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)

Really grew on me!

This is not my usual genre of choice but I watched the TV version of Good Omens and thoroughly enjoyed it. This was the book I chose to listen to based on reviews. Lenny Henry kept me listening even after my sci-fi / fantasy-loving husband dropped out and I am so glad I stayed. What a delightful story and powerful ending. I loved the characters; the plot was not too fantastic and the narration was perfect. Loved it.

Wonderful

The story is fantastic and the narration is masterful!
I will seek out Lenny Henry's work wherever I can find it.

Enjoyed The Book and the Narration

I didn’t know anything about this book before Whoopi Goldberg mentioned she was working on the movie adaptation of it and that the narrator and book were one of her favs. The beginning of the book had me confused a little (remember I went in knowing absolutely nothing) but I was interested enough to keep listening. Once it got going and I figured out what this was about, I was hooked. The beginning of the last chapter felt a bit rushed but it had to end at some point. I enjoyed this enough to want to purchase the book and read at my leisure. It’s a good listen while on holiday. I’m also curious to see how the movie adaptation turns out.

Lenny Henry

is amazing! I could listen to Lenny read a phone book. They still make those?

Fantastic in every way

The story was wonderful and it really was the performance of the narrator that set it apart. It made the entire story come to life. I will be recommending this to many!

Fun story in the American gods universe.

Loved this story and the characters. The narrator did a fantastic job. If you like American gods you will enjoy this.

Outstanding performances, great story

I thought I had to leave a rating because this audiobook had the best voice actor performances I’ve heard since I listen to audible books.

Great Narration

I love everything written by Neil Gaiman and the narration by Lenny Henry was fantastic.

Cute story

Cute world of magic. I think this might be better suited for kids but I still adored it.

Perfection

A wonderful performance of an amazing book!
I adore Gaimans reading of his work but Henry is the right choice for this one.