American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I've come to the party late. I don't read much fantasy. IMO it has its work cut out matching the greatness of Beowulf and The Odyssey. It's an unfair fight- modern genre fantasy against the BIG realities of the Old Days. In truth the only reason I picked up a copy of American Gods was that I was in a hostel in Portugal and it was the only English book on the shelf. And ....

It's brilliant! Neil Gaiman has a deft hand with the Gods. He managed to slip Mad Sweeney past me until the guy sat up in his coffin. I did cotton on to Bast, I worship my two furry house goddesses.

The journey structure works, I believe the characters, I want to see what happens next. I have never been to America and he makes me feel the landscape and the surreal parts of the American Dream, the fairground carousel and the casino. Neil Gaiman also knows a lot of gods and god stories that iI have yet to read.

Next step -The Eddas, add that to my mile long reading list. And watching American Gods on TV, it starts on May 1st.