Anansi Boys

I skipped many parts of the book due to repetition and the painfully slow pacing of the story. I didn't care about, or like, any of the characters, gods, or otherwise. They were mean, pathetic, and weak until the last moment and by then, I didn't care. Mean father, mean neighbor, mean boss, mean mother-in-law-to-be, mean girlfriend (used him to annoy her mother but didn't love him). His so called brother/alter ego...mean. I didn't care if they changed. I did like the ghost, however. She was tough and did what she had to do, postponing her own happiness, in order to get revenge. She was strong and dedicated. I was actually hoping the tiger would eat all of them, but alas, it was not meant to be. The most interesting part of the book was the interview after the story ended.

This is the first Neil Gaiman I have read and will probably be the last... I just didn't "get it". If you're into his works, by all means don't let me stop you. But if you're new, maybe you might want to start elsewhere in his output.
Oxy

Urban fantasy at it's best. Neil Gaiman is a master of mythology and gets right down to the meanings behind the myth without spoon feeding us. Fun, exciting and thought-provoking it reads like American Gods lite, which is a good thing for a busy person who doesn't have the time to dive into a longer and more complicated story.

Anansi is an African/Caribbean trickster good (slightly less malicious than Loki). His one son is split in two and then the excitement begins. Thought provoking as all Gaiman's novels are; markedly leads dark than American Gods.

I recently got into reading works by Neil Gaiman and no doubt he is an amazing author.
I really don’t know what to think about this book though.
I loved the starting of the book. The story is charming, delightful, funny and has few but interesting characters. I laughed out loud many times and the good thing is that the laugh was due to subtle and intelligent humor. I love when the humor is implied and so well done. This is also the reason why I love TV shows/sitcoms which don’t have laugh background (Ex. The Office).

Coming back to the book, the mythology aspect of story is really far fetched and I couldn’t relate to it much. It was overall interesting but it got repetitive very fast.
There are too many co-incidences in the book and my logical mind found it difficult to take everything at face value.
The ending was not satisfactory for me as it felt like author suddenly realized that he is out of allocated quota of pages to be used and so rushed the ending.

I am definitely planning to read more works by Mr. Neil and hope I will find them more enjoyable.

A quick fun read. The ending seemed very rushed, like the author was tired of writing and wanted to get it over and done with. I don't regret spending the time to read it though like I did with Bram Stoker's Dracula.

At 50% it would have been 4 stars...
75% 3 stars...
80% 2.5....
100% 2.
I just thought since I heard so much about Mr. Gaiman's books being so great that I figured I would give Anasi Boys a go.
The writing at the beginning of the book sucked me in, but towards the end I just got so tired of Gaiman trying to put a neat little bow on a ridiculous package that I just went to the end to find out what happened. I very rarely, if ever, do that with books but this one just DRAGGED on and on.
The character development also was a bit lackluster since there really was no depth to the characters other being super ordinary people thrown into a crazy magical situation that was trying to weakly tie it to African mythology.
I might give Gaiman the benefit of the doubt and try another one of his books, but this one was a real disappointment.

I wanted to like this book based on reviews of American gods but within those reviews were warnings. The book started slow and to me some of the previously voiced criticisms seemed to be spot on. Then like the division between the world's the story shifted and from there I have only praise.
How delightful how spider like how child like how nightmare of adults like.
Nice it ended happy though not necessary
I will return

After reading Neverwhere, Good Omens, Coraline, and American Gods (obviously I got on a Neil Gaiman kick), I was really looking forward to Anansi Boys. I was more than a little disappointed. I love Gaiman and his writing is very good here, but I feel very let down by this book. Gaiman's main characters are usually weak but likable -- here, I only got the 1st part. In American Gods, he brought different gods to life in the spirit of their myths -- I felt like he did no justice at all to Anansi's character in Anansi Boys. The book has a few decent parts and I enjoy Gaiman's sense of humor, but this is by far his weakest book.

Some parts worked for me and were wonderful; others did nothing for me and I had to force myself to read them. Overall, the story did not touch me or even entertain me. I have read others by Neil Gaiman that I have liked and I will continue to read him. This one . . . I'm just glad its over.

Anansi boys is a fun, beach read type of book. Gaiman does a good job of keeping you on your toes and interested. Still, I found the book on the predictable side; a fact that takes away from the interest of the plot line.

Otherwise, Gaiman has great charm, and some very funny moments. I'm going to watch him as an author. I predict that as he develops his style, he'll get to be an amazing author!

I will admit that maybe I bought this book with high expectations. I had just finished "American Gods" and thought it to be one of the better books I've ever read.

Anansi Boys just doesn't stack up. The story is much more modest in scope, and the story isn't especially compelling. The character development is on par with an average sitcom. Considering the other works of Neil Gaiman that I've read, this was a major disappointment.

This might have made a good - if predictable - episode of the Twilight Zone, but the quality here is way, way below Neil Gaiman's previous work.

I sense that someone at the publishing company waved a lot of money under Neils nose while saying "Give me a sequel to American Gods and make it snappy."

I like and admire Neil Gaiman and his work. "Neverwhere" is on my "essentials" shelf. I cheered when the Newbery people woke up and awarded their Medal to "The Graveyard Book". "American Gods" was gripping and "Stardust" is a riot. But I don't know about this book.

"Anansi Boys" is surprisingly heavy-handed and a bit precious, if not actually condescending. Gaiman sets up a poor, sort of gormless, guy and then just piles on. He gives him a crummy nickname, an annoying and vaguely unlikeable fiancee, a nothing job, sour daydreams, childhood abandonment issues, a clichéd horror show future mother in law, and a passive approach to the world. Then he gives him a cooler than crap father, springs a super cool and tricksy surprise brother, and surrounds him with people who are all sharper and more clued in than he is. Then we knock him around and watch him struggle. For laughs.

There are some funny lines, some nice bits, and some amusing set pieces. But I got tired of kicking Fat Charlie. I also got tired, later on, of barely disguised lectures about the power of myth and recycled songlines style musings. I also got a bit annoyed, as a reader, at being treated like I had never heard of Loki, Kokopelli, and all of the other tricksters you'll find throughout world literature. And that was especially so since neither Spider nor dear old dad Anansi ever struck me as particularly inspired Tricksters.

So, I kept reading, because, you know, it's Gaiman. But we just kept dog-piling on poor old Charlie until the end of the book. Then it was time to stop all that and make some amends to Charlie, and give him an upbeat happy ending, sort of to thank him for his patience. And that was it.

Gaiman is the master of a regular and normal world being overtaken by the magical, divine or fantastical. And the life of Fat Charlie is quite regular and normal indeed, until he receives a message that his father died. After an unwise move to contact his long lost brother - Spider- all his life turns into true chaos.

It is unbelievable how amazing is the character of Mr. Nancy. Although he is a completely secondary character in this book (just like the spider who stole all stories from tiger) Nancy molds the main character from the beginning and “release it” as a full grown and mature being to defeat the ancient foe once again. Basically, although he dies in the beginning of the book, he actually steals the story.

The Anansi boys are remarkable: Charles Nancy is an immediately likeable fellow…but what’s most surprising is that although Spider is a completely egocentrical being, he is so charismatic that it’s difficult to hate him throughout the book.

Old powers hate Anansi though, and the manipulation of pawns in the real world will lead to dramatic events and lots of “coincidences”. The Anansi boys will face immense perils in a fast reading book that shares the same world as American Gods.

In curating my library, there is one thing that is certain, Neil Gaiman's stories are ones that are meant to be kept in hardcover and never given away.  In his epic novel, "American Gods," we are introduced to Anansi (the spider god).  In Anansi Boys, we are introduced to the trickster's sons: Fat Charlie and Spider.  

Fat Charlie Nancy's life is boring.  He works a dead end job in London where the job turnover is high.  He is engaged to an incredible woman with a future mother-in-law out to get him.  When he gets news that his father has died, he returns to his childhood home in Florida to bury him.  This is when he learns he has a brother.  The old lady tells him to tell a spider that he's looking for his brother and his brother will show up.

So what does Fat Charlie do?  He tells a spider.  When Spider arrives, he is nothing like Charlie.  He is a god, living it up and more than happy to steal the life his brother has, including his job and his girl.  So when Charlie tries to get rid of his brother, he goes to the other gods for help...ones that don't like his father (the trickster) so well.  Some have a bone to pick and are willing to destroy the Anansi line in the process.

An excellent read.

I seldom write book reviews UNLESS a book really moves me. This one did. The books is filled with fun and wisdom. It's heavy and light simultaneously. The story of "Fat Charlie" and his undiscovered brother, "Spider" - separated when young and brought together as young men with hilarious, sometimes frightening, results.

When you start reading, you'll think you can predict just what's going to happen, but there are so many twists and turns that you give up trying. The character development is amazing. I grew to love Fat Charlie, Rosie, Spider, Maeve and Morris as well as Fat Charlie's father. Even the minor characters were memorable and three-dimensional. The villain was the only two-dimensional character, but as a "paper tiger" that was appropriate.

The author takes the ordinary stories of our lives (because I guarantee you'll relate to Fat Charlie's woes) and turns them into myth and magic. It has been a long time since I've cried over a book. When Fat Charlie's father's ghost kisses Fat Charlie on the forehead near the books' conclusion, I couldn't stop crying. It's something that touched my own life very deeply - and it will likely touch anyone who has felt misunderstood or estranged from a parent.

This author is a wizard at turning the seemingly ordinary into something with depth and magic. I absolutely love this book.

I have never had the pleasure of reading a Neil Gaiman book before, although my husband is a huge fan and has talked him up quite a bit. This was my first venture into Neil Gaiman's writing. I have mixed thoughts about it.

I understand this is a reprint with new cover art. I love the cover art. Great job! In fact, the cover is what helped me peice together that the characters were black, because there wasn't really anything concerning dialogue or anything else that pointed to the ethnicity of the characters. It doesn't really play a part in the story, so guess it doesn't really matter.

There's no doubt that Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller. His writing style is not a style that I usually enjoy, and if this was written by anyone else I would've put it aside without finishing it. However, in the hands of a master, this style works. I think it would be better as an audiobook because the overuse of commas and the flowing, descriptive language sounds better out loud. When I read it, I get bogged down in the excess. Again, the style is just not one I favor but he does it masterfully. A less skilled writer doesn't need to attempt to write in this style!

The dialogue isn't indicative of the characters to me. The characters go from Florida to London, and in Florida they speak with a broken English that comes across more like someone speaking English as a second language rather than eubonics dialogue. In London, they all speak with proper grammar. No slang. In fact, they speak in a way I've never heard anyone actually speak before, and use big words when more common words would seem more likely and appropriate, such as using "superfluous" rather than "extra."

All in all, it seems like a "finding yourself" novel in which Charles Nancy finds his place in the world in regards to job, confidence, and love life.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

This is the first audiobook I've ever loved, the best one I've ever heard, and the only one I've returned to for another listen.

Lenny Henry's characterizations help build the world in a way my imagination couldn't have thought to (and usually I trust my imagination to interpret books more magnificently than their cinematic versions). I've listened three times over the years, and I'm about due for another go.

For the record, I recommend the book highly as well — the story is rich and wonderful, the characters alive and believable, the language like music to my reader's ears. However, this audiobook experience adds a new and immense dimension to an already very potent story, so remarkable that it's worth its own review.

You don't have to believe me; listen to the sample. It's a fair representation of the work, and just now it made me tingle all over with joy.

My first NG novel was Anansi Boys, a story about two brothers, only one of which knows he’s the son of a god who happens to be walking around on earth, posing as a human. The younger brother, Fat Charlie Nancy considers himself somewhat of a doofus. He lives with a dad he pretty much hates because he’s a total dick and embarrasses Charlie all the time, in effect, ruining his life. Charlie has no idea he’s the son of a god or that he has a brother. Charlie’s older brother, Spider, knows both things, but he left long ago and lives somewhere he won’t cop to so when Charlie’s dad drops dead while singing karaoke, Spider decides it’s time to pay Charlie a visit. Unlike Charlie, Spider knows his lineage, but when he shows up at Charlie’s apartment, attempting to put things into perspective, worlds start to unravel. Charlie learns that Dad is actually the human version of Anansi, the African spider god and trickster of tricksters, hated by many of the magical creatures of his own ilk because of his tendency to screw people over. Oh, and Spider actually has some of Dad’s mojo. Drawing on myth, archetype and ancient legend, NG spins a delightful tale that spools out, alternating between the real and mythical worlds, all while the brothers come to terms with their ancestry and each other. A terrific read.

What a fun read; a great sidebar/follow-up to <i>American Gods,</i> this focuses on the sons of god Anasi. London resident Charlie's brother appears when Charlie learns how to send a message via a spider (as Anansi is the spider god). Spider shows up, and hilarity ensues. While certainly more lighthearted than <i>American Gods,</i> it still weaves myth and contemporary culture together with a wry sense of humor, along with some creative philosophical questions. There's also some violence and a few nasty characters, who (no surprise) get their karmic comeuppance.

An interesting aspect was that of the characters' races. There were no/few specifics about who was African-American, but I just took it from the beginning who was Black or White, or another race, because of the TV series depiction of Anansi/Mr. Nancy (portrayed by Orlando Jones), and of course the Creole references. It's a little confusing for a Caucasian-presumptive reader, but it's understood soon enough.

I may be part of the minority, but I am still undecided on whether or not I like author Neil Gaiman. This, Anansi Boys, is the fifth book by Gaiman I’ve read. Something about his prose just doesn’t sit with me.
The story is about the children of the African “god” Anansi’s sons, Fat Charlie and Spider. In the beginning Fat Charlie is sort of pathetic, while Spider is smooth and flashy. Many things happen, they argue, they struggle, they endure…it was an okay story.
It started out slow, built up some speed and ended how I expected it too. There really weren’t any surprises in this story. The dialogue was well done, the characters were likeable and the story-line was interesting enough to keep me going, but it wasn’t great. Don’t get me wrong, this was a good book, just not great. I liked the background. I liked learning a bit about the folklore of other’s beliefs. But…There was still something lacking for me.
3.75 of 5 Stars (rounds to 4)

I just finished Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, the predecessor to Anansi Boys, and absolutely loved it. Imagine my happiness at walking into my local library and finding a companion novel right on the shelf! I ate up the book as quickly as I could, and while I enjoyed it, it wasn’t as good a reading experience for me as American Gods, and I’m not sure I could articulate why.

On paper, I should have liked Anansi Boys even better than American Gods. It’s much more lighthearted, at least, as lighthearted as Neil Gaiman gets. Instead of a cross-country epic, this is the story of a family and a neighborhood in Florida. Fat Charlie Nancy’s father has just died, and even though Fat Charlie has a life, a job, and a fiancée in London (and he never got on well with the old man), he feels it’s his duty to at least attend the funeral. But – and this is typical Fat Charlie luck – not only does he miss the funeral, he discovers a brother he never knew existed: a brother who everyone likes better than they like Fat Charlie. Including his fiancée.

When you add the family/supernatural fiasco (Mr. Nancy is a god, and one you’ll recognize if you’ve read American Gods or Jamaican mythology) to a greedy, embezzling boss and plenty of dry humor, you’ve got yourself a Gaiman story. If you like fun better than dark, you’ll probably prefer Anansi Boys to American Gods. But I preferred the latter, even so.

Again, it doesn’t make any sense. American Gods had a plot, but it rambled; there were vignettes scattered throughout American time and space that sometimes tied into the main story and sometimes didn’t. Anansi Boys does quite a good job of getting people into the same place at the same time and tying everything up as best it can. It’s a much neater affair, so I can understand why some people would prefer it.

But I liked that American Gods was a little messy. It and its characters were raw and real, and I connected with the book in a way I didn’t with Anansi Boys. Anansi Boys felt too neat, too distant, for me to care much about the characters after I closed the book. The writing’s good, though, and the mythology’s worth checking out. If you’re a Gaiman fan, I hope you enjoy Anansi Boys at least as much as I did.

I think that if Anansi Boys had not been written by Neil Gaiman, I would have been inclined to give it a much higher rating. To be clear-- I enjoyed it; I laughed out loud; I was interested the whole time to see what would happen next as the book continued.

It is unfortunate for me that the book suffered a little bit by comparison to Gaiman's other work. When I compared it to Neverwhere and American Gods, the enjoyment got just a little bit paler. I liked it, but I did not love it. It somehow felt like much more of a toss off than either of those two great books.

This said, I would still recommend the book to Gaiman fans and non-Gaiman fans alike. You should be aware that it is not a sequel to American Gods, just sort of set in the same universe. Even if I do not like it quite as much as is other books, it has a really nice Tim Powers flavor to it which gives it some punch.

I will admit that maybe I bought this book with high expectations. I had just finished "American Gods" and thought it to be one of the better books I've ever read.

Anansi Boys just doesn't stack up. The story is much more modest in scope, and the story isn't especially compelling. The character development is on par with an average sitcom. Considering the other works of Neil Gaiman that I've read, this was a major disappointment.

This might have made a good - if predictable - episode of the Twilight Zone, but the quality here is way, way below Neil Gaiman's previous work.

I sense that someone at the publishing company waved a lot of money under Neils nose while saying "Give me a sequel to American Gods and make it snappy."

I like and admire Neil Gaiman and his work. "Neverwhere" is on my "essentials" shelf. I cheered when the Newbery people woke up and awarded their Medal to "The Graveyard Book". "American Gods" was gripping and "Stardust" is a riot. But I don't know about this book.

"Anansi Boys" is surprisingly heavy-handed and a bit precious, if not actually condescending. Gaiman sets up a poor, sort of gormless, guy and then just piles on. He gives him a crummy nickname, an annoying and vaguely unlikeable fiancee, a nothing job, sour daydreams, childhood abandonment issues, a clichéd horror show future mother in law, and a passive approach to the world. Then he gives him a cooler than crap father, springs a super cool and tricksy surprise brother, and surrounds him with people who are all sharper and more clued in than he is. Then we knock him around and watch him struggle. For laughs.

There are some funny lines, some nice bits, and some amusing set pieces. But I got tired of kicking Fat Charlie. I also got tired, later on, of barely disguised lectures about the power of myth and recycled songlines style musings. I also got a bit annoyed, as a reader, at being treated like I had never heard of Loki, Kokopelli, and all of the other tricksters you'll find throughout world literature. And that was especially so since neither Spider nor dear old dad Anansi ever struck me as particularly inspired Tricksters.

So, I kept reading, because, you know, it's Gaiman. But we just kept dog-piling on poor old Charlie until the end of the book. Then it was time to stop all that and make some amends to Charlie, and give him an upbeat happy ending, sort of to thank him for his patience. And that was it.

Gaiman is the master of a regular and normal world being overtaken by the magical, divine or fantastical. And the life of Fat Charlie is quite regular and normal indeed, until he receives a message that his father died. After an unwise move to contact his long lost brother - Spider- all his life turns into true chaos.

It is unbelievable how amazing is the character of Mr. Nancy. Although he is a completely secondary character in this book (just like the spider who stole all stories from tiger) Nancy molds the main character from the beginning and “release it” as a full grown and mature being to defeat the ancient foe once again. Basically, although he dies in the beginning of the book, he actually steals the story.

The Anansi boys are remarkable: Charles Nancy is an immediately likeable fellow…but what’s most surprising is that although Spider is a completely egocentrical being, he is so charismatic that it’s difficult to hate him throughout the book.

Old powers hate Anansi though, and the manipulation of pawns in the real world will lead to dramatic events and lots of “coincidences”. The Anansi boys will face immense perils in a fast reading book that shares the same world as American Gods.

In curating my library, there is one thing that is certain, Neil Gaiman's stories are ones that are meant to be kept in hardcover and never given away.  In his epic novel, "American Gods," we are introduced to Anansi (the spider god).  In Anansi Boys, we are introduced to the trickster's sons: Fat Charlie and Spider.  

Fat Charlie Nancy's life is boring.  He works a dead end job in London where the job turnover is high.  He is engaged to an incredible woman with a future mother-in-law out to get him.  When he gets news that his father has died, he returns to his childhood home in Florida to bury him.  This is when he learns he has a brother.  The old lady tells him to tell a spider that he's looking for his brother and his brother will show up.

So what does Fat Charlie do?  He tells a spider.  When Spider arrives, he is nothing like Charlie.  He is a god, living it up and more than happy to steal the life his brother has, including his job and his girl.  So when Charlie tries to get rid of his brother, he goes to the other gods for help...ones that don't like his father (the trickster) so well.  Some have a bone to pick and are willing to destroy the Anansi line in the process.

An excellent read.

I seldom write book reviews UNLESS a book really moves me. This one did. The books is filled with fun and wisdom. It's heavy and light simultaneously. The story of "Fat Charlie" and his undiscovered brother, "Spider" - separated when young and brought together as young men with hilarious, sometimes frightening, results.

When you start reading, you'll think you can predict just what's going to happen, but there are so many twists and turns that you give up trying. The character development is amazing. I grew to love Fat Charlie, Rosie, Spider, Maeve and Morris as well as Fat Charlie's father. Even the minor characters were memorable and three-dimensional. The villain was the only two-dimensional character, but as a "paper tiger" that was appropriate.

The author takes the ordinary stories of our lives (because I guarantee you'll relate to Fat Charlie's woes) and turns them into myth and magic. It has been a long time since I've cried over a book. When Fat Charlie's father's ghost kisses Fat Charlie on the forehead near the books' conclusion, I couldn't stop crying. It's something that touched my own life very deeply - and it will likely touch anyone who has felt misunderstood or estranged from a parent.

This author is a wizard at turning the seemingly ordinary into something with depth and magic. I absolutely love this book.

I have never had the pleasure of reading a Neil Gaiman book before, although my husband is a huge fan and has talked him up quite a bit. This was my first venture into Neil Gaiman's writing. I have mixed thoughts about it.

I understand this is a reprint with new cover art. I love the cover art. Great job! In fact, the cover is what helped me peice together that the characters were black, because there wasn't really anything concerning dialogue or anything else that pointed to the ethnicity of the characters. It doesn't really play a part in the story, so guess it doesn't really matter.

There's no doubt that Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller. His writing style is not a style that I usually enjoy, and if this was written by anyone else I would've put it aside without finishing it. However, in the hands of a master, this style works. I think it would be better as an audiobook because the overuse of commas and the flowing, descriptive language sounds better out loud. When I read it, I get bogged down in the excess. Again, the style is just not one I favor but he does it masterfully. A less skilled writer doesn't need to attempt to write in this style!

The dialogue isn't indicative of the characters to me. The characters go from Florida to London, and in Florida they speak with a broken English that comes across more like someone speaking English as a second language rather than eubonics dialogue. In London, they all speak with proper grammar. No slang. In fact, they speak in a way I've never heard anyone actually speak before, and use big words when more common words would seem more likely and appropriate, such as using "superfluous" rather than "extra."

All in all, it seems like a "finding yourself" novel in which Charles Nancy finds his place in the world in regards to job, confidence, and love life.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

This is the first audiobook I've ever loved, the best one I've ever heard, and the only one I've returned to for another listen.

Lenny Henry's characterizations help build the world in a way my imagination couldn't have thought to (and usually I trust my imagination to interpret books more magnificently than their cinematic versions). I've listened three times over the years, and I'm about due for another go.

For the record, I recommend the book highly as well — the story is rich and wonderful, the characters alive and believable, the language like music to my reader's ears. However, this audiobook experience adds a new and immense dimension to an already very potent story, so remarkable that it's worth its own review.

You don't have to believe me; listen to the sample. It's a fair representation of the work, and just now it made me tingle all over with joy.

My first NG novel was Anansi Boys, a story about two brothers, only one of which knows he’s the son of a god who happens to be walking around on earth, posing as a human. The younger brother, Fat Charlie Nancy considers himself somewhat of a doofus. He lives with a dad he pretty much hates because he’s a total dick and embarrasses Charlie all the time, in effect, ruining his life. Charlie has no idea he’s the son of a god or that he has a brother. Charlie’s older brother, Spider, knows both things, but he left long ago and lives somewhere he won’t cop to so when Charlie’s dad drops dead while singing karaoke, Spider decides it’s time to pay Charlie a visit. Unlike Charlie, Spider knows his lineage, but when he shows up at Charlie’s apartment, attempting to put things into perspective, worlds start to unravel. Charlie learns that Dad is actually the human version of Anansi, the African spider god and trickster of tricksters, hated by many of the magical creatures of his own ilk because of his tendency to screw people over. Oh, and Spider actually has some of Dad’s mojo. Drawing on myth, archetype and ancient legend, NG spins a delightful tale that spools out, alternating between the real and mythical worlds, all while the brothers come to terms with their ancestry and each other. A terrific read.

What a fun read; a great sidebar/follow-up to <i>American Gods,</i> this focuses on the sons of god Anasi. London resident Charlie's brother appears when Charlie learns how to send a message via a spider (as Anansi is the spider god). Spider shows up, and hilarity ensues. While certainly more lighthearted than <i>American Gods,</i> it still weaves myth and contemporary culture together with a wry sense of humor, along with some creative philosophical questions. There's also some violence and a few nasty characters, who (no surprise) get their karmic comeuppance.

An interesting aspect was that of the characters' races. There were no/few specifics about who was African-American, but I just took it from the beginning who was Black or White, or another race, because of the TV series depiction of Anansi/Mr. Nancy (portrayed by Orlando Jones), and of course the Creole references. It's a little confusing for a Caucasian-presumptive reader, but it's understood soon enough.

I may be part of the minority, but I am still undecided on whether or not I like author Neil Gaiman. This, Anansi Boys, is the fifth book by Gaiman I’ve read. Something about his prose just doesn’t sit with me.
The story is about the children of the African “god” Anansi’s sons, Fat Charlie and Spider. In the beginning Fat Charlie is sort of pathetic, while Spider is smooth and flashy. Many things happen, they argue, they struggle, they endure…it was an okay story.
It started out slow, built up some speed and ended how I expected it too. There really weren’t any surprises in this story. The dialogue was well done, the characters were likeable and the story-line was interesting enough to keep me going, but it wasn’t great. Don’t get me wrong, this was a good book, just not great. I liked the background. I liked learning a bit about the folklore of other’s beliefs. But…There was still something lacking for me.
3.75 of 5 Stars (rounds to 4)

I just finished Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, the predecessor to Anansi Boys, and absolutely loved it. Imagine my happiness at walking into my local library and finding a companion novel right on the shelf! I ate up the book as quickly as I could, and while I enjoyed it, it wasn’t as good a reading experience for me as American Gods, and I’m not sure I could articulate why.

On paper, I should have liked Anansi Boys even better than American Gods. It’s much more lighthearted, at least, as lighthearted as Neil Gaiman gets. Instead of a cross-country epic, this is the story of a family and a neighborhood in Florida. Fat Charlie Nancy’s father has just died, and even though Fat Charlie has a life, a job, and a fiancée in London (and he never got on well with the old man), he feels it’s his duty to at least attend the funeral. But – and this is typical Fat Charlie luck – not only does he miss the funeral, he discovers a brother he never knew existed: a brother who everyone likes better than they like Fat Charlie. Including his fiancée.

When you add the family/supernatural fiasco (Mr. Nancy is a god, and one you’ll recognize if you’ve read American Gods or Jamaican mythology) to a greedy, embezzling boss and plenty of dry humor, you’ve got yourself a Gaiman story. If you like fun better than dark, you’ll probably prefer Anansi Boys to American Gods. But I preferred the latter, even so.

Again, it doesn’t make any sense. American Gods had a plot, but it rambled; there were vignettes scattered throughout American time and space that sometimes tied into the main story and sometimes didn’t. Anansi Boys does quite a good job of getting people into the same place at the same time and tying everything up as best it can. It’s a much neater affair, so I can understand why some people would prefer it.

But I liked that American Gods was a little messy. It and its characters were raw and real, and I connected with the book in a way I didn’t with Anansi Boys. Anansi Boys felt too neat, too distant, for me to care much about the characters after I closed the book. The writing’s good, though, and the mythology’s worth checking out. If you’re a Gaiman fan, I hope you enjoy Anansi Boys at least as much as I did.

The tag line for this one is classic.

“God is dead. Meet the kids.”

An entertaining and strangely wonderful tale as only Neil Gaiman can tell it. For whatever reason (not that I’m questioning it) I really gel with Gaiman. I enjoy his prose and haven’t read anything from him that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy. I have even listened to a few of his on audiobook, that he narrated himself and truly enjoyed those as well. Dude has talent.

