By: Neil Gaiman
Synopsis
God is dead. Meet the kids.
When Fat Charlie’s dad names something, it stuck. Like calling Fat Charlie “Fat Charlie.” Even now, twenty years later, Charlie Nancy can’t shake that name, one of the many embarrassing “gifts” his father bestowed – before he dropped dead on a karaoke stage and ruined Fat Charlie’s life.
Mr. Nancy left Fat Charlie things. Things like the tall, good-looking stranger who appears on Charlie’s doorstep, who appears to be the brother he never knew. A brother as different from Charlie as night is from day, a brother who’s going to show Charlie how to lighten up and have a little fun…just like Dear Old Dad. And all of a sudden, life starts getting very interesting for Fat Charlie.
Because, you see, Charlie’s dad wasn’t just any dad. He was Anansi, a trickster god, the spider-god. Anansi is the spirit of rebellion, able to overturn the social order, create wealth out of thin air, and baffle the devil. Some said he could cheat even Death himself.
My Thoughts
This was an enjoyable read. Bringing mythology into modern life was interesting, and the author blended the two nicely. This is the second book I’ve read by Neil Gaiman (the first being “Good Omens” with Terry Pratchet, which I love). I liked it ok. I greatly enjoyed his writing style, and the characters were definitely interesting. The story was intriguing enough for me to want to see what happened. I felt really bad for Charlie throughout most of the book, and was happy that things turned around for him. I didn’t really like Spider, though his character was certainly interesting. I can’t honestly say I loved it, but I did like it and it had me chuckling out loud on occasion, which is always nice. So, great writing style with plenty of humor and interesting characters. Give it a read and see what you think.