Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

October 04, 2005 | 10 Comments

I’ve spent a good portion of my leisure hours over the last few days devouring Neil Gaiman’s wonderful novel Anansi Boys.

Set in the same universe of his spectacular novel American Gods, Anansi Boys is the tale of Fat Charlie Nancy and Spider, the sons of the trickster god, and all around smooth fella, Anansi. It’s also about songs, and stories, Tiger, Bird and karaoke.

It’s an easy enough read that moves fairly well, has some great moments of humor and is generally an all around good book I’d recommend to anyone.

It’s less like American Gods and more like a novelization of one of Gaiman’s clever character driven Sandman story arcs. The plot line isn’t “epic” by any means but it’s interesting enough and the wonderful characters carry the story anyway.

As with much of Gaiman’s work I had a few passages really strike me and get me thinking. I’d love to share one with you:

It is a small world. You do not have to line in it particularly long to learn that for yourself. There is a theory that, in the whole world, there are only five hundred real people (the cast, as it were; all the rest of the people in the world, they theory suggests, are extras) and what is more, they all know each other. And it’s true, or true as far as it goes. In reality the world is made of thousands upon thousands of groups of about five hundred people, all of whom spend their lives bumping into each other, trying to avoid each other, and discovering each other in the same unlikely tea shop in Vancouver…

Classic Gaiman. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Filed under: Books

Comments

1. Tony said:

I didn’t even realise this was coming out. Would you suggest picking American Gods back up and re-reading it before starting on this novel?

Posted on October 4, 2005 01:23 PM | #

2. Keith said:

Tony – Yes. But not because you have to, they can be read on their own. American Gods is just a really good read.

Posted on October 4, 2005 01:26 PM | #

3. Adrian B said:

Thanks for the tip Keith. Like Tony, I was unaware of this release. I’ll pick up a copy tomorrow, cheers.

Posted on October 4, 2005 03:41 PM | #

4. Tim Hill said:

Can’t wait for this in stores in Australia, I love Neil Gaiman’s stuff. Also Mirrormask is coming out which was co-written (i believe?) by Gaiman, and directed by umm Dave McKean who did most of the Sandman covers i think.

Posted on October 4, 2005 06:07 PM | #

5. Keith H. said:

Interesting, I wonder if this is loosely based on of an African folktale I once read (actaully a children’s book) .

Posted on October 6, 2005 08:00 AM | #

6. Keith said:

Keith H. – Well, it’s based on the myth. The story itself it quite different.

Posted on October 6, 2005 09:52 AM | #

7. Quixotic said:

Read it recently and loved it. Definitely classic Gaiman, and definitely worth reading. I devoured it and will be reading again soon…plus it has inspired me to dig out my copy of American Gods again (although you don’t need to have read AG or be up to speed on it to enjoy Anansi Boys).

There’s a decent review on Salon.com btw.

Posted on October 11, 2005 11:42 AM | #

8. Ingrid said:

I would like to ask I never read american gods and was curious to see if i’d like it. Can someone please give a quick summary and tell me why they like it so much? Thank you.

Posted on October 20, 2005 02:22 PM | #