Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Anansi Boys
Book Review: Creative and Fun
Summary: 5 Stars
Neil Gaiman has a gift for weaving tales of the fantastic into modern life. This tale of a trickster god and his offspring leads the reader on a journey of discovery and wonder that can be a little scary, often hysterical and always entertaining. It is a quirky and lively tale that will ensnare you from the beginning and while it doesn't clobber you over the head with deeper meaning, like all great myths the meaning is there for you to discover, if you choose to look for it, lying in the middle of a wonderful modern myth that is fun and memorable long after you've turned the last page.Book Review: Delightful and ultimately touching
Summary: 4 Stars
Having found "American Gods" disjointed and too dark, I'd avoided "Anansi Boys" until recently hearing that it is more in the vein of "Neverwhere." Indeed, although the book includes a murder, ghosts, deadly supernatural foes, and the most ominous flocking of birds this side of Hitchcock, it's great fun. The mingling of the macabre and the funny isn't quite up to the level of "Neverwhere," but that deficit is counterbalanced by the themes of family and self-discovery in "Anansi Boys."Book Review: Disturbingly Funny
Summary: 5 Stars
Anansi Boys is one of the funniest and most surprising books I've read in a long time. Gaimen is never disappointing. His story of gods and brothers is scary, strange and hilarious and if you are at all interested in myths, tall tales or folk wisdom as I am, it is simply a must read.Book Review: Excellent Fantasy Adventure
Summary: 4 Stars
Anansi Boys is a very enjoyable novel. It takes a little while to get going, but once it does it is a lot of fun. The book is full of humor, action, and some fantasy elements. Anansi Boys tells the story of Fat Charles Nancy after he discovers that he has a brother named Spider, and his father is Anansi the trickster god. If you are looking for a novel that is different, a lot of fun, and exciting- give Anansi Boys a try.Book Review: Excellent book, even for non-fantasy readers
Summary: 5 Stars
Let's start by saying that I am not a hard-core fantasy fan but Gaiman's Anansi Boys won me over and AB has become one of my favourite books.
Perhaps it succeeds so well because it focuses on the very likeable main characters and engaging plot rather than on the nuances of the fantasy world. The fantasy elements add a level of action and symbolism that deepen the message and its reach. It's a good book that also happens to have fantasy content.
In this way, Anansi Boys differs greatly from American Gods, which I struggled through. (A real Pyrrhic victory, that one.) AG gets caught up with the details of the book's milieu and a heavy, not-terribly-likeable main character.
(Gaiman's short stories seem to follow one or the other track too.)
Even if you are not a fantasy fan, read this book. It's a great ride, very entertaining and humorous, with a little romance, some powerful darker moments, and philosophical food for thought to boot. It may open new fiction worlds for you.