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)

Another great one!

So far, I have not been disappointed by a book written by Neil Gaiman. This was another wonderful example. Anansi Boys was steeped in both modern and ancient African mythology. My attention was kept in the loop of comedy and suspense. So fun!

LOVE

I loved this book! Nothing else to say, except that I have to write 15 words. but it was very entertaining.

Another masterpiece by Gaman

Yet another “page turner” by one of the best there is. Gaman captures a magical mythos most of us have probably never heard of and spins a captivating tale of mystery, intrigue, laughter, and romance. Like all his stories the characters come to life in the telling. Mr. Henry does an amazing Job with the narration. Well done!

Good fun

What can I say, I’m a huge Neil Gaiman fan and will read and enjoy anything created by him.

good, but not great

I really enjoyed the originally American Gods, and hoped this would match. the writing and production were just as good on this, but the plot line was not as sprawling and expansive

Loved It!

An incredibly fun story. I actually prefer this book to American Gods, but both are good reads.

Absotively loved it!

A brilliant story with webs that gets you tied up from beginning to the end

Loved the story

I love Neil Gaiman's books. This one lived to my expectations.

The narrater did an awesome job.

I only wish the director or whoever made the decision to place music in the narration. Every time it was jarring when the music broke into the story.

I'd really like to visit St. Andrews

Anansi Boys may be one of the funniest and most enjoyable books that I have ever read. I thoroughly enjoyed the re-imagination of Anansi the Spider.

Lenny Henry did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life and brightening my daily commute.

This book has made Gaiman one of my favorite authors. I have always enjoyed his work but Anansi Boys has opened my eyes to the genius behind Gaiman. I will definitely be cracking open another Gaiman novel in the near future.

Great story...great performance

What did you love best about Anansi Boys?

I like the whole danged thing. It's really well written and engaging. The way it starts out you think, oh god another 'I hate my Father' book...but it grabs you!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Anansi Boys?

Too many to name.

Have you listened to any of Lenny Henry’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I havent' and having heard 'American Gods' with George Guidot I was worried about the narrator...but I've got to say that Lenny was perfect for this book...absolutely perfect!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Sorry...I don't give away log lines.

Any additional comments?

I've read a bunch of Gaiman books and I absolutely put this one and American Gods at the top of my list. Seriously I think I've listened to this one a dozen times...it's that entertaining.