Week Eight: Anansi Boys




This week, we were focusing on contemporary urban fantasy. I read Anansi Boys written by Neil Gaiman.

The story is a fantasy story about Charles, who is called "Fat Charlie" usually, got a message before the wedding that his father past away. He is forced to take time off from the talent agency where he works and travel to Florida for his father's funeral. Then, he was told by an old family friend, reveals to him that the late Mr. Nancy was actually an incarnation of the West African spider god, Anansi, hence his name. Afterward, he back to London where met his brother and started the adventure.

It is obvious that the writer blends the myth of Africa and London to create a fantasy urban-related story. Anansi is an Akan folktale character. He often takes the shape of a spider and is considered to be the spirit of all knowledge of stories. He is known as Nancy, Aunt Nancy, and Sis' Nancy. He is a spider, but often acts and appears as a man. In the story, the writer uses Nancy as the protagonist's family name to indicate that he has something related to the spider god, which might be considered as one of the ways that the myth made relevant to the contemporary world.

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