American Gods

I never thought I have the time to read of late, what more if it’s Neil Gaiman’s works (author of the popular Sandman series & books such as Stardust). A writing assignment had me deciding to pick up a non-fiction book to brush up a bit of my writing skill.

The first few pages of American God made me curious if it was going to be an-all out fantasy story. And I’m only half-right. With the modern times and society as the backdrop, Gaiman did a good job of very subtly balancing the power of the new and old worlds. Unconsciously, as the protagonist Shadow made his way through a journey he never understood until much later, I felt a kind of heaviness the character felt in the story.

It has been a long time since I was that enthralled by a fiction work. Reading the expanded version made me impatiently, thumbing through some of the pages quickly just so I can read on what is going to happen to Shadow.

At the end of the reading journey, I found myself applauding quietly in my mind to Mr Gaiman for writing such an interesting work, and making my mind question of the ‘gods’ of the old and new. It’s hard to disagree that the gods of the new world have taken over us all: internet, television, media, etc. And that the ‘gods’ of the old have been conveniently side-stepped by man to make way for the new gods.

I concluded at the end of the reading that both ’gods’ are relevant to the modern people. The ‘old’ gods reminds us of our culture and heritage and the ’new’ gods enables us to progress forward in the modern time. There are some black sheep among these ‘gods’ that should be forgotten, like greed, money, pollution, etc.

If anyone out there who has time to kill and enjoys reading, go pick up a copy of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.

The world has no beauty

The ugly heads are beginning to multiply, rearing its equally ugly character as well.

When you are not of the ‘mainstream’ and trying hard to find equal footing with your peers, the ugly heads, stares and characters all start to shove their ugliness into you, trying to pull you down and preventing you from coming up.

Is it because we are of no value to you? Is it because we are not of the likes of you?

The ugliness is here to stay in life, from adolescence all the way to adulthood. Even with the efforts and sincerity, no notice was taken of. Instead you are being shut into a box of cold, unending darkness.

Do you fear us? Do you fear change that disrupts your complacency and comfort?

The first offensive

Who took the offensive first, me or you?

If I did take the first offensive, was I in anyway rude? If not, then your being rude is uncalled for. I may have (out of the blue) intruded some of your little private space in cyber la-la land but the reaction is by any standard, rude.

Thanks for the reaction. It only serves to cement the belief that people primarily driven by money/fame/status (I am assuming here but do I give a care if that is a right or wrong assumption of you?) or have their head in the clouds simply because they think they are superior are stupidly obnoxious and down to the core, uneducated.