Fat Charlie’s life is pretty ordinary. Boring you might say.

Until Spider, the brother he didn’t even know that he had, comes for a little visit and his entire world gets turned upside down.

There’s something to be said for ordinary.

I don't know why but I'd always though of Neil Gaiman as a young adult or children's author. But, of course, his books appeal to all level of audience. This is a reimagined story of Anansi the spider and his two sons.

I really loved this book. I listened to the Audible audiobook and the narration was fantastic. Sometimes you get a narrator who is so in character that you are swept away by the story. And that was the case with this production.

Along with his usual vivid storytelling and imaginings, this book is packed with likeable characters who are so different from one another that you don't even have a chance to get bored with any of them. The story is fast-paced and entertaining. Strongly recommend!

As someone who writes a little bit as well, it's hard not to envy this natural wit that Neil Gaiman so clearly possesses. His work has this perfect kind of charm, the way he uses words, that just can't be taught or learned, you just have to have it. As far his work's readability, it is on par with another natural-born storyteller, Stephen King. Both of these guys craft great characters, write excellent dialogue, and offer the reader anything but your average writing. And, as much as I am a Stephen King constant reader, I have to admit that Mr. Gaiman has the edge (slightly only though) when it comes to pure imagination.

But enough about that, this review is for Anansi Boys. It's impossible to give the novel a brief synopsis because there's just so much that happens. It basically starts with Fat Charlie Nancy's father's funeral, and while there learns that he has a brother who is actually a God and can be summoned by using a spider as an invitation. Phew.
It's an ambitious novel, and a times seems like it might be getting to big, too much happening, but I'll admit I was very impressed with how Gaiman wraps everything up very nicely. The characters are many and diverse, and, again, it's hard for lesser writers not to envy Gaiman's knack for creating them.

What it comes down to is that this book is really just a whole lot of fun. That alone doesn't make it worthy of five stars, but it's still a good story that anyone with a little imagination and a little sense of adventure will certainly enjoy very much. Well done Mr. Gaiman.

Charles Nancy had a tough childhood. His dad was quite the joker and always pulling tricks on him. Like the time he told his son that children dress up for Presidents' Day at school and get big bags of candy. Of course Charles was mercilessly mocked at school and got no sympathy from dad that night. Worse yet, his dad nicknamed him "Fat Charlie." Any name Mr. Nancy gave somebody stuck to them like glue, so Fat Charlie was always trying to get himself a different nickname. He got so exasperated with his father's teasing ways (not to mention is roving eye), he moved to England. As an adult, he's got a respectable job and a fiancé who has an overbearing mother. Things are going well until his dad dies and he has to fly back to Florida for the funeral. His dad had a heart-attack while singing karaoke at a tourist bar--too much flirting with the blonde tourists probably did him in. Strange things happen back in Florida, including the discovery of a brother Fat Charlie never knew he had. He begins a voyage of discovery that takes him back and forth across the Atlantic and even into the realm of the Caribbean gods, because his father was really Anansi, the spider god. He's the trickster god of their pantheon and he's still causing trouble for both his sons.

The novel is a whimsical fantasy like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Crazy events keep happening and the writer is fairly self-aware of his own storytelling. The tone is light and refreshing and this makes great summer reading. I listened to it as an audio book (rented from the library!). The reader, Lenworth Henry, does a fantastic job with the British and Caribbean accents as well as crafting memorable character voices.

Definitely worth reading and/or listening to!

The Good: Well written, in a technical sense. Managed to read it and understand the basic story line.

The Bad: I really liked American Gods, which lead me to believe I would enjoy this sequel. Except Anansi Boys isn't a sequel as much as a novel that exists in same universe as American Gods. It's a companion novel at best. Different characters. Different mythology. Just the basic theme of gods walk among us. Sometimes. And a focus on trickster gods. I knew nothing about the African trickster god Anansi going in. I'm not sure if that helped or hindered me, because I couldn't care about these characters at all. The book dragged and dragged and was finally, mercifully over. I'm beginning to believe that no matter how much I enjoyed American Gods and Good Omens, Neil Gaiman isn't the author for me.

I listened to the audiobook, and I absolutely love the narration from Lenny Henry. I really want to hear more things read by him.

This is a story of two estranged brothers brought together by the death of their father, and it’s set in the same world as American Gods. Anansi’s death made me laugh out loud. This novel is definitely a lot more fun than American Gods, but I was hoping for a little more of Mr. Nancy, because he was my favorite thing from the previous book. But I’m kinda ok with getting an odd couple sitcom.

Maybe I shouldn't have reviewed this book since I didn't finish it. I only got to about page 50. But I got so tired of him using the full name of FAT CHARLIE it about drove me nuts. He never uses a pronoun for ole Charlie. Or even just says Charlie. Sometimes in one page he'll say Fat Charlie several times and it just annoyed me. Sorry to have missed a book that might have been really good as I see a lot of good reviews.

You think your dad is embarrassing? Well, at least he isn't an African trickster god -- now that would be nothing but trouble.

But it's what you'd expect of Neil Gaiman, who is best known for his witty, slightly wonky brand of dark fantasy -- and his ability to spin up the most absurd stories in an entertaining fashion. And "Anansi Boys" features Gaiman getting in touch with his lighter, playful more humorous side, in a sort-of-sequel to his smash hit "American Gods."

Fat Charlie's dad has always been weird -- brass bands for the terminally ill, nicknames that stick, and much more. But even away from his dad, Charlie isn't happy. Then he gets the news that his dad died during a karaoke song; when he goes to the funeral, an old neighbor tells him that Daddy was really Anansi the spider god. Even worse, Charlie finds out he has a brother.

Spider is everything Charlie isn't -- charming, debonair, witty, and magical. Soon he has not only taken over Fat Charlie's house, but his fiancee as well, distracting Fat Charlie from his boss's attempts to frame him. Determined to get rid of Spider, Fat Charlie enlists the Bird Woman's help -- but soon finds that his pact will only get them in deeper trouble with the ancient gods.

Trickster gods -- like Anansi, Loki, Kokopelli, or even a bit of Hermes -- are always the most entertaining part of old myths and legends. They're unpredictable, unmistakable, get all the best lines, and perpetually wild'n'crazy -- and they are also the worst kinds of dads you could imagine. They probably wouldn't make wonderful brothers, either.

So of course, Gaiman goes to town with "Anansi Boys," by simply forming a story around that idea: what if a trickster god had two kids, who were nothing alike, but suddenly had to deal with one another? Gaiman also sprinkles it liberally with corporate intrigue, romance, and the old Anansi legends (which he inserts periodically). Don't expect the darker overtones of "American Gods," because this is a very different story.

With this lighter tone, Gaiman sounds a lot like his pal Terry Pratchett, right down to wry humor and on-the-spot comic timing. And the dialogue is pure gold: "There are three things, and three things only, that can lift the pain of mortality and ease the ravages of life. These things are wine, women and song." "Curry's nice too." Gaiman seems to be having a lot of fun in this book.

And nowhere is the fun more clear than in Spider and Fat Charlie. They're like yin and yang -- one brother is charming, conscienceless and self-consciously divine in his attitude, and the other is nervy, awkward and painfully mundane. Spider's charm leaps out from the page, while Fat Charlie is sort of Gaiman's "Charlie Brown." Don't worry, Fat Charlie improves as the book goes on.

Everyone gets annoyed by their siblings and embarrassed by their dad, but the "Anansi Boys" have a life more complex than most. Lighter than most Neil Gaiman books, but hilarious, dark and perpetually clever.

Anansi Boys is a funny story with some heartwarming themes and a few unexpected twists, more than one would expect for a light read of its sort. In tone, it's not far different than one would expect from a Terry Pratchett book, but it does have a bit more to it in the story department. With the exception of a few PoVs that seemed extraneous to me, it was enjoyable the whole way through, and I laughed out loud fairly often throughout.

In a way, though, Anansi Boys was a disappointment to me. Following on the world created in American Gods (albeit on a much smaller scale), I had some hopes for a book that was a bit more ambitious in scope. Instead, Gaiman goes out of his way to suck the tension out of scenes that could have been quite dark. Additionally, its themes of a mild-mannered Englishman happening upon a supernatural world that gives his life relevance are purloined wholesale from Gaiman's earlier Neverwhere.

I can't possibly say that Anansi Boys isn't a good book, but as far as I'm concerned, it's definitely not a great one.

The story was generally likable, it played with traditional African story telling elements quite well and to top this off at the end it became, in certain parts, a laugh out loud funny book. However that's all I can pretty much say about it. It isn't the type of book that's bound to stay with me for any length of time although I certainly wouldn't object if I found myself trapped on an airplane with nothing but this to read. In short - I'm going easy on my review and am giving my real 3 1/2 star rating the bump up service to 4 stars instead.

I suppose if I were pressed to say what it was that failed to leave a great impact on me was perhaps the fact that it played its cards a bit too heavily on the side of the traditional folk tale. Much like the stories of its title character we do not sit down and retell Anansi stories because they are rip roaring adventures or anything new. From the beginning we know that things are bound to go A Certain Way. For example from page one I knew that Rosie wasn't going to maintain her currant role in Fat Charlie's life for long and I was right. Not because I posses any kind of psychic powers or read any online spoilers, but just because that was what her functional roll in the plot was supposed to do. Likewise with anyone or anything else in the story. This is not to say that Anansi boys is boring in it's predictability, because it's not, but rather that in some ways it's a story we've heard many times before - only made a little new and a little fresh to keep our attention.

Is this a bad thing? No. Should it have tried to unfold its self in another manner? Again I have to say that I would say no. Perhaps by sticking to close to its source material it took a bit of the mystery out of the whole thing but then again it does manage to pay homage to its humble beginnings in traditional folk tale. After all we do not continue to listen and repeate real Anansi stories because they're any great, complex works of art. We continue to do so because they are amusing and they make us laugh, keep us entertained and are a fine way to pass the time and with this in mind I'll say that Anansi Boys has yet to do me a disservice by not continuing in a similar vein.

I thought this book was boring. The character's personalities were drawn out to the point of unbelievable and the story line took forever to develop. The ending was predictable and I didn't enjoy this story.

I’ve only recently discovered Neil Gaiman and have happily devoured several of his books, including American Gods, Neverwhere, Norse Mythology, The Graveyard Book, Trigger Warning, Smoke and Mirrors and View from the Cheap Seats. I have enjoyed them all, but Ocean at the End of the Lane was my first five-star favorite. This one may have eclipsed it. Bring on the rest of them!!

Another Gaiman masterpiece! Filled with rich characters, imagination, excellently woven prose, and many twists and turns. I love the symbolism between the animals and humans and the myths surrounding Anansi himself. The opening and ending were my favourite parts, and honestly, I'm struggling to leave a proper review because the story was just so perfectly woven! A must read for all Gaiman fans!

I like the way Gaiman implants this novel into the West African `Anansi' mythical world and I really like the premise behind the main plot, which also explains why Fat Charlie and his brother, Spider, had not met before. I also like the way the plot leads Fat Charlie and Spider back to their roots. Gaiman's writing style, when he has something serious to say, is also good. However, on the negative side I find many of the characters stereotypical (the `sweet' girlfriend, the `interfering' mother-in-law to-be, the `evil' boss etc) which makes them hard to buy into much less care about; successive chunks of the action or conversations are irrelevant since they don't further the plot, intensify the atmosphere or develop the characters; the humour is banal and after a couple of chapters, annoying; and the ending's predictable and unimaginative, all of which took the edge off what, otherwise, should have been an enjoyable read.

I ended up with the feeling that Gaiman had not been invested in this book: that he knocked it out without caring to fix its shortcomings and explore its potential. The result is a superficial, lightweight and inconsequential novel. A disappointment... because this man can write.

I'm not sure I would have picked this up had it not come so highly recommended to me, but I couldn't pass it up after hearing its high praises.

This is the first Neil Gaiman book I've read (or, listened to, to be more accurate) and I can see why he's so loved. I was constantly reveling in his way with words, his delightful way of putting things, and his fantastic vocabulary. It truly is a literary feast.
Anansi Boys is not a rambling book by any means, but it also isn't a typical page turner. I was always curious to read more because I liked the characters, but it's not packed with action or cliff hangers, so it might not be everyone's literary style (though, it's not pretentious in the least!)

The story itself is totally enjoyable! More of a character story than anything else, the main focus of the book (at least at the start) is the struggles of "Fat Charlie" Nancy - his confidence, his relationship with his father, his mother-in-law-to-be.... But when his father passes away, things start to come out - secrets withheld from him that are truly out of this world. Perhaps Charlie's life isn't as simple as it seems...

Another thing I was pleased about was how "clean" the book was. If it were a movie, I doubt it would receive much more than a PG to PG-13 rating.

Now, if I'm being truly picky, there were a few plot points that felt a little hazy - but that could be part of Gaiman's goal, to give the story a slightly mythical/fable-ish feeling (or, it could be because of the slightly scratched library cds...) Either way, it didn't bug me, and didn't get in the way of my enjoyment of this tale. The characters are very realized and I felt quite attached to all the protagonists.

I loved, loved, LOVED the audio version of this! Expertly produced and perfectly read, the narrator made this tale such an enjoyment to listen to! The voices were so rich and varied that I was always amazed it was done by one man.

Definitely recommended highly!

A fantasy book by Neil Gaiman is always a new experience. You forget it's a fantasy story after a couple of pages and you find yourself sucked into a new world. Charlie Nancy, Fat Nancy, is a fairly normal man living in South London, engaged to be married to Rosie. So far nothing strikes us as peculiar, does it? We are introduced to his childhood and the continuous embarrassments caused him by his father when living in Florida. His father used to be a quite charming man. No one could resist him and the day he died, Fat Charlie not only had to fly back to a place that wasn't home anymore, but he also had to deal with a weird inheritance he didn't quite expect. A brother, Spider, who apparently inherited all their father's magic. Fat Charlie will discover his father's true nature, that of a god, Anansi: The spider god. He will learn how his father managed to bother quite a lot of other gods through the ages. But the biggest problem will be his brother, who will gradually steal his fiancee, get him in trouble with the law and make his whole existence miserable. With the help of three old ladies, some kind of witches, Fat Charlie will try to get rid of Spider, but he will somehow just mess things up for both of them. So if you want to know whether the Anansi's bloodline is going to survive all this mess, you will have to read this brilliant story.

This book is great; with Lenny Henry's audio, it's magnificent. I picked up Anansi Boys knowing nothing about the premise (from American Gods: A Novel or even the jacket flap). This might be the best way to read Gaiman: jump right in without preconception. Trust him. He crafts a comfy little everyday world of people who spark, here and there, with eccentricity: The kindly old neighbor lady, the clumsy hero, his dutiful fiancée, her acidic mother, his grinning and predatory boss and his carefree father. Think you know them? Watch out: some of those sparks catch fire in very surprising ways. Like the best writers of fantasy, Gaiman begins with the mundane and then, with surprising feints, introduces the bizarre. His supernatural world is revealed in fits and starts, keeping us perpetually off-balance as to its rules. Start to guess where the magic lies, and Gaiman will twist reality into another unexpected contortion before you can catch him. Like Fat Charlie, we fumble through the story feeling confused and then smart, tricked then triumphant -- and Gaiman stays a step ahead of us, weaving it all together as deftly as Anansi himself.

Anansi Boys is an epic story of family, identity and courage -- both the unworldly courage of gods and the more impressive, everyday courage of women and men. This translation of the Anansi story -- bringing Caribbean and West African animal gods to life in London and Florida -- breaks free from cliché into utter originality. And Lenny Henry's voice work (especialy his laugh-out-loud timing)elevates the entire book. This might be one of the most diverse casts of characters in literary memory, and this incredible talent with accents and dialect brings each one of them to life.

Could anyone else transform fear into birds (and back again) one moment, and bring down the house with a karaoke rendition of "Under the Boardwalk" the next? If there is magic - if there are gods among us - they might just tell stories like this.

I finally read a Neil Gaiman book,after years of recommendations. Or well, listened to the audio version. I was hesitant at first and while Fat Charley was an ok character, Spider initially annoyed me. After several pages of humorous chaos and magic, magic all around, I eventually came to love all the characters and Mr. Gaiman's writing, which is witty and very funny, while still maintaining a serious book. I loved the incorporation of the old lady characters, specially Mrs. Higler, and Rosie's mom. They were a hoot.
But the best, best, best part of this book was Lenny Henry, the man that reads this audiobook. He made it magical. For hours and hours of listening I completely forgot this was only one man reading, and I actually thought there were men, young women, old women and even tigers talking. He is amazing and somehow added to the magic of the book. I still can't figure out how he made me forget about him. I had never heard of him (which is surprising since I'm a huge fan of Dawn French), but now I'm his biggest fan. I just have to hope that he's read more books I can listen to.
So all in all, I'm a new fan of Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry.

Neil Gaiman is a very good, if not great, writer and he proved he is a smart writer as well with "Anansi Boys" (if there was any doubt). Whether you call it a sequel, or a spin-off, "Anansi Boys" is not an attempt to reproduce the amazing and incredible "American Gods". Instead, Gaiman produces a humorous novel, much lighter in feel, and much narrower in scope than its predecessor. By doing so, he has created a novel which can stand on its own merits, and will largely avoid a detailed comparison with its predecessor because the two are clearly very different.

The main character is Charlie Nancy, who is usually referred to as "Fat Charlie", though he isn't fat, but it is a nickname that his father gave him and it has stuck with him throughout his life. Charlie has become engaged, and his fiancé, Ruth, queries him about inviting his father to the wedding. This artful trick allows Gaiman to fill the reader on Charlie's history, the tricks his father played on him, and how he got to London while his Father lives in the U.S. At this point, Charlie is unaware that his father is the god Anansi, and he is unaware that his father has just died. In going to the funeral, Charlie's unusual family tree is revealed by old neighbors and friends of the family. They reveal not just the true nature of his father, but also the existence of Charlie's brother, Spider.

Initially Spider is quite different from Charlie, but throughout the book Spider becomes more like Charlie, and Charlie more like Spider, and they have the connection of brotherhood which allows Charlie to forgive Spider for the numerous tricks he plays on Charlie. Spider has inherited the magic and the trickster aspect of their father, while Charlie is much more mundane. His one great talent turns out to be singing, though stage fright prevents him initially from displaying it.

In spite of being dead, Anansi is also a key character in this story. Not just because these are his sons, but Gaiman artfully weaves the stories of Anansi with the rest of the story to make Anansi a critical character and to provide insight into Spider and Charlie. Those are by far the most important characters, but there is an additional cast of characters who fill out Charlie's life and are important to the direction of the book. Humor is key to this book, and it is present throughout, even through murder, torture, kidnapping, and prison.

I know that some have categorized this as Horror in addition to Fantasy, but I don't personally think it fits in that category. Certainly some horrible things happen, and there are a couple points where suspense builds a bit, but the humor aspect prevents me from putting it in that category. Regardless of what category it is put in, this is a very enjoyable novel, and while I would not put it on the same level as "American Gods", "Anansi Boys" stands quite well on its own.

Amazingly, Neil Gaiman refused the nomination for the Hugo award, but that didn't stop "Anansi Boys" from winning the 2006 Locus award for Fantasy Novel, the 2006 British Fantasy August Derleth Award for best novel, the 2006 Geffen award for Fantasy Book, the 2006 Mythopoeic award for Adult Literature, and the 2006 SF Site Poll for SF/Fantasy Book.

"It began, as most things begin, with a song." [p. 1]

Most Neil Gaiman novels are bizarre explosions of creativity and off the wall plots. While I would have to be insane to say that Anansi Boys is anything but bizarre, it's bizarre in a calculated way that sets it apart from many of Gaiman's other works. Anansi Boys is, above all, a story of deceiving simplicity, from characters, to plots, to themes.

Characterization is, at first, broad. Our first glimpses of Spider, Fat Charlie's divine brother, for instance, show him as glamorous and heartless, the kind of man that'll drag his brother to a bar and then promptly forget his charge to begin a night of wild partying. Over the course of he narrative, however, Spider grows into a fully developed character with such subtlety that the reader misses all the usual road signs of I'm a well rounded person, now. Gaiman's characterizes by showing, not telling, and moments of epiphany aren't the beginning of sudden change, but rather the recognition of a gradual transformation that's well under way by the time it's remarked upon. Gaiman's characterization shows a deep understanding of how people think of themselves and the world around them:

"Each person who ever was or is or will be has a song. It isn't a song that anybody else wrote. It has its own melody, it has its own words. Very few people get to sing their own song. Most of us fear that we cannot do it justice with our voices, or that our words are too foolish or too honest, or too odd. So people live their songs instead." [p. 189]

And yet, as anyone who's read anything that the man's written can tell you, Gaiman is anything but pretentious. His writing is, at all times, light hearted, and he imparts truths and tragedies with an understanding wink and a friendly tip of his hat:

"Take daisy, for example. Her song, which has been somewhere in the back of her head for most of her life, had a reassuring, marching sort of beat, and words that were about protecting the weak, and it had a chorus that began 'Evildoers beware!' and was thus much too silly ever to be sung out loud. She would hum it to herself sometimes though, in the shower, during the soapy bits." [p. 189]

Gaiman's game is not one of sudden reversals. At the beginning of the book, we learn Fat Charlie's situation and watch as events in it play out as expected - or, at least, close to it. Soon after, Fat Charlie leans of his father's death, and we see the consequences of that. When Spider comes into the picture, it still isn't a dramatic call to adventure, followed by the two gallivanting around the globe. Instead, the relationship between the two develops naturally as their various personalities affect the course of the other's life. This is a story that is, above all, organic in its growth, introducing a new element and exploring all of its possibilities before moving on.

That is not, however, to suggest that Anansi Boys's plot is predictable or uneventful. Over the book's course, Gaiman explores the full range of emotions and events, from the comic, to the heart warming, to the terrifying, each reached with a naturalness that keeps the tale from ever growing outlandish or unbelievable. As each new piece is added to the puzzle, the amount of delightful bizarreness skyrockets, but there are no extraneous elements here; every element proves vital to the tale's survival and continuation:

"Stories are webs, interconnected strand to strand, and you follow each story to the center, because the center is the end. Each person is a strand of the story." [p. 302]

Every one of the aforementioned pitches is well done, but the books true highs occur when Gaiman balances them at once. Towards the end of the book, scenes of outright terror and suspense are wedded to moments of outlandish comedy, each set up so well that the combination doesn't feel contrived, but rather inevitable.

Thematically, Anansi Boys treads little new ground. This is a story of familes and relationships, of people, and of decisions, and of the consequence of those decisions. You've probably read a story with similar themes before. In fact, I'm sure of it. Odds are, you've read a whole boat load of them. This one's different, though. How so, you ask? Well, it's because nothing that Gaiman does is quite like anything you've ever read before. Oh, I'm sure that you've heard that statement about a whole encyclopedia's worth of authors, but all I can say is that, this time, it's true. Gaiman illustrates rash actions with flocks of homicidal birds and depicts a father son dynamic with a heartfelt talk, both scenes feeling as fresh and poignant as anything I've read.

Anansi Boys's isn't perfect. The lackadaisical pace of the first few chapters meant that the book didn't suck me in until page eighty or so (and then what a blissful, airborne ride the rest of the book was), and I initially thought that Grahame Coats's law firm might actually manufacture coats or something similar...but, judging by how absurdly stupid that last one was, I think it's pretty clear that Anansi Boys's is pretty damn close to perfect, and I think it's worth you getting up out of your seat, driving to the nearest booksellers, and forking over your hard earned cash.

The world of fantasy can take us on many different adventures. We might expect things like magic wands, mythical creatures, and a journey full of dangers. But readers will not expect anything like Anansi Boys.
In Neil Gaiman's dark fantasy, we follow the life of Fat Charlie Nancy in London, whose is about to change. It starts when we learn about Charlie's life, which includes his rough relationship with his misunderstood father, his anxiety over his engagement with his beloved Rosie, and other worries in his life. Next, he learns that his father unexpectedly dies while singing on a karaoke stage in Florida. Then, Charlie is shocked to find out at his father's funeral that his dad was a real-life god known as Anansi. To top it all off, he learns that he has a brother whose name is Spider, whom he meets on the doorstep of his home. Shortly after, they get acquainted with each other at a bar, and then Charlie's life takes a dark turn.
This book is one exhilarating thrill ride. It manages to blend fantasy with touches of thriller, horror, and occasional humor. The minute I started reading this book, I was already interested in the characters and the story. To me, it's more of a thriller than a fantasy. What readers will like about Anansi Boys is the mind-bending journey of Fat Charlie and Spider and the moments of unexpected frights. Anyone who is looking for a ride on a thriller fantasy will very much enjoy Anansi Boys.

Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman, is a strange book. Like its cousin American Gods, I didn't quite understand everything that happened along the way, but I did enjoy myself all the while. Anansi is a prominent African and Caribbean god. He is a spider in form, but often takes the guise of a man.

Fat Charlie Nancy has never really got along well with his father. As a child his dad would play jokes on him, often resulting in loads of embarrassment and humiliation for Fat Charlie. When his father died on a karaoke stage in Florida, Fat Charlie flew across the Ocean to attend the funeral and finally make his peace with the man. But fate had something else in mind. A strange, old neighbor and family-friend tells Fat Charlie that he has a brother, and that if he ever wants to talk to him then all he needs to do is tell a spider. She also tells Fat Charlie that his dad was Anansi, and that he was a god. Confused and uncertain, Charlie heads back to England to return to his bookkeeping job and his fiancée, Rosie, ready to get on with his life.

Indeed, life goes on for Fat Charlie, albeit somewhat dull and mostly uneventful. But one night, while a little drunk, Fat Charlie is taking a spider outside and remembers the words of his old neighbor. He tells the spider to tell his brother hello. And from there things will never be the same.

Part of me really liked this book, but part of me simply thought it was okay. Neil Gaiman is a wonderful word-spinner, and definitely at the top of his craft here. The writing is beautiful. The prose flows smoothly and reads easily. I found myself laughing at some of the word choices because they were perfect. The style of the book isn't too serious, but it's not not-serious, either, and this worked well with the many different characters. Below are two of my favorite quotes.

"I knew that the meeting of two brothers, well, it's the subject of epics, isn't it? I decided the only way to treat it with the appropriate gravity would be to do it in verse. But what kind of verse? Am I gonna rap it? Declaim it? I mean, I'm not gonna greet you with a limerick. So it had to be something dark. Something powerful. Rhythmic. Epic. And then I had it..."

"Daisy looked up at him with the kind of expression Jesus might have given someone who had just explained that he was probably allergic to bread and fishes, so could He possibly do a quick chicken salad?"

Like the web shown on the cover art, the plot is one large tangle of different characters' lives, all connected. Some characters you can't help but love; others you only wish their ill will. Grahame Coats, Charlie's boss, is one those kind of characters that exist solely to get on your nerves.

Another thing I really liked about this book was how simple and imaginative it was. Fat Charlie's story could almost pass as real, but for the minor magical and unexplainable occurrences that happen to him. The fantasy is very mild and toned down throughout most of the novel, but there are a few instances when Gaiman spins a wonderfully vivid, imaginary world. But I did feel that Fat Charlie was a relatable protagonist, and that's usually a plus.

I also enjoyed Gaiman's excellent use of mythology and folklore. The man truly knows his stuff, and can tell it like no other. On the surface, Anansi Boys is a story about Fat Charlie and his long-lost-brother. But once you get reading it, you find that the life of a god (or of his children) is never quite that simple. Tiger wants his stories back from Anansi, and he'll stop at nothing to get them.

I suppose my unlikes were very few and rather vague. It's really just the overall story that seemed to be lacking. On one hand, everything was connected and worked out wonderfully well. On the other, I was occasionally lost and unsure, but I get the feeling that the reader is supposed to feel this way. Still, not enough to complain about, just being a bit picky. Also the story is not as grandiose as I was expecting, but instead rather straight-forward: Charlie wants to get his life back to normal. And this, is the main source of why the story was simply okay.

Overall, I did rather enjoy Anansi Boys. The lighthearted tale was fun to read, and the interspersed dark parts added enough conflict to the story to propel the book along nicely. If you're curious about Gaiman, I wouldn't start with this novel, but instead opt for American Gods or the Sandman comics. However, this book is a standalone and does not have any prerequisites. So if mythology interests you, particularly African mythos, or if you're wanting something quick and fun to read, I easily recommend Anansi Boys.

