I read American Gods when it was originally published in 2001 and while a few scenes had stayed with me my general view was that it was a disappointing book, marred by Gaiman's chronic inability to create proactive characters. After some debate with a friend last summer and the impending TV series, I decided to give it another go. It's actually not as bad as I remembered it although the first 2/3 are incredibly long-winded with very little happening and indeed a totally passive hero. What makes it worthwhile is Gaiman's usual brilliant ideas and concepts. After this reread I'd not be quite so harsh about the book. It's far from perfect, but still worth a read. I'm actually looking forward to the TV series in the hope that it tightens the whole first section and turns the whole into a more powerful narrative.
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