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American Gods
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American Gods Hardcover - 2001

by Neil Gaiman

A master of inventive fiction pens the story of an ex-con who is offered a job as a bodyguard for Mr. Wednesday, a trickster and a rogue. Shadow soon learns that his role in the man's schemes are far more dangerous and dark than he could have ever imagined.


About this book

"American Gods" by Neil Gaiman follows Shadow, a recently released convict who becomes involved in a war between the old gods of mythological lore and the new gods of technology and media. The protagonist, Shadow, is released from prison after serving three years for a robbery that resulted in the death of his wife. He is hired by a mysterious man named Wednesday, and enlists Shadow's help in a war between the old gods of mythological lore and the new gods of technology and media. As he travels across America, Shadow meets various gods and learns about his own identity and past. 

With an enthralling blend of mythology, fantasy, and road trip adventure, it explores the themes of belief, faith, and identity in America. It won the Hugo, Nebula, Bram Stoker, and Locus awards, and has been adapted into a television series.


From the publisher

Since it was first published, American Gods became an instant classic.Now discover the mystery and majesty of American Gods in this beautiful reissue of the Author's Preferred Text edition. Featuring a new preface by Neil Gaiman in honor of the novel's 20th anniversary, this commemorative volume is a true celebration of a modern masterpiece.

Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the magic day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.

But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow's best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and a rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.

Life as Wednesday's bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined--it is a job that takes him on a dark and strange road trip and introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own.

From the rear cover

The storm was coming....Shadow spent three years in prison, keeping his head down, doing his time. All he wanted was to get back to the loving arms of his wife and to stay out of trouble for the rest of his life. But days before his scheduled release, he learns that his wife has been killed in an accident, and his world becomes a colder place.On the plane ride home to the funeral, Shadow meets a grizzled man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A self-styled grifter and rogue, Wednesday offers Shadow a job. And Shadow, a man with nothing to lose, accepts.But working for the enigmatic Wednesday is not without its price, and Shadow soon learns that his role in Wednesday's schemes will be far more dangerous than he ever could have imagined. Entangled in a world of secrets, he embarks on a wild road trip and encounters, among others, the murderous Czernobog, the impish Mr. Nancy, and the beautiful Easter -- all of whom seem to know more about Shadow than he himself does.Shadow will learn that the past does not die, that everyone, including his late wife, had secrets, and that the stakes are higher than anyone could have imagined.All around them a storm of epic proportions threatens to break. Soon Shadow and Wednesday will be swept up into a conflict as old as humanity itself. For beneath the placid surface of everyday life a war is being fought -- and the prize is the very soul of America.As unsettling as it is exhilarating, American Gods is a dark and kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an America at once eerily familiar and utterly alien. Magnificently told, this work of literary magic will haunt the reader far beyond the final page.

First Edition Identification


William Morrow published a First Edition, First Printing in 2001, London. 

William Morrow published a First Edition, First Printing hardcover in 2001, New York

Hill House published a First Edition, First Printing hardcover in 2003. 


Details

  • Title American Gods
  • Author Neil Gaiman
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 480
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher William Morrow & Company, New York
  • Date 2001-06-19
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Annotated, Illustrated
  • ISBN 9780380973651 / 0380973650
  • Weight 1.48 lbs (0.67 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.49 x 6.57 x 1.51 in (24.10 x 16.69 x 3.84 cm)
  • Library of Congress subjects Fantasy fiction, Ex-convicts
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2001030407
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 05/15/2001, Page 1707
  • BookPage, 07/01/2001, Page 27
  • Booksense '76 Jul/Aug 2002, 07/01/2002, Page 1
  • Entertainment Weekly, 07/13/2001, Page 75
  • Kirkus Reviews, 05/15/2001, Page 682
  • Library Journal, 06/15/2001, Page 102
  • Library Journal Prepub Alert, 01/01/2001, Page 74
  • New York Times, 07/29/2001, Page 16
  • Publishers Weekly, 05/28/2001, Page 46
  • Voice of Youth Advocates, 02/01/2002, Page 445
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