I admit it, I am a Neil Gaiman fanboy. So, when I tell you that this is one of the best works Neil has ever written, please believe me. This is Gaiman’s second novel and the growth from American Gods, which takes place in the same universe as Anansi Boys, is remarkable.
Anansi begins, as so many tales do, with the tragic death of a main character on stage, performing karaoke, and accidentally exposing the breasts of a young woman as he tumbles off the stage. Despite this tired old beginning, Neil does manage to take the story in innovative directions.
What is Anansi Boys about? It touches on a lot of subjects: family, love, relationships, but mostly the power of stories to help shape the world. Fat Charlie, the main character in this tale, is Anansi’s son and, after his father’s untimely passing, discovers he has a brother. Hi search to find his brother, then ultimately rid himself of his brother, and finally to save his brother, is the engine that drives this novel.
In many ways it is difficult to classify what genre it belongs to. The story veers from fantasy to suspense, to horror to comedy (and there were a couple of scenes with Charlie and the mother of fiancée that literally caused me to tightly cover my mouth when I was reading it, lest everyone on the plane hear me laughing hysterically). Oh, and it has a lime in a major supporting role, cannot forget about the lime.
If you are familiar with the works of Neil Gaiman, you will find several familiar themes in this book such as the importance of telling stories to each other, how interconnected we all truly are, and how belief can help you through even the darkest times. Each of those threads are woven beautifully throughout the story.
As much as I loved American Gods, and I did, I think this is superior tale because you really come to know and understand both Charlie and his brother, Spider, over the course of the work which I never did with Shadow, the main character in American Gods.
Would I recommend this book? Without question, it is an amazing read. I did purchase the latest edition from Folio Press (this is the last time I ever mention this publisher, I promise), and the illustrations throughout the book greatly enhance the story. But no matter what version you buy, if you are looking for a great book to pick up, this would be a top recommendation.