Neil Gaiman "The American Gods"

The novel "American Gods", published in 2001,became the fourth prose novel of Gaiman. In his work, Geiman combines elements of mythology (both ancient and modern), fantasy and modern American culture. Whimsically intertwining, they create a new fantastic world. In the same world, the action of some other works of Geiman takes place, in particular, The Sons of Anansi and "Lord of a mountain valley".

The main character of the novel "American Gods" is called Shadow Moon. He spent three years in prison, from where he was releasedahead of schedule. On the day of his release, Shadow learns that his wife Laura was killed in a car crash. And what should he do with the newfound freedom, if no one is waiting for him at home?

In the plane, Shadow gets acquainted with the mysterious Mr. Wednesday. He offers Shadow a job, and the formerThe prisoner, who has nothing to lose, agrees to the offer. Now his task is to accompany Mr. Sreda as a bodyguard in his journey through America.

In different cities, Wednesday meets with colleagues and acquaintances - at least, so it seems at first glance. In fact, Mr. Sreda is the earthly embodiment of the god Odin. He collects American incarnations of the Old Gods, heroes of ancient mythology, to enter into battle with the New American Gods, closely connected with modern life and technology (transport, mass media, Internet ...).

In the novel "American Gods" an important role is assigned to mythological characters from the folklore of different peoples. This is the ancient German trickster Loki, and the West African demiurge Anansi, and the ancient Egyptian keeper of the Bastet home, and the Indian destroyer of Kali time. And Shadow himself turns out to be Baldur, the ancient German god of spring and light (although the text of the novel does not say this directly).

The book "American Gods" was awarded several prestigious awards. A year after the publication, the novel received The Hugo Award, the Nebula Award and the Bram Stoker Award. This put Gaiman on a par with such notable science fiction writers as Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Ursula Le Guin, Isaac Asimov, Roger Zelazny, Arthur Clarke, Lois McMaster Bujold, and others.

Quotations from the book

"A long time ago, back in his early childhood, he readone story: about a traveler who fell from a cliff; Tigers-cannibals were waiting for him at the top, and below - sharp stones; he managed to cling to something in the middle and hang over the precipice. Just before his face was a bush of ripe strawberries, and above and below - a sure death. Then the question followed: and now what should he do?

And the answer was: eat strawberries "

"I'm a leper," he chuckled. Shadow did not smile.

- True? - he asked. "Then maybe you should drink Guinness?"

- Stereotypes. We must learn to think for ourselves, and not listen to what they say on the box, "replied the red-bearded man. - Ireland is not only Guinness ...

"You do not have an Irish accent."

"I've been here too long, damn it."

"So you really come from Ireland?"

"I told you." I'm a leper. We do not fuck around in Moscow "

"Literature allows us to penetrate into consciousnessother people, which seem to us other worlds, and to look at the world with their eyes. And then - in the book - we stop before we die, or we die someone else's death, and in the world outside the novel we turn the page or close the book. We return to our lives. A life that is like all the others and does not resemble any of them "