Anansi Boys is a fantasy story and yet in so many ways it relates to real life. This is the sort of story your friend tells you when you tell them how terrible your life is...and they have the sudden urge to top it with a more terrible story.
It is witty, funny and intelligently written. Although I am a Neil Gaiman fan I would say this is one of his best offerings to date. Although if he is reading this I challenge him to write a better story and dedicate it to me (can't blame a girl for asking). Anansi Boys is a modern day fairy tale with all the twists and turns a fairy tale needs. Yet it is also deeply thought provoking - or maybe that is just because I think too much, but I do feel this book has a deep meaning in weird sort of way.
It's a definite must read for anyone who loves this kind of utter thing.

(4.5, really)

Anansi Boys follows a similar formula to Gaiman's American Gods: take characters from folklore and mythology (in this case, Afro-Caribbean) and put them into a modern setting. This book is more light-hearted than American Gods, though, and I found it more fun. If you don't get a laugh out of Gaiman's colorful conception of Anansi as a smooth-talking, fun-loving, and thoroughly incorrigible old man, or the ultra-cool, multi-talented, and equally irresponsible Spider, or the many lines of witty dialogue and description, you might not have a sense of humor. The story, which involves a shlumpy but decent-hearted office worker nicknamed Fat Charlie, who happens to be Anansi's son, making a wish that he comes to regret, and trying to rectify it with a bargain that he comes to regret even more, follows familiar folklore tropes, but it's charmingly well-excuted.

Possibly my favorite of Gaiman's books that I've read so far, but American Gods is enjoyable, too. However, I have to say that you're missing something if you merely *read* this novel -- the audiobook narrator renders the characters with the color and storybook flair that they deserve, effortlessly switching between Carribean, African-American, and British accents. Get it from audible (I found it on sale) or seek out the CD version.

I'm not going to write out a review of the books contents/plot (which is just wonderful. One of my Favorite books) .
Just on the new cover.
It's stunning. I'm so glad that Neil was able to get Robert McGinnis to do new artwork for his books.
His style is just spectacular.
I own all of Neil's books and have read them many times over. But I fell in love with the new art so I just had to order all of the new books for the covers.
They are going to be prominately displayed in my cozy little home library.

Let's get the easy part out of the way first: YES, I liked it. I enjoyed it. I highly recommend it.

I'm talking about Neil Gaiman's latest, Anansi Boys.

Pre-press and plenty of interviews should have everyone understanding that this is not a sequel to Gaiman's American Gods, despite the fact that Mr. Nancy (aka the Trickster Spider God Anansi) appears in the much thicker, more serious novel. (If you want a sequel to AG, seek out the Legends II anthology and read the novella "Monarch of the Glen," which finds Shadow, the hero of AG, wandering Scotland. It's a fun read.)

Anansi Boys's tagline is "God is dead. Meet the kids." Which tells you little about the plot, although it gives you a good sense of the tone of the book.

Here's the plot synopsis, for those that need such things in a review: Fat Charlie Nancy has been estranged from his dapper, devil-may-care father since early childhood. Mr. Nancy embarrasses Fat Charlie, you see. The ultimate embarrassment comes when Mr. Nancy dies in a case of "karaoke interruptus," taking off the shirt of a buxom blond as he tumbles from the stage. In short order, Charlie finds out not only that his father was far more than human, he also discovers the existence of a long-lost brother. Much hilarity ensues.

Gaiman works his usual charm here, far more whimsically than his work on AG -- in fact, this book is probably more in line with Stardust or Good Omens than with AG or Neverwhere.

I found myself sympathising with Fat Charlie. Haven't we all been embarrassed by our fathers at some point? Even when some of those moments are not intentionally embarrassing, it is the role of sons to be embarrassed by their fathers. I felt the deep confusion and angst of Charlie's fiancee Rose, caught up in events she doesn't realize are spiralling out of control around her. And I found myself growing to like Spider(the aforementioned brother) despite his best efforts to remain unlikeable. Even the supporting characters are well-drawn and come across as people you'd meet in real life -- the magic and myth are incidental to the fact that these are people you know even while being central to the point and plot of the book.

The book takes more sharp turns and sudden shifts than a plane caught in turbulence. It's not quite a roller-coaster ride, but if it were it would certainly inspire a certain level of motion-sickness. As the tone shifts, so does the narratorial voice; one minute you're hearing fairly proper English in Gaiman's voice, then you're deep in Carribean patois with perhaps the bass rumble of Geoffrey Holder playing Storyteller. Rather than distracting, the change in vocabulary and voice helps the reader move from light comedy to romantic yearning to slapstick to cliffhanger drama seemlessly.

People ask me all the time what kind of material Gaiman writes, and I always have a hard time answering. It's not horror, it's not fantasy, it's not fairy tale and it's not magical realism. It's a realm where all of these collide. Someone needs to coin a term for it if they haven't already.

"All stories are Anansi stories," Gaiman says. And reading this, you can believe that's true.

As a Neil Gaiman fan I try not to be prejudiced when reading his literature. I like to venture into a book without previous thoughts of books and how fantastic they were. I feel like I succeeded with keeping my love for Gaiman literature at bay and have still found that this book is now one of my favorites.

We meet a man, nicknamed by his father, Fat Charlie. Not that he is fat anymore, but once his father gives a name, it sticks. He happens to be a son of a god. Anansi, his father, being the god in question. Fat Charlie was always embarrassed by his father's actions to the point where he, at the beginning of the book, contemplates inviting him to his wedding to an Englishwoman: Rosie. Very soon we learn that his father has passed away and we also find out that Fat Charlie can be embarrassed without the need of his father. It is the definition of normalcy. Fat Charlie has made himself completely normal and cannot handle the eccentricities of life. That is, until he comes in contact with his brother, Spider.

Fat Charlie takes advice from a few old ladies of his home town which will soon act like cruel Fates in Fat Charlie's life. Unlike the Fates of mythology, however, these old ladies are simply assisting in the choices that Fat Charlie makes. In a way, they are part of his web, part of his story and they simply tell him which strand of web to follow, if he wants to follow it at all. Desperate for solutions, he will often follow their advice instead of the advice of his own smothered conscience. If he could just open his eyes perhaps he would find that he's more like his father than he thinks.

We follow Fat Charlie through an odd assortment of events that are typical of Gaiman creativity. Just like Spider's manipulation in Fat Charlie's life, we find ourselves weaved into a web that we feel there is no escape from. Helpless marionettes being controlled by some outside force when, in fact, we weave our own webs and simply need to make a choice, a daring choice, to be ourselves. To, most importantly, sing our own songs.

There is so much to talk about in this book but I would not want to spoil it for you. So let me just end by saying that this book is a story of mirror images, and mirrored people. An example is the mirrored image of Fat Charlie in Spider. Not only in look but in how opposite and how alike they are. The story is easy to ready, funny, exciting, and daring in its creativity. Gaiman makes you work for an answer but does not make it too hard to find it and to be given confirmation soon after. This is the working evolution of human kind and of a story, a very important one. A voyage of discovery that very rarely comes to fruition in literature in such a phenomenal way.

My only warning is to not read this book if you are deathly afraid of arachnids or birds. If not, please pick it up and give Gaiman a chance. If you are already a Neil fan, pick up American Gods first.

Neil Gaiman takes the legend of Anansi the Spider and updates it. This is about Anansi's two sons Fat Charlie and Spider who grew up in south Florida only to be parted by an angry neighbor that sends Spider away. If you didn't grow up with Anansi tales or read them to your children, you should read about him.

This story is about separated brothers reunited in modern London. But is it also a giant Anansi story with Animal totems living in the cliffs at The Beginning of the World. It is a well crafted story that I couldn't put down and enjoyed to the end. It illustrates how Life is just the tale we tell, and a gifted storyteller can make that tale so much more meaningful. It also shows how the world of our mind is meshed so closely with the world of our perceptions, how Spirit and Flesh, Sacred and Profane dance together to the sound of Song.

What can I say about Neil Gaiman's "Anansi Boys"!?! It's definitely Gaiman's deliberate and very successful attempt to bring comedy to his storytelling gift of rustling up the reader's imagination. Before everything, I have to say the part that made me laugh out loud was the part deep in the story where Daisy was expressing her dread of her job, much like a particular movie character (many of you can relate to this already, can't you?).

The images the 1st chapter brings to mind are nothing short of an adult-like look at a Saturday-morning cartoon! And, that's just setting up the "real story" that the rest of the book tells.

The premise of a family member who comes into the main character's life and just WON'T go back home is a situation with which many people can relate, much to their own chagrins, and that is what happens here. But, this particular family member has a very special talent and he uses it to impose on his brother's life...!
The sub-plots are kept to a minimum, unlike in Gaiman's "Neverwhere" [yet, that is a very good book]!

The interesting thing about "Anansi Boys" is that Gaiman reverently "nods" to the ART of storytelling in the African and African-American traditions; in somewhat the same way as he did in "American Gods", he puts in short stories of that genre at the end of certain chapters, but [thankfully] not as many.
Gaiman also respectfully nods to the ART of song and singing, which is very interesting and, I would imagine, challenging and he arose to the challenge very well: I mean, have you ever read a book where the narrator described a song as it is being sung? Plus, at a few more points throughout the story, especially at the end, Gaiman expresses just how special songs are; that's a really nice touch!

As you read Gaiman's books, you find that the main character, at some point deep in the story, must go through a major rite of passage, that death doesn't necessarily mean "dead and gone" and that YOU WILL get a full-length, real-life history lesson late in the story; perhaps this is Gaiman's means of re-establishing the balance of FACT and REALITY to all the IMAGINATION and FANTASY that he has stirred up in the readers' minds; my favorite `lesson' of his is in "American Gods" (it's about Lookout Mountain). Gaiman also makes it evident that he loves to EAT! In this and in "Neverwhere", he has major scenes that describe the food being eaten at a certain meal, and the tastes, smells and the sounds and how much the characters enjoy their meals!

If you like chuckling while you read, you must read "Anansi Boys"; and then watch out for a 7-legged spider :o ...

Want good reading? Neil Gaiman's your man. Unfortunately, now that I've read Anansi Boys, I've read all of his books. I guess I'll have to work on my Sandman collection -- "Collection" being my way of saying "I have two of the books and maybe I can buy more someday!" I like "collection" better.

Gaiman has become one of my very favorite authors over the last year or two. I loved Good Omens and American Gods, which were the first two books of his I read; when I found The Sandman I was even more impressed. Now that I've read Neverwhere, Stardust, Smoke and Mirrors and now, Anansi Boys, I think I can safely say that he's become one of my heroes. He has this amazing ability to inspire me, since I enjoy everything about his books: his humor, the characters, the themes and the concepts.

Anansi Boys was as good as the rest. It's the story of the son of Anansi the Spider living in modern day England. Anansi dies, and his son, Fat Charlie Nancy, discovers that he has a brother that he didn't know about; wackiness ensues, along with some rather spooky bits and some really interesting thoughts about the power of storytelling. One of the big themes of the book is how much our stories influence our lives; Anansi owns all the stories, they say, because he stole, bought, and earned them from Tiger, who had them before the Spider came. When the Tiger had all the stories, they were all about savagery and bloodshed and being the strongest and fiercest, because that is what Tiger is; it was Anansi that made the stories focus on cleverness and fun, on getting the greatest reward for the least effort by using your brain. Because the stories focused on cleverness, that became the favored attribute in the world that told those stories; Anansi's stories were what made people grow and evolve, and use their minds to become more than animals.

So stories are what make us human, and what make us what we are. I like that. I wonder just how much of me comes from the first stories I learned, the books I read that stuck with me -- like Tolkien and Sherlock Holmes and Poe and Dr. Seuss and King Arthur. And Harriet the Spy and Alvin's Secret Code. I think the answer to that is: quite a lot. I think how different I might be if my first important stories had been about athletes, or rock stars, or war heroes.

Anyway, I loved the book, very funny and thoughtful.

This is the book that made me fall in love with Neil Gaimon. When I read this, I had not yet read "American Gods", which is a prequel to Anansi Boys. Although I might have understood the world and the characters a little sooner had I read American Gods first, it really wasn't necessary, since the only character really introduced in the first book is Mr. Nancy (aka Anansi), and the book follows the story of his son after Nancy's death.
The tale is masterfully spun, though a little slow in getting there. I think it took about a 100 pages until it really started to get interesting (before that it's just setting the stage, introducing these characters while you're wondering, "Where is this all going?"). Then, without revealing the plot, it gets good. REALLY good. I was totally hooked, and literally couldn't put it down. The characters are very well developed and fascinating, and the ending was just amazing. I have since read several more Neil Gaimon novels, and although all have been enjoyable, this one is my favorite by far. In general I don't re-read books once I'm finished, but for this one I may make an exception. Even as I was reading the first time, as certain things were revealed I found myself going back and reading excerpts with new understanding. Gaimon is a masterful storyteller, once who hides details in little stories that originally seem like they have little to do with the plot, but they are building blocks for things revealed later.
Overall a delightful read, a memorable story that will have you thinking about it long after the last page has turned.

"Anansi Boys" is not so much a sequel to Gaiman's "American Gods" as it is more of a spin-off, a literary "Rhoda" or "Facts of Life." In "American Gods" there was a trickster god called Anansi or Mr. Nancy, who was a spider but also manifested himself as a swinging black man in the mold of Cab Calloway.

When "Anansi Boys" begins, Mr. Nancy is dead. He leaves behind two sons. One is "Fat" Charlie Nancy, who is not fat but the childhood nickname given to him by his father has stuck no matter what he does. Though he grew up in Florida, Charlie moved to London as an adult, where he works for a sleazy talent agent and is engaged to a charity worker named Rosie. By any standard Charlie's life is pretty boring.

That is until he meets his brother. Charlie's brother goes by the name Spider. He has no job, spending his time flitting from place to place, having a grand old time. He has no steady girlfriends either. What Spider does have is magic. This is what he inherited from his father and that he uses to make himself the life of the party.

Charlie makes the mistake of inviting Spider to stay with him and before long Charlie's life is turned upside down. And like house guests everywhere, Spider soon overstays his welcome.

If the plot sounds like a sitcome, it's because for the most part it is. It's like "Two and a Half Men" without the kid. And with a bit of island magic. That makes the book more lighthearted and fun than "American Gods" but it also doesn't have quite the same impact. Though a fun and engaging read, it's likely to stick with you as long as it takes to flip the channel.

Still, I'd recommend it, especially if you're a fan of books like Terry Pratchett's Discworld series that similarly combine humor and fantasy.

That is all.

This book is my second foray into the world of Gaiman, and I am now certain I'm a HUGE fan!!

"It begins, as most things begin, with a song. In the beginning, after all, were the words, and they came with a tune. That was how the world was made, how the void was divided, how the lands and the stars and the dreams and the little gods and the animals, how all of them came into the world. They were sung. "

"Fat" Charlie Nancy was an unexciting man living in London in an unexciting flat, working at an unexciting job while planning an unexciting wedding with his fiance Rosie. And he was fine with that, until one day it all changed. Fat Charlie's father died in a horrible Karaoke incident, once again causing Charlie major humiliation. When he flew to Florida to the funeral, he once again met up with old neighbors and friends of the family. And Charlie found out a secret....his father wasn't just any of man. He was a God.....the human form of the trickster Anansi. And not only that.....but Charlie had a brother who inherited all the God "stuff" from good ol' Dad. All he had to do was whisper to a spider, and his brother would come. Now to Fat Charlie, this was all too much. He didn't really believe any of that nonsense. Of course, that didn't stop him from whispering to a spider one night in London after a few too many glasses of wine. From here, the quest to find out more about himself begins for Fat Charlie.

What I loved so much about this book is Gaiman's sense of humor. Where American Gods was more of a serious book, this one showed his sense of humor. This definitely falls in the folklore category of the Once Upon a Time Challenge. There were a lot of stories about Anansi, the Trickster. Since ALL stories are Anansi's! Gaiman wove a tale, like that of a spiderweb. All things are tied together somehow. And when Charlie opens the Pandora's box by whispering to a spider, it's really kind of a coming-of-age story. Gaiman sucks you in immediately and all you have to do is enjoy the ride!!

I actually read this book before reading 'American Gods,' and I'm kind of glad I did. Because I was new to Gaiman at the time, and the darker tone of of "AG" might have put me off of him at the time.

This book explores the same general concept of gods walking among us, trying to live normal lives and just get along doing what they do. But the characters in this book help to create a fun and fantastic landscape for the reader to explore. I laughed through a lot of this book, delighted by what I was reading. And I was moved by it as well. Gaiman has a shockingly good grasp of character—which is the primary motive force of his work.

An excellent book, and a perfect introduction to Neil Gaiman's work.

Ever since I read "The Monarch of the Glen" (found in LEGENDS II) based in the American Gods world, I've loved Gaiman as a writer. I had always known of him as a comic book writer, and had previously written him off as nothing more than that. I had always thought writers of comic books inferior to "real" writers. Why, I don't exactly know. Perhaps the American mentality of comic books being a lesser form of literature has slowly seeped into me over time. Now I know better. After I read "Monarch of the Glen" I picked up AMERICAN GODS and soon after that CORALINE, plus between those two books I read Gaiman's numerous short stories and poems in anthologies I also bought over time. What I got from these books and stories were this: Gaiman is capable of anything, whether it's erotica to children's stories, he can do it with excellence, and he has writing awards to prove just that.

Anansi Boys is, in many ways, a novel that shows just how wide Gaiman's range is. It's a story of self-discovery, of brotherly-love, of earning the love of ones father, plus, to add to those more dramatic themes, it's a story of simple humor, some childhood fantasy as well as some adult fantasy, mischief and mayhem, and gods and monsters. All of this, squeezed nicely into three-hundred pages.

Anansi Boys is about two brothers, one named Charlie Nancy (or Fat Charlie, as everyone else, to his chagrin, call him), the other named Spider. Fat Charlie is nervous and easily embarrassed. Spider just isn't. In fact, the only thing they truly have in common is the fact that their father is the spider god Anansi, a trickster who owns the stories of the world. So, obviously, when these two meet, bad things happen. Spider begins to steal Charlie's life from Charlie, including his fiancee and his job, and Charlie, since he's the less gifted of the two, can't do anything about it. But he finds a way, one that causes chaos and makes Charlie realize just how rash he had been, and must correct his mistakes. During this time, Charlie must avoid police, a crazy, embezzling, cliche dropping boss, and a future-mother-in-law who chooses only to hate everyone her daughter finds an interest in. And, of course, the animal gods themselves.

The odd thing is that, though this book contains so much, it never gets overwhelming. Every separate element of the story is presented slowly, with enough time for you to digest before the next element comes in. In fact, the fantasy elements of the story don't come in until about one-hundred pages in, yet it maintains interest with humor as we follow Charlie around in his mundane life.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's a quick, satisfying read, one most people can take down in two or three days. It's funny enough to actually make you laugh out loud (no cliche intended). So, if you're a fan of Gaiman in any way, then pick this up. It's one of the better fantasy books of last year.

American Gods had some flaws in it that I seriously didn't like. But this one, the only possible complaint I might make against it is that the initial premise of a half-god who doesn't know he's half-god, thrown into a world which is otherwise our world but for the presence of all the ancient gods anyone's ever believed in, who live and walk among us like regular people, who is suddenly made aware of this state of things. He might have at least created a new cookie cutter for the formula in other words. (Christopher Moore, who wrote on a very similar premise and is the only one who attained even greater awesomeness, made sure to use a different cookie cutter all 3 times between Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue and Bloodsucking Fiends by comparison). But just like "V" vs. "Independence Day" sharing the same beginning, that is where the similarities end. Not that V or Independence Day were nearly as cool as this.

But this is just great. In every way. Except that maybe tiger could have learned to show mercy. But the part of the ending that involved him wouldn't have been possible if he had. I thought the evil boss was kind of built for a different role than the tiger but they kind of ended up filling the same role there. He was the seriously deplorable villain, in other words, undeniably after the way he moralized the most detestable things that he did, so maybe tiger should have been a little softer, since having established one completely deplorable character, it's not necessary to try to construct another completely independently and later on in the story. Just my thought.

But anyway, what few flaws I may find while grasping at straws are in no way worthy of downrating this from the maximum by even one point. This book is great. And I have high standards. I'm a pessimist and I look for the flaws in things much more strongly than their positive attributes. The best part is the ending. Everything perfectly wrapped up, and extremely satisfying in any way. Something certain authors cough cough Michael Crichton Joe Haldeman cough cough (Pardon me! Must be a frog in my throat!) could never accomplish in 65 million years of trying. Enough said.

Add to that, the fact that few times has anyone ever suggested an idea that really makes me think. And the idea it brought up in the middle of it - that the human race changed because the stories became Ananci's instead of Tiger's - that they started using their minds because they started creating tools not as weapons but as ways of avoiding work; that really made me think about it. It could even be true. It's incredibly plausible. If it is, it would mean the legend of Ananci is in no small way responsible for elevating the human race above the level of the other animals, for however brief a duration this status may turn out to be. Of course, it could also just be a deceptively enticing thought invented entirely by Neil Gaiman. In which case, hat's off to you Neil Gaiman, because that's no small accomplishment either; making me think about something as being a very clever and interesting notion.

EVEN SO, it deserves a serious mention that I have a serious bone to pick with the complete doofuses who designed the back cover to this book. I wonder if they're the same doofuses who designed the cover to "The Indian in the Cupboard". Doofuses who obviously didn't read 5 whole pages into the books they designed the covers for. The respective authors should have been contacted for approval, is all I'm saying. You don't have to get very far into the book to realize that Fat Charlie is black. His father's an ancient African god who in his human form is specifically described as very dark. The old-women friends of his family were all old Cajun black ladies. Fat Charlie is described as lightER than Spider, but that doesn't change his ethnic status. So then! What's that adolescent white guy doing on the back cover? Who's he supposed to be? Huh? Ticks me off it does.

Many of the few-star reviewers seem to have missed the depth of Anansi Boys. It's deceptively simple, yet rich and deep. Perhaps they would have understood this had they, instead of reading the book in its flat, black & white print, listened to the thoroughly engaging audiobook version, read by British comedian Lenny Henry.

Lenny Henry's accents are spot on--and no wonder, as his parents were islanders who moved to England in time for Lenny to be born there. He uses a wide range of voices and captures the nuances that make up each character. Lenny Henry is an amazing reader who brings Anansi Boys to life--magical life.

In print and in audio, Gaiman's characters are absolutely, positively--or should I say, "absotively"--delightful, right down to that scoundrel Grahame Coats. The book is a fun, calypso-colored read on the surface, yet at its dark depths, it is a study in human character and the choices we make that make us who we are.

Anansi Boys was widely promoted before its release as a sequel to Gaiman's novel American Gods. But it has little relation to that earlier work. Anansi does appear briefly, and some stories are told about him, both in dialogue and in the narration. However, this novel focuses principally on Fat Charlie Nancy, Anansi's mortal (and oblivious to his heritage) son.

At first, the story comes across as very similar in structure to Gaiman's earlier novel, Neverwhere. Fat Charlie (like Richard from Neverwhere) is a luckless loser, who starts out the story in what is clearly the wrong job, with a girl he is clearly not meant to be with, until he finds himself drawn into an unbelievable world he never knew existed.

To summarize the novel would be to give too much away, and the book really thrives on the freshness of its surprises and twists. And to summarize it wouldn't do it justice. All that ought to be said is that Fat Charlie lives a relatively safe and comfortably boring existence until his estranged and embarrassing father dies in a spectacularly embarrassing way. Returning to the United States from his home in London to put his late father's affairs in order, Fat Charlie finds his world thrown into turmoil by the twin revelation that, not only was his father a god, but that Fat Charlie has a brother he never knew about. His troubles truly begin in earnest when he casually invites Spider, his brother, into his life, and then finds he is unable to make him leave it. Spider causes havoc with Charlie's life at home and at work. Desperate to get his life back, the steps Fat Charlie takes to get rid of Spider lead to their own problems for everyone, and what follows is a high-speed adventure to control the damage, save some lives, and maybe bring Charlie out of his shell a little.

Perhaps popular trend and the market right now are flooded with "modern fantasy" and Anansi Boys isn't really breaking any totally unexplored ground in that regard. But this is a genre that Gaiman himself helped to pioneer and popularize, and this novel is far from the worst of its kind. Gaiman employs the premise that the old gods walk among us, as he did in American Gods, and in this book we find that a few mortals know a little bit about it.

Gaiman uses very abstract mechanics for his ideas of the nature and power of divinity. The methods are very iconic and primitive. His use of totemic or archetypical animal beings, otherworldly creatures who are simultaneously wholly human and wholly animal in appearance, is very well-described. As he writes, "It all depends on how you look at it." The exact details of How Things Are Done (capitals for significance, of course) are loosely defined, and in the course of the storytelling, they don't really matter that much. Reality is flexible for certain people, and that's all you really need to know.

The characters are mostly well-developed without being described in endless detail. For example, Gaiman never once says that Fat Charlie is black, but he describes some people as being white, such as "She was a white woman who..." It's all in how you look at it. This technique works, but a few characters could be described in more detail. We never really get into the head of Rosie, Fat Charlie's fiancée, even though we occasionally get the narration from her point of view. Likewise, the role for Daisy, another girl with a flower name, whom Fat Charlie meets after a night on the town, is never really in doubt, and we sort of accept the inevitable, unlikely or loosely founded as it is. One could guess by their names their relative significance to Fat Charlie. Nevertheless, they, and all the other characters, take their parts in the drama in their own unique styles. There are no boring characters. The book is far too short, and flows too quickly to ever be boring.

And this is the book's true strength. Gaiman's writing style is very enjoyable, and this novel fairly flies by. If a book about a spider god can be said to fly. The tale is fast-paced, and once into it, the reader is very reluctant to put it down. Gaiman's wit, humor, and storytelling skill entertain and educate, the latter with the use of the various legends of Anansi, which he tells through dialogue and narration. The tone is humorous, and almost conversational, as if this is your buddy Neil telling you a story at a party about a guy he knows.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and though I rarely reread novels, I will probably give this one another reading after a few months. It was a fun time, and the worst part about the ending was that it arrived too quickly.

On its surface, Gaiman has written a compelling story of a young man's introduction to the world of fantasy--in this case, several worlds, actually--as he comes to terms with the fact that his father was a god (albeit, a minor god), and that he has a long lost brother (Spider), who (Charlie is told) inherited all of their father's power. Charlie, the central character, embarks on a journey to discover his past, motivated by his desire to straighten out the mess he creates when he invites his demi-god brother into his rather mundane middle class life, following the death of his father. As the plot pulls us along, Charlie discovers that he too has god like powers, and struggles coming to terms with himself, his brother, his love life, and his lifelong bitterness towards his now deceased father.

However, Gaiman has also written a book about writing. As Charlie (and we, the readers) learn, central to the god like powers of Charlie's father and brother is the power of the story. As Charlie's brother puts it, his magic consists of bending realty--not much, just a little around the edges. And after all, isn't that what novelists do--bend reality a little around the edges to make their stories more real than reality? Novelists create an entirely new world, with obvious connections to our physical world, but also completely separate.

He who controls the story, controls the world. Charlie's father understood this well--he controlled the story of his entire family, and all he met. Spider, Charlie's brother, uses the power of the story in an entirely selfish way--to bring himself pleasure--until he realizes that when he actually cares about someone, it is much harder to bend reality, without destroying the very thing you care about. In other words, he matures as he realizes that the world does not revolve around his pleasure and entertainment, but is instead made up of other people, each of whom has his (or in this case, her) own equally valid needs and desires.

Of course, on a different level Gaiman controls the story--not only for his characters, but for the reader as well. He therefore exercises even more powerful magic than either Spider or his father.

This is the same thing that King has been writing about in most of his recent books--at least since Needful Things. Gaiman uses the form of fantasy, while King uses the form of horror, but both authors are really writing about writing--and doing it very, very well.

Enjoy. It's a great book.

Neil Gaiman wears many hats. He wrote the stunningly devised Sandman graphic novel series. He has dabbled in the film world, most recently with the beautiful and mesmerizing Mirrormask. And he has won awards for his written work, both in adult science fiction/fantasy and in his books for children. He is an artist so inventive and worldly that his product often cannot be categorized easily. In fact, the kudos displayed on the back of his recent book, ANANSI BOYS, brings high praise from authors whose realms Gaiman frequents but never stays in --- Susanna Clarke (fiction/fantasy), Christopher Moore (humorous fiction), and Peter Straub (horror). It is this cross-section of the literature world that easily exemplifies what you will find within the covers of this eagerly awaited new novel.

