4.0 to 4.5 stars. Another superb story by one of my favorite authors. While not a sequel to his superb American Gods, it shares the title character with that book along with some references to his adventures in that story. While those references add to the richness of the tale, there is no necessity of reading American God first (except for the obvious one that it is one of the best books ever).

Anyway, this story center around Charles "Fat Charlie" Nancy, a timid, passive man from London whose life is turned upside down when his very flamboyant father dies. Charlie soon discovers that his father was actually an incarnation of "Anansi" the West African trickster god (whose primary form is that of a spider). Things go from bad to worse when Charlie meets his previously unknown older brother, Spider. Spider proceeds to turn Charlie's previously dull existence upside down through a series of events that I won't spoil here except to say that, in typical Neil Gaiman fashion, they meet a plethora of incredibly unique and intersting characters during the course of the narrative.

Neil Gaiman is an incredible story teller and this book is another great one. Highly Recommended!!

Winner: British Fantasy Award for Best Novel (2006)
Winner: Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2006)
Winner: Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Best Novel (2006)
Winner: SFSite Reader's Poll for SF/Fantasy Novel (2006)

Well, that was completely different.

The start of this was a little rough going for me. I had a hard time not wanting to shake Fat Charlie Nancy. He's the kind of guy that's a doormat for about everyone else in his life, and it's a little disheartening. I'm a buck up and cheerleader type, also a slug the A-holes in the face type, though apparently one look is usually enough for someone to reconsider their commitment to a situation. Something about the I don't care if I don't win as long as you lose attitude that makes people wander off to greener, more naive pastures with less chance of downside liability for them.

Anyway, Charlie gets played. All the time, he seems to live under an ill-fated star. But one, just ONE moment of going all in makes all the difference. Sure it causes all kinds of trauma, destruction, and pain, but it is the turning point. For suddenly, as an agent of his own actions, albeit not necessarily the most well-advised course of action, the world starts to change and Charlie's life with it. Of course, things often have to get worse before they get better--and they do.

The use of magical realism and oral lore surrounding Anansi was fun. Trickster gods are always a bit of a pain in the patootie. You like them, but just not that much and much more when they're busy with someone else.

I enjoyed the second half of the story much more than the first. And I should mention that I'm a degenerate and read this before reading AMERICAN GODS, sue me. I live by my own rules! Which in this case is really wandering the library aisles and spotting it. More 3.5 stars than 3, but definitely not 4 stars.

Love libraries, it's like beachcombing for books.

I enjoyed this book WAY more my second time reading it. The first time I read it I went into it thinking it was a continuation of American Gods and it most definitely is not that so I was a little let down. But this time I knew what I was getting into and I was able to fully appreciate the spectacular story that Anansi Boys actually is! I thought the plot was incredibly interesting and I loved learning more about Anansi and his background. You get little glimpses in American Gods but this was so much more in depth! I also really loved Fat Charlie and Spider, their dynamic was so interesting and the trouble that Spider causes made cringe at times and laugh out loud at others. And after you find out the truth at the end, it kind of blows your mind! I definitely didn't see that coming and it literally made my jaw drop! I thought the ending was quite perfect, it didn't play out how I thought it would but after finishing it, I couldn't imagine a better ending.