View Full Version : American Gods/Anansi Boys
StorminNorman
01-11-2009, 06:26 PM
Anyone else love these two books?
Dr. Watson
01-11-2009, 06:42 PM
I read Anasi Boys over the summer and adored it. Haven't had a chance to pick up American Boys yet. Is it at all connected to Anasi? Either way, it's by Gaiman so it should be awesome.
MaskedManJRK
01-11-2009, 07:01 PM
I read Anasi Boys over the summer and adored it. Haven't had a chance to pick up American Boys yet. Is it at all connected to Anasi? Either way, it's by Gaiman so it should be awesome.
Anasi is in American Gods (though I think he's in a different, human form), so Anasi's kind-of a not-so-direct sequel.
American Gods is an amazing book, epic, funny, scary and everything in between with a lot of mythology thrown in
Anansi Boys is a compendium on unresolved daddy issues, so it's really funny
there are some, small connections between the two books, the most notable, that both movies share a couple of characters, and both appear to take place on the same universe, which sometimes I think is the same universe all Gaiman stories are set, but the links end there
if you want to read a sequel of sorts for American Gods, read the novella "The Monarch Of The Glen", it's included in the "Fragile Things" anthology, it answers some questions left open from the novel
TwilightPro101
01-12-2009, 05:39 PM
Absolutely thought American Gods was amazing!
Dr. Watson
01-12-2009, 05:58 PM
American Gods is an amazing book, epic, funny, scary and everything in between with a lot of mythology thrown in
Anansi Boys is a compendium on unresolved daddy issues, so it's really funny
there are some, small connections between the two books, the most notable, that both movies share a couple of characters, and both appear to take place on the same universe, which sometimes I think is the same universe all Gaiman stories are set, but the links end there
if you want to read a sequel of sorts for American Gods, read the novella "The Monarch Of The Glen", it's included in the "Fragile Things" anthology, it answers some questions left open from the novel
There was a movie adaptation of both books?! Are they any good?
There was a movie adaptation of both books?! Are they any good?
should have said "books", sorry
TwilightPro101
01-12-2009, 06:06 PM
Here's something mentioned on Wiki:
Movie Adaptation
It was rumored that there was going to be a movie adaptation of Anansi Boys (from the radio play) for film, however the US casting agencies wanted to use white people in the roles of Fat Charlie, Spider, Anansi etc... instead of black people, and Gaiman would have none of that
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansi_Boys
I'm about to start American Gods now actually. I bought it in May to read on a trip but ended up letting my Dad borrow it. He never returned it and I just got a second copy for Christmas from my Brother. This time I'll read it for sure.
Both are amazing. I preferred American Gods as I seriously could not pry myself away from that book. Anansi Boys was a more relaxed read but still very compelling.
Other good Gaimen titles to look into are 'Neverwhere', 'The Dream Eaters' and the collections of short stories 'fragile things' and 'smoke and mirrors'. (I liked smoke and mirrors best)
When I have enough money I'm going to pick up some more as they all sound good to me. Gaimen is one of the few authors whose work I consistently enjoy.
Dr. Watson
01-12-2009, 08:41 PM
^Good Omens, which is by him and Terry Pratchett is one of my all time favourite books.
Ring Deacon
01-15-2009, 08:24 AM
^Good Omens, which is by him and Terry Pratchett is one of my all time favourite books.
I love that one as well. I always wanted to see it made into a movie. Neverwhere is also a great read.
I love that one as well. I always wanted to see it made into a movie. Neverwhere is also a great read.
They made a tv series of it on the BBC but I've never seen it. You can buy it on DVD I think. I have the comic book version which is awesome, I don't think the series was quite as colourful or wierd.
Ring Deacon
01-15-2009, 08:54 AM
They made a tv series of it on the BBC but I've never seen it. You can buy it on DVD I think. I have the comic book version which is awesome, I don't think the series was quite as colourful or wierd.
I remember hearing about a Neverwhere series, but I too haven't seen it.
StorminNorman
01-15-2009, 10:47 AM
Personally I prefer Anansi Boy's to American Gods. Both are absolutely fantastic, but Anansi seemed to have a more..."British" style to it, especially the humor, which I loved.
I remember hearing about a Neverwhere series, but I too haven't seen it.
it's quirky, very low budget, very british
Ugfugly
01-15-2009, 03:54 PM
I love both books. American Gods I did not like at first but upon second reading I appreciated it more.
I can really see American Gods as an HBO mini.
Anansi Boys I loved from the get go.
I've even started donning a fedora in honor of Fat Charlie.
Funny thing, I started out feeling awkward with it but as time moved on grew more comfortable and people had been commenting how good it looks.
Ugfugly
01-15-2009, 03:56 PM
it's quirky, very low budget, very british
They made a tv series of it on the BBC but I've never seen it. You can buy it on DVD I think. I have the comic book version which is awesome, I don't think the series was quite as colourful or wierd.
Hate to nitpick, but Neverwhere started out as the TV mini series for the BBC (which let's admit was really not that good). There was alot of things Gaiman didn't like about the tv series so he wrote the book.
The book was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better.
Hate to nitpick, but Neverwhere started out as the TV mini series for the BBC (which let's admit was really not that good). There was alot of things Gaiman didn't like about the tv series so he wrote the book.
The book was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better.
The Marquis de Carabas crucified scene is much more stunning in the novel indeed
but the tv series looks amateurishly cute, to me, it seems like the choice of cameras used didn't help
Ugfugly
07-22-2009, 09:13 PM
I just re-read Anansi Boys and it's better the 2nd time round. I actually laughed out loud a few times while reading it at work.
Reading American Gods again, still waiting on another Gaiman novel
adhokk7
07-23-2009, 06:49 AM
I'm a huge fan of (most of) Gaiman's comic work, but I found American Gods to be majorly disappointing. For me, there were too many attempts at humor which came off as smug and shallow, and the plot, while a good concept, was poorly executed. I have high hopes for his shorter fiction, but I would be very reluctant to recommend American Gods to anyone.
I'm a huge fan of (most of) Gaiman's comic work, but I found American Gods to be majorly disappointing. For me, there were too many attempts at humor which came off as smug and shallow, and the plot, while a good concept, was poorly executed. I have high hopes for his shorter fiction, but I would be very reluctant to recommend American Gods to anyone.
it can be a very bothersome book, indeed, but
Addendum
07-23-2009, 02:04 PM
I just haven't gotten into Anansi Boys. I've tried a couple times but it doesn't have the same "dude I have to read this" that the other books of Gaiman's I've read have had on me
BlackLantern
07-24-2009, 02:23 PM
loved American Gods....havent gotten to Anansi Boys yet
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