Precious and Fragile Things

I've been re-reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods and I finished it today while out with Mom as I had to play chauffer to help her find a place in Columbia.

One of the things that struck me on this second read through was the very leisurely pace. Sure, it's not a book I found easy to put down, even knowing what was going to happen, but at the same time I wasn't white knuckling the edges while sitting on the edge of my seat. The story pulled me in bit by bit and then unhurriedly unfolded before me and before I knew it, I'd read all almost-six hundred pages.

Another thing I noticed is how, after finishing, I felt none of the usual let down of "Aw, it's over now." I was sated and happy like I would be after a filling meal in which I didn't overindulge. My mind is still processing and re-examining portions and uncovering things I missed the first time I read it, but it's not because I felt like anything was left out. This story is complete, whole, and near perfect.

At any rate, American Gods is still a wonderful read, and I will probably read it again at some point in the future. I've got Anansi Boys to read next, and then I'll probably take a break from Gaiman and see what else is waiting on my bookshelf. Then again, I might read Neverwhere as I've never gotten around to that (well, I read a couple of chapters, but then Dad got sick and...well, the book is still around unread).