I think it's interesting what Neil says about the vote for American Gods as the favoured book to have up for free on his website. I won't repeat most of it, but I have to comment on the following:

"(I)t divides people. As far as I can tell, for every five people who read it, one loves it utterly, two or three like it to varying degrees, and one hates it, cannot see the point to it and needs convincing that it's a novel at all. (Quite often the last person really likes some of the other books I've written, if they ever pick up anything else by me ever again.)"

I'm one of those last people. I love nearly everything he's written, except for this book, which - although I do believe that it's a novel - I feel failed almost completely in all of the promise it held at the start. And so I think it's pretty unfortunate that this is the one he'll be posting for free.

Why do I feel that it failed? Well, for a few reasons, but the main reason is that Neil is British and is trying to write a story about America, and the mythic impulses behind it, from the inside. I really wish he'd tried it from the outside instead, because he has a unique viewpoint that could have shed some real light on American myths . . . but as it is I think that The Sandman does a far better job of such, and I don't feel it's even trying to.

Which is to say that, as a book, I think American Gods is fine enough - but as a Great Novel, I think it falls flat. Which is unfortunate, because I'd really love to love it, but - because for me it really tries to be that Great Novel - I don't love it, and I can't.

I guess there's not much we can say about the vote now . . . but I do still think he should've gone with the runner-up, Coraline. Nearly every one who picks that one up seems to enjoy it, even if they don't love it, and it's short enough people would actually read it online.

I also see it as an odd choice. It is the longest, though, so best value for (no) money?

Until I read Anansi Boys, it was my favourite of Neils books. But I wouldn't have chosen either of them for a freebie, for the reasons given and more.

I am curious to know why people voted for it. Was it because it's the book they'd most want to read? Because they are always trying to convince others to read it? I wonder.

(Personally, I voted for Smoke and Mirrors. Short stories are always great for hooking new readers.)

Maybe it's just me & the company I keep (being a heathen) But American Gods is one of those books that I have people who have known me for decades, but haven't seen me for a while, come up to me & say "I am reading this awesome book that I know you will love" And I usually respond at the same time as them & say "American Gods" I say "yeah I read it four times now... it's kind of an obsession" These people are all old pagan & heathen friends of mine, who know of my affinity for the the "Old Wolf."

I have also passed off several copies to friends and family. It would be great if I could just point them in a direction of a webpage. I have noticed that my pagan & heathen friends tend to enjoy it more than my catholic & other christian friends, I think it might have to do with the subject matter. Also the mytholgy aspects of it tend to "click" with the pagans & heathens. I think this is because, for the most part, they are more familiar with the source material.

I have been a fan of Mr Neil since the early 90's, I love the comics, but American Gods had me (and every pagan / heathen that I know who has read it) at "Only the gods are real"

Aitapata, I guess we were thinking along similar lines. I voted for Anansi Boys because I thought it would be more accessible to new readers than American Gods. Good call on the short stories, I wish I had thought of that.