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)

Delicious listening

TECHNICAL: Music interludes do not add to an audio book, especially when they are much louder than the spoken words. [-1]

NARRATION: Excellent characterization, nice voice quality, great delivery of humor.

AUTHORCRAFT: Picked this book on a fluke, and was rewarded in a big way. I normally listen to books only while commuting, but this one made me keep my player with me and playing every minute I could. I loved the subtle, but profound development of the characters as they grew. Descriptions made me feel apart of this world that I’d never had contact with before. Without spoiling, the demise of one character was so irritating to me (because I was really cheering for that one) that I had to stop listening for a while. This isn’t a genre that I’d look for again, but I’m glad I happened across this one.

Could not stop listening.

Read American Gods and Sandman Graphic Novels, now Anansi Boys. Lenny Henry is one of the best narrators, bring the characters to life. Gaiman always keeps me guessing and suprized. A great book and a great reader!

Meant to be heard

This story works on the page but it sings when heard read aloud. It was clearly designed for oral tradition, and this is the way it should be experienced.

Caught in the web, spinning my own

Niel Gaiman writes wonderous, reality expanding stories. This is another one. With characters both tangible and intangible, wild circumstances that feel familiar and accessible, I leave this read feeling highly imaginative and inspired.

Great!

I enjoyed this even more than American Gods, which was pretty great. The narrator was impeccable with great accents.

anansi boys Neil Gaimen

Great book...love the story..great characters..fat Charlie and spider were awesome..love the animal gods too. Enjoy

Better than American Gods

If it is at all possible, Anasi Boys is even better than American Gods, and was a joy to listen too. The storyline itself is a hoot, add to that the great performances of Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry and you've got one wild ride through the world of Gods!

Easy Listen

I have read this book before many years ago, but i could not remember very much except that I liked it and thought it would be worth a listen. I absolutely love the voice of the person who read this story! I was drawn in immediately and my interest never wavered. Enjoy spending time with Fat Charlie and Spider in the magical and real worlds.

Fantasy (more or less) With Island Lilt

I loved this book, and I'm not especially a fan of this genre. The plot, the characters'
dialect(s) and humor, and even the lilting music indicating a chapter end were delightful. It was a tad difficult to get into at first and it helped to look at the "view book details" button on my "i" device to get what was happening.

Though a bit fanciful, I don't think the witchcraft and other magical events are any more unbelievable than, for example, the anorexic female detective overpowering men twice her size or the computer geek figuring out a password in ten seconds that are routinely a part of many TV series. Maybe that's a stretch, but you get the idea I'll bet.

Glad I found this -- probably a deal of the day, but will result in other purchases I'm thinking.

Excellent!

Really a great listen, not only because of the excellent writing, but a really great narrator. It was a pleasure to listen. I would absolutely recommend this book for some fun listening!