While Gaiman has produced a string of quality work, it was 1991's AMERICAN GODS that blew away critics and readers worldwide. Now he has returned to the universe of AMERICAN GODS yet spins a tale that is not a clear sequel but more of a snippet of a life plucked and set on its own stage. And it certainly produces.

Mr. Nancy is Fat Charlie's dad. He is also the African trickster god, Anansi. When Mr. Nancy dies, estranged Charlie flies to Florida to pay his respects, having never known that his father was more than just an annoying man with the ability to make his life miserable. Things go wrong, as they always do for Charlie, and after learning of his father's otherworldly power, he also discovers that he has a brother. The only way he can meet him is to summon him, and to do so he must ask a spider to bring him by the house. Disbelieving, as any logical person would, Charlie speaks to a spider and requests his brother to come by.

Imagine Charlie's surprise when his brother, Spider, stops by, bringing with him a series of downward spirals that hurl Charlie headlong into disaster. With the world on the precipice of doom, Charlie seeks help to enter the spirit world and set right all that has begun to go wrong.

Gaiman's true gift in his writing is his ability to take normal everyday people like Charlie and his fiancee and put them in outlandish and remarkable situations. Although there may not be a trickster god wandering the streets right now, Gaiman, through his masterful writing, makes you believe in this world he has woven around you. Before you know what has happened, you are in as much trouble as Fat Charlie, and it is your human self that connects with Charlie as he struggles to make amends.

All of this is done with stunning vision and clarity, at breakneck speed that does not hamper the telling of the tale. A work of compelling quality, ANANSI BOYS is equal parts humorous, terrifying, adventurous, and epic in the standard mythological style. Yet, for its epic scope, it is an intimate story about the beauty, and danger, of family.

Side by side together, AMERICAN GODS and ANANSI BOYS are beautiful and brilliant works that leave you hoping Gaiman will not take too long in returning to the world in which he has so richly enveloped us.

In `Anansi Boys', master storyteller Neil Gaiman weaves a story where the mundane meets the fantastic in explosive and modern manner. Steeped in African folklore, magic, and pure comedy, Gaiman's new story that is a sequel of sorts to the huge hit `American Gods' is as equally entertaining as it is weird. While not a grand, sweeping fantasy, `Anansi Boys' is surrealism at its finest that manages to entertain the reader long enough for them to appreciate Gaiman's talent that is so evident in the story's pages.

`Fat' Charlie Nancy lives a life of perfect boringness in London, with his content fiancée Rosie. But, when the father Charlie barely knew suddenly drops dead on a karaoke stage, Fat Charlie's life suddenly starts to go downhill. First, the brother Fat Charlie never knew, Spider, shows up on his doorstep, and he's the complete opposite of Fat Charlie; confident, charming, and smooth with the opposite sex. It turns out that Fat Charlie's father was a god, Anansi, the African trickster god at that, and Spider has inherited some of their father's godly abilities. With these abilities, Spider somehow steals Fat Charlie's fiancée, gets Fat Charlie fired from his job, and even manages to present Fat Charlie as the main suspect for a fraud and embezzlement crime. Fat Charlie goes to desperate measures, using magic to get rid of his brother, and suddenly everything goes from bad to worse for everybody, including Fat Charlie.

The story is an odd one. You can tell Neil Gaiman marches to the beat of his own creative drum. Character descriptions don't came till fifty pages after you meet the character, odd interludes from the story regarding an Anansi fable are planted every here and there, and Gaiman even refers to himself every now and then. But the story is so entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny that you can't help but be amused. Fat Charlie's attempts to return his life to the perfect boringness he once knew is so endearing and is the core of the story that you root for him as he tries to deal with his quirky relatives; a situation that anyone can relate to. It is with this familiarity that makes the story relatable to all readers, but it is the mythology that makes the story so unique. Tales of African folklore and African gods run deep through the story, and whenever Fat Charlie visits the Beginning of the World where the gods reside, it is like a journey into one of Dali's many Surrealist paintings. Gaiman is so crafty and so imaginative with his imagery and words that magic seems to jump off the page and into the reader's very imagination that you can't help but marvel at his talent.

`Anansi Boys' is not a blockbuster of a novel, but it is very entertaining and endearing. Any reader will fall for Gaiman's wonderful and relatable characters, sense of magic and total disregard for order and what limits the imagination. Surrealism at its best, `Anansi Boys' is not to be missed and highly recommended adult fantasy.

On impulse, I grabbed a copy of "Anansi Boys" at the grocery store while rolling through the magazine aisle; the cover design was colorful and clever, and I was just drawn to pluck it out. And then, when I saw that it was Gaiman (who I've been thinking about reading for some time) it just seemed like destiny. I felt vaguely ashamed for purchasing a grocery store paperback - pretty certain that I'd be disappointed and simply put the book aside as quickly as I'd bought it. Not so, not so at all!

Gaiman turns out to be everything he's cracked up to be (and, frankly, even better than that), and "Anansi Boys" was about as clever and enjoyable a book as I've come across in years. The wry and informal style of the text gives an effortless feel to the prose - reading it was like riding on greased rails. But don't let that create an impression of shallow writing - to the contrary, I found nothing shallow about the book at all. The plot was complex, but not contrived, and Gaiman moves seamlessly between wit and sensuality and tender asides.

All of the magic and mythology aside, this is a story of brothers, and of sons and fathers - and while not necessarily telling us anything original about such relationships, it affirms them, and affirmation is good and powerful. As I turned the final page (enjoying every word), I was left slightly uneasy - I wanted to go right out and pick up another Gaiman book. But then, could anything compare favorably to what I'd just finished? That's high praise for any novel.

Not as breathtaking as "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" and not as interesting as "American Gods" though definitely more playful, in tune with the character from which it draws its title. A nice and complete story that never quite reaches the fever-pitch that you keep thinking it is promising. I didn't want to give it the same rating as these others but didn't want to rate it any lower either as Gaiman is a real modern master that we are fortunate to have with us. It was this passage near the end that made me laugh out loud that finally edged it back over into the four star range for me:

"Daisy looked up at him with the kind of expression that Jesus might have given someone who has just explained that he was probably allergic to bread and fishes so 'could he possibly do him a quick chicken salad?' There was pity in that expression along with almost infinite compassion."

The book had such an intriguing description. As little information that was presented about Anansi Boys I was curious to see what this was really all about. Sadly it was not as good as I expected. I had heard this was one of Gaiman's better novels and since I enjoyed The Graveyard book I decided it was worth a shot. I found myself very interested at first waiting for the fun to begin but once Charlie and Spider became acquainted I found I was bored as they figured out who each other was.

I don't have to much to say about this book other than really it only earned about 2.5 stars, but I will be fair and list it at three. I expected a more thrilling story with more action and intrigue. Instead I can say I liked it enough where I wasn't waiting for it to just end but I was actually curious as to how it would all turn out. If you are wondering if I would give this a re-read the answer is no. I have read it and it is time to move on, I don't feel I wasted my time, but was not overjoyed about it.

What can I say about Neil Gaiman's "Anansi Boys"!?! It's definitely Gaiman's deliberate and very successful attempt to bring comedy to his storytelling gift of rustling up the reader's imagination. Before everything, I have to say the part that made me laugh out loud was the part deep in the story where Daisy was expressing her dread of her job, much like a particular movie character (many of you can relate to this already, can't you?).

The images the 1st chapter brings to mind are nothing short of an adult-like look at a Saturday-morning cartoon! And, that's just setting up the "real story" that the rest of the book tells.

The premise of a family member who comes into the main character's life and just WON'T go back home is a situation with which many people can relate, much to their own chagrins, and that is what happens here. But, this particular family member has a very special talent and he uses it to impose on his brother's life...!
The sub-plots are kept to a minimum, unlike in Gaiman's "Neverwhere" [yet, that is a very good book]!

The interesting thing about "Anansi Boys" is that Gaiman reverently "nods" to the ART of storytelling in the African and African-American traditions; in somewhat the same way as he did in "American Gods", he puts in short stories of that genre at the end of certain chapters, but [thankfully] not as many.
Gaiman also respectfully nods to the ART of song and singing, which is very interesting and, I would imagine, challenging and he arose to the challenge very well: I mean, have you ever read a book where the narrator described a song as it is being sung? Plus, at a few more points throughout the story, especially at the end, Gaiman expresses just how special songs are; that's a really nice touch!

As you read Gaiman's books, you find that the main character, at some point deep in the story, must go through a major rite of passage, that death doesn't necessarily mean "dead and gone" and that YOU WILL get a full-length, real-life history lesson late in the story; perhaps this is Gaiman's means of re-establishing the balance of FACT and REALITY to all the IMAGINATION and FANTASY that he has stirred up in the readers' minds; my favorite `lesson' of his is in "American Gods" (it's about Lookout Mountain). Gaiman also makes it evident that he loves to EAT! In this and in "Neverwhere", he has major scenes that describe the food being eaten at a certain meal, and the tastes, smells and the sounds and how much the characters enjoy their meals!

If you like chuckling while you read, you must read "Anansi Boys"; and then watch out for a 7-legged spider :o ...

Want good reading? Neil Gaiman's your man. Unfortunately, now that I've read Anansi Boys, I've read all of his books. I guess I'll have to work on my Sandman collection -- "Collection" being my way of saying "I have two of the books and maybe I can buy more someday!" I like "collection" better.

Gaiman has become one of my very favorite authors over the last year or two. I loved Good Omens and American Gods, which were the first two books of his I read; when I found The Sandman I was even more impressed. Now that I've read Neverwhere, Stardust, Smoke and Mirrors and now, Anansi Boys, I think I can safely say that he's become one of my heroes. He has this amazing ability to inspire me, since I enjoy everything about his books: his humor, the characters, the themes and the concepts.

Anansi Boys was as good as the rest. It's the story of the son of Anansi the Spider living in modern day England. Anansi dies, and his son, Fat Charlie Nancy, discovers that he has a brother that he didn't know about; wackiness ensues, along with some rather spooky bits and some really interesting thoughts about the power of storytelling. One of the big themes of the book is how much our stories influence our lives; Anansi owns all the stories, they say, because he stole, bought, and earned them from Tiger, who had them before the Spider came. When the Tiger had all the stories, they were all about savagery and bloodshed and being the strongest and fiercest, because that is what Tiger is; it was Anansi that made the stories focus on cleverness and fun, on getting the greatest reward for the least effort by using your brain. Because the stories focused on cleverness, that became the favored attribute in the world that told those stories; Anansi's stories were what made people grow and evolve, and use their minds to become more than animals.

So stories are what make us human, and what make us what we are. I like that. I wonder just how much of me comes from the first stories I learned, the books I read that stuck with me -- like Tolkien and Sherlock Holmes and Poe and Dr. Seuss and King Arthur. And Harriet the Spy and Alvin's Secret Code. I think the answer to that is: quite a lot. I think how different I might be if my first important stories had been about athletes, or rock stars, or war heroes.

Anyway, I loved the book, very funny and thoughtful.

This is the book that made me fall in love with Neil Gaimon. When I read this, I had not yet read "American Gods", which is a prequel to Anansi Boys. Although I might have understood the world and the characters a little sooner had I read American Gods first, it really wasn't necessary, since the only character really introduced in the first book is Mr. Nancy (aka Anansi), and the book follows the story of his son after Nancy's death.
The tale is masterfully spun, though a little slow in getting there. I think it took about a 100 pages until it really started to get interesting (before that it's just setting the stage, introducing these characters while you're wondering, "Where is this all going?"). Then, without revealing the plot, it gets good. REALLY good. I was totally hooked, and literally couldn't put it down. The characters are very well developed and fascinating, and the ending was just amazing. I have since read several more Neil Gaimon novels, and although all have been enjoyable, this one is my favorite by far. In general I don't re-read books once I'm finished, but for this one I may make an exception. Even as I was reading the first time, as certain things were revealed I found myself going back and reading excerpts with new understanding. Gaimon is a masterful storyteller, once who hides details in little stories that originally seem like they have little to do with the plot, but they are building blocks for things revealed later.
Overall a delightful read, a memorable story that will have you thinking about it long after the last page has turned.

"Anansi Boys" is not so much a sequel to Gaiman's "American Gods" as it is more of a spin-off, a literary "Rhoda" or "Facts of Life." In "American Gods" there was a trickster god called Anansi or Mr. Nancy, who was a spider but also manifested himself as a swinging black man in the mold of Cab Calloway.

When "Anansi Boys" begins, Mr. Nancy is dead. He leaves behind two sons. One is "Fat" Charlie Nancy, who is not fat but the childhood nickname given to him by his father has stuck no matter what he does. Though he grew up in Florida, Charlie moved to London as an adult, where he works for a sleazy talent agent and is engaged to a charity worker named Rosie. By any standard Charlie's life is pretty boring.

That is until he meets his brother. Charlie's brother goes by the name Spider. He has no job, spending his time flitting from place to place, having a grand old time. He has no steady girlfriends either. What Spider does have is magic. This is what he inherited from his father and that he uses to make himself the life of the party.

Charlie makes the mistake of inviting Spider to stay with him and before long Charlie's life is turned upside down. And like house guests everywhere, Spider soon overstays his welcome.

If the plot sounds like a sitcome, it's because for the most part it is. It's like "Two and a Half Men" without the kid. And with a bit of island magic. That makes the book more lighthearted and fun than "American Gods" but it also doesn't have quite the same impact. Though a fun and engaging read, it's likely to stick with you as long as it takes to flip the channel.

Still, I'd recommend it, especially if you're a fan of books like Terry Pratchett's Discworld series that similarly combine humor and fantasy.

That is all.

This book is my second foray into the world of Gaiman, and I am now certain I'm a HUGE fan!!

"It begins, as most things begin, with a song. In the beginning, after all, were the words, and they came with a tune. That was how the world was made, how the void was divided, how the lands and the stars and the dreams and the little gods and the animals, how all of them came into the world. They were sung. "

"Fat" Charlie Nancy was an unexciting man living in London in an unexciting flat, working at an unexciting job while planning an unexciting wedding with his fiance Rosie. And he was fine with that, until one day it all changed. Fat Charlie's father died in a horrible Karaoke incident, once again causing Charlie major humiliation. When he flew to Florida to the funeral, he once again met up with old neighbors and friends of the family. And Charlie found out a secret....his father wasn't just any of man. He was a God.....the human form of the trickster Anansi. And not only that.....but Charlie had a brother who inherited all the God "stuff" from good ol' Dad. All he had to do was whisper to a spider, and his brother would come. Now to Fat Charlie, this was all too much. He didn't really believe any of that nonsense. Of course, that didn't stop him from whispering to a spider one night in London after a few too many glasses of wine. From here, the quest to find out more about himself begins for Fat Charlie.

What I loved so much about this book is Gaiman's sense of humor. Where American Gods was more of a serious book, this one showed his sense of humor. This definitely falls in the folklore category of the Once Upon a Time Challenge. There were a lot of stories about Anansi, the Trickster. Since ALL stories are Anansi's! Gaiman wove a tale, like that of a spiderweb. All things are tied together somehow. And when Charlie opens the Pandora's box by whispering to a spider, it's really kind of a coming-of-age story. Gaiman sucks you in immediately and all you have to do is enjoy the ride!!

I actually read this book before reading 'American Gods,' and I'm kind of glad I did. Because I was new to Gaiman at the time, and the darker tone of of "AG" might have put me off of him at the time.

This book explores the same general concept of gods walking among us, trying to live normal lives and just get along doing what they do. But the characters in this book help to create a fun and fantastic landscape for the reader to explore. I laughed through a lot of this book, delighted by what I was reading. And I was moved by it as well. Gaiman has a shockingly good grasp of character—which is the primary motive force of his work.

An excellent book, and a perfect introduction to Neil Gaiman's work.

Ever since I read "The Monarch of the Glen" (found in LEGENDS II) based in the American Gods world, I've loved Gaiman as a writer. I had always known of him as a comic book writer, and had previously written him off as nothing more than that. I had always thought writers of comic books inferior to "real" writers. Why, I don't exactly know. Perhaps the American mentality of comic books being a lesser form of literature has slowly seeped into me over time. Now I know better. After I read "Monarch of the Glen" I picked up AMERICAN GODS and soon after that CORALINE, plus between those two books I read Gaiman's numerous short stories and poems in anthologies I also bought over time. What I got from these books and stories were this: Gaiman is capable of anything, whether it's erotica to children's stories, he can do it with excellence, and he has writing awards to prove just that.

Anansi Boys is, in many ways, a novel that shows just how wide Gaiman's range is. It's a story of self-discovery, of brotherly-love, of earning the love of ones father, plus, to add to those more dramatic themes, it's a story of simple humor, some childhood fantasy as well as some adult fantasy, mischief and mayhem, and gods and monsters. All of this, squeezed nicely into three-hundred pages.

Anansi Boys is about two brothers, one named Charlie Nancy (or Fat Charlie, as everyone else, to his chagrin, call him), the other named Spider. Fat Charlie is nervous and easily embarrassed. Spider just isn't. In fact, the only thing they truly have in common is the fact that their father is the spider god Anansi, a trickster who owns the stories of the world. So, obviously, when these two meet, bad things happen. Spider begins to steal Charlie's life from Charlie, including his fiancee and his job, and Charlie, since he's the less gifted of the two, can't do anything about it. But he finds a way, one that causes chaos and makes Charlie realize just how rash he had been, and must correct his mistakes. During this time, Charlie must avoid police, a crazy, embezzling, cliche dropping boss, and a future-mother-in-law who chooses only to hate everyone her daughter finds an interest in. And, of course, the animal gods themselves.

The odd thing is that, though this book contains so much, it never gets overwhelming. Every separate element of the story is presented slowly, with enough time for you to digest before the next element comes in. In fact, the fantasy elements of the story don't come in until about one-hundred pages in, yet it maintains interest with humor as we follow Charlie around in his mundane life.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's a quick, satisfying read, one most people can take down in two or three days. It's funny enough to actually make you laugh out loud (no cliche intended). So, if you're a fan of Gaiman in any way, then pick this up. It's one of the better fantasy books of last year.

American Gods had some flaws in it that I seriously didn't like. But this one, the only possible complaint I might make against it is that the initial premise of a half-god who doesn't know he's half-god, thrown into a world which is otherwise our world but for the presence of all the ancient gods anyone's ever believed in, who live and walk among us like regular people, who is suddenly made aware of this state of things. He might have at least created a new cookie cutter for the formula in other words. (Christopher Moore, who wrote on a very similar premise and is the only one who attained even greater awesomeness, made sure to use a different cookie cutter all 3 times between Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue and Bloodsucking Fiends by comparison). But just like "V" vs. "Independence Day" sharing the same beginning, that is where the similarities end. Not that V or Independence Day were nearly as cool as this.

But this is just great. In every way. Except that maybe tiger could have learned to show mercy. But the part of the ending that involved him wouldn't have been possible if he had. I thought the evil boss was kind of built for a different role than the tiger but they kind of ended up filling the same role there. He was the seriously deplorable villain, in other words, undeniably after the way he moralized the most detestable things that he did, so maybe tiger should have been a little softer, since having established one completely deplorable character, it's not necessary to try to construct another completely independently and later on in the story. Just my thought.

But anyway, what few flaws I may find while grasping at straws are in no way worthy of downrating this from the maximum by even one point. This book is great. And I have high standards. I'm a pessimist and I look for the flaws in things much more strongly than their positive attributes. The best part is the ending. Everything perfectly wrapped up, and extremely satisfying in any way. Something certain authors cough cough Michael Crichton Joe Haldeman cough cough (Pardon me! Must be a frog in my throat!) could never accomplish in 65 million years of trying. Enough said.

Add to that, the fact that few times has anyone ever suggested an idea that really makes me think. And the idea it brought up in the middle of it - that the human race changed because the stories became Ananci's instead of Tiger's - that they started using their minds because they started creating tools not as weapons but as ways of avoiding work; that really made me think about it. It could even be true. It's incredibly plausible. If it is, it would mean the legend of Ananci is in no small way responsible for elevating the human race above the level of the other animals, for however brief a duration this status may turn out to be. Of course, it could also just be a deceptively enticing thought invented entirely by Neil Gaiman. In which case, hat's off to you Neil Gaiman, because that's no small accomplishment either; making me think about something as being a very clever and interesting notion.

EVEN SO, it deserves a serious mention that I have a serious bone to pick with the complete doofuses who designed the back cover to this book. I wonder if they're the same doofuses who designed the cover to "The Indian in the Cupboard". Doofuses who obviously didn't read 5 whole pages into the books they designed the covers for. The respective authors should have been contacted for approval, is all I'm saying. You don't have to get very far into the book to realize that Fat Charlie is black. His father's an ancient African god who in his human form is specifically described as very dark. The old-women friends of his family were all old Cajun black ladies. Fat Charlie is described as lightER than Spider, but that doesn't change his ethnic status. So then! What's that adolescent white guy doing on the back cover? Who's he supposed to be? Huh? Ticks me off it does.

Many of the few-star reviewers seem to have missed the depth of Anansi Boys. It's deceptively simple, yet rich and deep. Perhaps they would have understood this had they, instead of reading the book in its flat, black & white print, listened to the thoroughly engaging audiobook version, read by British comedian Lenny Henry.

Lenny Henry's accents are spot on--and no wonder, as his parents were islanders who moved to England in time for Lenny to be born there. He uses a wide range of voices and captures the nuances that make up each character. Lenny Henry is an amazing reader who brings Anansi Boys to life--magical life.

In print and in audio, Gaiman's characters are absolutely, positively--or should I say, "absotively"--delightful, right down to that scoundrel Grahame Coats. The book is a fun, calypso-colored read on the surface, yet at its dark depths, it is a study in human character and the choices we make that make us who we are.

Anansi Boys was widely promoted before its release as a sequel to Gaiman's novel American Gods. But it has little relation to that earlier work. Anansi does appear briefly, and some stories are told about him, both in dialogue and in the narration. However, this novel focuses principally on Fat Charlie Nancy, Anansi's mortal (and oblivious to his heritage) son.

At first, the story comes across as very similar in structure to Gaiman's earlier novel, Neverwhere. Fat Charlie (like Richard from Neverwhere) is a luckless loser, who starts out the story in what is clearly the wrong job, with a girl he is clearly not meant to be with, until he finds himself drawn into an unbelievable world he never knew existed.

To summarize the novel would be to give too much away, and the book really thrives on the freshness of its surprises and twists. And to summarize it wouldn't do it justice. All that ought to be said is that Fat Charlie lives a relatively safe and comfortably boring existence until his estranged and embarrassing father dies in a spectacularly embarrassing way. Returning to the United States from his home in London to put his late father's affairs in order, Fat Charlie finds his world thrown into turmoil by the twin revelation that, not only was his father a god, but that Fat Charlie has a brother he never knew about. His troubles truly begin in earnest when he casually invites Spider, his brother, into his life, and then finds he is unable to make him leave it. Spider causes havoc with Charlie's life at home and at work. Desperate to get his life back, the steps Fat Charlie takes to get rid of Spider lead to their own problems for everyone, and what follows is a high-speed adventure to control the damage, save some lives, and maybe bring Charlie out of his shell a little.

Perhaps popular trend and the market right now are flooded with "modern fantasy" and Anansi Boys isn't really breaking any totally unexplored ground in that regard. But this is a genre that Gaiman himself helped to pioneer and popularize, and this novel is far from the worst of its kind. Gaiman employs the premise that the old gods walk among us, as he did in American Gods, and in this book we find that a few mortals know a little bit about it.

Gaiman uses very abstract mechanics for his ideas of the nature and power of divinity. The methods are very iconic and primitive. His use of totemic or archetypical animal beings, otherworldly creatures who are simultaneously wholly human and wholly animal in appearance, is very well-described. As he writes, "It all depends on how you look at it." The exact details of How Things Are Done (capitals for significance, of course) are loosely defined, and in the course of the storytelling, they don't really matter that much. Reality is flexible for certain people, and that's all you really need to know.

The characters are mostly well-developed without being described in endless detail. For example, Gaiman never once says that Fat Charlie is black, but he describes some people as being white, such as "She was a white woman who..." It's all in how you look at it. This technique works, but a few characters could be described in more detail. We never really get into the head of Rosie, Fat Charlie's fiancée, even though we occasionally get the narration from her point of view. Likewise, the role for Daisy, another girl with a flower name, whom Fat Charlie meets after a night on the town, is never really in doubt, and we sort of accept the inevitable, unlikely or loosely founded as it is. One could guess by their names their relative significance to Fat Charlie. Nevertheless, they, and all the other characters, take their parts in the drama in their own unique styles. There are no boring characters. The book is far too short, and flows too quickly to ever be boring.

And this is the book's true strength. Gaiman's writing style is very enjoyable, and this novel fairly flies by. If a book about a spider god can be said to fly. The tale is fast-paced, and once into it, the reader is very reluctant to put it down. Gaiman's wit, humor, and storytelling skill entertain and educate, the latter with the use of the various legends of Anansi, which he tells through dialogue and narration. The tone is humorous, and almost conversational, as if this is your buddy Neil telling you a story at a party about a guy he knows.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and though I rarely reread novels, I will probably give this one another reading after a few months. It was a fun time, and the worst part about the ending was that it arrived too quickly.

On its surface, Gaiman has written a compelling story of a young man's introduction to the world of fantasy--in this case, several worlds, actually--as he comes to terms with the fact that his father was a god (albeit, a minor god), and that he has a long lost brother (Spider), who (Charlie is told) inherited all of their father's power. Charlie, the central character, embarks on a journey to discover his past, motivated by his desire to straighten out the mess he creates when he invites his demi-god brother into his rather mundane middle class life, following the death of his father. As the plot pulls us along, Charlie discovers that he too has god like powers, and struggles coming to terms with himself, his brother, his love life, and his lifelong bitterness towards his now deceased father.

However, Gaiman has also written a book about writing. As Charlie (and we, the readers) learn, central to the god like powers of Charlie's father and brother is the power of the story. As Charlie's brother puts it, his magic consists of bending realty--not much, just a little around the edges. And after all, isn't that what novelists do--bend reality a little around the edges to make their stories more real than reality? Novelists create an entirely new world, with obvious connections to our physical world, but also completely separate.

He who controls the story, controls the world. Charlie's father understood this well--he controlled the story of his entire family, and all he met. Spider, Charlie's brother, uses the power of the story in an entirely selfish way--to bring himself pleasure--until he realizes that when he actually cares about someone, it is much harder to bend reality, without destroying the very thing you care about. In other words, he matures as he realizes that the world does not revolve around his pleasure and entertainment, but is instead made up of other people, each of whom has his (or in this case, her) own equally valid needs and desires.

Of course, on a different level Gaiman controls the story--not only for his characters, but for the reader as well. He therefore exercises even more powerful magic than either Spider or his father.

This is the same thing that King has been writing about in most of his recent books--at least since Needful Things. Gaiman uses the form of fantasy, while King uses the form of horror, but both authors are really writing about writing--and doing it very, very well.

Enjoy. It's a great book.

Neil Gaiman wears many hats. He wrote the stunningly devised Sandman graphic novel series. He has dabbled in the film world, most recently with the beautiful and mesmerizing Mirrormask. And he has won awards for his written work, both in adult science fiction/fantasy and in his books for children. He is an artist so inventive and worldly that his product often cannot be categorized easily. In fact, the kudos displayed on the back of his recent book, ANANSI BOYS, brings high praise from authors whose realms Gaiman frequents but never stays in --- Susanna Clarke (fiction/fantasy), Christopher Moore (humorous fiction), and Peter Straub (horror). It is this cross-section of the literature world that easily exemplifies what you will find within the covers of this eagerly awaited new novel.

While Gaiman has produced a string of quality work, it was 1991's AMERICAN GODS that blew away critics and readers worldwide. Now he has returned to the universe of AMERICAN GODS yet spins a tale that is not a clear sequel but more of a snippet of a life plucked and set on its own stage. And it certainly produces.

Mr. Nancy is Fat Charlie's dad. He is also the African trickster god, Anansi. When Mr. Nancy dies, estranged Charlie flies to Florida to pay his respects, having never known that his father was more than just an annoying man with the ability to make his life miserable. Things go wrong, as they always do for Charlie, and after learning of his father's otherworldly power, he also discovers that he has a brother. The only way he can meet him is to summon him, and to do so he must ask a spider to bring him by the house. Disbelieving, as any logical person would, Charlie speaks to a spider and requests his brother to come by.

