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Anansi Boys
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4 out of 5 stars
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overall an enjoyable listen
- By Briony on 02-03-2017
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Fragile Things
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 69
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5 out of 5 stars
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Norse Mythology
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The great Norse myths are woven into the fabric of our storytelling - from Tolkien, Alan Garner and Rosemary Sutcliff to Game of Thrones and Marvel Comics. They are also an inspiration for Neil Gaiman's own award-bedecked, best-selling fiction. Now he reaches back through time to the original source stories in a thrilling and vivid rendition of the great Norse tales.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Mythology at its best
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American Gods
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4 out of 5 stars
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The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing, and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 553
Under the streets of London there's a world most people could never even dream of: a city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, and pale girls in black velvet. Richard Mayhew is a young businessman who is about to find out more than he bargained for about this other London. A single act of kindness catapults him out of his safe and predictable life and into a world that is at once eerily familiar and yet utterly bizarre.
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overall an enjoyable listen
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
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5 out of 5 stars
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 69
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 66
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5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a fable that reshapes modern fantasy: moving, terrifying and elegiac - as pure as a dream, as delicate as a butterfly's wing, as dangerous as a knife in the dark - from storytelling genius Neil Gaiman. It's about memory and magic and survival, about the power of stories and the darkness inside each of us. It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Magical and imaginative!
- By Isabelle on 31-05-2016
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Stardust
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 183
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 175
In the English countryside at the dawn of the Victorian era, life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall. Tristan Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester, but she is as distant as the star they see fall from the sky one evening. For the prize of Victoria's hand, Tristan vows to retrieve the star for his beloved. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn swain over the town's ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A ripper yarn
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The Graveyard Book
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 906
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 835
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 835
When a baby escapes a murderer intent on killing the entire family, who would have thought it would find safety and security in the local graveyard? Brought up by the resident ghosts, ghouls and spectres, Bod has an eccentric childhood learning about life from the dead. But for Bod there is also the danger of the murderer still looking for him - after all, he is the last remaining member of the family.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic
- By KW on 05-10-2016
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Smoke and Mirrors
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- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 32
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
This definitive collection of Neil Gaiman's short fiction will haunt your imagination and move you to the very depths of your soul. An elderly widow finds the Holy Grail beneath an old fur coat. A stray cat fights and refights a terrible nightly battle to protect his unwary adoptive family from unimaginable evil. A young couple receives a wedding gift that reveals a chilling alternative history of their marriage. These tales and much more await in this extraordinary book, revealing one of our most gifted storytellers at the height of his powers.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Too many darkness here
- By LYNDA CLARISSA on 12-01-2018
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Neil Gaiman's How the Marquis Got His Coat Back
- BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation
- By: Neil Gaiman
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- Length: 1 hr
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
Paterson Joseph stars as the Marquis de Carabas in this brand-new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Neil Gaiman's spin-off short story, set in the magical world of Neverwhere. Returning us to London Below, this enchanting tale continues the story of one of the most colourful characters from Neverwhere - the cool, charming, resourceful Marquis de Carabas, who trades in favours and always has a plan.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good short story. Interesting insight
- By Bex on 25-04-2018
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Good Omens
- The BBC Radio 4 dramatisation
- By: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Mark Heap, Full Cast, Peter Serafinowicz
- Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 173
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 163
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 161
A full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman’s celebrated apocalyptic comic novel, with bonus length episodes and outtakes. According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday in fact. Just after Any Answers on Radio 4….Events have been set in motion to bring about the End of Days. The armies of Good and Evil are gathering and making their way towards the sleepy English village of Lower Tadfield.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Clunky adaptation
- By Margaret on 08-06-2015
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The View from the Cheap Seats
- Selected Nonfiction
- By: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
The View from the Cheap Seats draws together, for the first time ever, myriad nonfiction writing by international phenomenon and Sunday Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman. From Make Good Art, the speech he gave at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia that went viral, to pieces on artists and legends including Terry Pratchett, Lou Reed and Ray Bradbury, the collection offers a glimpse into the head and heart of one of the most acclaimed writers of our time.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I said fantastic
- By Andrew Weekes on 12-04-2017
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Terry Pratchett: BBC Radio Drama Collection
- Seven BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations
- By: Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis, Sheila Hancock, Anton Lesser, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 75
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 72
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 72
Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different.... Collected together for the first time are seven full-cast BBC Radio dramatisations of Terry Pratchett’s novels, with star-studded casts including Martin Jarvis, Sheila Hancock, Anton Lesser, Philip Jackson, Alex Jennings and Mark Heap.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A very enjoyable to listen to books
- By Phoebe D on 16-01-2019
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Interworld
- By: Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves
- Narrated by: Christopher Evan Welch
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
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Story5 out of 5 stars 3
New York Times best seller by award-winning writers Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves.Joey Harker isn't a hero…Joey Harker is the kind of guy who gets lost in his own house. But one day, Joey gets really lost. He walks straight out of his world and into another dimension.This walk between worlds makes Joey prey to armies of magic and science, both determined to harness Joey's power to travel between dimensions.
