Anansi Boys - Book Review

Anansi Boys
By Neil Gaiman
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-051519-5
ISBN-10:0-06-051519-8
4 stars

Fat Charlie, as Charles Nancy is commonly known much to his own chagrin, is surprised to find out that his father has died.  Having never been close to his father, he is not really upset by the news but decides, with a little pushing from his fiancée, to go to the funeral in Florida and say his goodbyes.  It is at the funeral that he is told a disturbing family secret; he has a brother he never knew about.  And, oh yeah, his dad was a actually a god.

Not one for family sentimentality, and certainly not for magic and fairy tales, Fat Charlie ignores most of the stories he is told by old family friends after the funeral.  Back home in England, he experiences a moment of family curiosity, and for little laugh, he whispers to a spider that he would like to see his brother.  His brother, Spider, shows up and promptly begins to ruin his life by stealing his fiancée and getting him arrested.  With little help forth coming and no idea how to get rid of his brother, Fat Charlie decides to ask a few questions of his old family friends who helped to reunite him with Spider.  With a bit of help from magic, wine, and kitchen grade herbs, he is sent to the beginning of the world to ask for help.

It is at the beginning of the world where Fat Charlie meets several gods, learns a few interesting facts about his father, and eventually strikes a bargain to get rid of his brother.  Unknowingly, he sets in motion a calamity of events so funny and unbelievable that only the son of a god would understand and find a way to solve his self-created problems.  Somewhere along the way he also make time to start a new life for himself, marry the love of his life, and raise a son.

Gaiman has a way of taking the obvious and making it very amusing by pointing out the minor details and inconsistencies that mere mortals like to impose on reality.  His humor shines through making the reader laugh out loud at certain passages.  His characters are so very likable that even when the reader knows they should not fall for their antics, they do anyway and enjoy the ride.

Readers will find themselves easily drawn into Anansi Boys and with good reason.  Gaiman, who is one of the best fantasy writers working today, is able to pull everyone in with his ability to make even a story about a boy and his father, who just happens to be a god, very realistic and also fantastic.