate plotter.
So, will you be talking about the Sandman soon as well? I just watched the series, it's incredible. Highly recommend, if you haven't checked it out yet
I love how trying to describe this book makes it sound utterly bonkers and possibly nonsensical! 😂
I told a myth-obsessed friend to read it and a week later he called asking me to put him out of his misery because it took him WAY TOO LONG to realize Wednesday was Odin, and he was about to die of embarrassment. Then he went to the House on the Rock and sent me a postcard. Good times.
how about it took me THE WHOLE BOOK to realize who low-key was, i have never felt dumber in my life lol
@@xstarsystemsx I listened to it on audio and there's just no way for a visual gag to come across when read aloud, so I knew it was Loki right away.
@@spangelicious837 Yeah, I didn't realise there was a pseudonym game happening for that precise reason.
I am hugely embarrassed to admit the same.
I caught on to Wednesday immediately but I was embarrassingly deep into the book before I went "WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE" and flipped back to reread.
This really just makes me want a Dominic and Overly Sarcastic crossover.
Considering they are friends, I too would really like to see something with both of them. :)
I loved the book. I listened to the audiobook after the audible Sandman hooked me on Gaiman and it was enough to make a lifelong fan out of me. I also felt super validated, when I learned that Gaiman also jumps on a trampoline, when he needs to think about his writing. There is no better place to think about stories than in the air between jumps and you are always in motion to keep your body busy.
I absolutely love Neil Gaiman and have read a LOT of his books. American Gods was not the best for me, in the middle I got a little lost and disinterested, but read on for the payback at the end. The TV series... I enjoyed so much!! But only the first season, and made a point of watching an unofficial companion analysis after each one (Easter eggs, explanations about phrases or less known gods and events...). Sadly, the series lost me on the first episode of the second season :(
Can't wait for the next video The Dom :)
Same. I got through 2 episodes of season 2 and realized they were going a very different way. lol
This was my second Gaiman book my library had. My first was Neverwhere(and my favorite btw). AG was neat and fun with the little myth shorts in between the main plot. I just gotta read Anansi Boys next.
Aw man was not expecting that vary last bit from Domto get me: "take care of yourselves, ya Boi worries"
Thank you Dom
I never finished the novel, so I don't know anything about the Thor suicide thing, but it's interesting to think how the Marvel Thor would affect the the manifestation of Thor in a modern world. The MCU version is probably the most well-known version in the world. Comic book fandom and movie fandom are probably big enough to sustain something akin to Media, or maybe popular fictional characters are godlike in and of themselves. Either way, would a Marvel Thor be an aspect of Thor, or a different entity that spawned independently? Hercules could have manifested in the 60s with all those Italian films.
I felt so targeted by the worries line cause the day this came out I stressed myself into sickness. Gods that just felt so weirdly nice to hear after that when no one in my real life showed any worry, even if it wasn't directly to me it still felt really nice. Thanks Dominic-
YES! Love the book, and you waffle on the passion is great to be shared.
I also write a serial about a marriage counselor to the gods. And American Gods is absolutely a comp title
Your serial sounds super interesting
I'm actually in the middle of listening to the audio book right now,really looking forward to the Lost in Adaptation episode
This may be one of my favorite books of all time. I’ve always been a huge mythology nut and this story approached the concepts of myths and the religion and worship that come with them in a way I’d never seen before. On a Re-read I did recently, I also appreciated the motif of cons, deception and sleights of hand a little more and how they play into the story about being Wednesday/Odin’s “long con” to gain ultimate power via a sacrifice of gods. I also loved the whole road-trip structure of the plot for the most of it and the fact that Neil actually took a road trip on the route he planned for shadow makes it even better.
