Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

I enjoyed this book very much. Had I not stopped for a lunch break, I probably would have finished it in one sitting. Read Brent's review for a plot summary.

The plot reveals itself gradually throughout the book, with characters and events becoming more and more connected along the way. He hints that stories mimic spiderwebs, which describes his own story well. Is metanarrative the right word? It's all done really cleverly, but it's not disposable in the way that M Night Shyamalan movies are. Not a one-time use. The ending is nothing special. The real entertainment is in how the story is put together. I give it an A.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

The first book I ever read of Neil Gaiman's was Good Omens, the one he cowrote with Terry Pratchett. My feelings pretty much mirrored Nathan's. I'm a big fan of Pratchett, and after reading Anansi Boys, I'm guessing that Good Omens' shortcomings were a case of too many cooks in the word processor, because Anansi tops it in every way.

The protagonist is Fat Charlie, who is not particularly fat. He is leading a relatively normal, boring life, engaged to a girl who doesn't seem to like him much, stuck in a job under a weaselly boss, and basically spending life in as average a way as possible. However, things are about to change.

Charlie's father dies, and, surprise, he learns that he has a brother and that his father was the god Anansi, a sort of Loki for the Indian set. Hijinks ensue.

This book is very funny and well-plotted, and worth reading if you like light fantasy. And this review sucks. It is not recommended to anyone.