Imagine Charlie's surprise when his brother, Spider, stops by, bringing with him a series of downward spirals that hurl Charlie headlong into disaster. With the world on the precipice of doom, Charlie seeks help to enter the spirit world and set right all that has begun to go wrong.

Gaiman's true gift in his writing is his ability to take normal everyday people like Charlie and his fiancee and put them in outlandish and remarkable situations. Although there may not be a trickster god wandering the streets right now, Gaiman, through his masterful writing, makes you believe in this world he has woven around you. Before you know what has happened, you are in as much trouble as Fat Charlie, and it is your human self that connects with Charlie as he struggles to make amends.

All of this is done with stunning vision and clarity, at breakneck speed that does not hamper the telling of the tale. A work of compelling quality, ANANSI BOYS is equal parts humorous, terrifying, adventurous, and epic in the standard mythological style. Yet, for its epic scope, it is an intimate story about the beauty, and danger, of family.

Side by side together, AMERICAN GODS and ANANSI BOYS are beautiful and brilliant works that leave you hoping Gaiman will not take too long in returning to the world in which he has so richly enveloped us.

In `Anansi Boys', master storyteller Neil Gaiman weaves a story where the mundane meets the fantastic in explosive and modern manner. Steeped in African folklore, magic, and pure comedy, Gaiman's new story that is a sequel of sorts to the huge hit `American Gods' is as equally entertaining as it is weird. While not a grand, sweeping fantasy, `Anansi Boys' is surrealism at its finest that manages to entertain the reader long enough for them to appreciate Gaiman's talent that is so evident in the story's pages.

`Fat' Charlie Nancy lives a life of perfect boringness in London, with his content fiancée Rosie. But, when the father Charlie barely knew suddenly drops dead on a karaoke stage, Fat Charlie's life suddenly starts to go downhill. First, the brother Fat Charlie never knew, Spider, shows up on his doorstep, and he's the complete opposite of Fat Charlie; confident, charming, and smooth with the opposite sex. It turns out that Fat Charlie's father was a god, Anansi, the African trickster god at that, and Spider has inherited some of their father's godly abilities. With these abilities, Spider somehow steals Fat Charlie's fiancée, gets Fat Charlie fired from his job, and even manages to present Fat Charlie as the main suspect for a fraud and embezzlement crime. Fat Charlie goes to desperate measures, using magic to get rid of his brother, and suddenly everything goes from bad to worse for everybody, including Fat Charlie.

The story is an odd one. You can tell Neil Gaiman marches to the beat of his own creative drum. Character descriptions don't came till fifty pages after you meet the character, odd interludes from the story regarding an Anansi fable are planted every here and there, and Gaiman even refers to himself every now and then. But the story is so entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny that you can't help but be amused. Fat Charlie's attempts to return his life to the perfect boringness he once knew is so endearing and is the core of the story that you root for him as he tries to deal with his quirky relatives; a situation that anyone can relate to. It is with this familiarity that makes the story relatable to all readers, but it is the mythology that makes the story so unique. Tales of African folklore and African gods run deep through the story, and whenever Fat Charlie visits the Beginning of the World where the gods reside, it is like a journey into one of Dali's many Surrealist paintings. Gaiman is so crafty and so imaginative with his imagery and words that magic seems to jump off the page and into the reader's very imagination that you can't help but marvel at his talent.

`Anansi Boys' is not a blockbuster of a novel, but it is very entertaining and endearing. Any reader will fall for Gaiman's wonderful and relatable characters, sense of magic and total disregard for order and what limits the imagination. Surrealism at its best, `Anansi Boys' is not to be missed and highly recommended adult fantasy.

On impulse, I grabbed a copy of "Anansi Boys" at the grocery store while rolling through the magazine aisle; the cover design was colorful and clever, and I was just drawn to pluck it out. And then, when I saw that it was Gaiman (who I've been thinking about reading for some time) it just seemed like destiny. I felt vaguely ashamed for purchasing a grocery store paperback - pretty certain that I'd be disappointed and simply put the book aside as quickly as I'd bought it. Not so, not so at all!

Gaiman turns out to be everything he's cracked up to be (and, frankly, even better than that), and "Anansi Boys" was about as clever and enjoyable a book as I've come across in years. The wry and informal style of the text gives an effortless feel to the prose - reading it was like riding on greased rails. But don't let that create an impression of shallow writing - to the contrary, I found nothing shallow about the book at all. The plot was complex, but not contrived, and Gaiman moves seamlessly between wit and sensuality and tender asides.

All of the magic and mythology aside, this is a story of brothers, and of sons and fathers - and while not necessarily telling us anything original about such relationships, it affirms them, and affirmation is good and powerful. As I turned the final page (enjoying every word), I was left slightly uneasy - I wanted to go right out and pick up another Gaiman book. But then, could anything compare favorably to what I'd just finished? That's high praise for any novel.

Not as breathtaking as "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" and not as interesting as "American Gods" though definitely more playful, in tune with the character from which it draws its title. A nice and complete story that never quite reaches the fever-pitch that you keep thinking it is promising. I didn't want to give it the same rating as these others but didn't want to rate it any lower either as Gaiman is a real modern master that we are fortunate to have with us. It was this passage near the end that made me laugh out loud that finally edged it back over into the four star range for me:

"Daisy looked up at him with the kind of expression that Jesus might have given someone who has just explained that he was probably allergic to bread and fishes so 'could he possibly do him a quick chicken salad?' There was pity in that expression along with almost infinite compassion."

The book had such an intriguing description. As little information that was presented about Anansi Boys I was curious to see what this was really all about. Sadly it was not as good as I expected. I had heard this was one of Gaiman's better novels and since I enjoyed The Graveyard book I decided it was worth a shot. I found myself very interested at first waiting for the fun to begin but once Charlie and Spider became acquainted I found I was bored as they figured out who each other was.

I don't have to much to say about this book other than really it only earned about 2.5 stars, but I will be fair and list it at three. I expected a more thrilling story with more action and intrigue. Instead I can say I liked it enough where I wasn't waiting for it to just end but I was actually curious as to how it would all turn out. If you are wondering if I would give this a re-read the answer is no. I have read it and it is time to move on, I don't feel I wasted my time, but was not overjoyed about it.

I've been a fan of Neil Gaiman's writing for well over twenty years, and I'm very familiar with his work. That said, ANANSI BOYS is not one of my favorites. Mind you, it's still really good, but while the characters were well-developed, I still found them a bit hard to care about. It's a nice detour within the American Gods world and Gaiman's prose is always compelling. Parts of this story just lacked for me. This isn't to say it's a bad book by any means, just as far as Gaiman's books go, this one falls at the bottom of my rankings list.

Neil Gaiman's novel "American Gods" was epic in scope, telling the story of a massive conflict between gods old and new, homegrown and carried from old countries, in which nothing was what it seemed. "Anansi Boys" is nothing like that - or is it?

Set sometime in the same world as "American Gods", "Anansi Boys" tells the story of everyday loser Charles "Fat Charlie" Nancy, who learns only upon the death of his supremely embarrassing father that the old man was in fact the trickster god Anansi. Oh, and Fat Charlie has a brother too, Spider - the one who got all the cool, all the daring, all the self-confidence that Charlie has grown up without. It's when Fat Charlie takes the advice of an old wise-woman who knew his father and tells a spider to find his brother that everything starts to change...

"Anansi Boys" takes a totally different slant on the world that "American Gods" opened up, and does it charmingly and effectively. Instead of smoothly consorting with all-powerful gods, Fat Charlie muddles through his education in the ways of belonging to a divine family, and more often than not screws it up. But his very humanity is, in contrast to his brother's assumption of divine capability, what pulls him through. In the end, the Anansi boys discover a lot more about what each of them is and wants than you think is possible at the beginning of the novel, and the evolutions they go through to realize these things are believable, funny and a little sad.

I suspect Neil Gaiman had a lot of fun writing this book - it has its dark moments, but on the whole it's as light-hearted a work as he's written (excepting "Good Omens", and I think Terry Pratchett had something to do with that...)

Half way through reading "Anansi Boys" I wondered if the spirit of Douglas Adams had somehow taken root in part of Neil Gaiman's psyche. The book starts off fast and funny. Fat Charlie, a transplanted American in London, discovers that his recently deceased father is, or was, the African spider god know as Anansi, a trickster god on par with the Norse deity Loki. To make things more complicated, Fat Charlie discovers he has a godly brother named Spider who he mistakenly invites into his life. Once Spider and Fat Charlie meet, reality bends and the two brothers are sent down a path that will change both their lives forever.

Known to some for his work in comic books, most notably the Sandman series, Neil Gaiman has also written several novels like "Neverwhere" and "American Gods" His themes tend to be similar in that he writes of hidden fantasy like worlds that exists just outside what most of us would call reality. He's also very keen on incorporating angelic or god like characters into his stories. "Anansi Boys" is no different in theme but it does add the wonderful element of humor which seems to blend seamlessly into this story. "Anansi Boys" plays like a dark comical companion to "American Gods" (another tale of mythical gods in a modern world).

The only criticism I have for the book is that the ending drags slightly, in fact it seems to have several small endings, one after another, after another. This is neither good nor bad, but by the last ending I was ready to move on.

In Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman has sung us a terrific tale. It dips into his enormous stockpile of myth and folktale--in this case, African Anansi lore, with a nod to god-tales and creation myths of all stripe--and blooms with imagination and humor.

Fat Charlie Nancy, a well-meaning young bumbler living in London, flies back to his native Florida for the funeral of his father, a charming old Island-born drifter and erstwhile Karaoke singer who also, unbeknown to his son, happened to be a minor god. There, through a network of old crone former neighbors, Charlie discovers that he has a brother. All he has to do to meet him, after a lifetime apart, is "ask a spider." What happens when he does, and how he nearly ruins his life in the process and must set about to right his world, is the stuff of a classic "trickster" quest, updated into an engaging, exciting and very entertaining novel.

This book hit all the marks I so relished in Gaiman's illustrated novels. His gods are deliciously human, and while he doesn't shy away from necessary violence, he treats his characters kindly and his readers with respect. I found myself laughing aloud at several points, and when I put the book down for the last time, I felt a little lighter, a little more care-free, a little more able to contend with the craziness of reality.

Thanks, Mr. Gaiman--and a tip of the old cheeroot-stained fedora to your ability to spin a story.

Susan O'Neill

Author, Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam

This is an interesting novel that Gaiman has produced. It is a story of gods based on African parables. The protagonist is an Anansi Boy. The Anansi is a spider trickster god of whom all stories are about. Fat Charlie, the main character, finds out that his father is dead and that he has a brother he has never met. Fat Charlie is about as boring a person their ever was. His brother on the other hand is a god who drums up rock star status where ever he goes.

Fat Charlies brother comes to live with him for a short time in London and destroys Charlies life. Charlie decides to try and rid his brother from his life and this is where the story takes focus.

Gaiman, when he is writing well, is one of the more interesting authors out there. His stories have many asides. By this I mean that his narratives go off on tangents, you will find many stories within stories. This really pulls the tale along in an amusing fashion.

One thing that I have against this book, is the overall plot. It feels kind of strained and is a little unclear. Sort of like Gaimans earlier "Fairy". Its kind of hard to describe exactly what is wrong here, because all the components are in order for a first rate book. But I have to say that I was finding this a little long in the tooth by the end. The story gets a little weary. Gaiman seems to have hurried to finish the story where as he seems to have really enjoyed writing the first half.

All in all, this is a decent tale. Not great. If you like Gaiman, I think that you will enjoy this one.

What a great story! I bought the Audio version of this and man what a great narrator! He brought these characters to life. I enjoyed the complexity of this novel which was unpredictable until the very end. Now some might think this is a follow up to Shadows story and just to warn you it is not. I so enjoyed following Anansi's boys. Five Stars would recommend to anyone new to Gaiman and who already loves him.

Anansi Boys is the story of Fat Charlie Nancy, who's not fat, but his father gave him the nickname and it stuck. His father has been the bane of his existence--always embarrassing, always a womanizer. And then he dies, and even his death is embarrassing, but Charlie returns to Florida for the funeral, thinking the torment is over.

Then he finds out that his father was Anansi, the spider god, and that he himself has a brother, Spider, who inherited his father's powers; and when Spider moves in with him, Charlie realizes it's only just beginning.

In true Gaiman fashion, the story is full of humor, fantastical things made real, and an abundance of twists and turns such that you give up trying to figure out where he's going to take you next and just hang on for the ride. There's even a wonderfully romantic, if slightly skewed, love story. It's the same universe as American Gods, where the gods are real and live among humans, though it's not really a sequel, and the two books can be read separately. And it's a coming-of-age-story of sorts, in that Charlie and Spider both grow up emotionally.

I can't think of anything else to say that hasn't been said already, and much more coherently--I'm rendered speechless by extreme fangirlishness. Great book. I knew it would be.

This is the first audio book I finished in its entirety. Normally, I grow annoyed with fake accents and droning voices. This one, I couldn't put dow...take out of my ears.

There were two parts to this: first of all, Gaiman has written a wonderful, touching, kind story of brotherly (and other kinds of) love that triumphs over even the most powerful evil. The story itself is very old: Fat Charlie, your everyday kinda guy, nothing at all spectacular about him, finds out he has a brother--who is EVERYTHING spectacular, cool, smooth and destructive. Unhappy with his brother, Fat Charlie enlists the help of something powerful and malevolent against him--and soon lives to regret it very much. He is then faced with cleaning up the mess he's made--the process, which will pull him out of his safe world and make him a real man.

Gaiman's language is lovely, his metaphors are light and airy, his humor is subtle and sweet. His characters are well-written and sympathetic--you really care about Fat Charlie, Spider, Daisy, Rosie--and even Rosie's mother. Additionally, Lenny Henry does such a wonderful job with reading the book, I could almost say that this book should be *heard,* and not *read.* With his rather uncanny ability to speak with different accents, and to make a woman sound like a woman, and a man like a man, he truly breathes life into Gaiman's characters.

As for an inevitable comparison with The American Gods, this is a happier book, with a happier ending, more sympathetic characters and all-around better gods.

...i can honestly say that Anansi Boys was one thrilling adventure to experience. A day or so before reading this novel, I'd just completed Gaiman's book of short fiction, a book called Smoke & Mirrors, which was so incredibly good that, naturally, it made me wish to see more of what the author was capable of creating. The tales in that book were so imaginative, so light, so dark, so brilliant, that i just had to make another forray into the worlds of imagination that Gaiman is very capable of of weaving. And I made no mistake about wanting to do this. The characters within this novel are very believable, very three dimensional ink and paper people. The story is pretty simple, but Gaiman makes the simple complex, and very intertaining. I won't go into detail, but for those of you who had sort of embarrassing parents or guardians while growing up, well, this book will make you laugh...and it will make you think, too. The supernatural aspects of the book are present, which I love, but they aren't overwhelming at all, an area where a lot of fantasy writers tend to go overboard as far as I'm concerned. If it is something that is called for, that is to say, if the book is complete Fantasy, then, well, good. But if it is not, in my opinion, well, I am not a professional writer, but it must be a hard feat to pull off. The magic never comes before the story, the plot, which is something that Gaiman is brilliant at. And it was very refreshing to see that the main characters within this novel are black. I am a young black man, and I read quite a bit, and it is good to see that there are people like me within such fantastic worlds. English authors tend to not care very much about what race their main characters are, and I love that about them. American writers have a lot to learn when it comes to character diversity within fiction. There isn't enough good that I can say about this novel, so i will merely say that reading this book would be a very worthwhile thing to do to those who have yet to experience the Magic that is Reading Gaiman.

Hawksmoor...From The Bleed.

Charlie Nancy's father ruined his life. And he goes on ruining it even in death-dropping dead on a karaoke stage in Florida, forcing Charlie to go home, leaving his London refuge from his embarrassing parent to attend the funeral-right before his wedding. And even in death, he keeps giving Charlie embarrassing gifts, like the handsome stranger who turns up on his doorstep, once he's back in London, claiming to be Charlie's brother, Spider. In short order, Charlie's life is reduced to utter havoc-he's fired from his job, arrested for embezzlement, his fiancée is spending an awful lot of time with Spider, and Charlie has to go back to Florida and take a journey through the spirit world if he's ever going to get control of his life again. Not to mention having to defeat Tiger and prevent all the stories in the world being turned into brutal, hopeless Tiger stories...

With Gaiman, as with Gene Wolfe and John Wright, it's not so much the story as how it's told-you go along for the ride and see where it takes you. Except for the marvelous command of the language, though, he's not really anything like them-his stories are much wilder and crazier, and even harder to predict. Partly this is because he's drawing on different mythologies-African and Native American, where Wolfe and Wright draw more on classical and northern European sources-but, mostly, I think that he's just a wilder and crazier guy.

Highly recommended.

This story opens with Charlie. He lives a very ordinary, somewhat dull life in England. He travels home to Florida to his father's funeral. While there he is told that his father was not an ordinary human, but the human form of an Anansi (an African Trickster God). Charlie doesn't believe it. While there he is also told that he has a brother named Spider. Charlie is shocked as he believed he was an only child. He is told that if he is ever in trouble and needs his brother's help that all he has to do is tell a spider. He is warned, however, not to do so since the consequences could disrupt things for him.

Back in England, he feels some despair as well as a desire to meet his brother. So he sees a spider and whispers to it to tell his brother Spider to come to him. From the moment his brother arrives, his life is turned completely upside-down. Spider seems to bring nothing but trouble into Charlie's life. To tell more would ruin the story for you.

This was my first Neil Gaiman story and it won't be my last! This unabridged audio of his novel "The Anansi Boys" was very well narrated and the story was so good that I often stayed in the car to listen to more of the story after already arriving at my destination. Now that I've enjoyed the audio version so much I plan to buy the book. I highly recommend this fantasy novel.

Since there are already many reviews about the actual storyline and characters, I'll focus this on what I thought about the writing and style of the novel. In short, I really, really liked it. Although I had been a big bookworm as a child, I have not read very much fiction as an adult because I did not find many books I really enjoyed. This book has sparked my interest again. I bought it on a Friday afternoon and kept reading until I finished it around midnight of the next day. This might stand out as one of my favorite books.

The story was well-thought out and paced at a good speed. There are plenty of twists and turns, but not so many that it becomes confusing. And even the supporting characters are for the most part life-like and interesting. It's not all perfect, of course. There were some moments where I thought the reactions of the characters were a bit too flat and unrealistic when they encounter the magic that occurs at times, at least enough to stop and ask "Huh, what? Why?". But thankfully these are few and far between enough to not ruin the story or attachment to the characters. And best of all, it fits my ironic, hectic style of humor, and had many parts that I felt I even could relate to if I was in the characters' shoes.

As a suggestion, I could see this book as a good gift to teenage readers. This was the first piece of work from Niel Gaimon that I'd read, and because of it I went on to read American Gods, which was his first book in this same "world". I didn't enjoy that one as much, but I would still recommend it for mature adult readers.

A tale that will spin your head around leave you gasping. So many twists and turns I lost track of them, but Neil makes it all come together in the end, and everything ends exactly as a good story should end. Pick it up, read it today, and join the Gaiman fan club (no fees due, but you get to read a lot).

When Fat Charlie Nancy's father drops dead (rather extravagantly and ridiculously), while singing karaoke, Fat Charlie decides to invite the brother he never knew he had into his life. The only problem is, now Spider doesn't want to leave. He's taking over Fat Charlie's life and turning Fat Charlie's careful boring world on its head.

Fans of Neil Gaiman's American Gods will enjoy this similar tale of old world gods and even meet some old friends. Though Anansi Boys does not possess sheer volume or characters quite as engaging as American Gods it plunges the reader back into Gaiman's enchanting world where everyday people hold the power of gods made flesh. The story is rather like a spider web, in which single strands seem quite independent of one another until they are slowly wound into a beautiful pattern at the center.

Though I cannot say that Anansi Boys has become one of my favorite novels it kept me thoroughly entertained bother with Gaiman's witty prose and interesting plot twists. In whatever he is doing Neil Gaiman's work is always a rather unique brand of fantasy. I have never read a novel quite like Anansi Boys except, of course, for American Gods. Gaiman is a fantastic writer whom I would recommend to lovers of fantasy and a good laugh.

Nearly forgotten in today's modern world, the old gods live on. They exist in those shadowy and obscure places far from the limelight, and their power has waned, but they live on. In "Anansi Boys", Fat Charlie Nancy discovers this fact much to his surprise and discomfort. The circumstances of Fat Charlie's ordered life shift drastically and humorously as author Neil Gaiman leads us through a wild and wacky tale that teeters on the brink of what is real and what is not of this world.

Fat Charlie is not at all fat, yet he cannot rid himself of the unflattering nickname his father bestowed on him. He has done all he can humanly do to distance himself from his father, an eccentric and embarrassing old man, including a move to England to put an ocean between them. Fat Charlie hasn't spoken to his father in years, but Rosie, his fiancée, pressures Fat Charlie into inviting the much senior Nancy to their fast-approaching wedding. In his conversation with an old neighbor, Mrs. Higgler, Fat Charlie learns his father has died suddenly and unexpectedly--not to mention embarrassingly--on a karaoke stage.

Fat Charlie returns to Florida to pay his last respects and bury his father, although he hadn't planned on doing quite that much shoveling. While in Florida, Fat Charlie learns the utterly unbelievable truth about his father. And the truth is that old Mr. Nancy was none other than Anansi the Trickster, a god from the beginnings of time itself. As if that news were not enough, Fat Charlie also learns that he is not, as he had always believed, his father's only son.

It is only after he returns to England that Fat Charlie meets this brother, Spider, and the pleasantly drab life Fat Charlie had so carefully woven begins to unravel in an series of bizarre events that defy explanation using any known natural laws of the universe. At the forefront of all of Fat Charlie's difficulties is his carefree brother, who appears to be a magnet for mischief and mayhem. The author points to two critical forces that drive the events in Fat Charlie's life. First, "Human beings do not like being pushed about by gods. They may seem to, on the surface, but somewhere on the inside, underneath it all, they sense it, and they resent it." And, second, there is an ancient rivalry between Anansi and Tiger -- a bitter enmity between elder gods that now centers on Fat Charlie.

"Anansi Boys", Gaiman's side-splitting sequel to "American Gods", is a tale to be treasured for the author's keen wit, stinging irony, and inimitable blend of dark and whimsical humor. But be very cautious; once you've read Anansi Boys, you'll be tempted to read it again - just to be sure Anansi, the trickster god, hasn't changed the story since you closed the cover.

This story opens with Charlie. He lives a very ordinary, somewhat dull life in England. He travels home to Florida to his father's funeral. While there he is told that his father was not an ordinary human, but the human form of an Anansi (an African Trickster God). Charlie doesn't believe it. While there he is also told that he has a brother named Spider. Charlie is shocked as he believed he was an only child. He is told that if he is ever in trouble and needs his brother's help that all he has to do is tell a spider. He is warned, however, not to do so since the consequences could disrupt things for him.

Back in England, he feels some despair as well as a desire to meet his brother. So he sees a spider and whispers to it to tell his brother Spider to come to him. From the moment his brother arrives, his life is turned completely upside-down. Spider seems to bring nothing but trouble into Charlie's life. To tell more would ruin the story for you.

This was my first Neil Gaiman story and it won't be my last! This unabridged audio of his novel "The Anansi Boys" was very well narrated and the story was so good that I often stayed in the car to listen to more of the story after already arriving at my destination. Now that I've enjoyed the audio version so much I plan to buy the book. I highly recommend this fantasy novel.

While not actually a sequel to American Gods, and while very different from it in its tone, Anansi Boys shares a common character with that novel -- Mr. Nancy, the modern face of the ancient African spider-god, Anansi.

Anansi Boys is an entertaining, clever, and often very funny novel about how ancient mythology can bleed into the "real" modern world much more easily that we are usually inclined to think. Alternating between a drab and rainy England and the vibrant and steamy Caribbean for its setting, the novel's two main characters, Fat Charlie Nancy and his brother Spider represent similar opposites. And of course, there's always a girl -- in this case, two: Rosie and Daisy (both flowers). :)

The novel is full of imaginative scenes, clever turns of phrase (look for "nook / cranny" and "gruntled", just two of many examples), and a genuinely poignant message about family. Highly enjoyable! As I said, it's different in tone and scope from American Gods -- it "feels" lighter -- but it's no less satisfying. You can think of Anansi Boys as just one of the possible satellite stories from that larger, more ambitious novel. Let's hope Mr. Gaiman has more like it up his sleeve.

I would recommend this book to those that have read American Gods (as it deals with gods and goddesses). I also recommend that you read other of Mr. Gaiman’s books before coming over to this one. It is not a typical Gaiman story, at least not fully, but you can sense him in it if you already know what a Gaiman story should “feel” like. I know some readers that did not like the book because it wasn't “Gaiman-esque” enough for them, and some love it because it’s slightly different from what you have seen from Gaiman before. I’ll let you be the judge. As for myself, I really enjoyed it. I was taken to new places, learned new things and had quite a few good laughs throughout the book.
Look for my whole review on my blog at Reading In The Tardis :http://www.readinginthetardis.com/anansi-boys/

Neil Gaiman has the uncanny ability to take supernatural things and make them part of the day-to-day life that so many of us stumble through. With his keen insights, warmth, and wit, Gaiman shares those words - supernatural and everyday - in a manner that is delightfully hypnotic.

ANANSI BOYS is an off-shoot of sorts of AMERICAN GODS but succeeds terrifically on its own. Anansi is the spider god, the trickster god, of certain cultures in Africa, and it only seems just that Gaiman spins his tale with a lot of sleight-of-hand twists and turns that may catch even his veteran readers off guard.

I had a blast with this book. The story and characters were solidly built and presented, but I had the additional joy of listening to the novel on audiobook in my car. The narrator, Lenny Henry, is an absolute godsend to this book (no pun intended). His voice characterizations are spot-on and every character he brings to life is unique and separate. Henry is the master of understated British inflection and Caribbean sing-song dialect, as well as male and female voices. I hung on his every word, and there are plenty of characters for Henry to showcase.

The story revolves around Fat Charlie Nancy, who didn't know he was the son of the trickster god, Anansi. Fat Charlie had known his upbringing had always been different because his father wasn't like anyone else he'd ever met.

The way that Gaiman starts the story drew me in immediately. It's just the story of a guy, the kind of guy you've probably met over and over again throughout your life. Fat Charlie doesn't take chances and doesn't live a big life. He does just enough to get by, but not enough to attract success or ire.

However, on the eve of his wedding, he learns that his father - from whom he's been estranged - has died. I liked the way that Fat Charlie didn't know how he was supposed to react to that news. Not only that, he didn't know how he felt. It wasn't like he was going to miss the father that was never around.

At the funeral, weirdness steps in. One of the old women he'd known as a child hands him a shovel and tells him that he has to bury his father. I was rocked by this because I didn't know what I would have done. Fat Charlie thinks about it a moment, then rolls his sleeves up and gets to work.

Afterwards, the old woman and Fat Charlie start talking about family. She reveals that Fat Charlie has a brother - Spider - that he apparently has forgotten. The way Gaiman works in his twists and turns is awesome. He'll just hit you between the eyes with them, let you know they're there, then turn whatever you were thinking on its head and surprise you again.

When Fat Charlie gets curious and calls out to his brother, Spider shows up. And that's when things get really weird. Magic seeps into the book, and its stealthily trailed by menace. Both of those additions continue to grow until the fate of the world literally hangs in the balance.

Gaiman is an absolute master of showing interpersonal relationships that we all have. He knows the good parts and the bad, and he dishes on both. His dialogue shines, and his humor ranges from deadpan to over-the-top that left me howling out loud. Best of all, this is a book that you can share with your kids on long drives. The story is simple and the characters are unique. There's no objectionable material, and the problems of family can be understood by kids as well as adults.

One of the best parts of the book is the integration of the Anansi legends among the story. I enjoyed listening to those tales, so much like many other folk legends I've heard.

ANANSI BOYS is a great book about family with a hint of fantasy, or maybe it's a fantasy novel with a great message about families. Either way, it's a delightful tale that will keep you and possibly your family entertained for hours whether on the page or in the CD player. Best of all, it's a story that I'm planning to read or listen to again because it's going to be a perennial favorite of mine.

