Eh-hum # 148

I woke up late today, because I slept early...early the same day I mean (like 2:00 AM). And this time, it was not because of the Internet.

This is to blame:

Bought it yesterday at the Foreign Bookstore in Motomachi. Its one seriously humorous and entertainingly scary novel. And the great thing about it is that the story dwells on the familiar yet complex subject that is family relations. The main character, Fat Charlie, works and lives in London and is engaged to be married. All is normal, until he gets word that his father, whom he hasn't seen in 20 years, died and that he has a brother he never knew. The moment he made "arrangements" to meet his brother, Spider, Fat Charlie's life has never been the same.

But that's not all. Neil Gaiman successfully combines a family story with comedy (funny/sarcastic dialogues, slapstick), romance (meeting the girl/boy of his/her dreams), crime fiction (a financial scam, murder), the supernatural (a ghost out for revenge, the birds) and ancient African mythology (gods in "the beginning of time") in one book. And if you think the presence of a variety of themes makes the novel messy, think again. His witty and matter of fact writing style makes Anansi Boys a very coherent piece of work, and the transition from one scene to the next is as smooth as silk. The characters, may they be mere mortals or divine beings, have depth; they become more interesting as the story progress.

To reiterate, the book is funny, wickedly funny. I find myself laughing out loud while reading it. Its scary also, but not a thriller. The highlight, I think, was the lime. Hmmm, doesn't make sense? Well you have to read it. And believe me, you won't be disappointed. :)

Bookcover from Wikipedia.