wolfgang wrote:SlappyMcGee wrote:What are you reading/ What have you just finished reading?
I just finished Neil Gaiman's American Gods, which was pretty awesome. It got a bit slow and confusing somewhere around the middle, but cam back to stride at the end.
No-spoiler preview:
Shadow is a criminal recently released from prison early after hearing about his wife's death. On his way back home, he encounters a conman named Mr. Wednesday. After some new shit comes to light, he decides to tour across America with Wednesday, who claims to be the American incarnation of Odin. What follows is some sort of mixture of Americana and religion. It's very, very recommended from Slappy for a modern book.
To get the ball rolling, I'd also like to hear people's thoughts on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson (Rest in Peace!) and on Fyodor Dostoevsky. (Also dead.)
Next read for me is Farenheit 451, which I've not read despite owning it.
oh, and because people like scores, I'd rate AG a 4.5/5.
American Gods is a great novel, his usual charming prose and a great concept. As you said, it is a little light on a good plot throughout the mid section, but I didn't mind, his time spent in the town really hones in on the heart of the novel. It's my favourite from Gaiman, though I haven't read everything he has to offer.
If you haven't already you should get Anansi Boys, which is more of a spin off than a sequal, but still good. Much more light hearted than American Gods.
Hear hear. I also loved the middle section, and can't imagine the book without it.
Did you read the shorter version or the author's preferred text? I'm not completely sure (I haven't read the shorter one), but I'm pretty sure it cuts out a lot of the middle section to help keep the pacing up.
(also, Seneschal, the Kindly Ones is heartbreaking. I'd recommend reading The Wake right after- I left a few weeks between them, and it ruined it a bit for me)
I've just finished Donna Tart's The Secret History and Albert Sanchez Pinol's Pandora in the Congo, and I'm reading through Tatyana Tolstoya's "White Walls" collection of short stories atm. All are very good. Secret History was a 5/5, for sure. It's extremely fun and well paced, and has a lot of depth for anybody who's done any Greek studies or anybody into de-constructing fiction. The opening describing the protagonist's involvement in a murder, and from there it's neatly-ish divided into two halves, with the first half leading up to the said murder, and the second half showing the after- effects. It's all focused on this small, elite group of socially isolated Greek students and their brilliant teacher, and the more I describe it the lamer it's going to seem, so I'll leave it there.
Pinol's "Pandora in the Congo" adopts the plot of his "Cold Skin" as the sub- story of this one. It does high- camp comedy, fantasy and romance at the same time as commenting on colonial- era adventure stories, and it's just insanely fun to read.
Anybody want to recommend me some good Gaiman- type stuff?
