Speechify is a free text-to-speech software so you can listen to your favorite books. Click this affiliate link image to download today!

Anansi Boys is written by Neil Gaiman. I have read his book The Graveyard Book and listened to the Audible version of Good Omens. I find his narratives to be hit or miss for me. I really liked The Graveyard Book, but I found Good Omens and Anansi Boys to be lackluster as far as my engagement with the characters and plotlines. They rely heavily on modern interpretations of ancient mythologies, and while that can be engaging for some, I have a hard time taking them seriously, even though they are not meant to be that serious.

Anansi Boys is about a man named Fat Charlie who is reunited with his demi-god brother, whom he didn't know he had, after the funeral of his father, who was some kind of mischievous spider-like God. Anansi Boys tries to marry the modern world, with its secular expectations, with the mystical world of pagan mythology. There is a hidden world beyond the normal physical world that can be accessed through special magical means. In that world, there are animal gods that influence the “real” world.

Fat Charlie's brother's name is Spider, and he is so charming that he makes any woman fall in love immediately, and decides to take over Fat Charlie's life for a while. This upsets Fat Charlie, and he contacts some old family friends who help him get rid of Spider. To do this, he has to make a bargain with a vengeful animal god who wants to get back at their father by hurting Spider. This is a bit too much for what Fat Charlie wants, so he works to save his brother. Also, Fat Charlie's boss is a corrupt bookkeeper named Grahame Coats who tries to frame Fat Charlie for embezzlement and fraud. A lot is going on here, but it is developed methodically so that it is easy enough to follow.

Anansi Boys is an easy-to-read book with unique characters, but getting through it for me was a bit of a chore. It just didn’t give me the kind of thrill that other books have. Neil Gaiman’s writing is top-tier tier but his tone and style are a bit too tame for me. The books of his that I have read are definitely in the young adult category, and they shy away from darker and more mature content, which is fine, but for me, they tend to lack real stakes or excitement. I would recommend Anansi Boys to younger readers who are interested in a fun adventure through a world of mythology placed in a modern setting. I would also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Neil Gaiman’s other titles.

Get your copy using the link below!

https://amzn.to/3WV2OkQ