Anansi Boys: A Novel by Neil Gaiman

Gaiman's "Anansi Boys" rests almost entirely on the tension between the protagonist Fat Charlie and his brother, the god-like Spider. Unfortunately, Spider is an all too obvious metaphor for the aspects of Fat Charlie's Self that are secluded in his unconscious, his Jungian Shadow. Gaiman's attempt to dramatize depth psychology via mythology is just too heavy handed to surprise and delight the reader. Gaiman also drops the ball with his villain, who is a caricature and contributes little to the novel's tension. "Anansi Boys" does pick up steam as it goes, and comes to life as the action segues from London to the Carribbean island of St. Andrew's. But as my first exposure to Gaiman's work, "Anansi Boys" did not leave me thirsting for more.