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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Fat Charlie is leading a humdrum life in London and that's just fine by him. Then his flamboyant father passes away at a distant Florida karaoke bar and Fat Charlie discovers a brother he never knew he had when he returns to the U.S. bury his father. But Spider is no ordinary brother and he turns Fat Charlie's life upside-down before they must work together to try and free themselves from a world of trouble. Up until reading this book, I had only read Gaiman's books for younger audiences (Coraline, The Graveyard Book). Fat Charlie's world in Anansi Boys is modern-day (somewhat unlike the other two), and a bit dark (quite like the other two). Whispering around the edges of the "real world" are hints of another realm populated by man-like animal gods. I found this novel to be a bit tougher to dig into at the beginning, but eventually fell into its rhythm and quite enjoyed it by the end. I'm looking forward to reading more of Gaiman's other novels throughout the year. (  ) missylc | Jan 27, 2010 |  Neil Gaiman is a talented storyteller. I listened to this book on CDs read by Lenny Henry and what a delight it was! Mr. Henry brought Gaiman's characters to life and gave them a dimension that added so much to the story. The language is very poetic with a gentle sing songy nature to it, lulling a person into the world at hand. Mr. Henry's voice enriched the writing, the story and my enjoyment--the intonations, the charming accents, it was like listening and seeing a play in my head. I recommend this tale of Fat Charlie Nancy, his brother spider and their father, The Spider God Anansi. Lots of humor woven throughout the twists and turns that kept me actively engaged in the lives of these characters. If you have a choice, I'd listen to the CDs. Wonderful. (  ) DanaJean | Jan 10, 2010 | I find this world of Gaiman's to be perfectly believable. A seamless blend of reality and fantasy, difficult not to believe; he must have written it with very strong conviction. One of my favorite things about the way Gaiman writes, is the way he builds his characters. In the beginning, you aren't really sure you even like them, but by the end there is such a force of personality, and he has brought you so deeply into their world that you care deeply about what happens. I love the telling of this story, it seems faithful to the telling of the Anansi stories. There were times when I laughed and times when I cringed. All in all, a very satisfying tale which I wouldn't mind reading again. (  )1  MrsLee | Jan 8, 2010 | A little haphazard to follow, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed the book. ( ) jaynedArcy | Dec 29, 2009 | A good read with lots of twists and turns. toddphillips77 | Dec 3, 2009 | 
 Gaiman kutoo tapansa mukaan sujuvan ja houkuttelevan kertomuksen, joka ammentaa tarinoiden ja myyttien maailmasta. Sujuvan lukukokemuksen viimeistelee onnistunut suomennos. Gaimaniin mieltyneille Hämähäkkijumala on puolipakollinen kirjahyllyn täyte ja kevytfantasiaa hakeville ihan yhtä hyvä tutustumiskirja kuin mikä tahansa varhaisempi romaani. Vaikka kirjan juoni ei juuri yllätäkään, Gaiman esittelee tarinankertojan lahjaansa: kykyä tehdä mahdottomasta todenmakuista.  And Charlie, who has become a successful singer and fathered a son, has come to terms with the powers and responsibilities of ''a boy who was half a god," having learned what Gaiman knows better, and communicates more forcefully, than any other contemporary writer: Stories and poems, songs and myths, represent us, sustain and complete us, and survive us, while also ensuring that all that's best in us survives with them. The focus on Anansi and tricksters, I think, goes a long way towards explaining the tone of this novel. It really feels more like some of the established "funny" sci-fi/fantasy authors (like Gaiman's Good Omens co-author Terry Pratchett) than "classic" Neil.  The problem in "Anansi Boys" is the type of fantasy Gaiman has chosen. The tales of Anansi outwitting his foes leave you feeling you've eaten something heavy and sugary. There's an Uncle Remus folksiness to the stories that sends the airy blitheness of the farce plummeting down to earth. There is also, I regret to say, the warm hand of instruction lying uneasily on this tale. Charlie works through his ineffectualness and his family issues to find happiness, contentment and - ugh - acceptance. It leaves you with the uncomfortable feeling that for Gaiman, farce by itself would simply have been too frivolous, that he feels the need to impart a lesson. Anansi Boys contains a couple of traditional-style Anansi fables, and the book itself takes a similar ambling but wry, pointed tone; like any good Anansi story, it's about cleverness, appetite, and comeuppance, and it's funny in a smart, inclusive way. And like any good Gaiman book, it's about the places where the normal world and a fantastic one intersect, and all the insightful things they have to say about each other.
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| Book description |
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Fat Charlie Nancy's normal life ended the moment his father dropped dead on a Florida karaoke stage. Charlie didn't know his dad was a god. And he never knew he had a brother.
Now brother Spider's on his doorstep—about to make Fat Charlie's life more interesting . . . and a lot more dangerous.
(retrieved from Amazon Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:58:40 -0500)
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