Anansi Boys
by Neil Gaiman
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Book Summary Information
Author: Neil GaimanEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-09-26
ISBN: 0060515198
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: HarperTorch
Book Reviews of Anansi Boys
Book Review: "absotively" perfect
Summary: 5 Stars
American Gods had some flaws in it that I seriously didn't like. But this one, the only possible complaint I might make against it is that the initial premise of a half-god who doesn't know he's half-god, thrown into a world which is otherwise our world but for the presence of all the ancient gods anyone's ever believed in, who live and walk among us like regular people, who is suddenly made aware of this state of things. He might have at least created a new cookie cutter for the formula in other words. (Christopher Moore, who wrote on a very similar premise and is the only one who attained even greater awesomeness, made sure to use a different cookie cutter all 3 times between Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue and Bloodsucking Fiends by comparison). But just like "V" vs. "Independence Day" sharing the same beginning, that is where the similarities end. Not that V or Independence Day were nearly as cool as this.
But this is just great. In every way. Except that maybe tiger could have learned to show mercy. But the part of the ending that involved him wouldn't have been possible if he had. I thought the evil boss was kind of built for a different role than the tiger but they kind of ended up filling the same role there. He was the seriously deplorable villain, in other words, undeniably after the way he moralized the most detestable things that he did, so maybe tiger should have been a little softer, since having established one completely deplorable character, it's not necessary to try to construct another completely independently and later on in the story. Just my thought.
But anyway, what few flaws I may find while grasping at straws are in no way worthy of downrating this from the maximum by even one point. This book is great. And I have high standards. I'm a pessimist and I look for the flaws in things much more strongly than their positive attributes. The best part is the ending. Everything perfectly wrapped up, and extremely satisfying in any way. Something certain authors cough cough Michael Crichton Joe Haldeman cough cough (Pardon me! Must be a frog in my throat!) could never accomplish in 65 million years of trying. Enough said.
Add to that, the fact that few times has anyone ever suggested an idea that really makes me think. And the idea it brought up in the middle of it - that the human race changed because the stories became Ananci's instead of Tiger's - that they started using their minds because they started creating tools not as weapons but as ways of avoiding work; that really made me think about it. It could even be true. It's incredibly plausible. If it is, it would mean the legend of Ananci is in no small way responsible for elevating the human race above the level of the other animals, for however brief a duration this status may turn out to be. Of course, it could also just be a deceptively enticing thought invented entirely by Neil Gaiman. In which case, hat's off to you Neil Gaiman, because that's no small accomplishment either; making me think about something as being a very clever and interesting notion.
EVEN SO, it deserves a serious mention that I have a serious bone to pick with the complete doofuses who designed the back cover to this book. I wonder if they're the same doofuses who designed the cover to "The Indian in the Cupboard". Doofuses who obviously didn't read 5 whole pages into the books they designed the covers for. The respective authors should have been contacted for approval, is all I'm saying. You don't have to get very far into the book to realize that Fat Charlie is black. His father's an ancient African god who in his human form is specifically described as very dark. The old-women friends of his family were all old Cajun black ladies. Fat Charlie is described as lightER than Spider, but that doesn't change his ethnic status. So then! What's that adolescent white guy doing on the back cover? Who's he supposed to be? Huh? Ticks me off it does.
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