Book Review: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

A highly diverse author, Hugo award-winner Neil Gaiman has written everything from movie screenplays to children's books to heavy, ponderous novels of epic proportions. Anansi Boys does not belong in the latter category; it is an enjoyable, easy-to-read book with an adventurous romp of a story and parts that are laugh-out-loud funny.

I picked up this book, having heard that it was written in a similar vein and universe as American Gods, the book which won Gaiman the Hugo. It is, but the book is of a very different tone, more light-hearted and similar in style to another of his books, Good Omens (co-written with Terry Pratchett).

The book follows the tale of Fat Charlie Nancy, a rather mild-mannered and ordinary man who has long lived in the shadow of his highly eccentric father. Once his father passes away, Charlie discovers that he has a long-lost twin brother who is about to cause him far more grief than his father ever did.

As usual, Gaiman writes in the fantasy genre and explores the melding of the world of magical things with the world as we know it. As he did in American Gods, the author explores the lives of gods and other and mythological figures as they make their way through the modern world. This is the story of two twin brothers, long separated, who are the sons of none other than Anansi, the trickster spider god of African legend.

The story is always interesting and often poignant. Gaiman's prose is at his usual high standards, ranging from clever and quirky to deeply eloquent. His characters shine with immediate personality, but show themselves to be multi-dimensional as the story goes on. Occasional predictable elements are not a problem in this reader's opinion, and the high-stakes climax far exceeded my expectations.

If you're a Neil Gaiman fan, this book is for you. If you're a fan of mythology, science fiction, or just a good story, don't miss Anasi Boys.