Modern fantasy book about Fat Charlie Nancy--who is not fat, but was so named by his now-deceased father. After his father's funeral, Charlie finds out that his father was actually a god, the trickster spider god Anansi. Not only that, Charlie learns he has a brother who is a demi-god. Spider comes into his life a few days later and Charlie begins to kick himself for ever being curious about him. In a few short days, Spider has gotten him in trouble at work, hauled in by the police, and has stolen his fiancee. I loved this book! Gaiman has such a creative spirit and a wicked, wacky sense of humor that comes through all throughout the book. A funny story that disguises real life lessons and deep things to think about in the humor and ridiculous imagery. A-plus!

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Another short and simple fairy tale along the mode of Stardust. I consider Gaiman's best novel to be American Gods and this semi-sequel (really more like a spin-off) shows his ingenuity. But his "fantasy world living along side the real world" is starting to wear a bit. His true talent is in short fiction and of course, his masterpiece, The Sandman. But he does need to expand on his plots. But, if your a fan, you could do a lot worse.

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I love Neil Gaiman's sense of humor. He has a special way of pulling a reader into his stories. This story was well written, perhaps a bit more far fetched than a typical fantasy/paranormal story, but full of humor, off humor, irony and emotional perspective.

This book isn't for everyone, but I recommend it.

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it was good, but like a spin-off of American Gods somehow. I don't think that it was as "deep," thought provoking, or simply as good as some of his other stuff and it was a quick read. Still worth reading though.

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Unique, well written, suspenseful - definitely enjoyed it!

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I got this book shortly after it came out, but I think I waited so long to get around to reading it because I had heard it described as a "companion piece" to 'American Gods' - and that book was, unfortunately, probably my least favorite of Gaiman's works.

Happily (for me), I didn't find the tone of this book to be similar at all. It's a very clever, funny book - with serious ideas thrown into the mix. Stylistically, as well as in its sense of humor, it reminded me more of Terry Pratchett than anything else Gaiman has done [with, of course, the exception of Good Omens ;-) ].

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Ok. This book made me a Neil Gaiman fan! It is spectacular. It was crafty and hilarious. If you get a chance to listen to the audio version by Lenny Henry, I highly recommend it.

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"Anansi Boys" is a brilliantly hilarious story of what happens when your father happens to be the trickster god Anansi, and he dies suddenly, leaving you even more embarrassed than ever, just in time for the brother you never met to come crashing into your life and make it even worse.

"Anansi Boys" is related to Gaiman's earlier novel "American Gods" ... and if you thought Odin was a treat, Anansi is light years funnier.)

In "Anansi Boys," the characters are so engaging and real that I was cracking up at the misfortune and bad luck Fat Charlie had to be the son of Anansi.

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the sequel to American Gods. I love Neil Gaiman, and this book was awesome, but not QUITE as awesome as its predecessor. Still a fun read for fans of the author/genre.

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A very different tale, told in Gaiman fashion. That really is the only downside to this book. Gaiman is very verbose and while it is cute to an extent but after a while, it can get on your nerves. (It got on mine around pg 430 or so.) That being said, if you are a Gaiman fan, I would say that it is one of his best stories, creative, and comical. :-)

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If you love Neil Gaiman, you will love this story. He has a distinct writing style that makes you feel like you're talking to your friend who is hilarious and strange but you love them anyway. Gaiman has the power to write fantasy stories that take place in our modern world but seem plausible. I loved it!

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This book is slow to get started, but once it does, watch out! This was my first foray into Gaiman's fiction and it was so satisfying that I've read several others since.

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awesome awesome book, love Anasi the spider stories!

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Good Book. If you like American Gods, you will like this one as well.

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From Amazon:

Fat Charlie Nancy leads a normal, boring existence in London. However, when he calls the U.S. to invite his estranged father to his wedding, he learns that the man just died. After jetting off to Florida for the funeral, Charlie not only discovers a brother he didn't know he had, but also learns that his father was the West African trickster god, Anansi. Charlie's brother, who possesses his own magical powers, later visits him at home and spins Charlie's life out of control, getting him fired, sleeping with his fiancée, and even getting him arrested for a white-collar crime. Charlie fights back with assistance from other gods, and that's when the real trouble begins. They lead the brothers into adventures that are at times scary or downright hysterical. At first Charlie is overwhelmed by this new world, but he is Anansi's son and shows just as much flair for trickery as his brother. With its quirky, inventive fantasy, this is a real treat for Gaiman's fans. Here, he writes with a fuller sense of character. Focusing on a smaller cast gives him the room to breathe life into these figures. Anansi is also a story about fathers, sons, and brothers and how difficult it can be to get along even when they are so similar. Darkly funny and heartwarming to the end, this book is an addictive read not easily forgotten.

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I enjoyed it because I love mythology, and even my 13 year old son read it and liked it. He was allowed to do a book report on it.

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