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Book Challenge, Book 5 - Anansi Boys
Feb. 1st, 2006 12:38 pmIt probably says something about Neil Gaiman's personality and writing style that he appears to be most comfortable writing characters who are, well, gods. Or the children of gods. Or angels and demons, in the case of the wondrous Good Omens. Or the Endless. I think normal human and near human beings aren't quite complicated enough for Gaiman. It's like he's a Gemini or something. (Hi, Quinn!)
Anansi Boys is a case in point. It's billed, sometimes, as a sequel to American Gods, but it's not, really. It's the story of Fat Charlie and Spider, the children of the trickster god Anansi, separated (literally) by magic in childhood and reunited later by, well, more magic. If this were written by Stephen King, it'd be all dark, morose, with lots of roving about in the depravities of the human soul. Since it's Gaiman, it's all of those things, mixed up with a rather twisted sense of humor.
I enjoyed this one a lot, although not quite as much as Good Omens. For anyone who's ever wondered what it would be like to have a sibling, or what it would be like if your siblings were different, it is a cautionary tale. Definitely an enjoyable read.
Anansi Boys is a case in point. It's billed, sometimes, as a sequel to American Gods, but it's not, really. It's the story of Fat Charlie and Spider, the children of the trickster god Anansi, separated (literally) by magic in childhood and reunited later by, well, more magic. If this were written by Stephen King, it'd be all dark, morose, with lots of roving about in the depravities of the human soul. Since it's Gaiman, it's all of those things, mixed up with a rather twisted sense of humor.
I enjoyed this one a lot, although not quite as much as Good Omens. For anyone who's ever wondered what it would be like to have a sibling, or what it would be like if your siblings were different, it is a cautionary tale. Definitely an enjoyable read.
