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Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman

Description: ISBN 0755305078 / Author: Neil Gaiman / Genre: Fiction / Fat Charlie Nancy is not actually fat. He was fat once but he is definitely not ... more

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman ... fat now. No, right now Fat Charlie Nancy is angry, confused and more than a little scared - right now his life is spinning out of control, and it is all his dad's fault. If his rotter of an estranged father hadn't dropped dead at a karaoke night, Charlie would still be blissfully unaware that his dad was Anansi, the spider god. He would have no idea that he has a brother called Spider, who is also a god. And there would be no chance that said brother would be trying to take over his life, flat and fiancee, or, to make matters worse, be doing a much better job of it than him. Desperate to reclaim his life, Charlie enlists the help of four more-than-slightly eccentric old ladies and their unique brand of voodoo - and between them they unleash a bitter and twisted force to get rid of Spider. But as darkness descends and badness begins, is Fat Charlie Nancy going to get his life back in one piece or is he about to enter a whole netherworld of pain?

Newest Review: ... The contrast between his apathetic approach to life and that of his exuberant brother, Spider, is fascinating. Anyone who has ... more

... competed for affection with a sibling will empathise with Charlie's plight and, despite the often fantastical settings, will recognise the power struggle that occurs between them. Gaiman writes with great style and is able to create imaginative, vivid and believable landscapes on which to base this tale of sibling rivalry. Unfortunately, his plotting and narrative lacks cohesion. This makes Anansi Boys a disjointed read that I sometimes found myself struggling to follow. Parts of this book are an exercise in per...more

Read Reviews for Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman: My brothers a God. He was always Dad's favourite. (503 words)
by - written on 13/11/06 (Very useful, 195 readings)
Rating:

Fat Charlie's father has died. Charlie does not consider this a huge loss as they did not see eye to eye . However, his death sparks a revelation - Charlie has a brother who also happens to be a Demi-God. Unfortunately, his brother seems hell bent on stealing Charlie's fiancée, his life and his home. How can Charlie stop a God? Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys is a jaunty outing with just the faintest tinge of horror about it. Gaiman's writing is fundamentally dark in its nature and he seems to love to take the "average Joe" and make horrendous things happen to him. Gaiman excels at creating pathetic but likeable heroes and Fat Charlie certainly fits the ... Read the complete review

Boys Will Be Boys (908 words)
by - written on 19/10/06 (Very useful, 130 readings)
Rating:

I thoroughly enjoyed Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods”; a semi-epic tale of what could happen if the old gods; those of folklore and religion were to meet in one huge battle for supremacy against the new gods; those of TV and computer games. Although perhaps not his best work – “Neverwhere” still counts as my favourite Gaiman – it was a decent enough read based around a highly interesting premise. One of the old gods featured in that novel was Anansi, the spider god. He was a trickster with seemingly a million stories and as many practical jokes. He was very much the comic relief in quite a serious tale, so when I realise that Gaiman’s latest was to called ... Read the complete review