Anansi Boys
Encyclopedia
Anansi Boys is a novel
by Neil Gaiman
, a spin-off
of Gaiman's earlier novel American Gods
. In Anansi Boys we discover that 'Mr. Nancy' (Anansi
) has two sons, and the two sons in turn discover each other. The novel follows their adventures as they explore their common heritage.
Anansi Boys was published on September 20, 2005 and was released in paperback on October 1, 2006. The book debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list, and won both the Locus Award
and the British Fantasy Society
Award in 2006. The audiobook was released in 2005, narrated by Lenny Henry
.
. The flamboyant Mr. Nancy, in whose shadow Fat Charlie has always lived, died in a typically embarrassing manner by suffering a fatal heart attack while singing to a young woman on stage in a karaoke
bar.
Fat Charlie is forced to take time off from the accounting agency where he works and travel to Florida for the funeral.
After the funeral, while discussing the disposal of Mr. Nancy's estate, Mrs. Callyanne Higgler, a very old family friend, reveals to Fat Charlie that the late Mr. Nancy was actually an incarnation of the West African spider
god
, Anansi
, hence his name. The reason Charlie had apparently not inherited any divine powers was because they had been passed down to his hitherto unknown brother, whom she mentions can be contacted by simply asking a spider to invite him. Charlie is skeptical, and on his return to England, largely forgets what Mrs. Higgler had told him, until one night when he drunkenly whispers to a spider that it would be nice if his brother stopped by for a visit.
The next morning, the suave and well-dressed brother, going under the name of "Spider", visits Charlie, and is shocked to learn that their father had died. Immediately Spider steps through a picture to their childhood home. Charlie goes off to work, rather puzzled by Spider and his sudden disappearance.
Spider returns that night, stricken with grief that Anansi had died and that he (Spider) had been thoughtless enough not to notice. The two, to drown their sorrows, become uproariously drunk (at Spider's recommendation) on the proverbial trio of wine, women, and song. Although Charlie is not involved in most of the womanizing or singing, he is drunk enough to sleep through much of the next day. Spider covers for Charlie's absence from his office at the Grahame Coats Agency by magically disguising himself as Charlie. In the process, Spider discovers Grahame Coats's long-standing practice of embezzling
from his clients. Spider also steals the affection and virginity of Charlie's fiancée, Rosie Noah.
Spider, in the guise of Charlie, reveals his knowledge of the financial improprieties to Grahame Coats during a meeting which Grahame calls in order to fire Charlie. As a result, Grahame delays firing Charlie. When Grahame seeks him next, Charlie receives a large cheque and a holiday from work. With Charlie out of the office, Grahame Coats proceeds to alter the financial records to frame Charlie for the embezzlement. Embittered by the loss of his fiancée, Charlie uses his vacation to return to Florida, and requests help from Callyanne Higgler and three of her equally old, eccentric friends to expel Spider. Being themselves powerless in this matter, they instead send him to "the beginning of the world", an abode of ancient gods similar to his father, of whom each represents a species of animal. There, he encounters the fearsome Tiger, the outrageous Hyena, and the ridiculous Monkey, among others. None are willing to trade anything with him until he meets Bird Woman, who agrees to trade Charlie her help, symbolized by one of her feathers, in exchange for "Anansi's bloodline for my own".
In London, a swindled client, Maeve Livingstone, confronts Grahame Coats directly, having learned of the embezzlement of her late husband's royalties. Grahame Coats agrees to make full restitution and more, suggesting that taking him to court could fail to achieve her purpose. While she is distracted by his offer, he kills her with a hammer and conceals her body in a hidden closet.
Charlie has returned to England
, whereupon spontaneous events begin happening in quick succession. Charlie quarrels and scuffles with Spider; Charlie is taken in for questioning by the police for financial fraud at the Grahame Coats Agency; Spider reveals the truth to Rosie, who is angered by his treatment of her; birds repeatedly attack Spider; Grahame Coats leaves England for his estate and bank accounts in the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Andrews; and Maeve Livingstone's ghost begins haunting the Grahame Coats Agency building.
Maeve Livingstone is contacted by her late husband, who advises her to move on to the afterlife. She refuses in favor of taking vengeance on Grahame Coats. Later, she meets the ghost of Anansi himself, who recounts a story to her. Once, Anansi reveals, the animal god Tiger
owned all stories, and as a result, all stories were dark and violent; but Anansi tricked Tiger into surrendering the ownership of all stories to Anansi, so stories now involve cleverness and skill rather than strength alone.
