Anansi Boys
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Book Details
Written by Neil Gaiman.
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($26.95)
Editorial Review (from Amazon.com)
One of fiction's most audaciously original talents, Neil Gaiman now gives us a mythology for a modern age -- complete with dark prophecy, family dysfunction, mystical deceptions, and killer birds. Not to mention a lime.
Anansi Boys
God is dead. Meet the kids.
When Fat Charlie's dad named something, it stuck. Like calling Fat Charlie "Fat Charlie." Even now, twenty years later, Charlie Nancy can't shake that name, one of the many embarrassing "gifts" his father bestowed -- before he dropped dead on a karaoke stage and ruined Fat Charlie's life.
Mr. Nancy left Fat Charlie things. Things like the tall, good-looking stranger who appears on Charlie's doorstep, who appears to be the brother he never knew. A brother as different from Charlie as night is from day, a brother who's going to show Charlie how to lighten up and have a little fun ... just like Dear Old Dad. And all of a sudden, life starts getting very interesting for Fat Charlie.
Because, you see, Charlie's dad wasn't just any dad. He was Anansi, a trickster god, the spider-god. Anansi is the spirit of rebellion, able to overturn the social order, create wealth out of thin air, and baffle the devil. Some said he could cheat even Death himself.
Returning to the territory he so brilliantly explored in his masterful New York Times bestseller, American Gods, the incomparable Neil Gaiman offers up a work of dazzling ingenuity, a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth that is at once startling, terrifying, exhilarating, and fiercely funny -- a true wonder of a novel that confirms Stephen King's glowing assessment of the author as "a treasure-house of story, and we are lucky to have him."
User Reviews (4) Login or create an account to write a review.
Fence thinks this book is Excellent.
Fat Charlie isn't fat, but the nickname has stuck. It is his father’s fault, if Fat Charlie’s dad calls something by a nickname, then that nickname sticks. Fat Charlie’s dad, you see, is Anansi, the god. And he is dead. At the funeral Fat Charlie learns he has a brother, Spider, and that if ever he wants to see his brother he just has to tell a spider.
You can see that trouble is on its way.
This is a really enjoyable book, set in the same general ‘verse as Gaiman’s American Gods, but very different in style and tone. This is more of a comedy, albeit with flashes of darkness. Not a hugly laugh out loud comedy, but an amusing one, that’ll keep you entertained.
As usual with Gaiman there are some wonderful images and passages. Our first meeting with the bird lady. The descriptions of Graham Coats. And Fat Charlie’s life being upset by an unwanted guest
He climbed into the bath.
He made a whimpering noise.
He climbed out of the bath.
He turned off the taps.
He wrapped a towel around his midriff and opened the bathroom door. “No hot water,†he said, much, much too calmly.
Go on, you know you want to read it.
Kamigaeru thinks this book is Good.
I didn't think this was one of Neil Gaiman's better books, though it was still worth reading. I agree with Fence in that Gaiman's signature style of writing is always enjoyable. He's got a great talent for bringing the mythos and deities of various cultures to life, but Anansi Boys was somehow lacking a certain something. For a richer reading experience, I would recommend American Gods instead.
Gabriel thinks this book is Worth Reading.
The book is worth reading if your are a fan of Gaiman and really just want to consume some more of his writing. On the whole, the book was something of a disappointment following American Gods. If the book is just filling that Gaiman-shaped hole in your life, you may be more satsfied looking into something like Fragile Things.
Za thinks this book is Nothing Special.
I'm a huge fan of Gaiman, and am totally in awe of the originality of his works, but quite frankly, Anansi Boys proved to be a letdown. The plot is alright, I suppose [a nondescript protagonist called Fat Charlie discovers, to his surprise, that he has a brother who is handsome, brilliant, and who does everything better than him, and must now deal with this intruder's attempts at taking over Charlie's life], and is certainly in keeping with Gaiman's reputation for unpredictable stories that venture into virgin literary territory, but soon enough the narration lags and with a few feeble judders, sinks into the realm of the boring. I found it very difficult to finish this book and only did so because Gaiman always deserves a fair chance. This doesn't have the crispness of his short stories nor the excitement and adventure of, for example, Neverwhere. It's a new storyline but doesn't feel fresh. Just didn't work for me.