Anansi Boys

I adored Gaiman's Sandman series and I've wanted to read a novel of his for some time, but I kept putting it off. To be honest, while I loved his gothic dreams, I didn't really consider Gaiman to be a (cough) novelist.

I finally picked it up and I was completely unprepared to be so impressed and absolutely charmed by this book and his writing. It reminds me of being an enchanted kiddie and reading Dahl - but of course, with Gaiman's own spin. Obviously, he is heavily influenced in both language and style by Dahl, in particular Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; but his own dark, wonderful humour seeps through - I'm happy to say.

I am enjoying this so much I don't want to put it down. I'm about a chapter or so away from finishing it. Just wanted to know if others had read this and if they loved it as much as I do?

Stripping the whole literary, pretentious thing away, this book is good on its own merits and amazingly, it both appeals to the child in me and to the more intellectual (double cough) picky grown-up I have become.

Neil Gaiman is wonderful.

(/gushing)