Anansi Boys

By: Neil Gaiman

Narrated by: Lenny Henry

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

God is dead. Meet the kids.

When Fat Charlie's dad named something, it stuck. Like calling Fat Charlie "Fat Charlie." Even now, twenty years later, Charlie Nancy can't shake that name, one of the many embarrassing "gifts" his father bestowed, before he dropped dead on a karaoke stage and ruined Fat Charlie's life.

Mr. Nancy left Fat Charlie things. Things like the tall, good-looking stranger who appears on Charlie's doorstep, who appears to be the brother he never knew. A brother as different from Charlie as night is from day, a brother who's going to show Charlie how to lighten up and have a little fun, just like Dear Old Dad. And all of a sudden, life starts getting very interesting for Fat Charlie.

Because, you see, Charlie's dad wasn't just any dad. He was Anansi, a trickster god, the spider-god. Anansi is the spirit of rebellion, able to overturn the social order, create wealth out of thin air, and baffle the devil. Some said he could cheat even Death himself.

Returning to the territory he so brilliantly explored in his masterful New York Times best seller American Gods, the incomparable Neil Gaiman offers up a work of dazzling ingenuity, a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth that is at once startling, terrifying, exhilarating, and fiercely funny, a true wonder of a novel that confirms Stephen King's glowing assessment of the author as "a treasure house of story, and we are lucky to have him."

©2005 Neil Gaiman (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

• Locus Award, 2006
  
• Alex Award, 2006

" "Excellent." (Stephen King)
"It's Gaiman's focus on Charlie and Charlie's attempts to return to normalcy that make the story so winning...along with gleeful, hurtling prose." (Publishers Weekly)

LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK!

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the characters that Gaiman created for this story. I also love the lightness he infused within the story to give even the grimmest moments a humorous twist.

What does Lenny Henry bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I have to be honest that BEFORE I listened to this book I was disappointed to find Neil Gaiman was not reading it himself as he has with many of his books. Neil is not only an amazing author but reads them so well I would prefer to listen to him reading his own stories than anyone else. That was how I felt until I listened to this book. I do not believe Neil could have read this story nearly as well as Lenny has. Lenny created each character within the story beautifully!!! I will be looking for other books read by him now.

Any additional comments?

I have listened to many other Gaiman books but this has become my all time favorite!!! It is whimsical, constantly moving and funny. Listening to the book always left me in a great mood after and I am so sad I finished it so quickly. I might have to listen to this one again.

The whole package!

This book is funny and quirky and amazingly well narrated! Hapless British Charlie, his ultra-suave brother, little old ladies in the Caribbean, and ancient Gods shine with Lenny Henry’s perfect delivery.

The plot summary is enough to give you an idea of where this books starts, but the plot isn’t just about the plot. In many ways, this is an ode to old-fashioned storytelling which makes the wonderful narration even more apropos. If you were to ask for a list of books that were just meant to be listened to in audio form instead of read on paper, this would be one of my top picks.

Anansi Boys is connected to Gaiman’s American Gods, but you don’t need to have read one to read the other. The styles of the two books are dissimilar, Anansi Boys being the light to American Gods dark, and they aren’t direct sequels. This book could be a good place to start if you’ve never tried this author before.

It’s not the story itself that really makes this audio, it’s the whole package. I like Gaiman well enough but am not a die hard fan, but the combination of story, theme, and performance totally send this one over the top!

Highly recommended for fans of fantasy, fiction, or any story fabulously told!

Worthy of an Anansi story

This was my first Gaiman experience. I didn't know if I liked it at first, but he is a masterful story teller and the narrator was superb - really amazing! There was a sense of irony underlying the tale and Gaiman really teased the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling.

Great story, AMAZING performance.

I'm not very good at giving reviews after I finish an audiobook, but The Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman has inspired me to post a response.

WOW.

The story was beautiful; Neil took mythology from a culture that was not his own and he treated it with so much care and love and respect, while still keeping the anachronistic premises of American Gods. I am completely in love with this story.

AND

What I really want to gush about is the performance. Lenny Henry is completely flawless. Every character voice, every nuanced accent, every character personality - it is all perfect. I have listened to a LOT of audio books and I have never been moved by a performance like I was this one. Do yourself a favor and listen to this book. It is incredible.

great book

love it! I listened to this book after listening to American gods, also an excellent book.

Light and Fun

A light story that is fun and entertaining. Narrator is excellent and his voice acting ability added an island charm to the story.

Fun, a wonderful narrator, and A Highly recommended book!

Fun, a wonderful narrator, and A Highly recommended book!
I love Lenny Henry's voice, and Neil provided a fun journey of a story!

Brilliant!

I don't normally write reviews for books but this one was bloody brilliant. Neil Gaiman's use of witticisms and vernacular prose certainly have a unique signature but are reminiscent of the late and great Douglas Adams. moreover, Lenny Henry's narration is quite possibly the best audiobook performance I have ever heard, and I have heard some great ones. I would certainly recommend this fun, clever, and captivating book to anyone who is a fan of fiction.

must listen!

Perfect narration for a fantastic story. A favorite from Neil Gaiman with the best narration I've heard in a long time.

Very enjoyable indeed!

Couldn't stop. Fun story and really well done narration. Hope Spider has another story to tell soon!