American Gods

If you haven't read Gaiman's novel, the time is now.

Series coming!

I don't have a mad clear recollection of the novel in terms of what happened, but I have a strong memory of the atmosphere and tone of it. It had such a distinct feel.

I'm glad it's being made now - the tv industry is so much more able to do justice to this kind of quirky and hard to define material than it used to be.

That's a great way to put it, it is more about the immersion in a foreign reality than the narrative.

I never saw Shadow as black. But the whole female-Ghostbusters-hating completed an internal journey I'd been on since Bruce picked me up on complaining an American film "ruined" my childhood love of an English book. I'm now far more accepting.

I've just reread The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Might be time to give American Gods another go. I adore Gaiman and his work; I don't pretend to have his intellect (or writing ability!) but we come from a similar place, so I always get his references. Although I had to look up The House on the Rock. Norse Gods, yes. American Tourist Attractions, no.

I feel like the Gaiman/ Palmer household is a wildfire of intellectualism. Too smart these people.

I bet when nobody is looking, they watch reality TV to unwind. The Bachelor.

You take that back!:sniff:

Downloaded pdf today for new-to-me kindle paperwhite.

Griff;965651 wrote:

You take that back!:sniff:

I don't know what I was thinking. It was just a passing thought that I should have kept to myself. There's no way it's true.

Sundae;965599 wrote:

I never saw Shadow as black.

It was one of Gaiman's requirements when he sold the rights.

I thought he was Native American in the book. I will reread.
I love the character regardless. Don't give a stuff if he's black, white or sky-blue-pink. But kudos for Gaiman (like he needs any more) for speaking up for his people.

The people he made up in his head obvs, I know Neil is White British. Choc's photo showed that...

If I remember correctly (it's been a while), he doesn't know his heritage, and people take him for black and Native American, so he might be a mix that includes both.

I picked up The View From The Cheap Seats at the library the other day, and as much as I like his work, I found this collection of essays and speeches by him hard to get into. I might give it another go when I am more relaxed.

Happy Monkey;965674 wrote:

If I remember correctly (it's been a while), he doesn't know his heritage, and people take him for black and Native American, so he might be a mix that includes both.

I think that's the deal.

Apparently Gaiman refused to the sell the rights to "Anansi Boys" when a producer told him he would have to change the race of the two main characters because "Black people don't like fantasy." Considering the entire book is about two brothers whose father was an African god, their race is vital the story...

No shit. I hope this is an anecdote from like 20 years ago. It's not just about non-black people being perfectly willing to watch a black person in the lead (which, Jesus Christ, how many successful shows have proven that already?) it's about non-famous, non-classically-handsome-leading-man actors being cast in general. I get so angry at the number of shows that put some hunk who is a terrible actor in the main role, when I know for a fact there are so many genuinely good actors struggling in LA. They're not hard to find out there.

Studios want to make money and people are shallow and ig'nant.

One of the reasons I like Almodoar's work is that he casts ordinary and unusual looking people alongside eye candy.

In the run-up to American Gods...

I ran across this fellow, who commissioned an artist to make portraits of every character in Sandman.

EVERY character.

He since has farmed it out to several artists.

WOW