Reviews

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

coolbaud's review

adventurous challenging dark funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

protoman21's review

4.0

I'm not sure I knew what to expect with this, but with Neil Gaiman, do you ever know what to expect? He certainly has his own style and everything is very original. I found it interesting that I didn't exactly root for Fat Charlie at the beginning. I'm not sure if this is by design and that he was portrayed as such a loser, that even the readers weren't supposed to really get behind him, or if it was more of a slow warm up that just took time to build. I did eventually cheer on Charlie and lament with him as Spider swept in and stole his fiancee. Thank goodness Daisy was there to pick up the pieces. I enjoyed the Anansi tales and that connection, but I wasn't a big fan of the mystical stuff that went on with the different old ladies helping him and some of the dream sequences. Rosie and Charlie's relationship was handled very well and even though it wasn't stated outright, we were given hints that all wasn't right in Paradise and so when the breakup happened, we could accept it better, even though Spider's part in it was rather devastating. All and all, I did enjoy the book and always enjoy Gaiman's writing.

moodyblobfish's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mrbear's review

5.0

This was a fantastic book. A lot of it reminded me of Douglas Adams, which is always a good thing, but it also had an interesting plot and pulled off a fantastic style. Perhaps the most impressive thing about this book is that it seamlessly shifts between viewpoints all the time, but all of the characters are interesting enough that I wasn't left disappointed when the focus shifted. Also, it was fast paced and every character's section was relatively short and closely integrated with the others so they all held my attention very well. I pretty much read it in one sitting.

sjgomzi's review against another edition

3.0

The only Gaiman book that just doesn’t work for me. This is my second go at it and it was still a slog to get through. It takes way to long to get going, and too much of the story takes place in the real world, with the characters doing everyday mundane things, and the characters just aren’t interesting enough to sustain it. At times, it also felt like every other sentence started with “Fat Charlie” this or “Fat Charlie” that, and it really started to grate on my nerves. Some positives. I enjoyed the back story on Anansi and all the mythology surrounding him and his stories because that’s always where Gaiman shines. The book really came to life whenever Anansi was in the stage, but unfortunately, that wasn’t a whole lot of the book. Not much else to say. My least favorite Gaiman book, but they can’t all be winners.

sylvilel's review

4.0

Funny and sweet and magical. Less epic than "American Gods", but that's probably also the point. A close-to-home-kind of story, but with the sons of a dead god suddenly discovering the existence of one another, and trying to find their way through - well, several worlds.

It's the kind of rambling, stumbling, utterly fascinating kind of story that will either charm you to pieces, or leave you discovering that you have no heart at all for not liking it.

Just saying.

arno23's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

sarahbeltran's review

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

4.0

the_schaef's review against another edition

5.0

Fun, whimsical and a great pleasure to read. I was laughing out loud several times as some of the scenes were quite comical. I was unsure about the magical component, but it was woven in quite well. I also now fully understand that there are many Anansi stories and the title makes good sense.

carolyn0613's review

5.0

I loved this follow up to American Gods. It takes one of the characters - Mr Nancy - and follows the story of his son. Hilarious, thought provoking, out of this world!