Neil Gaiman was born 3000 years past his time. There was a point in history when people dug deep down into themselves and pull out a story so fantastic that people begged for its telling every night. These imagineers were a rare breed, and the best stories even rarer. Apparently, Neil is a reincarnation, or at least a medium, of such a dreamer. All of his stories are so original, so unpredictable, and so memorable that I continue to think about them long after the book has been read. Few books tickle my imagination and haunt my memory like Gaiman novels.

Anansi Boys is not like any other book, not even like another Gaiman novel. You can tell it was written by Gaiman, but it is not comparable to anything else--it stands alone. The story made me laugh out loud, squirm in discomfort, and gasp in delighted suprise. It'll twist on you, it'll trick you, but you won't let go until "The End".

By the way, I also listened to it on CD from my library, and that is an experience in itself. Henry Lenny's bass voice and masterful dynamics made a long drive seem shorter, and really brought out the sexiness of Spider and the humor embedded in the story.

I'll actually be working through this book in a discussion group, but I couldn't wait that long after I received it.

Read the whole thing in one sitting. Good stuff, looking forward to the re-read when the class starts up.

Without talking about the book, per se, I'd like to take a quick second to address the "It's not really like American Gods" and "It's more like {insert other book name here}" kind of comments. It is certainly not, word for word, the same as any other of his books, or of any other books of which I am aware of. It is certainly not of the exact tone and timbre, of the exact hue and saturation, as any other book. It is, however, remarkably evident that it is done in the style of Neil Gaiman, which, considering he is the author, is a Good Thing. Apparently, the quality of authors and of books is such these days that one comes to expect formulaic sequels and series. Those can be quite fun, but one must not forget that there are at least a handful of authors producing excellent, unrelated work - or, at the least, pieces that may have bumped into each other once or twice, perhaps in a dark alley, but just as nearly as likely as in a white marble amphitheater with a silvery reflecting pool and the soft sounds of a fountain or waterfall or three.

This is billed as a sequel to _American Gods,_ but the only character in it from the earlier book is Mr. Nancy, the old black guy with the fedora and the yellow gloves, and he's dead, of a heart attack in the middle of a number at a karaoke bar. But Mr. Nancy -- Anansi -- you will remember, is a god, though a minor one. He's a storyteller, a songmaker, and, above all, a trickster. So maybe he's not really dead. Or not permanently. But the story is really about his son, Fat Charlie (who isn't fat at all, but when Anansi names something it stays named), and his son, Spider (charming and largely amoral), each of whom has inherited some of his father's talents. And it's about Rosie and her terrifying mother, and about Detective Constable Daisy, and about Grahame Coats, a dastardly criminal, and about the four old ladies who knew Mr. Nancy when they were young. Gaiman tells it all in rollicking good humor, though it gets somewhat darker as the narrative progresses. Not the heavy truths of _American Gods,_ just some smaller ones, but still important. A very pleasant afternoon's reading.

I sat on this book for over a year before actually getting around to reading it for two reasons. First, because I had just read another Gaiman book, Stardust, and found it a better than average but ultimately flawed read. The second reason was because I discovered that that the Anansi from the book was the same Anansi the Spider from African folklore and worried that the story would be just an homage to African mythology. Neither of my fears were justified. Anansi Boys succeeds in all the ways that Stardust fails. They both have that warm, campfire kind of storytelling but Anansi has a much more compelling, well paced story taking place in contemporary London with occasional trips to Florida. Anansi the spider does appear in the book but not in any way I would have imagined.

To summarize, the book is about a young man named Charles Nancy who has both parents die in quick succession. After his pops funeral Charles is informed that his old man was more than just an erratic father who seemed to get just a bit too much enjoyment out of playfully tormenting his son. He was in fact a God, specifically Anansi the spider. Charles is, not surprisingly, less than convinced particularly given the fact that he himself seems to lack any godlike abilities. He is also told that he has a brother who can be contacted by asking any household spider. Despite his understandable skepticism Charles does end up later whispering to a spider and soon enough his long lost and previous unremembered brother appears except unlike Charles he managed to inherit his father's godlike powers.

At the risk of obsessing over Stardust my biggest complaint was that many of the characters and story threads were essentially irrelevant to the core tale whereas Anansi is much tighter despite being longer in length. Anansi Boys seems like the perfect kind of book to be made into a film; in fact it almost seems as if Gaiman wrote this book specifically with an idea of it eventually being put onto celluloid. His style here reminds me quite a bit of the late great Douglas Adams who died way too young and produced way too little. Gaiman is a bit more restrained than Adams but he displays the same whimsical, breezy pacing in a slightly off kilter universe. Anansi Boys is easily one of the best fiction novels I have ever read and I look forward to reading more books by Gaiman.

For a large portion of this book, I was thinking "It's enjoyable. It's sort of like a less engaging American Gods."
Because I do that sort of thing in my head--build descriptions of what I'm reading or listening to or watching by creating one of those pastiches made entirely of clippings from magazines. Anyway.
It was enjoyable, and once we got past the rocky part at the beginning where our protagonist was foisting his power and agency off on anybody walking past and I nearly tossed the book aside, I was liking it and looking forward to what came next. I was worried that I could see what was coming, and to some extent I was right. But for the important things, I was delightfully wrong. And the last couple of chapters, from Fat Charlie's big number on I'd say, were lovely. Which is nice, because endings can be a real bear.
So there you have it--four wags from Uncle Coyote.

I was so excited to see Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys on the list of available books, because I've always been a big fan. Gaiman's prose always makes me want to write. I don't mean this in the "I could have done better than that" way, but instead Gaiman inspires me to great heights whenever I read anything by him. Anansi Boys is even better than American Gods, with the story being more personal and, if anything, more intimate. I've been a big fan of Gaiman's since the Sandman comic series, and nothing here will change any of that. Anansi Boys is fantastic.

Fat Charlie (not his real name, but it's a name his father gave him, and names his father gives always seem to stick) was taken to England by his mother when he was younger, mainly to get away from his father. Fat Charlie has had a good life, and is now engaged to a wonderful woman, but things start to spiral downward when his fiancée, Rosie, insists on inviting his father to their wedding. Fat Charlie finds out that his father has just died, and goes to Florida for the funeral. Thus begins a sequence of events that will introduce Fat Charlie to his charming brother, Spider, a man with the powers of a god. The powers of his father, truth be told. Spider is impulsive and always looking out for his own pleasure, which just makes things worse. But things just get out of control when the other gods get involved. Their father, who is known as Anansi, wasn't exactly well-liked by the other gods, and their revenge may just affect the boys too. Fat Charlie is in way over his head and, for once, so is Spider. Even the old ladies who seem to know what is going on may not be able to help them before it's too late.

Turning any of the pages in Anansi Boys was a pure treat for me, as Gaiman's prose just leaps off the page. Gaiman seems fascinated with stories, as most of his other works indicate as well, and here is no different. Anansi stole the stories of the world from Tiger way back when the world was new, and Tiger has forever resented it. Gaiman's love for stories shines through, the words sounding almost lyrical.

"Stories are like spiders, with all the long legs, and stories are like spiderwebs, which man gets himself all tangled up in but which look so pretty when you see them under a leaf in the morning dew, and in the elegant way that they connect to one another: each to each." Pg 39

The narration of the story is interesting. The book is told in third person, but occasionally the narrator will turn and talk to the reader. Just an aside or two, and then back to the story. It's a wonderful technique, which just adds to the mythological aspects of the book. There isn't a clunky word in this book anywhere.

Gaiman also gives us a variety of interesting characters, whose stories intertwine gracefully, though a couple of the coincidences grate just a little. This isn't as annoying as it could have been, perhaps because of the mythological nature of the book which seems to require these sorts of things. Fat Charlie ends up meeting Daisy, a financial cop who just happens to be called in on a case involving him? Whatever the case, these were only minor annoyances, and were lessened by the type of story Gaiman is telling.

Fat Charlie and Spider make an interesting pair, and while their secret did surprise me, it fits wonderfully in hindsight, given the personality that we see in Fat Charlie. He's not a go-getter, reluctant to put himself out in the middle where he might get hurt. He's a great singer, but he gets complete stage-fright when he's supposed to do it in front of people. He seems to have settled for Rosie and he doesn't have a lot of drive. Spider, meanwhile, is almost the exact opposite, living everything in the moment and moving on when he feels like it.

Another good character is Grahame Coats, Fat Charlie's evil boss, who moves from scam to scam whenever things start to get a little hot for him. He always has a contingency plan, but this time, things seem to be going very wrong, and he starts acting crazier and crazier. One thing I didn't like about Coats is how unclear it was how much of Coats personality comes from another source, or whether it's just at the end where this happens. Ambiguity can be good, and I'm sure that's what Gaiman was aiming for, but I think it was a little too ambiguous where Coats was concerned.

The main female characters, Daisy and Rosie, aren't as strong as I might have liked, but they do have wonderful moments within the narrative. Where the relationships between these four characters end up is a bit obvious, but I enjoyed watching how they got there. Daisy is an impulsive cop who is willing to walk away from her job to get the bad guy and Rosie, while she seems fairly weak at the beginning of the book, shows an inner fire later that belies that image of her. The old women are background characters (both Rosie's mom and the old women who help Fat Charlie), but are all entertaining in their own way.

The plot of the book is very straightforward, despite its supernatural origin. There aren't any inexplicable flights of fancy in Anansi Boys; instead, every trip to another reality is grounded solidly in the story. I enjoyed the mythology that Gaiman uses, and I loved how the revenge motif traveled throughout the old gods for what Anansi did to them for all those years. And I found the relationship between the two brothers fascinating.

All in all, Anansi Boys is yet another winner from Gaiman.

David Roy

Gaiman takes the opportunity of Anansi Boys to do what he usually does: mash up a lot of mythologies and make confusing statements about the collective unconscious of mankind. The conceit in this story is that the African spider god Anansi has died, leaving two sons behind to sort out the mess. One is fully aware of his lineage and potential, while the other is a nearly worthless slob living a mundane life. Hilarity ensues.

The actual drama of the novel is not thrilling, nor particularly insightful or fascinating. An old enemy of Anansi resurfaces to take his revenge on the sons, while the sons travel through worlds of apparently Jungian origin. Every build up of tension is released with a confusing bit of magic and with questionable logic. It's too bad, really. Gaiman's characters are best when they are humans dealing with a fantastic world, not when they are fantasy creatures in a fantastic or semi-fantastic world.

<em>Anansi's Boys</em> are Fat Charlie Nancy and Spider. Fat Charlie is an entry-level accountant in England engaged to a nice girl with a mean mother whose highest aspiration is to shake off the Fat from his name. Spider is a free spirit whose every move he makes with the sole purpose of pleasing himself.

The brothers' lives intersect after Anansi, who is a trickster God, dies in Florida and Fat Charlie goes home for his funeral. There, the old ladies who shaped his early life break him in on the truths that will undo Fat Charlie's world and allow him to remake it.

Anansi's boys will travel in and out of the underworld as they put together the pieces of their father's story in order to make sense of their own and therefore survive.

Gaiman's book blends the mundane with the magical to create a book that is as witty as it is out of this world as it is true to the life of the heart and mind.
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This is a remarkable book. A few years ago Neil Gaiman broke with traditional fantasy with American Gods, a book that demonstrated that American mythology was a lot more than Paul Bunyan and Kachinas. The waves of immigrants have each brought a people's stories into the mix so that we are part a blend, and part a repository for legends, some of which new have America as their last home. Gaiman made this complicated inter-relationship work, and I still view American Gods as something groundbreaking.

Anansi Boys lacks the temerity and weight of American Gods. It is a lighter, more personal story when an old woman splits you into two personalities and the other guy got all the luck. Fat Charlie Nancy is the brother who got the short end of the stick. Somehow he has managed to get engages, to find a job he almost likes, and scratch out a reasonable life style. But the sudden death of his father back in the USA reintroduces him to a world he carefully has tried to forget. Before you know it, he has told a spider to call his brother and Spider (the one with all the luck) jumps into Charlie's like and proceeds to ruin it.

Life is tough when you and your brother are the sons of a God that decided to take a break and die for a while. Spider discovers a money making scam at Charlie's work place, moves into Charlie's flat and, for the first time ever, falls in love -- with Charlie's fianc�e. Soon our hapless hero is being hunted by the police as he flits from continent to continent trying first to get rid of his brother and then desperately trying to get him back.

While American Gods was an investigation of the concept of an extended pantheon, Anansi Boys delves into one possibility among many, twisting African and Caribbean archetypes into thoroughly modern characters. I also suspect that Shakespeare might have been pillaged as well. The resulting heady concoction is the kind of book that grows on you as you read it until, finally, you cry out with some dismay as the last wry bit of the finale comes to a close.

ANANSI BOYS (hereinafter AB) is the archetype tale of the hero's quest but in place of the typical warrior hero is a fool, and, oh, it happens to take place in our days and there is the wonder of something magical yet not totally seen.

Our fool of a hero is Fat Charlie. He used to be chubby as a kid but now he's in good enough shape yet everyone remembers him as Fat Charlie so the name sticks, much to his chagrin, and, it's all the fault of his father.

Wait, did I tell you his father is a trickster African God?

That makes it even harder on Fat Charlie because he's not dealing just with a mortal father but a father who is an African God and who can usually persuade people to do almost anything and make them usually laugh over it. At one point, back in the day, when Fat Charlie was a kid, his father tricked him into dressing like President Taft on President's Day and told him everyone else would be dressed that way, too.

Well, they were not and Fat Charlie was belittled to tears by the other kids and his father thought it was all amusing.

Now, don't start thinking Fat Charlie's father is overly cruel because there are other stories that favor him doing kind things for his son.

Did I mention this father, known as Anansi, by the way, has two sons? Fat Charlie is the mortal one and this other son, known as Spider, is the one with all the powers.

After Anansi appears to bite it while singing karaoke (something Fat Charlie could never do) there's a big funeral and a series of steps in the story lead to the two brothers linking up for the first time.

Spider finally meets Fat Charlie, who lives in London but who grew up in Florida, and Spider decides he wants to live with Fat Charlie for a while.

But . . .

It turns out that Spider likes Fat Charlie's lifestyle so much that he steals his fiance and takes over his job while Fat Charlie goes off to talk to some witches (four old ladies living in a suburb) to have Spider banished. In doing so, he goes to another dimension where life first began and makes a deal with Bird Woman who has a grudge against Fat Charlie's family.

What then takes place is a situation where a mortal and his demigod brother are attacked from several different fronts by this immortal, godlike Bird Woman.

Oh, and Fat Charlie gets it for another girl but has to rescue his old fiance and her mother from another superpower in the Bahamas where he learns what it means to be a hero, even if he is truly the archetype fool.

Overall, a superb urban fantasy with overlapping themes of coming of age, Pandora's Box, the twists and turns of life and
how we all have family members we really want to get away from. Heh.

And, on a far deeper level, one could also say this is about being human, even around the face immortal Gods.

Fat Charlie Nancy has issues with his father, but they are rather everyday issues; an estrangement following his parents divorce exacerbated by the fact that his father is in many ways Charlie's polar opposite - happy loquacious and extroverted.

So news of his fathers death from a heart attack in the middle of a karaoke session is a surprise but not a tragedy. What however is a greater surprise is the news provided by an elderly neighbour that his father was in fact the trickster and storytelling Spider God Anansi. And stranger still that it is Charlie's previously unknown brother "Spider" who has inherited his fathers godhood. At this point the rationale act would be to forget all of this new and unwelcome news and to continue on with his life. Charlie however decides to invite his brother around for a visit. And in no time spider has taken over his life, his job and his fiancé Rosie.

So what do you do to get rid of a unwanted god who just happens to be your brother? You strike a deal with another god, a god with a history of antagonism towards your family, a god who is best left alone. And that is when Charlie's problems truly begin.

Anansi Boys is a follow on story to Neil Gaiman's previous tale American Gods, which examined the life of "Small Gods" in America where worship is transitory and gods are constantly being replaced and superseded by modern cultural icons. Anansi Boys is a less serious tale than its predecessor focusing on smaller more immediate themes of family relationships and conflicts.

Although I enjoyed Anansi Boys less than American Gods, I can still highly recommend this tale for the same reason that I enjoy all of Gaiman's writing; for his understanding of story and myth, and for his wit and humour.

When I bought books to read to my kids, there was one dealing with Anansi the Spider. Anansi is a West African Trickster God, right up there with Coyote, from Native American legends. Neil Gaiman's first story of Anansi came from the award winning book "American Gods", and now we get to see, as it were, what happens next.

Fat Charlie Nancy is an American expatriate living in London. Why "Fat Charlie" for a guy who isn't particularly overweight? Well, for some reason, he does look a little soft around the edges, and besides, his father, Mr. Nancy, gave him the name when he was a kid, and it just seemed to stick. Fat Charlie lives a dull, but pretty contented life, and is about to be married when he learns that his father has died back in Florida. So he is

forced to head back to a place he hasn't been in decades, where he learns that not only is his dead father a real African God, but that he has a brother he's never heard of; "Spider". And all hell begins to break loose.

Neil says in an interview at [...]

At his father's funeral (he) learns that Mr Nancy Sr. was actually a God, an incarnation of the West African spider god Anansi. Learning this, he asks, not unreasonably, why as Nancy's son he has no supernatural acumen. His mother responds, nonplussed, 'Oh, your brother got all of those'. Describing the book, Gaiman comments that it is a "funny, scary, romantic comedy, thriller about Gods and the Supernatural and the power of stories and so on. I guess it's about how to survive families.

...Anansi Boys is spiced with horror, and it has humour in it, and it has myths and detectives, and balls to the wall horror and thriller stuff and so on, but that's not what it is. What it is is a book about people, but I get to do all these other things."

No doubt... When he meets Spider, his new brother steps in, takes over his house, his job, and his fiancee'. And then, things get even worse.

"Anansi Boys" is heartwarming, chilling, entertaining, and at times, laugh-out-loud funny. I highly recommend this book as a premier example of the story-teller's art.

Anansi, one of the gods featured in Gaiman's American Gods, is a spider god who owns all the world's stories. This is probably the most important thing to understand about him. His son, Fat Charlie, though, is a man who doesn't even live his own story. When Anansi dies and Charlie meets his brother, he is forced to face the two parts of himself: the part that is Fat Charlie and the part that is Spider, who lives a life Fat Charlie could only dream of.

This story is many things all at once. In a way, it's a coming of age story (even though Fat Charlie is an adult). It's also a story about families, love, and the nature of life and death. It's a thriller, with its own maniacal killer, and it's a story about the history of the world and how we came to understand it, mainly through Anansi's stories. It's fast-paced, moving, hilarious, and scary. I would recommend this book not only to fans of modern fantasy, but also to anyone who simply wants to read a great story.

I first read this book in college for an English class (and it was no chore to get through!), then had to reread it years later, out-loud, with my husband, so that he could share in something I loved so much. This story made me laugh out loud. This story inspired me with the love and difficulties of family. It's full of imagination and danger and humor and sadness and a wonderful magic that enhances real, human lives that we can relate to. Reading a story out loud is a high compliment that I give to a book. Reading a story more than once is another high compliment. This novel received both marks from me. I recommend it to anyone who asks me for a good book to read.

4.5 stars

I love Neil Gaiman. You know that old 1960s footage of the all the American girls jumping up and down screaming hysterically when the Beatles visited the US? That's how I feel about Neil Gaiman. (Okay, maybe I wouldn't scream or pass out, but I sure think he's cool.) I like his style -- his writing is easy, intelligent, well-edited, dryly humorous, and just plain charming.

Anansi Boys is no exception, and it's especially charming in audio format, thanks to Lenny Henry, an English stand-up comedian whose deep rich voice and character comedy is absolutely perfect for this novel which is based on the African/Caribbean mythology of the trickster spider god Anansi (introduced in American Gods). Henry's voices are brilliant (especially the old Caribbean women) and he had me literally smiling nearly all the way through the story. Actually, if it weren't for Lenny Henry, I'd have to say that I probably would only give this novel 4 stars instead of 4.5.

That's because this is not Gaiman's tightest work. It's about Fat Charlie, a Floridian turned Englishman, who was leading a rather dull life as an honest accountant until the brother he didn't know he had turns up and he finds out that they are both the sons of the god Anansi. This is all very entertaining, especially for a Floridian who enjoyed Charlie's travels to places I know, and Gaiman tells his humorous story with the usual charm:

"Fat Charlie tried to remember what people did in prison to pass the time, but all he could come up with was keeping secret diaries and hiding things in their bottoms. He had nothing to write on, and felt that a definite measure of how well one was getting on in life was not having to hide things in one's bottom .... Nothing happened. Nothing continued to happen. More Nothing. The Return of Nothing. Son of Nothing. Nothing Rides Again. Nothing and Abbott and Costello meet the Wolfman..."

But at the end there were some things I still didn't understand: what exactly was the origin of Spider (I can't say as much as I'd like to about this because I don't want to spoil it), why weren't the other gods (and even Anansi himself) more fully characterized? The scenes involving the god-world were sketchy -- we really get only a minimal understanding of Tiger, Anansi's eternal enemy -- and Charlie's sudden understanding and acceptance of his powers happens too fast. And then there were some oddities that just didn't seem to fit in -- like the ghost of one of Charlie's boss's clients.

But, even with these minor disappointments, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this novel because Neil Gaiman wrote it and Lenny Henry read it. Recommended, especially in audio format.
~FantasyLiterature.net

Ever since I was little I’ve wanted to read everything, I wanted to know everything. If I wanted to know something the response from my parents, who believed self sufficiency was always best, was, “read a book, I’m sure you’ll find something.” So I did, I got everything from a book. In around fifth grade I wanted to read even more books. I wanted “To Kill A Mockingbird” not “Ramona and Beezus,” but my parents started choosing what I could and couldn’t read. They didn’t want to have to explain concepts in the books I wanted to read to an 11 year old. When my parents decided that they weren’t going to put restrictions on what I read I could read anything I wanted. One of my favorite things I’ve read since then was “Anansi Boys” by Neil Gaiman.
Fat Charlie wasn’t always “Fat Charlie,” but when Charlie’s father says something, it stays. Fat Charlie is living in london when his father passes away. When he travels to the states to attend his funeral he learns a lot about his father. The main things being his father was Anansi, and Fat Charlie has a brother named Spider. When Spider comes back into Charlie’s life everything turns upside down for him. His love life, job, and friends.
Spider is the opposite of Charlie. He is flamboyant, charming, handsome, maybe a little...over confident. He inherited all of Anansi’s powers and can get away with whatever he wants, whenever he wants. He can literally change how people interpret reality. Whereas Fat Charlie works as an accountant for a talent agency. He’s rather timid, mild-mannered, and doesn’t like any eyes on him. He has a wonderful singing voice like his father, but stage fright as well.
The characters are all very genuine and relatable throughout the book, as well. Even if you’re the most extroverted person in the world, you’ll be able to relate to Charlie in this book. Even the small character’s who have few lines always seem as if it’s really them speaking directly to you. One of the best characters of this book is Mrs. Dunwiddy. Towards the end of the book Fat Charlie goes to visit her at her home in Florida. Mrs. Dunwiddy lies in bed talking to Fat Charlie about her life. ‘“Hunnert and four,” she said. “And never in my bed in the daytime except for confinements. And now I finish.” “I’m sure you’ll reach a hundred and five,” said Fat Charlie, uneasily. “Don’t you say that!” she said. She looked alarmed. “Don’t! Your family do enough trouble already. Don’t you go making things happen.”’ Neil Gaiman fills this book with a different humor from each different character. From Spider to Mrs. Dunwiddy, they all have their own personality and their own story that draws you in farther.
One thing this novel has that makes it so unique is the mythology aspect. Throughout the book there are chapters that are just folklore about Anansi. Although these chapters lack some vital characters of the book, like Fat Charlie, they do make it easier to relate to Fat Charlie and his resentment for his father.
The plot in this book has its difficulties, though. The plot builds well but once it hits the climax the book throws everything it has at you. Towards the end it gets a little unrealistic. Which is hard to say considering this is a fantasy book, but a lot of things kind of get pushed into the last 70 pages, which made the book a little more difficult to read.

I love Neil Gaiman's work, his books are among the very few I can read over and over again- this is my review after the 3rd read :)

I regard this book as a spin off of sorts from American Gods and chronicles the reuniting of Anansi's (the spider-god) 2 sons and the ensuing debacles that follows.

It's so interesting to read a book where the protagonist and most other characters are of Afro-Caribbean descent, although apart from some culinary language and somewhat voodoo ceremony, little other reference is made to these cultural roots.

The authors vivid imagination and writing style makes this story come alive, the book's chapters are less sub-plots and more like puzzle pieces, and it was interesting to see how they fit together at the conclusion.

The West African spider-trickster god Anansi in an incarnation as Mr. Nancy has died and was buried in Florida. He left behind an adult son Fat Charlie in England. Ironically Charlie is not overweight but instead is a half god who lost part of himself due to a grudge and a curse. His other part is Charlie's unknown brother Spider.

Spider tricks Tiger and ends up gaining control of all the stories in the world as well as a deadly enemy who wants to kill him whether he is reincarnation of Anansi or just a demi God. Using animistic magic, Spider flees to England where he meets his sibling's fiancée Rosie and odious boss, Grahame. Being a trickster, this is not a joyful encounter as Spider steals Rosie from Fat Charlie and causes troubles for his brother with Grahame. Meanwhile Tiger is coming to regain the stories stolen from him and if killing two brothers and other innocent people will achieve his goal so be it.

Sort of a loose sequel to the AMERICAN GODS, ANANSI BOYS is a fine fantasy tale that combines myths from different cultures. The story line is much more complex than what is presented above, but Neil Gaiman keeps his subplots straight, ultimately tying back together in a final High Noon confrontation in which the power of story-telling is the real magic. Mr. Gaiman's fans from novels and comic books will take immense delight in his latest wild thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite fantasy writers, and ANANSI BOYS didn't disappoint me. This is a very entertaining novel.

ANANSI BOYS is a very funny and original story about a man named Fat Charlie, who suddenly learns that he is the son of the trickster God Anansi. Fat Charlie also discovers that he has a long lost brother name Spider, who has decided to re-enter his life and turn it upside down.

Gaiman has a lovely writing style that incorporates a lot of gentle, whimsical humor. It's hard to describe, but it makes his novels a pleasure to read. This is a comic novel, so many of the characters border on caricature, but Gaiman does a good job of making them human and believable for the most part.

I wouldn't say ANANSI BOYS is a great Gaiman novel -- I think NEVERWHERE, STARDUST, AND CORALINE are better works -- but it's a very good one and I had a lot fun reading it. Highly recommended for fans of comedic fantasy.

Fat Charlie thought he had escaped to a life of complete, boring normalcy in England, working an average job, engaged to a normal girl, but when his father drops dead, he is forced to return home to Florida to attend his father's funeral--and his life takes a swift turn towards the bizarre. He never knew his father was the god Anansi. He never knew he had a brother named Spider. After his first meeting with his brother, Charlie begins a journey that will drive him away from, and then bring him closer too, his brother, his father, and his own past and nature as one of Anansi's boys. This novel takes place on a smaller scale than some of Gaiman's other work, dealing primarily with Fat Charlie, his family, and his friends. However, it still takes place in a supernatural world that exists, largely hidden, beneath the world that Charlie and the reader are familiar with: a world of gods and magic, specifically the stories of Anansi the Spider and other animal gods from Africa. The book is humorous and engaging, but lacks the depth and lasting import that some of the other Gaiman novels have. I recommend it, but would recommend Neverwhere and American Gods more highly.

The limited scale of this novel immediately separates it from Gaiman's other work. While books like Neverwhere take place in the whole of London Above and London Below, and books like American Gods determine the fate of both old and new generations of the gods in America, Anansi Boys focuses on individuals at a very local level: Fat Charlie, his brother Spider; Charlie's fiancée and her mother; Charlie's boss. Their various plotlines take them from London to America to Jamaica as well as into and out of the world of the gods, but they never extend beyond the individuals to a more cosmic scale. Whether the personal scope is a good or a bad aspect depends largely on the reader. Personally, I like the cosmic importance layered into Gaiman's other novels, and found the limited scope of this one to be disappointing. Other readers may disagree.

