Anansi Boys

Hard to imagine a semi-sequel to “American Gods” being a romp.

But that’s what “Anansi Boys” is – a wide-open, fun read compared to the epic, witty though at times grim “American Gods,” both by Neil Gaiman.

In “Anansi Boys,” the Americanized spider god Anansi, or Mr. Nancy, returns from the pages of “American Gods” only to die. 

His son, Fat Charlie, is not leading a charmed life. His fiancee keeps him at arm’s length, he’s treated poorly on the job, he’s easily humiliated and lives in fear. He is an unlikely heir to a trickster god that created the first stories.

At his father’s funeral, Charlie learns he has a brother. All he has to do to contact his brother is tell a spider. 

Spider, by the way, happens to be the brother’s name. And Spider inherited all of his father’s gifts. Spider can cloud people’s minds, shape reality to his will and move about without a care in the world.

The brothers reunite and drink to excess. Fat Charlie is hungover the next day but Spider is unfazed. He takes Charlie’s place at work and meets Charlie’s fiancee, whom she believes is Charlie but comes to love Spider far more than Charlie. Spider’s decision to pretend to be Charlie sets into motion the rest of the book.

“Anansi Boys” came out several years ago and is a book worth finding or revisiting. This was a revisit for me. One doesn’t have to read “American Gods” to enjoy “Anansi Boys.” It stands on its own and it is a treasure of a summer read.

Given the ongoing comics and television adaptations of “American Gods,” it will be interesting to see if either of the “AG” incorporates “AB” into their storylines.