Neil Gaiman provides an ever expansive and tangible mythology. With the death of his wife coinciding with his recent release from prison, the mysterious Shadow embarks on a journey as the envoy for the mysterious Mr. Wednesday. Whether originating in America or unwittingly brought from the far corners of the world, the gods are real and have very real effects on the mortal world despite the seemingly mundane roles they fulfill alongside humans. More than anything, Gaiman demonstrates the power that ideas, even mythological ones, have on how we establish, assert, and maintain culture: the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, where we come from, and how we live. The things we believe in, however unlikely, are as real as we are and perhaps even harder depose.
Reviewed by: Noah Wilson