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Review title: Intially engaging, but prys itself from your attention...
Product review: My initital impressions of 'American Gods' were nearly uniformly positive. Although I had not read any reviews previous, I was aware of the level of hype and praise for this novel. But like a doomed traveler in Fred Pohl's 'Gateway', the book never achieved "turn-a-round". The central storyline is further and further pushed off, and often seems to occur on the sidelines. Gaiman's prose is engaging and easy to slip into, but I felt empty in the end, without significant payoff or a true sense of journey. Those wishing to delve into urban fantasy may be better served by Tim Powers. "Last Call" in particular serves as an excellent counterpoint to "Gods"