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Neverwhere
- A BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisation
- By: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Christopher Lee, James McAvoy, Natalie Dormer, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 48 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 191
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 181
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
A BBC Radio six-part adaptation of Neil Gaiman's best-selling novel, starring James McAvoy as Richard and Natalie Dormer as Door. Beneath the streets of London there is another London. A subterranean labyrinth of sewers and abandoned tube stations. A somewhere that is Neverwhere....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing cast.
- By Ben on 13-10-2015
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No Country for Old Men
- By: Cormac McCarthy
- Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 192
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 181
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
Cormac McCarthy, best-selling author of National Book Award winner All the Pretty Horses, delivers his first new novel in seven years. Written in muscular prose, No Country for Old Men is a powerful tale of the West that moves at a blistering pace.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent reading of a superb book.
- By Dog walker on 11-01-2016
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Art Matters
- By: Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 18
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 16
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
A creative call to arms from the mind of Neil Gaiman. Art Matters will inspire its listeners to seize the day in the name of art. Be bold. Be rebellious. Choose art. It matters. Neil Gaiman once said that 'the world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before'. This audiobook is the embodiment of that vision. Drawn together from speeches, poems and creative manifestos, Art Matters explores how reading, imagining and creating can change the world, and will be inspirational to young and old.
Publisher's Summary
A kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth from best-selling storytelling legend Neil Gaiman, best-selling author of American Gods and Norse Mythology. A BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Anansi Boys, featuring an all-star cast lead by Lenny Henry, premiered on Christmas Day 2017.
Fat Charlie Nancy is not actually fat. He was fat once but he is definitely not fat now. No, right now Fat Charlie Nancy is angry, confused and more than a little scared - right now his life is spinning out of control, and it is all his dad's fault.
If his rotter of an estranged father hadn't dropped dead at a karaoke night, Charlie would still be blissfully unaware that his dad was Anansi the spider god. He would have no idea that he has a brother called Spider, who is also a god. And there would be no chance that said brother would be trying to take over his life, flat and fiancée, or, to make matters worse, be doing a much better job of it than him.
Desperate to reclaim his life, Charlie enlists the help of four more-than-slightly eccentric old ladies and their unique brand of voodoo - and between them they unleash a bitter and twisted force to get rid of Spider. But as darkness descends and badness begins is Fat Charlie Nancy going to get his life back in one piece or is he about to enter a whole netherworld of pain?
Critic Reviews
"Lenny Henry...is absolutely the perfect choice to read Anansi Boys....An absolutely top-notch performance, one that makes a terrific book even better." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Mixing farce and fantasy, epic mythology and domestic drama, Gaiman's novel is a clever piece of storytelling and a celebration of the magic of make-believe." ( Independent on Sunday)
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What members say
Average Customer Ratings
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Erin
- Aukland
- 20-09-2016
Brilliant
Some outstanding narration by Lenny Henry, and an incredibly imaginative story, I completely loved it!!
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Melissa
- Melbourne, Australia
- 24-01-2017
went a little weird at the end
Lenny Henry did a great job narrating. the story was easy to get into but I had a few wtf moments towards the end when it went a little too offcourse for me.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Elisabeth May
- 02-10-2016
Exhilarating!
Lenny and Neil and Anansi ... oh, and maybe tiger ... perfect combination.
Thanks and I must get myself a fedora that smells, only slightly and on damp nights, of cigar smoke.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Thomas
- 03-09-2018
Neat little story
Doesn't quite have the same memorable moments as American God's but a good story none the less..
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 14-08-2018
really enjoyed it
In the style and humour of Douglas Adams the story had me laughing through out.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rebecca Tilley
- 14-02-2017
So much fun.
Such a great Gaiman story, and Lenny was an amazing pick for the narrator. His reading really brought the book to life in a whole new way for me.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- deb
- Australia
- 23-03-2019
As GREAT as American Gods!
