Reviews tagging 'Racism'

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

24 reviews

jacob_dion's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Cursing, Death, War, Violence, Body horror, Colonisation, and Grief

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship, Blood, Body horror, Racism, and Trafficking

Minor: Cannibalism and Kidnapping

soph22's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Sexual content, Slavery, Body horror, Child abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Colonisation, Cursing, Kidnapping, Medical content, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Gore, Grief, Racism, Murder, and Blood

kleinerdiktator's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Random in a good way, I never grow tired of Gaiman's writing. The only thing I didn't like was

Spoiler

how quick and easy the war was resolved.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Cursing, Confinement, Colonisation, Blood, Rape, Medical content, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Racism, Racial slurs, Death, Child death, Infidelity, Murder, and Grief

fionamatilda's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, and Sexual content

Moderate: Car accident, Child death, Grief, Racial slurs, and Racism

raelinton's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I really enjoyed the book though it was meandering and not a lot happens until the last quarter. The world is interesting enough that you don't really mind. (Worth noting that NG did say in the introduction that he wanted to write a novel that was meandering and weird, which he did.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Body horror, Slavery, Racism, Gore, Blood, Sexual content, and Death

Moderate: Animal death, War, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Child abuse, Child death, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, and Violence

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape

miayukino's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Helped me get over some big book fear. I love Shadow so much, which is saying something because I never tend to feel so strongly about protagonists. This book comforted me as I chugged through it, slowly, probably over a year. But it was worth it, and l imagine I’ll be reading it again when the time is right. It was wonderful to finish this book in time for spring. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Child death, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Vomit, Colonisation, Death of parent, Death, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Body horror, Torture, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Cursing

Minor: Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and War

cstein's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A couple too many driving scenes and stays in decrepit hotels/houses bogged down the narrative in the middle. However, overall I found it to be a provocative and authentic-feeling exploration of American culture, rounded out by a slow burn small-town mystery and anchored by a fantastical romance.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Confinement, and Death of parent

Moderate: Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Infidelity, Mental illness, Slavery, Torture, Racism, Racial slurs, and Colonisation

Minor: Cannibalism, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, and Incest

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Hate crime, Child death, Murder, Sexism, and Xenophobia

szote's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, War, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Alcoholism, Body horror, Animal death, Addiction, Death, Genocide, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Vomit, Racism, Gore, Infidelity, Suicide, Torture, Car accident, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

writersrelief's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Telling the story of global mythology within the “melting pot,” AMERICAN GODS is a quintessential introduction to the mind of Neil Gaiman. Set in a mostly-real 2001 America, the novel details the journey of the incarcerated Shadow. Exiting prison mere days after the inexplicable death of his wife, Laura, Shadow is approached by the enigmatic Mr. Wednesday. Wednesday offers the reluctant ex-con an accord which seems to guarantee work, sustenance, and service. The reality, though, is a world apart. From Shadow’s acceptance to the end of the novel, the pair and many others traverse a mythological landscape that is set against a backdrop of pure Americana. Sideshows could be displays of supernatural power, and great tourist attractions wells of that same power. Discoveries are made about the power humankind might hold over various shades of the divine. 

 

Throughout the story, there are glimpses into the ideologies of religion, mythology, and the essence behind taking a road trip. AMERICAN GODS is a fantastic, artistic expression of the nature of journey, humanity, mortality, and perception. Though inspired by the spectacle of America, Gaiman draws most heavily on global religion and mythos to generate characters within this magically realistic world he has traveled. Likewise, much of the story was directly inspired by the author’s own predeliction towards wanderlust and the experience that is roadside America. 

 

AMERICAN GODS is a fantastic introduction to Neil Gaiman’s prose. It is also an absolute must-read for fans of mythology—particularly fans of modernized mythos. The vast array of characters from so many cultures makes the story rich, representative, and powerful. Gaiman shows mastery of romance, horror, magical realism, fantasy, history, and the human condition throughout the novel, and he applies, deconstructs, and usurps these genres to create a prolific literary achievement. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Slavery and Racism

Minor: Suicide