Okay so American gods sounds really interesting and I’m a big mythology nerd so I’m 100% going to read it, but I cannot get over the fact that Dominic is ALSO a fan of OSP!! I love these guys so much!! It’s so cool to me whenever a creator I like, enjoys another creator I like! I was literally talking about the mistletoe story about Loki last night to a friend of mine because I had been rewatching reds videos on gods and what their historical context is! Perfect timing for this video to post lol especially since I’ve also been contemplating reading American gods and small gods, what better push than your favorite book and film reviewer bringing them up and your favorite mythology/history channel in the same vid? Thanks Dominic for the awesome content as always, and good to see a fellow mythology nerd lol
This plot summary not once mentioning Samantha only further reinforces her as my biggest problem with the book. Specifically turning her into an implied love interest at the end out of nowhere. That needed a tad more development.
I actually enjoyed that she didn't become a love interest, for the novelty of how it (didn't) happen. She was someone Shadow met, had a spark with but they were never quite able to make something of it and that's portrayed as a little sad but that's just how it goes, no big thing. You don't see that tack taken in stories very often.
@@GriffinPilgrim I guess my point was their relationship didn't seem particularly developed for the missed connection ending.
@@strifera I'd say it's why they had a missed connection ending. Once out of his depression (more or less) Shadow thought back to her and put slightly too much into a very pleasant, potentially romantic if they'd had more time encounter and looked her up only to find that it was less of a thing for her and he accepts that. It's not like Gaiman made a big moment out of it, it was just one of several of what I'd call "wrapping up" epilogues.
I always read this as Sam having been put on Shadow's path intentionally to keep him occupied and happy until Wednesday needed him again. But while Sam is exactly the kind of person Shadow would be interested in, she's also exactly the kind of person to refuse to be a piece in someone else's game and just do what she's supposed to. Even if, or maybe especially because, she doesn't truly know what's going on.
I haven't seen any text to support this, you understand, but I always took her and shadow's weird pseudo-relationship as a microcosm of the interaction between the old faith and America. Samantha's a (half) Native American woman, who in her first interaction says she doesn't believe in Gods, but then argues that she COULD if she wanted to. She stands up for Shadow when he's threatened, but, as the end shows, doesn't need him: she has a girlfriend, and a life beyond the weird world he has found himself in. This just isn't a land for Gods, even "better' ones like Shadow.
The book was supposed to be written in first person perspective, and Gaiman did an entire first chapter as such. But he found that when Shadow finds out about Laura’s death, he becomes so closed off emotionally and becomes so passive that the POV had to change to a third person style.
Though I think some of how Gaiman thinks went into shadow more than you’d think, given how vivid and writerly Shadow thinks - like when he summons snow and is imagining of things. As a writer it’s cool but wish it would have gone somewhere like Shadow being a journaler or starting to write in the epilogue
The concept reminds me of A Modern Magician, where gods and other beings are brought into existence by belief but the more powerful ones can only be truly destroyed by disbelief, although chaos beings can be destroyed by throwing objects of order such as a compact disk at them.
American Gods is one of my favorite books of all time, and since Gaiman is one of my favorite writers, very high up there. I'm so happy to hear your perspective on the book. I can't wait to hear your review of the series. Keep up the good work!
Hearing you summarizing makes me want to read the book for the sixth or so time, although I've done so last year 🥰
Cairo, IL is actually pronounced like "kay-roe." I know. I think it was started by pioneers who read the name in a book without knowing how it was pronounced and it just sorta stuck. We have a lot of towns in Southern Illinois named after other cities but pronounced very differently. Like Vienna, IL, which is actually pronounced like "vie-en-a."
I remember reading it upon its initial release; still have the hardcover copy on my bookshelf too. I had the same reaction to trying to get into Shadow's head. It was just very depressing, but I still felt bad for the guy. It also helped, by comparison, make so many of the gods that showed up very entertaining by just the amount of personality they had... even those that themselves were battling some form of depression.
I love Neil Gaiman so much, he is such a gem
Major props for explaining the plot so well. Every time I've tried to explain any Gaiman novel to a friend, I end up sounding as though I've consumed an unholy amount of hallucinogens.
Everyone (including me) watching this video: Gaiman is awesome!
Also me watching this video: I want that LeGuin shirt!
First con I ever learned was from this book. I read it when I was like 11-12.
