American Gods 
-Contemporary Urban Fantasy


"Call no man happy until he is dead"- Shadow Moon

American Gods by Neil Gaiman I found to be profoundly entertaining. Neil Gaiman in my opinion successfully modernizes the historical mythologies of varying Gods throughout recorded history. Through various misadventures the book follows the character called Shadow Moon. We see through the eyes of Shadow we experience everything he experiences, many of which were first for him and arguably the audience. This works in the readers favor as we in a sense area as clueless as him in his various misadventure through him we are introduced into this world Neil Gaiman has set the stage for.

Neil modern dramatization/interpretation of old Mythological character are cleverly interlaced with the ideas of American values. This is done through the power of belief.

          “So, what came first? Gods or the people who believed in them?” - Mr. Wednesday

This implies that the Gods only ever exist through the power of belief. Both old mythological called and the newly introduced fictional “New God” only exist because of the beliefs and values of the people. This in turn reinvents myth. Myth exists because of belief in them. This is made relevant in our contemporary world because Neil Gaiman gives us a unique situation in which the Old Gods power come from worship. However now that the “American Values” and beliefs have shifted to more contemporary concepts like, Globalization, Technology and Media, which creates Mr World, Technical Boy and Media. This is brilliant in my opinion as it creates the central conflict to the story, in which the New Gods amass power while the old Gods fight against being forgotten. This gives the reader much though and reflections on the dynamics and relationships between their morals, values and beliefs. Does this have power over us because we believe it does? Or are we the ones with power giving them power over us?


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