Very interesting and helpful reflections. I read American Gods a few years ago, and had mixed feelings about it. I liked the way it highlighted something I think is an important truth about people anywhere - that everyone, in one way or another, latches onto something as their "god", whether that's traditional faiths or something like Technology or Media. I thought that was very cleverly done, and I also enjoyed the way he used that in illustrating immigration and the diversity of cultures that results. I was less keen on the sometimes very graphic scenes. All things considered, I think it was my least favourite of Gaiman's books that I've read; I liked Neverwhere and The Ocean at the End of the Lane better.
I think your analysis of Wednesday as a villain is spot-on. (It took me AGES to realise he was Odin!) I don't clearly remember the bit with the underage girl, but it's a while ago.
I think I'm not going to worry too much about the ageing of my writing. (Chances are people won't still be reading it in 20 years anyway!) I quite enjoy reading books from the relatively recent past and getting that nostalgia factor. It didn't really occur to me as a factor in American Gods, because the US is a foreign country to me anyway, although many things are familiar from TV/movies and I have visited a number of times. (Also, in 2001 I was already well into my undergrad degree -- now I feel old! 😂 ) I'm also not going to worry about audience. I don't think it's ever occurred to me to wonder whether I'm the intended audience for a book I think looks interesting. If I like it, I read it regardless. Conversely, sometimes I pick up a book that is ostensibly aimed at people like me and find it ghastly boring. So, write what you want to write and read what you want to read!
Okay okay love this comment so much because I appreciate that we have different perspectives on a lot of this! Which makes sense we're vastly different people with even more vastly different world experiences BUT I like your points! Couple of quick thoughts in response to a few of them...
1. I like that idea of latching onto a concept of a god in some shape or form. I myself am not religious - I grew up with parents of different religions and I was given a choice and I just sort of shrugged BUT I consider myself an amateur religious scholar just by fact of pure curiosity and fascination and appreciation for religion as a concept. All that to say, I really enjoy your perspective because I wondered what someone more religious than myself would think of American Gods, so thank you!
2. I hope people still read what you're writing in 20 years! I don't think that means you should change anything at all, but I just hope that your work is remembered beyond your expectations! I romanticize such things though - Emiky Dickinson is my favorite poem after all.
3. I agree with you about audiences! Honestly, it wasn't something I ever thought about until I did my first and only literary agent query (I just wanted to see what it was like) and the agents application form asked "what audience is your book for?" And I went "oh I guess I need to start thinking about this..." and then I started seeing other writer types discussing it and trying to figure it out and I realized just how clueless I was about the broader world of publishing. All that to say, who cares what the target audience is? Love what you love!
Frankly, I could write a whole other essay in response and probably still not cover everything you said, but just know that it's all positive and I'd be happy to chat more about all things of similar subject matter in future!
I found the book very affecting. Made me want to write and develop characters like this. Appreciate your interesting commentary here.
Very interesting and helpful reflections. I read American Gods a few years ago, and had mixed feelings about it. I liked the way it highlighted something I think is an important truth about people anywhere - that everyone, in one way or another, latches onto something as their "god", whether that's traditional faiths or something like Technology or Media. I thought that was very cleverly done, and I also enjoyed the way he used that in illustrating immigration and the diversity of cultures that results. I was less keen on the sometimes very graphic scenes. All things considered, I think it was my least favourite of Gaiman's books that I've read; I liked Neverwhere and The Ocean at the End of the Lane better.
I think your analysis of Wednesday as a villain is spot-on. (It took me AGES to realise he was Odin!) I don't clearly remember the bit with the underage girl, but it's a while ago.
I think I'm not going to worry too much about the ageing of my writing. (Chances are people won't still be reading it in 20 years anyway!) I quite enjoy reading books from the relatively recent past and getting that nostalgia factor. It didn't really occur to me as a factor in American Gods, because the US is a foreign country to me anyway, although many things are familiar from TV/movies and I have visited a number of times. (Also, in 2001 I was already well into my undergrad degree -- now I feel old! 😂 ) I'm also not going to worry about audience. I don't think it's ever occurred to me to wonder whether I'm the intended audience for a book I think looks interesting. If I like it, I read it regardless. Conversely, sometimes I pick up a book that is ostensibly aimed at people like me and find it ghastly boring. So, write what you want to write and read what you want to read!
Okay okay love this comment so much because I appreciate that we have different perspectives on a lot of this! Which makes sense we're vastly different people with even more vastly different world experiences BUT I like your points! Couple of quick thoughts in response to a few of them...
1. I like that idea of latching onto a concept of a god in some shape or form. I myself am not religious - I grew up with parents of different religions and I was given a choice and I just sort of shrugged BUT I consider myself an amateur religious scholar just by fact of pure curiosity and fascination and appreciation for religion as a concept. All that to say, I really enjoy your perspective because I wondered what someone more religious than myself would think of American Gods, so thank you!
2. I hope people still read what you're writing in 20 years! I don't think that means you should change anything at all, but I just hope that your work is remembered beyond your expectations! I romanticize such things though - Emiky Dickinson is my favorite poem after all.
3. I agree with you about audiences! Honestly, it wasn't something I ever thought about until I did my first and only literary agent query (I just wanted to see what it was like) and the agents application form asked "what audience is your book for?" And I went "oh I guess I need to start thinking about this..." and then I started seeing other writer types discussing it and trying to figure it out and I realized just how clueless I was about the broader world of publishing. All that to say, who cares what the target audience is? Love what you love!
Frankly, I could write a whole other essay in response and probably still not cover everything you said, but just know that it's all positive and I'd be happy to chat more about all things of similar subject matter in future!