3.17k reviews for:

Anansi Boys

Neil Gaiman

4.02 AVERAGE

adventurous tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is really a three and a half star review. The beginning of the book captures you with the characters and the storytelling, and was an easy read throughout. It is slowly revealed that Spider is a part of Fat Charlie and the magical realism of the book starts to blur the lines between fiction and reality, playing a game with the reader as to whether what they are reading is literal or fantastical. This is especially unclear in the scene where Maeve Livingstone realizes she cannot make a phone call from Grahame Coats' office, and, from that point on, the melding of fantasy and reality is expected and overt, and therefore less exciting as it is less of a puzzle to figure out. I was expecting a reunion of the personalities of Spider and Charlie at the end, and didn't believe that they would remain two separate personalities but would somehow remedy each other into the best parts of themselves. Overall, a fun book that seemed to have a potential to make a deeper statement or metaphor but didn't quite get there. I have heard that American Gods is a better read, and wouldn't hesitate to pick up another Neil Gaiman book.

it’s rare enough to say it, but I actually think I prefer this one rather than the first of the duology. It was the perfect balance between serious, fun, strange and weird, I both laughed out loud a few times and felt on the brink of tears at others. It was just so very, very good, and I had a nice time overall !
adventurous medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

عندما أقرأ لغايمان, أضحك كثيراً. لربما ليس بصوت عالِ (لكي لا يخالني الجميع مجنونا), لكنني اضحك. غايمان لديه ذلك الأسلوب, السهل الممتنع. قد لا يكون "أبناء أنانسي" أحد أعظم الكتابات الأدبية, لكنه رواية ممتعة مضحكة.

قلت لصديقي أن "غايمان" أشبه بالحكواتيّ, أكثر من كونه روائياً. لديه طريقة معينة مع القصص الفلكلورية (الأساطير الشعبية, إن أردتم), بحيث تكون هناك قصة وسط القصة بدون ان تكون الرواية مملة.

"أبناء أنانسي" تحكي قصة "تشارلي السمين" ووالده "أنانسي" (الذي يظهر في رواية "ألهة أمريكية" بإسم "نانسي"), "تشارلي" يكره والده لأنه يحرجه. يتوفى والد "تشارلي", ثم يكتشف أن له أخاً لم يكن يعلم بوجوده يدعى "عنكبوت", وتبدأ قصة من المغامرات عندما يقتحم "عنكبوت" حياة "تشارلي" ويستولي عليها...

لمن قرأو "ألهة أمريكية", رواية "أبناء أنانسي" ليست تتمة للرواية, بل أقرب لقصة مشتقة من أحد شخصيات "ألهة أمريكية", لكنها لا تشبهها على الاطلاق. لكنها تظل ممتعة, بطريقتها الخاصة.

An excellently crafted story with interesting and likable characters that is spun and wrapped up perfectly. If you've liked anything Gaiman has done before (and honestly, you should) then you should love this one.
adventurous funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

Much better than American Gods.

A true coming of age story; sibling rivalry on an epic scale; a brother is a friend given by Nature; we are not only our brother's keeper -- in countless large and small ways, we are our brother's maker; a sibling may be the keeper of one's identity, the only person with the keys to one's unfettered, more fundamental self... And all that.