After being so cruelly disappointed in Anansi Boys, I had to go back and see if this was as great a book as I remembered it being. This is a dangerous exercise, always, but this time it worked out okay. The second time through, I could stand back a little and see Gaiman at work. In other words, I didn't fall so deeply into Shadow's world this time, however, my admiration for this book remains untarnished by a re-read.