I also found this novel to be a little more humorous and a little less grave than Gaiman's other work. While there's no doubt that all of Gaiman's novels contain ongoing irony and aspects of humor, those aspects seemed to be more prevalent and blatant in this novel. There are still some dark and dangerous otherworldly aspects, but the amount of humor draws attention away from them and makes the story seem more light-hearted. Whether or not that is a good thing also depends on the reader, and again I personally found it disappointing--it reminded me too much of Good Omens, a book that I didn't really care for. But then, my sense of humor is pretty narrow and very dry.

Both in terms of theme and plot, this is a skillful novel: Anansi the Spider is the god of stories and songs, and the interwoven plot reflects that. The stories of the individual characters weave together and thread apart in a rhythm that keeps the plot moving and the reader interested without rushing the text or the conclusion. Some of the morals of the book also arise from the storytelling theme--the rest come from Charlie's increasing knowledge about his brother, father, and with them, himself. All in all, Anansi Boys is an enjoyable read but not my favorite Gaiman novel--but I suspect that it falls flat for personal reasons, and may appeal more to readers with different tastes. I do recommend it, but I enjoyed Neverwhere and American Gods much more, and would urge the reader to pick up those first.

Here Neil Gaiman has put together elements from his two best books of the past, American Gods and Neverwhere. Some reviewers will grumble about a supposed lack of new ideas, but who cares, because this is Gaiman's most readable and enjoyable novel yet. From American Gods we get the concept of forgotten minor gods causing mischief in the real world, still acting out scenes from various ethnic mythologies. Meanwhile, this new book's protagonist is much like the guy in Neverwhere – a bumbling zero who thinks he's doomed to an uncool and unexciting existence, but turns out to have the potential for greatness if he would only apply himself. In fact, Gaiman is great at the dork-with-potential archetype, and here Fat Charlie (not really fat of course) is a truly loveable character. Gaiman has also perfected his own brand of dark comedy here, with sarcastic word choice and irreverent dialogue as we guiltily watch Fat Charlie stumble through an embarrassing life as the under-achieving offspring of a mischievous god figure. And for the record, Gaiman's mythology here is based solidly in the Anansi legends of West Indian/Afro-Caribbean folklore, with assistance from Nalo Hopkinson, a great speculative fiction writer from that tradition. In the end, this is a book about family and how you're stuck with your relatives and all their flaws for life, no matter how embarrassing or empowering they may be. [~doomsdayer520~]

I am very picky about the audiobooks I'll listen to on my long commute. I've opened up books that I was very much looking forward to "reading," only to throw box and all against the rear window of the car after ten minutes of some boob murdering the prose. So when I find one I like, that means I like it a lot.

Commedian Lenny Henry's rich voice and delightfully accented character readings really bring Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys to life. Henry floats easily between an Americanized urban accent, thick British types, a hilarious cabal of little old black ladies in the wilds of Florida, and a number of Caribbean voices. His voice can be light enough that the females don't sound ridiculous.

Revisiting a character from American Gods, but zooming in on a more focused set of players, this is the story of "Fat Charlie" Nancy, an easily embarrassed, buttoned-down accountant in London with a dead-end job and a nice finacée. He makes a call to a family friend in Florida to invite his debonair, estranged father to the wedding, but finds his father has just died. After the funeral Charlie learns his father was the god Anansi, and that he had another son, Spider, that Charlie didn't know about. Not really believing any of it, he summons Spider, who quickly turns Charlie's life inside-out. Ancient animosities and modern crimes merge in Gaiman's fast-moving narrative. His sense of humor does not fly in your face -- you have to be paying attention and thinking things through -- but the comedy is rich and rewarding, in that restrained way the English are so bloody good at.

Several times listening to this I've laughed out loud, and kept chortling for another mile or so at some turn of phrase or quirk of character, or one of Henry's particular voices. I can recommend this wholeheartedly to anyone who enjoys Gaiman's sense of whimsy and storytelling.

"We do not really mean, we do not really mean what we say," is how the Ashanti start their stories about Anansi. "It begins, as most things begin, with a song," is Neil Gaiman's preferred formula. Not that it matters, since, as Gaiman points out, all songs are really stories, and all stories are tied together by a web, as are all people. At the centre of the web is Anansi, the spider-man god to whom stories belong, and have done since he tricked them out of Tiger.

Anansi has something in common with Loki from Norse mythology, and more with Brer rabbit. He is an inveterate joker, even if the butts of his jokes find the consequences distinctly inconvenient; but it is impossible to dislike him. In that sense, Anansi represents someone we all know well, the charming, irresponsible chancer and teller of tall tales. This book is, at heart, a shaggy dog tale.

Gaiman is best-known for his Sandman series of graphic novels, but here he demonstrates an equally vivid ability to portray the mythic and the fantastic in comic prose. In the dedication, he tips his hat to the ghosts of P G Wodehouse and Tex Avery, and slapstick and verbal pyrotechnics are the primary motors of the book.

Fat Charlie Nancy (he was fat only for a short period in his childhood, but the nickname stuck), who works in a crooked actors' agency in London, is embarrassed about almost everything. Then his father in Florida keels over with a heart attack while singing in a karaoke bar, tearing the top from a busty blonde during his fall. (These things happen. A friend of mine in his fifties died on the dance floor of Madame Jo-Jo's, the transvestive nightclub in Soho. It wasn't a dignified end, but he'd have enjoyed its comic aspects.)

So too with Fat Charlie's dad. As Charlie soon discovers, his father was Anansi the spider, and a god. He finds out, too, from a Caribbean neighbour with a sideline in voodoo, that he has a brother, Spider. Unwisely, Charlie summons up the brother, who seems to have inherited all the family's luck, charm, ability to work minor miracles and, above all, determination to enjoy himself in the most irresponsible manner without any heed for consequences.

Like Fat Charlie, we know that actions have consequences, and have no doubt that they will be visited upon the luckless Charlie. From this point, despite excursions into magic and voodoo, the plot brings to mind Waugh. Charlie's life collapses spectacularly; his brother steals his girlfriend, loses him his job and gets him arrested on suspicion of fraud and murder.

The resolution of all of this involves, as it always does in comedy, a certain adjustment of the personalities of all the characters, an understanding, and an untangling, of crossed wires in love, and that the bad end badly and the good live happily ever after (or nearest offer). Gaiman's artfulness is to make this template also a story about the nature of stories, and his own considerable charm is expended in telling you what he is going to do, and how he is going to do it, all along the way.

The chief pleasure of Anansi Boys, though, is in Gaiman's writing, which has all the casualness of a yarn told in a bar, or while fishing off a bridge with a bottle of beer by your side - Fat Charlie's dad, asked what he does, answers that he "loafs and fishes". Leaving aside the small details of engaging with the world of the animal gods of the West Indies and Africa, and the incursion of magic into south London and Florida, it also exhibits the ruthless logic essential for comedy of this sort. As in Wodehouse or Decline and Fall, the wheels never come off.

Gaiman does not reach those heights, but the apparent effortlessness of this sort of writing requires planning and execution of a very high order. It has moments of predictability, but they are those inherent in farce. Some of the jokes are too facetious for some tastes, others perhaps slightly too macabre. But this is a very accomplished comic novel; the slickness and the slightness are the product of someone who knows exactly what to do with his material. Neil Gaiman is a very good writer indeed, and this is a very funny bedtime story.

Anansi Boys is a triumph. Sophisticated, urbane, and mythologic, this tall tale is a delicious read. Redolent of the American South and the Caribbean, Neil Gaiman's dark humor carries the reader from start to finish, and sprightly asks us to examine the duality of our core nature.

Fat Charlie lives a semi-reclusive life of underachievement, fear, and self-loathing in London, unaware that his father is Anansi, the Trickster God. To Fat Charlie, his dad has always been a source of social embarrassment. When the flamboyant father suddenly dies (pitching off a karaoke stage face first into the bosom of a young woman), Fat Charlie is sent sideways into a spirit journey that brings him to his incorrigible brother, witchy-poo aunties, and a netherworld that is neither good nor bad, but is what you make it. Criss-crossing the Atlantic, the story is non-stop snorting fun; fun that is, that carries a good message: embrace who you are: there is a piece of God in you, whether you feel separated from it or not.

The imagery is fantastic. Anansi's animal symbol is the spider, and Gaiman expertly weaves arachnid symbology throughout. Guaranteed: after reading this book you will find yourself talking to the little eight-legged creatures in your home and sending them off to do your bidding.

This is such an imaginative story. Only Neil Gaiman could come up with an amazing tale such as this and take the reader through so many twists. I loved all the Florida references. This novel is incredibly well written and i enjoyed every word of it. Defiantly a recommended read.

This is my first Gaiman novel and I can tell you that I look forward to reading more from this author. Gainman.s story line slips seemlessly from fantastical elements to real life and all parts are belivable. When reading, imagine you are sitting around a pit fire while an elder tells you a story. . . then a spider crawls across your leg. . . fun stuff!!!
Wish i could rate Anansi book higher. I really enjoyed the first half of story, but found the last half a little long and repetitive.
Gaiman is a talented writer with great imagination. I.m hoping another of his books will appeal to me more.

A wholly satisfying book... Laughter, adventure, magic, crime-solving, self-discovery, this book has it all. Anything that I gave as summary would be a spoiler, so I am contented to say merely this ; You will enjoy reading this book.
I will say that I have not read American Gods, but I am fairly certain that my enjoyment of thud book was affected not at all by the lack.

Have you ever not cared when a family member died? If so you can't have feelings far off from "fat" Charlie. When his dad, a man who never showed him love, dies, he is pulled into a magical world. Author Neil Gaiman brings us into the world of "fat" Charlie and his brother Spider. The Anasia Boys is a thrilling page turner that is always changing.
"Fat" Charlie, with a name given to him by his father, lived a normal life in New England. He has a good job and a lovely Fiancée, what else could he want? When his dad dies he find something that he wished he'd never found, His brother Spider. Spider is the total opposite of him with "movie star good looks", a singing voice that could calm anyone and a cocky charm all the girls fall for. He also finds out his father was a god, the god of theft who can change anyone's mind with a blink of an eye. It's up to Charlie to uncover the truth and save his brother from the evil bird lady and tiger. But it's hard to stay on track when your brother is taking over your life, job, and all of the people he loves.
Anasia Boys is for teens and up, since the book can get confusing at some points when switching between characters. The genre of this book is fantasy with some mystery. Its fantasy because there are god-like people who they find in a world with magical powers. The mystery comes in when someone is murdered and Daisy, a British cop, goes out on a limb to find the killer. It is definitely not for comedy lovers. I recommend this book for people that have read other books by Neil Gaiman.
Some of the things I liked about Anasia Boys was the plot. The plot was very different from any other Author, with the characters only seconds away from death it's a page turner that twists your mind. Some of the weaknesses are that he doesn't describe the characters visually. You never truly know what the characters look like, but you have to guess how they look by how they act. He also could have described the setting more, other then a basic outline and saying where they were. Lastly it could have been explained more why certain things happened, like why Rosie's mom was in the hospital dying. Not all of it made sense at times. If you liked Coraline, also by Neil Gaiman, then you will like this book. They are similar because they both have a plot that is like no other. They both are twisted and take the reader to two different, crazy, worlds.

This is the first book by Neil Gaiman I've ever read. He was talked about on a blog I frequent called 'Smart Bitches, Trashy Novels' and I decided to give him a try. Why not? I've been on a disappointing streak reading romance novels, time to try something different. I have to say, I am the most critical reader in the world. I thought East of Eden needed more development, I am that critical! No, really. But I enjoyed Anansi Boys. Not that I see NG up there with Steinbeck, we'll see. I wasn't sure at first if I would. I found the writing style stuck me as a little to low key, subdued. And I was having some trouble with Fat Charlie - what was his problem? But I did relate to how self-conscious he was, how unaware. And I found the mythic concept intriguing. So I plodded on and found myself drawn in and liking it. This book was well-written, well-researched, imaginative. It was funny and original. I was sorry to see it end and it's been a while since I've felt that way about a book. My one quip (well, I said I was critical!) was that he promised terror to come, more than once, and I didn't get any terror at all. But I did get other things so I'll let it go. Good Book. I'll read American Gods soon...Good Neil

Fat Charlie was dubbed so by his dad when just a chubby child. Unfortunately, even though he shed the pounds the name stuck. Many years later Fat Charlie is living an unremarkable life, with a crappy job and a girlfriend who insists on making him "wait until marriage". When Charlie's dad dies he learns some amazingly unbelieveable things and his boring life is forever changed.

This one has a lot of wit and was just offbeat enough to hold my attention. Charlie is an every-guy sort of character who is easy to like as he bumbles his way through some very odd changes in his life. The book is populated with interesting people and takes a lot of twists and turns that aren't expected. Gaiman wrote it and it reads like a twisted fairy-tale so how can you go wrong with that?

Gaiman's Anansi Boys is shiny example of great, silly writing. As a big Douglas Adams fan, this novel harkens me back to those halcyon days when Arthur Dent was so befuddled to discover that his best friend was not an out of work actor after all, but an alien. Here is another befuddled man who, despite hating his job and his boss, continues to come in and do his job. His only light appears to be Rose, the one woman who, in someways, understands him. But, like Arthur Dent, Fat Charlie discovers how his ordered and somewhat basic life, can become completely unwound like a slinky when the death of his estranged father leads him to find out his true heritage.

If Gaiman's intention was to pay tribute to Adams, he's succeed in many ways. There are many lovely bits here and there that I found very much in the vain of Adams. The bit about the monkeys in the barrel was cute, along with Grahame Coats -the evil, yet very stupid villain. Then there's the tragic death of Maeve Livingtone, who needs to see her killer come to justice before she can "go into the light", as it where.

Fat Charlie's brother Spider is more of an annoying relative who can't get the clue he needs to go home, than evil. And while Charlie will stoop to magic of three Shakespearean style witches, he realizes that despite all the chaos Spider makes, it did get him out of the house.

Being a tricksters son can do that to you.

Every review I have read on this book (and most other Gaiman books for that matter) falls over itself heaping praise on the writing, the plotting, the subject matter, the punctuation (OK, maybe not the punctuation).

And I simply don't get it. I've read Science Fiction since I was 10, and I'm 70 now. I have read a LOT of science fiction in the past 60 years. For many years I read Analog and Azimov's as well. I always dipped into the Nebula and Hugos. And read a number of the very good compilations of novellas and short stories. And I still don't get Gaiman. Ursula Le Guin yes. Octavia Butler absolutely, Heinlein, Azamov and others. When John Campbell was editor of Analog, he refused to print any story (even an elegantly crafted piece of work) if it failed to point the way to something good in or for the human race. He thought fiction had a purpose beyond a writers cleverness. Even if it was brilliantly written but pointless cleverness.

So recently I went back to Anansi Boys to see if I was too young, or under the influence, or just brain dead when I first read it. Nope. Sorry fans of Gaiman. I still don't get him or his writing. Maybe its an acquired taste.
And my bottom line is that Gaiman is definitely not my taste. So by all means try this book for yourself. Clearly my opinion is very much a minority view. And if you agree with me, for heavens sake contact me. We are probably twins separated at birth.

This is my first foray into a Gaiman novel. I was pleasantly surprised to find that he is a very talented storyteller and he shines in two elements of storytelling in particular. He draws characters incredibly well and their dialogue never seems contrived or flat. Secondly, Gaiman has a great handle on how to deal with mythology and how it lends itself to a contemporary narrative.

Fat charlie, Spider and the rest of the cast are spot on accounts of humanity. Fat Charlie's angst and his difficulties in handling his new found brother, his mother-in-law-to-be as well as his jerk of a boss are all handled expertly. In addition to Gaiman's characterizations is his undeniable ability to write comedic dialogue as well as a narrative voice that manages to infuse laughter along with suspense and poignancy. It's a tough hat-trick to pull off but Gaiman makes it happen. This is a trademark of a truly talented novelist. I find that some writers can do a few things well in the course of a novel. Some excel in description, others in dialogue or character back story. Gaiman really has a deep repertoire and he commands his gift with elegance.

The mythology of the Anansi was a valuable and interesting way to add a magical touch to the story. Once Spider is thrown into the mix he becomes a catalyst for hilarity, desperation, frustration, vengeance, and in the end: unusual happiness. That was the feeling I was left with when I turned the last page. All the characters were given a unique and touching conclusion that matched the style in which the story was told. While I did enjoy the mythological aspect that the Anansi tales brought to the overall theme of the tale, I must confess that I could have done without them. While they all served to illustrate a connection to the activity in the remainder of the text, there were a few occasions when I got distracted by them. It's hardly a "problem" with the text, but I'd be lying if I said the text was perfect...

...It's almost perfect. The book is well paced, hilarious and memorable. There are a ton of quotable lines from the book and this is one of the few books I've read in a while that I thought might make an interesting film in the right hands.

What if you found out that not only your father, but also the brother you never knew you had were actually ludicrously powerful and endlessly mischevious Gods (that's right, Gods), and your only superpower seemed to be the ability to suffer endlessly from their pranks and hijinks?

To say much more would spoil this lighthearted (yet pitch black) comedic sequel to "American Gods" (though you don't need to have read the first one to enjoy "Anasasi"). Plenty of laugh out loud moments -- much fun and a quick read that I conistently found tough to put down.

All in all, it's kind of a supernatural "Confederacy of Dunces" with a bit of Douglas Adams & just a pinch of Python.

"Anasasi Boys" would make a great movie, but only if directed by Terry Gilliam.

all gaiman books tend to read like the comic books that he was so great at. an old girlfriend of mine read my copy of Neverwhere and noted that the characters came off two dimensional. And to be fair, Neil has gotten far far better at novels since this effort. Anansi boys is fairly sharp, good setup, good imagery, humor, tight storytelling and most of the plots are tied off well. It's a good fantasy setup, though I saw many parallels in it with the old Sandman plots. Things like birds coming of people's mouths [Sandman's Game of You Cuckoo villain], the use of song as a power [like Orpheus], the four witches were like the Kindly Ones [especially when Fat Charley goes to them for help, like Lyta Hall does the Furies]. There are many of these and that's not unexpected, Neil's body of work is vast. Stardust is the better book but this one is a good quick read. Still, he didn't reveal the deal that Bird cut with Tiger... what was up with that? Or maybe I missed it.

Wow, Neil Gaiman just keeps getting better and better. I thought "American Gods" was a terrific book, but this sequel is much funnier, cleverer, and more imaginative. Gaiman takes his Anansi character and "kills" him off (although we know you really can never kill a god), leaving his sons to live up to his trickser legacy. Along the way, he skewers the London lifestyle, little old ladies in Miami, international money launderers and anything else he can think up. He also sets up a couple clever romances and turns a milktoast accountant (one of Anansi's sons) into a demi-god who can stand on his own two feet.

Readers should be warned that this is contemporary fantasy, which means anything can happen, logical or not. So, if the idea of venegeful ghosts and invisible tiger gods bother you, don't pick up the book and expect it to make logical sense.

Gaiman has a brilliant, creative mind and creates a world that's a delight to visit.

Having been recently introduced to Neil Gaiman through _American Gods_, I just HAD to read _Anansi Boys_. Perhaps it was because I was so impressed with _American Gods_ and the high bar Gaiman has set for himself as a result, that I was less impressed by _Anansi Boys_.

The first quarter of the book was difficult to get into - I missed the wit and humour of Gaiman, and the plot was slow to develop. However, once the "boys" (from the title - I don't want to spoil the story) get together and the mischief for which Anansi is so well known begins to happen, the magic of Gaiman's storytelling shows through. Were it not for the slow start, the book would certainly warrant five stars; as another reviewer remarked, if the book were written by another author, perhaps I would be more forgiving and award it five. As it is, Gaiman is a victim of his own brilliance in this case, hence the four.

I do recommend the book - the anecdotes and wit that Gaiman is so well-known for is here, as is his unique ability to weave mythology with reality. Still, _Anansi Boys) isn't Gaiman's best work by far.

I love Neil Gaiman. Even met him once; incredibly nice fellow. American Gods is one of my all time favorite books, but this (sort of) sequel to that book is booooooooring. Couldn't finish it. I tried, but it wasn't happening. Sorry, Neil.

Since "American Gods" I adored the character of Anansi. Since "Sandman" I adored Neil Gaiman's imagination. The combination of the two is a pleasant way to spend time. As with all his other books, I lost myself in his weaving and telling of the story; and although I did not think it was as strong a book as "American Gods" and not as magical as "Neverwhere" this book certainly has plenty of merit. It's almost as if you can sit back and hear him thinking to himself "And then what ... ?" It's a fun book, and I love that he invites his readers and old, forgotten gods to his playground.

I really couldn't tell you wether my overwhelmingly positive reaction to the unabridged CD for this book is due more to Neil Gaiman's writing or Lenny Henry's performance.

I read American Gods, and it was the best book I read last year. So, I know that I enjoy Gaiman's writing style. But Lenny Henry's reading is so spot on, that I can't imagine having "read" this story any other way. The voice he uses for the character of Spider is so distinctive, it's truly hard to believe that there weren't two people in the recording studio as Fat Charlie and his brother speak to each other.

This was very much an experience of hearing a performance that was meant to be. Even if you've read the book, listening to the CD would be an absolute treat. Very much recommended.

Anansi Boys tells the story about a man named Fat Charlie Nancy, who leads a normal if not boring life. He works for an awful man named Grahme Coats. He is engaged to a very nice woman named Rosie. Rosies mom hates Charlie. He and Rosie are in the process of planning their wedding when Charlie gets a call that his father died. He flys out to the funeral and find out information that he never knew. One is that his father was a God and the other is that he has a brother named Spider. Spider comes into his life and turns it upside down and Charlie tries to make sense of everything. This book contains magic, murder, love, deception, along with a bit of singing and dancing. This is a fun and well written book that I highly recommend.

Brilliant book that defies description. I stumbled across it at 2nd and Charles, a staff recommendation, and thought I'd give it a try. This was my introduction to Gaiman, and I think it's an absolutely brilliant novel. I can't begin to comprehend how he plots his books and builds his characters. When I finished the book I found myself still vague on several elements of the novel, but emotionally satisfied. How do you write a book like that? Amazing.

Perhaps my expectations are too high, as I've followed Gaiman's work for years and feel he's the one of the brightest stars to rise, but I've not been blown away by his past two books, and find them somehow less than Neverwhere and his collection of short stories, Smoke and Mirrors, both of which I thought were some of the finest examples of fantasy literature of the past two centuries (easy to say since it's only 2005!). Primarily, I found it hard to root for the protagonist, as he lacks energy. The reader finds out he's like that because he lost something, which he eventually regains, so to speak, but all that aside, it's still hard to root for the guy. As such, one never really becomes enthralled by the book.

Still, I read it in about three days, which isn't typical of me these days, and I enjoyed it.

And, Neil, we want to go to Faery more, in whatever form you care to provide.

I've got something of a love/hate relationship with audiobooks. I love to be read to, and I love filling up the time on a long commute with a story. I hate abridgements, I hate readers who ham things up, and I hate productions that feel the need to underscore the mood with music cues (taking attention away from the story). A great performance can make a poor story interesting, and make a great story shine.

In every respect that I can think of, Lenny Henry's reading of Neil Gaiman's "Anansi Boys" is the standard which every audiobook should reach for.

THE STORY

is excellent. Neil has given us something of a comedy of manners, a family story that is very much a comedy in the P.G. Woodehouse mode (except with supernatural beings, their progency, those who love them, and their blogging roommates). Its one of those tight stories that take the time to show you what's going on and still astonishes. I'm not going to take up too much more time gushing on this front. Let's end this section with the fact that I had more fun reading this book than anything else I've read in a couple of years.

THE PERFORMANCE

is what I really wanted to mention. Lenny Henry SHINES! His pace is easy and not too rushed. His accents (Carribean, American, English; and regional/cultural subsets of each) are good without being camp. And most importantly, he offers a dozen or so exact, distinctive, age appropriate and recognizable voices for each character.

I cannot stress that last one enough. One must sympathize with the difficult task of one voice coming up with all these voices. Some audiobooks solve the problems by having more than one reader or just having the reader read in their own voice and use cues in the text ("...said Virginia hotly") to fill in the blanks. Other books too are first person narratives that lend themselves better to audiobooks.

Far too often, though, an actor will exaggerate something to create a distinctive voice for a character (ESPECIALLY a male reader reading a woman's part). It is painful to hear someone adding an inappropriate speech impedement or something like a southern drawl just so that the listener can tell characters apart.

Lenny avoids all of these pitfalls without the need of crutches. In a third-person situation telling a sprawling (if short) tale in three different countries, his performance is masterful. 10 hours never flew by so fast.

I'm now going to purchase other audiobooks he's read just so I can hear him!

Anansi Boys is a marvelous example of how to take something classic, and infuse it with just enough of a twist to make it modern and exciting. Gaiman uses many of the themes that readers with even a casual familiarity with mythology will recognize; like the power of love to change a life, the effect of family on one's existence, and the need to undergo a quest in order to embrace one's destiny. Instead of simply rehashing those themes, he infuses them with both a strong narrative and characters that are whimsical, yet memorable. The result is a book that is both familiar and new. Anansi Boys is further proof that Gaiman's reputation as the best current "re-interpreter" of myths is well deserved.

Have you ever not cared when a family member died? If so you can't have feelings far off from "fat" Charlie. When his dad, a man who never showed him love, dies, he is pulled into a magical world. Author Neil Gaiman brings us into the world of "fat" Charlie and his brother Spider. The Anasia Boys is a thrilling page turner that is always changing.
"Fat" Charlie, with a name given to him by his father, lived a normal life in New England. He has a good job and a lovely Fiancée, what else could he want? When his dad dies he find something that he wished he'd never found, His brother Spider. Spider is the total opposite of him with "movie star good looks", a singing voice that could calm anyone and a cocky charm all the girls fall for. He also finds out his father was a god, the god of theft who can change anyone's mind with a blink of an eye. It's up to Charlie to uncover the truth and save his brother from the evil bird lady and tiger. But it's hard to stay on track when your brother is taking over your life, job, and all of the people he loves.
Anasia Boys is for teens and up, since the book can get confusing at some points when switching between characters. The genre of this book is fantasy with some mystery. Its fantasy because there are god-like people who they find in a world with magical powers. The mystery comes in when someone is murdered and Daisy, a British cop, goes out on a limb to find the killer. It is definitely not for comedy lovers. I recommend this book for people that have read other books by Neil Gaiman.
Some of the things I liked about Anasia Boys was the plot. The plot was very different from any other Author, with the characters only seconds away from death it's a page turner that twists your mind. Some of the weaknesses are that he doesn't describe the characters visually. You never truly know what the characters look like, but you have to guess how they look by how they act. He also could have described the setting more, other then a basic outline and saying where they were. Lastly it could have been explained more why certain things happened, like why Rosie's mom was in the hospital dying. Not all of it made sense at times. If you liked Coraline, also by Neil Gaiman, then you will like this book. They are similar because they both have a plot that is like no other. They both are twisted and take the reader to two different, crazy, worlds.

This is the first book by Neil Gaiman I've ever read. He was talked about on a blog I frequent called 'Smart Bitches, Trashy Novels' and I decided to give him a try. Why not? I've been on a disappointing streak reading romance novels, time to try something different. I have to say, I am the most critical reader in the world. I thought East of Eden needed more development, I am that critical! No, really. But I enjoyed Anansi Boys. Not that I see NG up there with Steinbeck, we'll see. I wasn't sure at first if I would. I found the writing style stuck me as a little to low key, subdued. And I was having some trouble with Fat Charlie - what was his problem? But I did relate to how self-conscious he was, how unaware. And I found the mythic concept intriguing. So I plodded on and found myself drawn in and liking it. This book was well-written, well-researched, imaginative. It was funny and original. I was sorry to see it end and it's been a while since I've felt that way about a book. My one quip (well, I said I was critical!) was that he promised terror to come, more than once, and I didn't get any terror at all. But I did get other things so I'll let it go. Good Book. I'll read American Gods soon...Good Neil

Fat Charlie was dubbed so by his dad when just a chubby child. Unfortunately, even though he shed the pounds the name stuck. Many years later Fat Charlie is living an unremarkable life, with a crappy job and a girlfriend who insists on making him "wait until marriage". When Charlie's dad dies he learns some amazingly unbelieveable things and his boring life is forever changed.

This one has a lot of wit and was just offbeat enough to hold my attention. Charlie is an every-guy sort of character who is easy to like as he bumbles his way through some very odd changes in his life. The book is populated with interesting people and takes a lot of twists and turns that aren't expected. Gaiman wrote it and it reads like a twisted fairy-tale so how can you go wrong with that?