I called it "let's you and him fight."
Very useful
I think Dom just gave me a small moment of self-realisation when he explained why Shadow was hard to "get in the head of" because I was so in Shadow's head when I read AG.
Thanks Dom!👍
Happy Rush Ha’Shana, and may your beer always be chilled and delicious!
Also, thank you for doing another episode on one of my favorite authors
My second favorite Neil gaiman work I got the annotated edition
Thank you for the summary!! I couldn't stick with the show after Fuller left so I'm really looking forward to your next video too
its rare to see a video about a book ive actually read, let alone one i loved as much as american gods :) it was a strange journey, shadow was a very unusual protagonist and there was this aura of weirdness about it. i read it as a teenager. neil gaiman is a treasure for sure.
I saw the TV show American Gods before I went and bought a special edition of the book and then proceeded to read the entirety of it over the course of about a week . I love that book and I'm probably going to do another reread of it sometime in the near future thanks to this video.
Nearly laughed out loud when the American Boy parody started playing at the end. Loved the video!
Also this is less relevant but I love that you put out this video like a month after Kingdom Hearts' Baldr killed 11 people in a category 4 poor little meow meow moment. Thematic consistency /j
I had no idea Gaiman had different versions of this book! I'm excited to read them and see the differences.
I love this book so much, I found it because of this channel. After I read Good Omens at your behest I went looking for more similar books and found this because Gaiman wrote it.
Never read the series, but even with the spoilers, it sounds amazing. Added to my reading list for October! Also, shout out to Il Neige! The end credit song of American Gods/American Boy is just perfect 👌🏽
As Dominic noted, he had to skip a lot. I'd lay good odds it'll still find ways to surprise you!
I can't believe you called House on the Rock "an insignificant tourist trap in the middle of nowhere"
I was debating this as my next read!
Now I'm that much more excited for it! Also, OSP is amazeballs! #tropetalks
Okay, Mr. Hump Day is the best nickname for Odin EVER! 😆
I think he'd be down for it
Reading from the age of four isn’t that unbelievable-I learned at that age by watching my grandfather trace with his fingers while he read to me. I would imagine Neil Gaimen started reading in a similar way.
My roommate's 2 year old talks in full sentences and knows how to operate a cell phone to get to TH-cam so... I believe it.
might just be issue of education norm + how able the parents at home teach on their own, or have the support system to help them with it i.e. relatives/neighbours. if dom came from/grew up in a region where most adults were too busy working and kids only begin formal education at elementary level instead of kindergarten, reading at the age of 4 may not be a very common occurence.
Dominic: being an entertainer, informative reviewer, and all-around cool guy
Dominic: mentions OSP being a favorite channel
Me:.................... I already liked you......... this is excessive. (Great job as always!)
It's such a cool moment whenever one awesome YT creator turns out to be a fan of another channel on our "must watch" list! 😁
I guess that "AHA!" moment is where people's enthusiasm for various cross-overs comes from...?
He's been on their podcast, and his editor is Indigo (who also edits their videos/produces aforementioned podcast).
i'm norwegian, and i find it funny you mentioned the wednesday thing, because in norway it's called 'onsdag', which is pretty close to odins dag, dag meaning day
Love me some Dom talking about Neil's books! 💜
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for leaving Bilquis out >.<
That bit with the frozen lake and the disappearing kids can be its own miniseries. I remember remembering that story and not remembering it's from American Gods until I re-read the anniversary edition.
About Shadow as a protagonist - by the time I read American Gods, I was getting used to Gaiman's novels being about this totally normal guy entering a magical world and serving as a vessel for the reader to experience that world and then finding out he's been actually part of this world all along, so I didn't much care about him but also didn't care that I didn't care.
Great video Dominic, I haven’t read any of Neil Gaiman’s books but now I really want to, and I think it’s both practical and funny that you don’t wear pants while recording. I’ve seen every episode of Lost In Adaptation and I love your style of writing and editing and your cats are the highlight of my day.
I literally just finished the 10-year-jubilee version of this book yesterday