Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Anansi Boys
Book Review: Gaiman is his own worst competition.
Summary: 4 Stars
I think that if Anansi Boys had not been written by Neil Gaiman, I would have been inclined to give it a much higher rating. To be clear-- I enjoyed it; I laughed out loud; I was interested the whole time to see what would happen next as the book continued.
It is unfortunate for me that the book suffered a little bit by comparison to Gaiman's other work. When I compared it to Neverwhere and American Gods, the enjoyment got just a little bit paler. I liked it, but I did not love it. It somehow felt like much more of a toss off than either of those two great books.
This said, I would still recommend the book to Gaiman fans and non-Gaiman fans alike. You should be aware that it is not a sequel to American Gods, just sort of set in the same universe. Even if I do not like it quite as much as is other books, it has a really nice Tim Powers flavor to it which gives it some punch.
Book Review: Get Ready For A VERY Comical And Imaginative Story!
Summary: 5 Stars
What can I say about Neil Gaiman's "Anansi Boys"!?! It's definitely Gaiman's deliberate and very successful attempt to bring comedy to his storytelling gift of rustling up the reader's imagination. Before everything, I have to say the part that made me laugh out loud was the part deep in the story where Daisy was expressing her dread of her job, much like a particular movie character (many of you can relate to this already, can't you?).
The images the 1st chapter brings to mind are nothing short of an adult-like look at a Saturday-morning cartoon! And, that's just setting up the "real story" that the rest of the book tells.
The premise of a family member who comes into the main character's life and just WON'T go back home is a situation with which many people can relate, much to their own chagrins, and that is what happens here. But, this particular family member has a very special talent and he uses it to impose on his brother's life...!
The sub-plots are kept to a minimum, unlike in Gaiman's "Neverwhere" [yet, that is a very good book]!
The interesting thing about "Anansi Boys" is that Gaiman reverently "nods" to the ART of storytelling in the African and African-American traditions; in somewhat the same way as he did in "American Gods", he puts in short stories of that genre at the end of certain chapters, but [thankfully] not as many.
Gaiman also respectfully nods to the ART of song and singing, which is very interesting and, I would imagine, challenging and he arose to the challenge very well: I mean, have you ever read a book where the narrator described a song as it is being sung? Plus, at a few more points throughout the story, especially at the end, Gaiman expresses just how special songs are; that's a really nice touch!
As you read Gaiman's books, you find that the main character, at some point deep in the story, must go through a major rite of passage, that death doesn't necessarily mean "dead and gone" and that YOU WILL get a full-length, real-life history lesson late in the story; perhaps this is Gaiman's means of re-establishing the balance of FACT and REALITY to all the IMAGINATION and FANTASY that he has stirred up in the readers' minds; my favorite `lesson' of his is in "American Gods" (it's about Lookout Mountain). Gaiman also makes it evident that he loves to EAT! In this and in "Neverwhere", he has major scenes that describe the food being eaten at a certain meal, and the tastes, smells and the sounds and how much the characters enjoy their meals!
If you like chuckling while you read, you must read "Anansi Boys"; and then watch out for a 7-legged spider :o ...
Book Review: Go, Gaiman! Go!
Summary: 5 Stars
On impulse, I grabbed a copy of "Anansi Boys" at the grocery store while rolling through the magazine aisle; the cover design was colorful and clever, and I was just drawn to pluck it out. And then, when I saw that it was Gaiman (who I've been thinking about reading for some time) it just seemed like destiny. I felt vaguely ashamed for purchasing a grocery store paperback - pretty certain that I'd be disappointed and simply put the book aside as quickly as I'd bought it. Not so, not so at all!
Gaiman turns out to be everything he's cracked up to be (and, frankly, even better than that), and "Anansi Boys" was about as clever and enjoyable a book as I've come across in years. The wry and informal style of the text gives an effortless feel to the prose - reading it was like riding on greased rails. But don't let that create an impression of shallow writing - to the contrary, I found nothing shallow about the book at all. The plot was complex, but not contrived, and Gaiman moves seamlessly between wit and sensuality and tender asides.
All of the magic and mythology aside, this is a story of brothers, and of sons and fathers - and while not necessarily telling us anything original about such relationships, it affirms them, and affirmation is good and powerful. As I turned the final page (enjoying every word), I was left slightly uneasy - I wanted to go right out and pick up another Gaiman book. But then, could anything compare favorably to what I'd just finished? That's high praise for any novel.
Book Review: God is Dead. Meet the Kids
Summary: 5 Stars
Charlie isn't fat anymore, but when he was a kid he was for awhile and his father called him Fat Charlie and the name stuck to "like chewing gum to the sole of a tennis shoe." His life is an embarrassment and he embarrasses easily. He came to London from Florida when he was a boy, mainly because his mother wanted to get him away from his father. He has a dead end job, working for a slimy boss he hates named Graham Coats. He is engaged to a nice enough girl named Rosie, who won't sleep with him till after they're married and she wants him to invite his father to the wedding. So Charlie calls Florida and learns his father has just died of a heart attack while on stage in a karaoke bar and, if that wasn't embarrassing enough for Charlie, when the old man went out he fell to the floor ripping the top off a blonde bombshell.
After the funeral Charlie visits four little old ladies he knew in his youth. Woman from the Caribbean who just happen to be witches. From them he learns his father was the spider trickster god Anansi (who also plays a part in Gaiman's epic novel American Gods) and that he has a brother named Spider, which was kind of a shock for Charlie, as he'd thought he was an only child. He's told to tell a spider if he ever needs his brother and his brother will come. And sure enough, when he's back in London he saves a spider in his bath and tells it he'd like to see his brother.
And come Spider does, creating havoc in Charlie's life, not only does he get him fired, but he seduces that fiancee who wouldn't sleep with Charlie and before he knows it, Charlie is back in Florida, trying to get Spider out of his life and this is going to require a journey to the Caribbean island of St. Andrew and to the spirit world where if he gets out, he'll never be the same.
I came to this book straight from American Gods and expected more of the same. I didn't get it, but I wasn't disappointed. Gaiman has borrowed a bit of Christopher Moore's cheeky humor/horror style and blended it with a touch of Richard Laymon, a dash of Stephen King, a Pinch of Dean Koontz and come up with something truly original and hard to define. His characters are laid out quickly, his story takes you to who knows where and back again before you know it and all the time you're marveling at the prose of a genius.
Book Review: Good - but not great
Summary: 4 Stars
Having been recently introduced to Neil Gaiman through _American Gods_, I just HAD to read _Anansi Boys_. Perhaps it was because I was so impressed with _American Gods_ and the high bar Gaiman has set for himself as a result, that I was less impressed by _Anansi Boys_.
The first quarter of the book was difficult to get into - I missed the wit and humour of Gaiman, and the plot was slow to develop. However, once the "boys" (from the title - I don't want to spoil the story) get together and the mischief for which Anansi is so well known begins to happen, the magic of Gaiman's storytelling shows through. Were it not for the slow start, the book would certainly warrant five stars; as another reviewer remarked, if the book were written by another author, perhaps I would be more forgiving and award it five. As it is, Gaiman is a victim of his own brilliance in this case, hence the four.
I do recommend the book - the anecdotes and wit that Gaiman is so well-known for is here, as is his unique ability to weave mythology with reality. Still, _Anansi Boys) isn't Gaiman's best work by far.