Mythopoeic Fantasy Award 2006, Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel 2006, British Fantasy Award 2006.

Fat Charlie Nancy is not actually fat. He was fat once but he is definitely not fat now. No, right now Fat Charlie Nancy is angry, confused and more than a little scared – right now his life is spinning out of control, and it is all his dad’s fault.

If his rotter of an estranged father hadn’t dropped dead at a karaoke night, Charlie would still be blissfully unaware that his dad was Anansi the spider god. He would have no idea that he has a brother called Spider, who is also a god. And there would be no chance that said brother would be trying to take over his life, flat and fiancée, or, to make matters worse, be doing a much better job of it than him.

Desperate to reclaim his life, Charlie enlists the help of four more-than-slightly eccentric old ladies and their unique brand of voodoo – and between them they unleash a bitter and twisted force to get rid of Spider. But as darkness descends and badness begins is Fat Charlie Nancy going to get his life back in one piece or is he about to enter a whole netherworld of pain?

Published
2005
Where to find this book
External links open a book search at the selected retailer. Availability may vary.
American Gods

The series

Full series details →
Risingshadow

Rating distribution

How reader ratings are distributed across the 1–10 scale.

1013
91
847
711
631
51
45
30
21
10
Risingshadow

What did you think of this book?

Share your experience with other Risingshadow readers.

Risingshadow

Reader reviews

2 reviews

What Risingshadow readers think about this book

8/10

With "Anansi Boys", Neil Gaiman has produced a really great piece of literature. It's a combined "Ghost-Voodoo-Comedy-Family"-epic with lovingly portrayed characters. Neil Gaiman conveys the impression to the reader that it took much pleasure to him in writing this novel and narrating stories about: two young men who are sons of a god, old ladies of the neighbourhood (who one could call "witches"), a potential serial killer and - apparently - normal people.
It's real fun to dive into that story: I've enjoyed it completely.

6/10

Anansi Boys was a interesting suprise. It was more like magical realism than traditional high fantasy. Starting from reality the story deepens with elements of unreal. It's like suddenly noticing normal things that were not so normal after all. And how separate old African stories become essential part of the story.

To improve the quality of reading, please do not read the back cover. It tells too much about the story.

Risingshadow

Readers Also Enjoyed