The new gods of America

"[-] there are new gods growing in America, clinging to growing knots of belief: gods of credit-card and freeway, of internet and telephone [-]"

Neil Gaiman's American Gods imagines what it would mean to be a god in the modern world. Its premise is that the gods brought to America by successive waves of immigrants, are growing old and forgotten through lack of belief. Modern gods have been created out of media and technology; these are the things in which people now put their faith.

It's a great idea and a great story, mostly told from the point of view of Shadow, an ex-con who is employed by the mysterious Mr Wednesday. They drive around the country visiting old gods and supernatural beings, as Wednesday tries to gain support for the coming war with the new deities. Sometimes the action takes place in the spiritual "backstage" and intermittently the narrative is interrupted by folk stories, myths and fables, which give background to the old beliefs.

Unfortunately the book didn't quite grip me. Sometimes the writing was beautiful, other times I found it clunky or rambling. Or perhaps it was just too long for my taste. Nonetheless I enjoyed the plot, loved many of the characters and how Gaiman conjured up their daily lives in the modern world.

One might wonder what the old gods think about Facebook and Instagram. Many social media followers share posts and photos with religious zeal and keep faith with strict dietary commandments. New gods are indeed growing every day.