Book · 2001
American Gods
by Neil Gaiman
An ex-con drifter is hired as bodyguard to a con man who turns out to be a forgotten god recruiting for a war.
What does Reddit think of American Gods?
867 mentions spread across all four subs unlike most of this batch: r/suggestmeabook leads at 440, r/Fantasy adds 246, r/printSF chips in 180. The reception is genuinely split, not politely mixed. The top r/Fantasy comment (↑152) says flatly 'I can't think of a single redeeming thing about the book. Bored me to tears,' while conceding everyone else seems to love it. A second (↑139) reports going in on a friend's 'best novel they'd ever read' recommendation and coming out with 'just OK.' The recurring structural complaint is Shadow himself: one thread (↑125) calls the protagonist passive, a character things happen to rather than one who drives the plot, and reaches for the Black Company as a contrast. None of that stops people recommending Anansi Boys as the natural next read for anyone who liked the side characters (↑126). Mentions have fallen hard, from 187 in 2019 to 48 in 2025, the steepest decline in this set.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · old gods versus new gods in America
- · the passive protagonist debate
- · road trip through forgotten Americana
- · myth adapted to modern belief
- · declining Reddit relevance over time
Common praise
- + Fans send people to Anansi Boys next if they liked the side characters more than Shadow himself (↑126).
- + It gets grouped with Malazan Book of the Fallen as a genre-defining fantasy pick, high praise by association (↑143).
- + Even a lukewarm reader admits it's 'not actually terrible,' just not for them (↑135).
Common criticism
- − One reader says flatly 'I can't think of a single redeeming thing about the book. Bored me to tears' (↑152).
- − Shadow gets called out as too passive, a character things happen to rather than one who drives events (↑125).
- − High expectations regularly disappoint; one commenter went in expecting 'one of the best novels' and left with 'just OK' (↑139).
Who it's for
Lower your expectations before starting, since the sample is full of readers who went in oversold and came out unimpressed (↑139). If Shadow's passivity as a protagonist would bother you in any other genre, it'll bother you here too (↑125). Liked Mr. Wednesday and the side cast more than the plot? Anansi Boys is the recommended next stop (↑126). This is a book people argue about, not one they quietly agree on, so don't expect universal praise going in.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for American Gods?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“Good-hearted but unusual protagonist finding hope and help in an absurd situation: The Rosie Project Octavian Nothing An absolutely Remarkable Thing American Gods The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravets A Boy of Good Breeding The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay Mr Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bo…
“American Gods. I accept that many people love it, but I can’t think of a single redeeming thing about the book. Bored me to tears. I should have trusted my gut and given up on it, but I figured there just *had* to be something good about it for it to get so much praise. I like Neil Gaiman’s more c…
“Malazan Book of the Fallen and American Gods
“Agree. Years ago someone told me American Gods was one of the best novel they'd ever read, so I gave it a try. It was just OK, IMO.
“American Gods and Neverwhere. Too be fair the one I don't like isn't actually terrible, it just wasn't for me.
“Anansi Boys is a great next book, especially if you liked that character in American Gods.
“American Gods? The main character is hired as a body guard, and mostly follows around somebody who DOES move things forward. The main character has a very passive feel to him. Possibly the Black Company? The story focusses around a mercenary company. It is told through the notes of the annalist, …
“_American Gods_ by Neil Gaiman
Convinced? Pick up American Gods
Readers also mention
All books like American Gods →Books that share discussion threads with American Gods — counted from the comments, not curated.
Good Omens
Terry Pratchett
An angel and a demon who've grown fond of Earth team up to stop the apocalypse neither of them actually wants.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Susanna Clarke
Two rival English magicians revive magic itself, and neither can predict what the fairy they bargained with actually wants.
The Lord of the Rings
J. R. R. Tolkien
A gardener, a burglar's heir, and seven others walk a piece of jewelry to a volcano because destroying it is the only way to stop a war.
The Fifth Season
N. K. Jemisin
A woman searches a dying continent for the daughter her husband stole, while the world ends again on schedule.
Storm Front (The Dresden Files)
Jim Butcher
Harry Dresden, Chicago's only wizard listed in the phone book, takes a double-murder case that ordinary police work can't touch.
Dune
Frank Herbert
A duke's son survives his family's betrayal on a desert planet and becomes the prophet who leads its people to war.
American Gods — frequently asked
Is American Gods overhyped?+
The sample is genuinely divided. One comment (↑152) says 'I can't think of a single redeeming thing about the book,' and another (↑139) describes going in on a 'best novel they'd ever read' recommendation and landing on 'just OK,' against 867 total mentions of general familiarity.
Why is Shadow such a divisive protagonist in American Gods?+
Because he barely drives the plot. One thread (↑125) describes him as a character things happen to rather than one who makes things happen, and reaches for the Black Company's narrator as a sharper contrast in the same genre.
Should I read Anansi Boys before or after American Gods?+
After. One commenter (↑126) recommends Anansi Boys specifically to readers who liked a side character from American Gods, treating it as a follow-up rather than a standalone entry point. That advice fits the broader pattern in the sample: American Gods is where the fandom argument happens, and Anansi Boys is where people go once they've decided they liked the world enough to stick around.
Is American Gods still widely discussed on Reddit?+
Less than it used to be. Total mentions sit at 867 across r/suggestmeabook (440), r/Fantasy (246), and r/printSF (180), but the yearly count has dropped from 187 in 2019 to 48 in 2025, the steepest fall of any book in this set.