And my entertainment for today was...

[drakyndra]

American Gods

Because I really needed to read more Neil Gaiman, and I do love the ideas he come up with. I find his stories fascinating and enthralling, and terribly vivid, and they make me think, and make me imagine...

That said, I sort of miss the sheer fun you get in some other authors. I think Gaiman's brilliant, but I don't enjoy reading his books as much as, say Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams, or Jasper Fforde, or even, god forbid, JK Rowling (Because even though I freely admit Gaiman is a far better writer than Rowling, he's just not quite as... fun. But I mostly prefer reading children's fantasy than the adult version, so what do I know?)

That said, I love the way his mind works, as some of the similarities from this book and Neverwhere pointed out to me. "Urban fantasy", or whatever people call it these days. Making the real world into the fantastical, hidden worlds just below the surface. Fantasy tied to the real world, a part of it, twisting it... It's a take of fantasy I personal prefer, rather than your classic high fantasy, made up worlds with made up histories and people.

But American Gods was very much Gaiman as I know his stuff. Beautiful and fascinating and complex. Just... perhaps not quite as fun as the man himself seems to be, judging by his blog.

However, little things from the book that amused me:
"Everybody lies." - Channeling House several years before he came into existance.
"Half-demon on her father's side" - Gee, doesn't that sound a little familiar, Doctor Who fans. ;)

Comments

[xwingace]

Differences in tastes of clothing we might have, our reading tastes seem pretty much identical :-)

I've often found Gaiman's prose to be very distant, as if it doesn't really connect with me, so that I'm reading the words and understanding them, but not really 'living' them.

The big exception to this, though, is Anansi Boys. (Which, if you're reading AG, you probably haven't read yet. Or have you?) As soon as I started reading that, sucked me in so far that by the time I finished it, I was ready to start again at the beginning. Now that's proper writing...

And the comics are a whole other story again, naturally.

The man himself is indeed fun and friendly, and I wish he would come over here again so I could go and listen to him read/answer questions again. Not quite as hilarious as Terry Pratchett, but pretty knowledgeable about all sorts of topics, and his voice really does add something to those stories of his.


XWA

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

No, I have not as yet read Anansi Boys. But I saw a copy last time I was at the second hand bookstore, so probably soon.

And distant is probably a good word for it. It's just... Night Watch made me laugh, and it made me cry, and it was beautiful and thoughtful and fun all at once. Which is why, if I absolutely had to pick a favourite book, I might just choose that one. And I'll admit I'm a huge sap - Half-Blood Prince made me cry, along with dozens of kinda dodgy children's books - so it's not like it is hard to draw me in to this stuff, emotionally.

From what I have read of and about him, Neil seems like a wonderful and rather witty and amusing guy. It's just, it doesn't show up so much in his writing, which is a little disappointing, considering I have a vey high opinion of the man himself.

Maybe he should team up with Pterry for a bit again. Good Omens was fucking ace.

[xwingace]

I almost didn't pick up Anansi Boys because of my less than optimal experiences with AG, Neverwhere, Stardust and Coraline. Good thing I got really desparate for something to read one day, because it is different somehow.

Pratchett draws me in with his writing. Even on successive rereads. So does Fforde(though it takes a little longer). I don't think I cried during HBP, but I know I've cried at other books, some of which might be thought to be of questionable literary value (last one I really remember is a volume of the Fruits Basket manga)

Neil is great. I don't have the lj feed of his blog on my flist for nothing. :-) But it doesn't tend to show so much in his prose writing, no. In the comics, OTOH...

It would be great on the one hand to have another collaboration between PTerry and GNeil, but somehow I doubt it'll happen, given the shedules of the both of them.

I'm also no longer very sure wether a GO movie under the direction of Terry Gilliam would be such a good idea.

XWA

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

It's one of his later books, maybe that has something to do with it?

Yes, Pratchett is compelling. I think I said once, I'll buy anything that has his name on the cover. With Gaiman, I'll read anything that has his name on the cover, but buy? Not so much.

Yeah, another collaboration is highly unlikely. But I can dream...

And the GO movie is one of those things I doubt will ever happen. It's a perpetual what if.

[hazywizard.livejournal.com]

*nods* I've never managed to connect with Neil Gaiman's novels like I have with other book, because even though I admire his writing, it's just slightly cold, I guess. I think that's why Good Omens worked *so* well; he was tempered by Pratchett *g*

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with you on Good Omens - I adore that book, because it seems to draw on both their strengths, and so while there are some parts in which the individual author is clear, it mostly blurs together into a big ball of utter awesome.

But is writing is, yeah, as you say, beautiful but just a little cold. I like it, but it doesn't effect me enough to say I love it. Something a little more fun, would be my prefence.

(Kid's fantasy is my own personal version of trashy romance novels or whatever. Disposable fun reading, though I occasionally stumble across something quite good - ie. Diana Wynne Jones)

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

I completely second the rec for Anansi Boys, especially if you view it with a Doctor Who slant - so you've got Fat Charlie, who's a lovely guy but kind of a self-styled loser, whose life promptly goes to hell when his demigod brother Spider (half human on his mother's side, with a living space that's far bigger on the inside than out) turns up and nicks his girlfriend, Rosie... it's one of my favourite books of all time, I actually liked it much more than American Gods.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Don't put the Doctor Who characters in my head, please. I had enough trouble trying not to think of Wednesday as House after the "Everybody lies" line, I don't need more cracked visual imagery.

But I'll remember the rec.

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

Have you read King Rat by China Mieville? It's along the same sort of lines as Neverwhere - a mixture of 'our' world and the fantastic.

The one thing I really loved about American Gods was it's use of real places in the US (like Rock City) - places I now really want to go and visit when I get around to actually crossing the pond.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't actually. Haven't even heard of it, so I'll look it up, see what I can find.

And the use of real places does appeal - and it works with the whole "truth is stranger than fiction" thing. The real world is plenty weird enough of it's own accord.

*wants to go the US*

[raptor-au.livejournal.com]

Uh, hi there. I found your journal after following a lovely little Ten icon back to its home...and then I found a post about Neil Gaiman, and how he's harder to read than the great Misters Pratchett and Adams.

Given that a large portion of my night involved trying to explain that to someone, and that we share a lot of interests (as well as a state)...do you mind if I add you? If not, I completely understand :)

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Ooh, prettiful icon...

No, feel free to friend away. I may or may not friend you back shortly, we shall see.

[raptor-au.livejournal.com]

Thankyou very much! Schrodinger's Friend List...no problems :)

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Schrodinger's Friends List = awesome. *considers change the friends page name to that*

[raptor-au.livejournal.com]

Well, you never know which entries contain memes until you click on them. It works :)