Neil Gaiman has a crazy imagination and I love going on the ride his books give.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Laura F McVeigh
- 05-03-2019
It makes me want to hear my own song
What's not to love about this? It's absolutel perfection. Easily one of the best audiobooks I've heard.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Graham Buckton
- 18-12-2018
Disappoint
after the strength of American Gods this book is nowhere near as good. more like a soap opera in an unbelievable land
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jude Hayter
- 17-02-2018
Entertaining
I’m a bit biased, I love Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry, but if you liked American Gods you’ll like this.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lesley
- 02-01-2013
Neil Gaiman is awesome as usual
What about Lenny Henry’s performance did you like?
Lenny Henry is an inspired choice to narrate this novel. His vocal expressiveness is simply the best I have heard so far in an audiobook, the characters are clearly differentiated and he always gets the emphasis right. The only (very minor) criticism I have is that some silent gaps between segments are a little longer than they need to be - but that's better than no gaps at all which I have encountered in some other books.
Any additional comments?
I love the way Neil Gaiman mixes mythology with reality. To say any more would be to risk spoilers. I haven't quite finished listening but I'm really looking forward to hearing how it ends. I believe I can predict some of the outcome, but not how it will be achieved.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S.
- 31-05-2012
Lenny Henry brought this book alive for me
What did you love best about Anansi Boys?
I have always loved Neil Gaiman and have read Anansi Boys more than once. However, listening to Lenny Henry tell it brought so many new aspects alive for me. It was a truly delightful experience.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Peter
- 18-04-2012
Great story, great reader.
This was my first audiobook. What a great introduction. One of the best books I have ever read. The naration was fabulous.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Carolyn
- 27-05-2011
Tremendous. Perfect narrator and narration.
I do love Neil Gaiman's books but hadn't yet read this one on paper. After listening to Anansi Boys, I want to experience all his other novels in audio form. For me, Lenny Henry's narration added a whole extra dimension of joy, and slowing down my experience of the book made me realise how wonderful Neil Gaiman's language and observation is.
Lenny Henry is the perfect narrator for this story; his pacing, his rendition of the characters' voices and thoughts, and the way he can bring both the humour and the awkwardness to life, delighted me.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 21-02-2011
Simply Good
It started off a bit like one of those Cringe Books. Awkward moments experienced by our unlikely hero and somehow it turns out OK. Yes, but no. Very difficult to describe but very enjoyable to listen to and it get's better as it goes along.
The story, for me at least, was a bit unusual, taken from the mythology (i assume) of Africa (not Voodoo) and introdyced me to a different type of wolrd of Semi gods and ...the like but again, much different that what we expect from most mythologies.
If you've read it all, it's worth a read and if you want something just a little bit different also great. I will be looking for further books from this Author a bit late.
Also, the Narrator was brillinat!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jacobus
- 24-10-2010
Entertaining absurdity
It is interesting how Neil Gaiman takes the listener in a captivating way to the absurd, and making it believable. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The story starts with a man called Fat Charlie, being called fat, only because his father called him fat. Very much like the neighbour's dog, who won prices in dog shows until his father called the dog Goofy. Gaiman warns the reader that the story isn't an ordinary one. It becomes more and more interesting as Fat Charlie's father's nature is introduced to you. Then Fat Charlie also has to deal with his mischievous long lost brother, Spider. Gaiman interweaves the impossible into a possible setting, making the story unpredictable.
The narrator, Lenny Henry, does an excellent job in interpreting the various characters. I enjoyed his interpretative reading, especially his African-American accent needed to understand the characters.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-12-2018
Khim
Well narrated. Love the voice and great effort in narrating different voices on different characters.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Damion Brown
- 16-05-2017
starts slow but eventually good
performer was excellent with an impressive array of accents. story is a bit off the beaten track , but being West Indian I loved the reference to the anansi universe
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ruth
- 25-09-2016
Fabulous fantasy for a fastidious clientele<br />
excellent narration and an intrlguing ploy that kept me wanting to hear all that remained in
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- N. Campbell
- 15-06-2016
My ABSOLUTE favourite
I have read this book, listened to this book, & lent others this book (hard copy) more times than I can remember.
Lenny Henry's narration is perfect.
