Anansi Boys (2005) is the best Neil Gaiman I have read so far. Neverwhere is fantastic, but lacked a masterful cohesion. American Gods is a great story, but I could not connect with the main character. Anansi Boys, a sort of spin-off from American Gods is a tight comedy with a handful of likable characters.

Our hero is Fat Charlie Nancy, who is not really fat. He likes his slow-paced life in London and is looking forward to his wedding to the patient, loving Rosie Noah. Rosie pushes Fat Charlie to invite his estranged father. He relents but finds his father has recently died in Florida. Believing he is his father’s only heir, Fat Charlie travels to Florida where he learns that his father was a god (like, literally a god) and that he has a brother he can summon by simply asking a spider. Any spider.

Fat Charlie’s arc toward confidence parallels the gradual revealing of his family’s special powers. Gaiman has fun with this. Anansi Boys is definitely a comedy. Think Monty Python meets West Indies folklore meets Stephen King.

There is a certain British silliness running through the telling of the story that reminds one of Monty Python. It’s not a childish silliness. In fact, like the Monty Python skits, it bears a remarkable intelligence of humor.

The West Indies folklore provides the supernatural side to the Anansi story. Gaiman deftly balances the dangerously delicate lines between the real world, the world of animal-gods and the world of ghosts. You find yourself chuckling “well, maybe this could all be true. Why not?”

There are a few moments of grisly horror, a reminder that the intersection of jealous gods and bumbling humans can often be stained in blood. Add to that a semi-sadistic, desperate villain, this one human, and you get some great Stephen King moments.

Anansi Boys is a concoction of comedy, folklore and horror that works very well. Gaiman’s earlier attempts, Neverwhere and American Gods, are good appetizers, but Anansi Boys is the full meal. And it is delicious.

Link to Anansi Boys on Powells.com

Link to review of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman on this site (coming soon)

Link to review of American Gods by Neil Gaiman on this site (coming soon)

Link to essay King and Gaiman on this site

Link to reviews of all works related to Neil Gaiman on this site