Gaiman's Anansi Boys is shiny example of great, silly writing. As a big Douglas Adams fan, this novel harkens me back to those halcyon days when Arthur Dent was so befuddled to discover that his best friend was not an out of work actor after all, but an alien. Here is another befuddled man who, despite hating his job and his boss, continues to come in and do his job. His only light appears to be Rose, the one woman who, in someways, understands him. But, like Arthur Dent, Fat Charlie discovers how his ordered and somewhat basic life, can become completely unwound like a slinky when the death of his estranged father leads him to find out his true heritage.

If Gaiman's intention was to pay tribute to Adams, he's succeed in many ways. There are many lovely bits here and there that I found very much in the vain of Adams. The bit about the monkeys in the barrel was cute, along with Grahame Coats -the evil, yet very stupid villain. Then there's the tragic death of Maeve Livingtone, who needs to see her killer come to justice before she can "go into the light", as it where.

Fat Charlie's brother Spider is more of an annoying relative who can't get the clue he needs to go home, than evil. And while Charlie will stoop to magic of three Shakespearean style witches, he realizes that despite all the chaos Spider makes, it did get him out of the house.

Being a tricksters son can do that to you.

Every review I have read on this book (and most other Gaiman books for that matter) falls over itself heaping praise on the writing, the plotting, the subject matter, the punctuation (OK, maybe not the punctuation).

And I simply don't get it. I've read Science Fiction since I was 10, and I'm 70 now. I have read a LOT of science fiction in the past 60 years. For many years I read Analog and Azimov's as well. I always dipped into the Nebula and Hugos. And read a number of the very good compilations of novellas and short stories. And I still don't get Gaiman. Ursula Le Guin yes. Octavia Butler absolutely, Heinlein, Azamov and others. When John Campbell was editor of Analog, he refused to print any story (even an elegantly crafted piece of work) if it failed to point the way to something good in or for the human race. He thought fiction had a purpose beyond a writers cleverness. Even if it was brilliantly written but pointless cleverness.

So recently I went back to Anansi Boys to see if I was too young, or under the influence, or just brain dead when I first read it. Nope. Sorry fans of Gaiman. I still don't get him or his writing. Maybe its an acquired taste.
And my bottom line is that Gaiman is definitely not my taste. So by all means try this book for yourself. Clearly my opinion is very much a minority view. And if you agree with me, for heavens sake contact me. We are probably twins separated at birth.

This is my first foray into a Gaiman novel. I was pleasantly surprised to find that he is a very talented storyteller and he shines in two elements of storytelling in particular. He draws characters incredibly well and their dialogue never seems contrived or flat. Secondly, Gaiman has a great handle on how to deal with mythology and how it lends itself to a contemporary narrative.

Fat charlie, Spider and the rest of the cast are spot on accounts of humanity. Fat Charlie's angst and his difficulties in handling his new found brother, his mother-in-law-to-be as well as his jerk of a boss are all handled expertly. In addition to Gaiman's characterizations is his undeniable ability to write comedic dialogue as well as a narrative voice that manages to infuse laughter along with suspense and poignancy. It's a tough hat-trick to pull off but Gaiman makes it happen. This is a trademark of a truly talented novelist. I find that some writers can do a few things well in the course of a novel. Some excel in description, others in dialogue or character back story. Gaiman really has a deep repertoire and he commands his gift with elegance.

The mythology of the Anansi was a valuable and interesting way to add a magical touch to the story. Once Spider is thrown into the mix he becomes a catalyst for hilarity, desperation, frustration, vengeance, and in the end: unusual happiness. That was the feeling I was left with when I turned the last page. All the characters were given a unique and touching conclusion that matched the style in which the story was told. While I did enjoy the mythological aspect that the Anansi tales brought to the overall theme of the tale, I must confess that I could have done without them. While they all served to illustrate a connection to the activity in the remainder of the text, there were a few occasions when I got distracted by them. It's hardly a "problem" with the text, but I'd be lying if I said the text was perfect...

...It's almost perfect. The book is well paced, hilarious and memorable. There are a ton of quotable lines from the book and this is one of the few books I've read in a while that I thought might make an interesting film in the right hands.

What if you found out that not only your father, but also the brother you never knew you had were actually ludicrously powerful and endlessly mischevious Gods (that's right, Gods), and your only superpower seemed to be the ability to suffer endlessly from their pranks and hijinks?

To say much more would spoil this lighthearted (yet pitch black) comedic sequel to "American Gods" (though you don't need to have read the first one to enjoy "Anasasi"). Plenty of laugh out loud moments -- much fun and a quick read that I conistently found tough to put down.

All in all, it's kind of a supernatural "Confederacy of Dunces" with a bit of Douglas Adams & just a pinch of Python.

"Anasasi Boys" would make a great movie, but only if directed by Terry Gilliam.

all gaiman books tend to read like the comic books that he was so great at. an old girlfriend of mine read my copy of Neverwhere and noted that the characters came off two dimensional. And to be fair, Neil has gotten far far better at novels since this effort. Anansi boys is fairly sharp, good setup, good imagery, humor, tight storytelling and most of the plots are tied off well. It's a good fantasy setup, though I saw many parallels in it with the old Sandman plots. Things like birds coming of people's mouths [Sandman's Game of You Cuckoo villain], the use of song as a power [like Orpheus], the four witches were like the Kindly Ones [especially when Fat Charley goes to them for help, like Lyta Hall does the Furies]. There are many of these and that's not unexpected, Neil's body of work is vast. Stardust is the better book but this one is a good quick read. Still, he didn't reveal the deal that Bird cut with Tiger... what was up with that? Or maybe I missed it.

Wow, Neil Gaiman just keeps getting better and better. I thought "American Gods" was a terrific book, but this sequel is much funnier, cleverer, and more imaginative. Gaiman takes his Anansi character and "kills" him off (although we know you really can never kill a god), leaving his sons to live up to his trickser legacy. Along the way, he skewers the London lifestyle, little old ladies in Miami, international money launderers and anything else he can think up. He also sets up a couple clever romances and turns a milktoast accountant (one of Anansi's sons) into a demi-god who can stand on his own two feet.

Readers should be warned that this is contemporary fantasy, which means anything can happen, logical or not. So, if the idea of venegeful ghosts and invisible tiger gods bother you, don't pick up the book and expect it to make logical sense.

Gaiman has a brilliant, creative mind and creates a world that's a delight to visit.

Having been recently introduced to Neil Gaiman through _American Gods_, I just HAD to read _Anansi Boys_. Perhaps it was because I was so impressed with _American Gods_ and the high bar Gaiman has set for himself as a result, that I was less impressed by _Anansi Boys_.

The first quarter of the book was difficult to get into - I missed the wit and humour of Gaiman, and the plot was slow to develop. However, once the "boys" (from the title - I don't want to spoil the story) get together and the mischief for which Anansi is so well known begins to happen, the magic of Gaiman's storytelling shows through. Were it not for the slow start, the book would certainly warrant five stars; as another reviewer remarked, if the book were written by another author, perhaps I would be more forgiving and award it five. As it is, Gaiman is a victim of his own brilliance in this case, hence the four.

I do recommend the book - the anecdotes and wit that Gaiman is so well-known for is here, as is his unique ability to weave mythology with reality. Still, _Anansi Boys) isn't Gaiman's best work by far.

I love Neil Gaiman. Even met him once; incredibly nice fellow. American Gods is one of my all time favorite books, but this (sort of) sequel to that book is booooooooring. Couldn't finish it. I tried, but it wasn't happening. Sorry, Neil.

Since "American Gods" I adored the character of Anansi. Since "Sandman" I adored Neil Gaiman's imagination. The combination of the two is a pleasant way to spend time. As with all his other books, I lost myself in his weaving and telling of the story; and although I did not think it was as strong a book as "American Gods" and not as magical as "Neverwhere" this book certainly has plenty of merit. It's almost as if you can sit back and hear him thinking to himself "And then what ... ?" It's a fun book, and I love that he invites his readers and old, forgotten gods to his playground.

I really couldn't tell you wether my overwhelmingly positive reaction to the unabridged CD for this book is due more to Neil Gaiman's writing or Lenny Henry's performance.

I read American Gods, and it was the best book I read last year. So, I know that I enjoy Gaiman's writing style. But Lenny Henry's reading is so spot on, that I can't imagine having "read" this story any other way. The voice he uses for the character of Spider is so distinctive, it's truly hard to believe that there weren't two people in the recording studio as Fat Charlie and his brother speak to each other.

This was very much an experience of hearing a performance that was meant to be. Even if you've read the book, listening to the CD would be an absolute treat. Very much recommended.

Anansi Boys tells the story about a man named Fat Charlie Nancy, who leads a normal if not boring life. He works for an awful man named Grahme Coats. He is engaged to a very nice woman named Rosie. Rosies mom hates Charlie. He and Rosie are in the process of planning their wedding when Charlie gets a call that his father died. He flys out to the funeral and find out information that he never knew. One is that his father was a God and the other is that he has a brother named Spider. Spider comes into his life and turns it upside down and Charlie tries to make sense of everything. This book contains magic, murder, love, deception, along with a bit of singing and dancing. This is a fun and well written book that I highly recommend.

Brilliant book that defies description. I stumbled across it at 2nd and Charles, a staff recommendation, and thought I'd give it a try. This was my introduction to Gaiman, and I think it's an absolutely brilliant novel. I can't begin to comprehend how he plots his books and builds his characters. When I finished the book I found myself still vague on several elements of the novel, but emotionally satisfied. How do you write a book like that? Amazing.

Perhaps my expectations are too high, as I've followed Gaiman's work for years and feel he's the one of the brightest stars to rise, but I've not been blown away by his past two books, and find them somehow less than Neverwhere and his collection of short stories, Smoke and Mirrors, both of which I thought were some of the finest examples of fantasy literature of the past two centuries (easy to say since it's only 2005!). Primarily, I found it hard to root for the protagonist, as he lacks energy. The reader finds out he's like that because he lost something, which he eventually regains, so to speak, but all that aside, it's still hard to root for the guy. As such, one never really becomes enthralled by the book.

Still, I read it in about three days, which isn't typical of me these days, and I enjoyed it.

And, Neil, we want to go to Faery more, in whatever form you care to provide.

I've got something of a love/hate relationship with audiobooks. I love to be read to, and I love filling up the time on a long commute with a story. I hate abridgements, I hate readers who ham things up, and I hate productions that feel the need to underscore the mood with music cues (taking attention away from the story). A great performance can make a poor story interesting, and make a great story shine.

In every respect that I can think of, Lenny Henry's reading of Neil Gaiman's "Anansi Boys" is the standard which every audiobook should reach for.

THE STORY

is excellent. Neil has given us something of a comedy of manners, a family story that is very much a comedy in the P.G. Woodehouse mode (except with supernatural beings, their progency, those who love them, and their blogging roommates). Its one of those tight stories that take the time to show you what's going on and still astonishes. I'm not going to take up too much more time gushing on this front. Let's end this section with the fact that I had more fun reading this book than anything else I've read in a couple of years.

THE PERFORMANCE

is what I really wanted to mention. Lenny Henry SHINES! His pace is easy and not too rushed. His accents (Carribean, American, English; and regional/cultural subsets of each) are good without being camp. And most importantly, he offers a dozen or so exact, distinctive, age appropriate and recognizable voices for each character.

I cannot stress that last one enough. One must sympathize with the difficult task of one voice coming up with all these voices. Some audiobooks solve the problems by having more than one reader or just having the reader read in their own voice and use cues in the text ("...said Virginia hotly") to fill in the blanks. Other books too are first person narratives that lend themselves better to audiobooks.

Far too often, though, an actor will exaggerate something to create a distinctive voice for a character (ESPECIALLY a male reader reading a woman's part). It is painful to hear someone adding an inappropriate speech impedement or something like a southern drawl just so that the listener can tell characters apart.

Lenny avoids all of these pitfalls without the need of crutches. In a third-person situation telling a sprawling (if short) tale in three different countries, his performance is masterful. 10 hours never flew by so fast.

I'm now going to purchase other audiobooks he's read just so I can hear him!

Anansi Boys is a marvelous example of how to take something classic, and infuse it with just enough of a twist to make it modern and exciting. Gaiman uses many of the themes that readers with even a casual familiarity with mythology will recognize; like the power of love to change a life, the effect of family on one's existence, and the need to undergo a quest in order to embrace one's destiny. Instead of simply rehashing those themes, he infuses them with both a strong narrative and characters that are whimsical, yet memorable. The result is a book that is both familiar and new. Anansi Boys is further proof that Gaiman's reputation as the best current "re-interpreter" of myths is well deserved.

I really loved this book. Gaiman has created a novel exploring 'what it would be like' if Anansi, the trickster Spider God, were walking amongst us. His characters were great, and the progression of the story was fascinating. I highly recommend this book!

Let's get this out of the way at the get-go: Neil Gaiman is writing circles around 99% of modern authors. Now, I know this novel was published some 7 or 8 years ago, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more entertaining novel between now and then. Picking the book up initially, I honestly thought I would hate it. The premise, to me, sounded cliche and overdone at best. Father dies, brings two brothers together who were estranged from each other? Spice it up and make their father a God? Blech. Thankfully, I gave this novel a chance and it was so worth it.

Within the first few pages, I was tickled by the humor laced in the work. The witty dialogue, the ridiculous, borderline slapstick, circumstances our Fat Charlie found himself in, and his utter embarrassment with his father's actions struck me directly in the funny bone. It was not just hilarious, it was relatable. How many of us have felt that our lives could double for a rerun of a Comedy Central movie somedays? I know I have. Especially the lower quality movies. Despite my feeling that the premise of the novel was cliche and probably something I had seen on Comedy Central before, it was presented and structured uniquely and seasoned throughout with strong themes focused of the nature of storytelling, the importance of family, and ultimately being honest with yourself in the realm of love. The plot is intelligently laid out in a weblike structure in which everything is connected in one way or another - the characters all act independently and as a result come together in ways no one could put together, and it doesn't feel forced but natural. That's something else very beautiful about this novel: the characters are strong and REAL. All the way down from the main character, Fat Charlie, to menial background characters like his mother-in-law or Maeve Livingstone, this novel showcased some of the strongest characterization of most modern reads I've encountered. By the time I was halfway through the novel, I knew each and every character inside and out, I cheered them on, loved the benevolent ones, and scowled adoringly at the more malevolent ones. The prose manages to be both beautiful and interesting, and it made this novel a real page turner that I had a very hard time putting down.

All in all, I found this to be one of the most entertaining reads I've had lately. My only regret is that I waited until 8 years after it was published to read it.

I’ve listened to this book twice on Audible. The narrator is a key factor in how much I loved this book. It’s not mean for the average reader. But if you like suspense, humor and a bit of realistic fantasy, then you will love this book.

I remember Gaiman from comics and was excited to see he had moved to novels. Anansi Boys is no disappointment. I immediately liked Fat Charlie as an honest and defective main character and equally hated the antagonist, Grahame. Gaiman builds scenes that easily paint themselves in your mind and make the experience of reading almost surreal. I can gauge how much I like a book by the speed at which I read it and I savored each word. I was disappointed when it ended because the ride was over.

On the other hand, I had a different experience with American Gods.

Living under the shadow of Sandman and American Gods, Gaiman has difficulty impressing me with other works because those two are so utterly superb.

Anansi Boys is an unfortunate example of just such a case.

It tells the story of Fat Charlie, the son of the trickster god Anansi. Early on in the story his father dies, and Fat Charlie finds himself more relieved than anything. Fat Charlie's life continues on with the dull routine most of us suffer, until his long-lost brother appears at his doorstep. From that moment on, Fat Charlie's fiancée, job, sanity, and freedom are put in jeopardy.

Anansi Boys begins rather slowly and takes its time establishing the main characters' traits--perhaps too much time. However, once the book gets rolling about three-quarters of the way through, it moves very quickly and becomes a bit of a nail-biter.

I wouldn't consider Anansi Boys one of Gaiman's must-reads, but it also isn't something I'd say you should avoid.

~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant

If you liked American Gods then you'll be happy to find the basic concept of gods walking the earth and rubbing elbows with humans revisited here but with less menace (for Neil Gaiman) and slightly better character development than we saw in American Gods.

If anything this books suffers from a slightly twee convention of Gaiman-storytelling where we break from the action to have The Way The World Works explained to us. I'm a fan of Gaiman's work and I've been watching this particular stylistic indulgence for some time. I'm afraid it's beginning to wear a bit thin. He is capable of brilliant story-telling but has a mildly annoying penchant for whimsy. The ending grated on me slightly but you'll have to read yourself to find out why. For all Gaiman's darkness and vivid imagination I think he's basically an upbeat sort of guy and I think Hollywood will one day come to adore him as it rightfully should by turning both novels into appalling films that will make me cringe.

In summation: A fun yarn with loads of dense images and ideas. Enjoy.

No need to recap what it is all about or the other things that Neil has managed to crank out these past few years as the others have already done an outstanding job at doing that.

The book takes you out to the edges of a giant spider web and slowly draws you in as the characters run about and find themselves drawn to the center, the heart of the thing if you will.

The characters are very well developed and done so with a minimum amount of words used to do so. The story goes from sad to outrageous to absolutely adorable in less than 400 pages.

Take a step into another world that is not quite like our own where mortals, gods, and other things live, play, and sometimes compete. Just be sure to do it with a song in your heart and rhythm in your step.

Good thing I was already accustomed to Neil Gaiman's introspective and randomly humourous style of writing otherwise I'm not sure I would've 'gotten' this book. I always thought the 'Sandman' series was bizarre and occasionally a little too philosophical for my liking and I don't think I've ever read anything by Neil that hasn't been obscure in some way so the randomness in this wasn't too daunting at first. The humour and warm undertone ties a lot of nonsensical elements together in a way that makes the overall story seem almost logical and linear in some elusive way. I decided somewhere towards the middle to take-in this story like almost any form of folklore. This was easy to do since ancient mythology and the fantasy realm inhabited by animal Gods was interwoven through the story anyhow. If you were reading a book of Russian folklore you wouldn't try to rationalise too much how certain things are obtained and a person can cross between two worlds by simply turning to a 'new direction'.

Anansi Boys was a delightful and intriguing read. The characters have very strong personalities and motives and Gaiman clearly went to great lengths to ensure they were multi-layered and complex as real people. The contrast between Fat Charlie and Spider, for instance, the first impressions that were established and the way in which their relationship pans out is absolutely enthralling and feeds you a great deal of information. As the story progresses, things get a little more metaphorical and comparisons to animals and animal Gods who possess unique powers are thrown into the mix. I must admit though, that I felt the final chapters dragged on a little too long didn't really seem necessary. There didn't really provide any sensible closure and the pacing even seemed somewhat rushed as attention to detail was thinning out and everything was narrated in a straight-forward, day-by-day fashion. I also thought that (spoiler alert) Grahame Coat's tiger transformation was pointless and the suspense building to Mauve Livingstone's final act of revenge was tremendously let-down. All-in-all, I'm not saying it was a bad book. In fact, I've never read a book of this size so fast and that was because I was so hooked - but there were, I personally felt, lots of plot-holes and the ending was unsatisfactory. Still, I adore Neil's writing style and I would love to read more of his work.

ANANSI BOYS is a wonderfully entertaining novel set in the universe Gaiman created in AMERICAN GODS, though the connection is only through common characters, not a shared plot or anything like that. Gaiman's writing is, as always, sharp, witty and fresh - nothing feels cliched or even mundane in his rich, humourous writing.

The plot will be obvious, so no need to summarize here. What really charmed me was the audio version I downloaded. Lenny Henry is an incredible vocal talent: in a cast that required fully a dozen separate voices, Henry was always spot on in his inflections and accents and brought an already engaging story even more to life. 5 stars for the novel, 5 stars for the audio version.

This was a slow starter for me, almost did not read it after the first kindle sample. It stuck in my head, however, and slowly the story just compelled a read. I wasn't sorry when I dug into chapter 2, and when a spider showed up, the plot thickened and things got going.
This story might be a little predictable, perhaps, but in the end I was quite happy with the final chapters. I like that it didn't all end at once, but followed up with some pleasingly memorable (if a bit sentimental) scenes to close with.

I'll preface this review by saying I've made a habit of avoiding Neil Gaiman. I'm the kind of person who instantly hates things that everybody thinks is awesome and having worked the better part of a decade in a comic book store Neil Gaiman has always been at the top of everyone's slurp it down list.
It was only the sheer power of the library that made me even put my hand on this book. (I don't know what it is about that place.) Long story short this is one of the best reads of my life. I don't know how Gaiman manages to write such over the top circumstances in such a cool real way. (Sorry, but I couldn't find a more literary way to say that.) I loved all of the characters. I want to play the Bird Woman in the movie and I want to go see that movie in the Ritz. I love this book in the same way that I love the No.1 Ladies Detective DVD. It's the kind of experience I've been waiting for my whole life.

While an avid reader and a huge Gaimanite, I still had to read this book twice for full understanding. Though I have to do the same for Terry Pratchett, my other favorite author, as well…this may be more a reflection of me.
This book is really a good one. If you read it and feel a bit left in the dust or dissatisfied, read it again. You'll be grateful!

Neil Gaiman knows no limit to creative uniqueness and literary genius. He is similar in his writing style, genius (yes I said it again) and knowledge of mythology and history as another master of literature, Brad Steiger (if you don't know him, you must be living in a cave! Look Steiger up!). In this book, Gaiman brings us into the ancient stories of Anansi the Trickster Spider and what future his offspring have in our modern, gritty world. If you are a fan of comedy, mythology or just want a great read with non-stop slapstick humor and that unique Gaiman-esque creativity that comes with his work, you absolutely MUST pick up Anansi Boys! You won't regret it!

you know, when you reach the end of a good book, there's a certain sadness-- a bittersweet sadness like you've just lived through something amazing and dangerous with people you didn't know a week ago and now they're all going off without you-- a feeling of 'oh, it's here. i knew it would come but i was really hoping it wouldn't'. it's a feeling you have to sit in, to suffer through the way you suffer through something very good but very trying, something you have to let sit on your tongue and settle into the spaces in your brain, to shift around and find out where all the new pieces of you go as you metabolize this book and it merges with all the things you brought with you when you started it. as it becomes something you'll bring with you when you go to read the next book. anansi boys is one of these books, full of beauty and violence and life and myths and stories and spiders and wonder and the weight of reality. it leaves a mark, but not the kind you'll rub at to get rid of-- the kind you'll start arranging your clothes so it doesn't get covered up, the kind you'll tattoo around so it isn't forgotten. that kind of mark, that kind of book.

Neil Gaiman's writing is as close as one can get to putting magic on a page, and this is one of his best. Other have capably summarized the story, so I will not do that. Instead, what I like most about this story is its big heart. The characters you grow to care about suffer greatly, but they ultimately prevail, using wit and strength they did not know they had. I love this book.

Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys has been pegged by some as a sequel to his Hugo-winning American Gods. It's not, really, though it shares some characters with the earlier novel. But that's about it. Anansi Boys carries a considerably lighter tone. It's not that it's played for laughs, just that Gaiman's approaching his subject with a bit more humor. It's a trickster story. It's the story of a person reconnecting with his heritage. It's somewhat similar to Christopher Moore's Coyote Blue, but of course Gaiman does his own thing with it. Highly recommended.

I haven't seen a reviewer discuss the unabridged CD with voice actor Lenny Henry as the reader. Henry adds so much to the pleasure of this work: his voice is smooth and melodic when voicing Spider and baffled and wounded as Fat Charlie. Henry handles the women's voices beautifully changing from confused Brits to singsong islanders and the gods are all distinct and ferocious in their own right. I especially loved the voice he gave Fat Charlie's overbearing, unctious boss, Graham -- what a hoot! Even if you've read the book, Henry's vocal talents will make it seem new and if you haven't read the book, try this CD first and I know you will fall in love with this talented reader and wonderful words given to him.

After the relatively poor, in my opinion, American Gods, Neil Gaiman finds his voice again in Anansi Boys. We have the general idea of American Gods crossed with the humor of Good Omens in Gaiman's own undiluted voice.

Gaiman is a storyteller, and often a teller of old tales that aren't always his and that is where he excels. In plundering the lore of Anansi he has found the inspiration and impetus for a wholly enjoyable read that is not only humorous, but also touching and suspenseful as well.

If I had a complaint, it would be that it is a rather lightweight book. There are some issues of dysfunctional family relationships touched on, both with Spider/Fat Charlie and with their fiancee and her mother, but all done in a most humorous almost shallow way. That's ok though, because it is a very fine entertaining book on it's own. A pure story to while away a few hours and take you somewhere else. Which is what Gaiman does best, tell stories.

It's been a while since I read this book but it was either this one or American Gods that got me interested in Gaiman. He uses Norse mythology, moved to America and superimposed over Native American mythology to form the foundation for a more modern thriller/mystery. It's very difficult to classify the writing. If you like something completely out of normal, and more than just a bit weird, this will do it. I very much enjoyed the book. Protect Your Nuts

As a fan of Neil Gaiman's work, I was mildly disappointed with Anansi Boys. It's wry, sly, and well written, but I expect those things from Gaiman. In my opinion, it feels too much like his other novels, and that sameness keeps me from fully endorsing it. Again, the protagonist is an Everyman, a good guy who is not enjoying life as much as he should be. At first he's adamant against participating in the story (so he's swept up by events), then he reluctantly goes with the flow, and finally he makes decisions and actively participates. I wish Gaiman would forgo this formula and present something different. There's also a vagueness that I don't embrace. It's often a challenge to decipher what's actually going on, and the main source of the problem is that Gaiman's stories tend to unfold in a dreamscape, as opposed to in reality. The Everyman is transported to an alternate, fantasy world, and while there are repercussions in reality, the story never seems grounded in reality (to me at least). I suppose my disappointment can be traced to my preference of stark, edgy stories. I like it when the characters are genuinely in danger, which Gaiman's characters never seem to experience, in my impression.

The audio book with Mr Lenny voice made this book really come to life and perfect. It made me remember why I think Neil Gaiman is one of my top favorite authors. And that list is indeed short for the most part.

Living under the shadow of Sandman and American Gods, Gaiman has difficulty impressing me with other works because those two are so utterly superb.

Anansi Boys is an unfortunate example of just such a case.

It tells the story of Fat Charlie, the son of the trickster god Anansi. Early on in the story his father dies, and Fat Charlie finds himself more relieved than anything. Fat Charlie's life continues on with the dull routine most of us suffer, until his long-lost brother appears at his doorstep. From that moment on, Fat Charlie's fiancée, job, sanity, and freedom are put in jeopardy.

Anansi Boys begins rather slowly and takes its time establishing the main characters' traits--perhaps too much time. However, once the book gets rolling about three-quarters of the way through, it moves very quickly and becomes a bit of a nail-biter.

I wouldn't consider Anansi Boys one of Gaiman's must-reads, but it also isn't something I'd say you should avoid.

~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant

If you liked American Gods then you'll be happy to find the basic concept of gods walking the earth and rubbing elbows with humans revisited here but with less menace (for Neil Gaiman) and slightly better character development than we saw in American Gods.

If anything this books suffers from a slightly twee convention of Gaiman-storytelling where we break from the action to have The Way The World Works explained to us. I'm a fan of Gaiman's work and I've been watching this particular stylistic indulgence for some time. I'm afraid it's beginning to wear a bit thin. He is capable of brilliant story-telling but has a mildly annoying penchant for whimsy. The ending grated on me slightly but you'll have to read yourself to find out why. For all Gaiman's darkness and vivid imagination I think he's basically an upbeat sort of guy and I think Hollywood will one day come to adore him as it rightfully should by turning both novels into appalling films that will make me cringe.

In summation: A fun yarn with loads of dense images and ideas. Enjoy.

No need to recap what it is all about or the other things that Neil has managed to crank out these past few years as the others have already done an outstanding job at doing that.

The book takes you out to the edges of a giant spider web and slowly draws you in as the characters run about and find themselves drawn to the center, the heart of the thing if you will.

The characters are very well developed and done so with a minimum amount of words used to do so. The story goes from sad to outrageous to absolutely adorable in less than 400 pages.

Take a step into another world that is not quite like our own where mortals, gods, and other things live, play, and sometimes compete. Just be sure to do it with a song in your heart and rhythm in your step.