Neil Gaiman's story of course is unforgettable. I guarantee you will never look at a spider the same way again. :)
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Joyceline
- 28-02-2007
Anansi brought up to date
This is a wonderful tale of personal conflict, sibling rivalry, the younger generation versus the older, love, cultural roots and more. I lost count of how may stories were included in this one. An enjoyable fantasy which makes great use of the familiar to make sense of the lead character Charlie's life. Lenny Henry read well enough for me not to remember that he was the narrator. (No outlandish laughter!) I was disappointed when I got to the end. I enjoyed the fact that Charlie's real world life ran parallel to his fantasy life. This book make you feel if you turn around quickly you may catch a glimpse of something of another world... It was refreshing to hear an modern take of the anansi story. A great book for leaving the bills, responsibilities and other such matters behind for a few hours
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Ian
- 13-07-2009
Simply Splendid
All Neil Gaiman's stuff is great. This is a funny, clever, book, slightly dark in places, and a total delight. You've no idea what's going to happen next, or where it will end up. But you will be desperate to find out! Lenny Henry reads it beautifully, and brings it fabulously alive.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Sheamus
- 23-12-2012
Good story well told
As with all his other books on Audible, Neil Gaiman doesnt disappoint - the story is filled with dark humour, romance, fantasy and adventure. It is also worth noting Lenny Henry's storytelling abilities - people often forget Lenny's capacity for voices, but it's hard to forget when he puts in a performance like this.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 30-11-2006
A great story, well told
Not being a fan of Lenny Henry, i was somewhat worried when a friend bought me this for my birthday this year, I expected his voice to grate throughout, and ruin a brilliant book by one of my favourite authors. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to find that he does a great job of telling the story, bringing a real sense of life to the characters- there's no denying that his range is limited, but it serves this book well. The reason behind my giving it 4 stars, then- I'd say that Gaiman's previous novel, 'American Gods' is a more compelling story (but I'm not sure if it's available on audiobook- certainly, it isn't from audible) and in terms of capturing the essence of a story perfectly, you can't beat Neil reading his own work- I'm thinking of the audiobook reading of the wonderful coraline, his dark fantasy aimed at children but massively enjoyable for adults nonetheless (unfortunately, audible doesn't stock this great book either). Still, these are minor quibbles, Neil is a master storyteller and I highly recommend all of his work. A more accurate score would be 9/10.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Diane Severson
- 08-02-2008
Enjoyable throughout
Not having known Lenny Henry's work before listening to this book, I had no prejudices. I love Neil Gaiman's writing, his humor, his limitless ideas and full-fledged characters. I've read nearly all of his novels and some short fiction. It's only the Sandman series that I haven't read (yet). At any rate, I was wowed by Henry's performance reading this book. Apparently, he and Gaiman are buddies and he was asked by the author to do this narration. He does a fantastic job of bring each character to life, his accents were spot on (even the American one!), and he imbued the Gods with characteristics from their animal sides which was truly amazing.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Mr
- 02-12-2012
Great read
I bought this book because I enjoyed American Gods so much and, while there are some strong links between the two books (Anansi), they could not be more different.
The story has tonnes of the charm and imagination that you come to expect from a Neil Gaiman story. I found myself caring about the characters (even the antagonists) who are riddled with personality flaws, conflicts and other baggage. The settings are so vividly described that it was hard not to get lost in the settings.
Lenny Henry makes for a surprisingly excellent narrator for this book - his range of accents is incredible and leads to a very immersive experience. He even pulls-off a posh blazer-wearing middle-aged white guy very well.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Craig
- 31-05-2012
Splendid
A simple tale, beautifully told. Lenny Henry's narration is top-notch and the story is accessible and refreshingly unassuming. Can't recommend this one enough.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Beccameriel
- 23-07-2013
Look, it's Gaiman, I love Gaiman.
It's hard for me to write an objective review becuase I love Neil Gaiman and everything he does.
In typical Gaiman fashion this is about stories and storytelling and how we the stories we tell make us who we are. Refreshing to have a non-white protagonist too.
Lenny Henry is perfect to read Anansi Boys. Obviously, he gets all the accents right. Obviously.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Janet
- 24-11-2012
Really good fun.
This is a very silly story and I absolutely loved listening to it; the narrators voice was perfect and added to the silliness. It is so wildly weird!
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Gustav
- 19-08-2012
Neil at his best
Wow! What a book! The main characters are fascinating, lovable and engaging, but so are all the minor characters that you come across in this story, some of which turn out to become quite important indeed.
Big head up on the narrator. This book should be used as a convincing argument why audio books are so great! The narrator, with his thick Caribbean accent, is perfect for the narration.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful