I wouldn't give this book a single star! It's a complete waste of time! Out of all the books I've bought in the past two years (almost 100!), this is the only one that I can't find anything positive to say about. The storyline is all over the place, assuming there even is one. There's absolutely no moral lesson to be learned from either the characters or the writing style.
I didn't know much about Neil Gaiman besides his work in The Sandman comics. However, I decided to give American Gods a shot, considering the praise he has received for his writing. It's definitely a strange and peculiar book, but it's also incredibly captivating. The characters and scenes were brought to life effortlessly, thanks to George Guidall's superb narration. He is honestly one of the best narrators I've come across, skillfully portraying each character with distinct voices. I would rate the book itself with four stars, but I have to add an extra star for the outstanding narration. If you're going to purchase just one Neil Gaiman book, start with this one.
Total waste of my hard-earned cash, precious time, and genuine interest. I couldn't even bring myself to complete it, despite numerous attempts and desperate situations where I absolutely needed to listen to something. And yet, it still failed to captivate me.
This isn't really a review of the book, but more of a comment about audiobooks. George Guidall is an exceptional narrator, one of the finest out there. However, his narration style in this audiobook is strikingly similar to his work in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. I'm not kidding; you could drop this one in the middle and it wouldn't seem out of place. Just to clarify, I actually liked both this book and Stephen King's.
I'm a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's work, really love it. The Graveyard Book, Anansi Boys, Stardust, Neverwhere... They all had amazing readings by Neil or Lenny Henry for Anansi Boys. However, American Gods [TV Tie-In] was a bit different. The story itself was captivating and had interesting perspectives that tied together nicely, but the journey to get there wasn't always enjoyable.
Maybe it was the explicit and mature nature of some passages, with graphic violence, gore, and sexual content, which I don't typically associate with Gaiman's work. Or maybe it's because all of his other audiobooks I've listened to were narrated with a seductive British accent, whereas this one had a harsh and unpleasant tone. It could also be that out of the many characters, I only found one or two to be likable.
Regardless, this book isn't my favorite. I know I'll keep listening to my other Neil Gaiman audiobooks on repeat, but this one? I don't think so. Still, if you're a fan of Gaiman, I believe it's worth giving it a listen. Just don't be surprised if you don't feel as enamored with it as you are with his other works.
Unsurprisingly, the focus in American Gods [TV Tie-In] is on the materialistic aspects of gods rather than their spiritual significance. The story is told through the eyes of our protagonist and epic hero, Shadow, who, after being released from prison, finds himself working for Wednesday and encountering one bizarre event after another. The narration, skillfully performed by the same narrator who voiced Steinbeck's East of Eden, adds to the immersive experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author skillfully intertwined various old and new myths, both on earth and in the spiritual realm, spanning different time periods. The more I listened, the more engrossed I became in the narrative. The sample provided by the service does not adequately capture the essence of the story, as Shadow proves to be a far more intriguing character than initially suggested in the introductory excerpt. Personally, I found this audiobook even more captivating than The Anansi Boys, as it delves into darker and more profound themes.
I'm a big fan of Neil Gaiman, no doubt about it, but I couldn't continue reading this book. This is his "revised" version, which apparently has an additional 20,000 words in the narrative. Seriously, too much. George Guidall does a great job as the narrator and does his best with the challenging text by giving vibrant character voices and engaging conversations, but it didn't make it enjoyable for me. The whole story about demons and angels fighting in the Midwest just left me feeling frustrated, weirded out, and disconnected. I felt a bit guilty for giving up, but hey, life's too short. Judge me if you want.
This audiobook is unbelievably amazing. I didn't think there were any original story ideas left, but the author managed to find a completely new one. It's not just a rehash of old stories, as far as I can tell.
Not only is the story itself great, but the author's writing style and technique are excellent. The character development and plot progression flow smoothly and are captivating.
The author skillfully introduces numerous characters throughout the story and manages to tie up their storylines neatly by the end of the book. Some characters are introduced early on and then disappear for hours, while others are introduced later on, but all of them come to a satisfactory conclusion. In books with many characters, the resolution can often feel forced, but that's not the case here.
The narrator did a pretty good job, although there was one thing that bothered me. His dialects weren't always consistent, and he struggled a bit with differentiating between characters. Sometimes it was difficult to determine which character was speaking. That's the only reason I didn't give this a five-star rating.
However, overall, the narrator's performance was excellent. He brought a lot of drama to the reading and hit all the right emotional notes.
This audiobook belongs among the best works of Stephen King. It's not exactly like King's writings, but it falls broadly into the same genre. As another reviewer pointed out, it's important to note that this is fantasy, not science fiction.
The novel "American Gods [TV Tie-In]" nabbed the prestigious Hugo award in 2002, solidifying its fantasy genre status rather than being categorized as science fiction.
The performance of the narrator was satisfactory, albeit a tad slower-paced with frequent breaks compared to other audiobooks. This elongates the listening duration. Nevertheless, I found great pleasure in it and wholeheartedly endorse the audio rendition. I had previously read the book a year and a half prior to diving into the auditory experience.
Oh man, let me tell you, I was a big fan of Neils G.'s book "Neverwhere," so naturally, I was pumped to give this one a listen. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. This book is absolutely mind-blowing in terms of its concept and the way the story flows so seamlessly. Seriously, the concept behind it all is sheer brilliance. I can't even begin to praise it enough. It's just pure creative genius and talent at its finest. I know for a fact that I'll be listening to it again. Now, let's talk about those people who complained about the language. Come on now, give me a break. The use of strong language is necessary to fully portray the characters and give the book a more authentic feel. I mean, we're dealing with convicts and thugs here, so of course, there's going to be some swearing. And honestly, there's really not that much of it. I don't mean to offend those who wrote those negative reviews, but I almost didn't get the book because of them. And let me tell you, that would have been a huge mistake because the journey of "American Gods" is something truly incredible that should not be missed out on.
Loading...
10 comments
Or use one of these social networks