After he is attacked by flamingo
es, Spider realizes that something Charlie did is causing these attacks, and that he is in mortal peril. He takes Charlie out of prison. They discuss matters in the course of fleeing from birds around the world, revealing that giving Anansi's bloodline implicates Charlie as well as Spider. Charlie is then returned to prison. He is eventually freed, and then mentions the hidden room in Coats's office, where the police will find Maeve Livingstone's body.
Spider is swept away in a storm of birds, by which Bird Woman delivers Spider to Tiger, Anansi's longtime enemy, who imprisons him and takes his tongue in order to prevent most of his use of magic. In spite of his helplessness, Spider manages to form a little spider out of clay, instructing it to go find help in the spider kingdom that Anansi and his descendants command. Though not as effective a hunter as Tiger, Spider can still fend him off for a little while, whereas Tiger is pleased to draw out the hunt, as it allows him to savour his long hoped-for revenge on Anansi and his brood.
Rosie and her mother have taken a cruise to the Caribbean
, where they unexpectedly meet Grahame Coats. They have not heard of the events in England, and so unsuspectingly walk into his trap and are locked in his basement.
Charlie goes searching for Callyanne Higgler, so that she might help him answer his problems. He tries to look for her in Florida, but the rest of Anansi's old friends tell him Mrs Higgler was off in the Caribbean island of Saint Andrews, and reveal him that it was another old lady, Mrs. Dunwiddy, who when fat Charlie was young, made a spell to separate his good side from his bad side, which became Spider, meaning that Fat Charlie and Spider had once been one person (which explains why Anansi constantly says he only has one son in American Gods). He finally finds her after a long search in Saint Andrews and is sent again to the beginning of the world. Charlie forces the Bird Woman to give back Anansi's bloodline in return for her feather. Meanwhile, Spider has managed to survive, Tiger having grown overconfident. When Tiger attempts a killing strike, the reinforcements summoned by Spider overwhelm him. At that point, Charlie rescues Spider and gives him back his tongue.
Tiger possesses Grahame Coats and uses his blood-lust to manipulate him, intending to get revenge on Spider by killing Rosie and her mother. The possession by Tiger makes Grahame Coats vulnerable to attacks by other spirits; Maeve Livingstone, having found Grahame Coats with the aid of the ghost form of Anansi, eliminates Coats in the real world and, satisfied, moves on to her afterlife.
At the beginning of the world, Charlie, having discovered his power to alter reality by singing a story, recounts the long tale of all that has gone before, humiliating Tiger to the point of retreat. Spider then closes the cave entrance, sealing Tiger and Grahame Coats into the cave; Charlie weaves this event into his song, reinforcing it with his powers, such that Tiger is now well and truly trapped. Coats, now renamed Stoat
, remains with Tiger as company.
In the end, Spider marries Rosie and becomes the owner of a restaurant. He is put constantly under pressure by Rosie's mother to have children, but (possibly to annoy her) never does. Charlie begins a successful career as a singer, marries police officer Daisy Day (whom he met on the night of drinking with Spider, mourning his father), and has a son.
, Mythopoeic
, YALSA ALEX, and British Fantasy
Awards in 2006. Despite garnering enough votes for a Hugo nomination, Gaiman declined it.
. It stars Lenny Henry
as Spider and Fat Charlie, Matt Lucas
as Grahame Coats and Tiger, Rudolph Walker
(best known as Patrick Trueman on British soap opera EastEnders
) as Anansi, Doña Croll
as Mrs Noah and the Bird Woman, Tameka Empson
as Mrs Higgler, Petra Letang
as Rosie, Jocelyn Jee Esien
as Daisy, and Ben Crowe as Cabbies and other voices. It was broadcast on the 17th of November 2007. The original sound track was composed by Danish composer in residence Nicolai Abrahamsen. It was directed by Anne Edyvean (who also worked on the radio 3 adaptation of Signal to Noise in 1996).
Neil Gaiman stated that he was displeased with the BBC radio adaptation, because "budget cutbacks and less broadcasting time for drama [have caused BBC to decide] it would have to be an hour-long adaptation. And bad things happen when novels get cut down to an hour. So despite a really terrific cast and production and as solid a script as could be in the circumstances, I was not happy. It felt like one of those Readers' Digest condensed books". Gaiman attributed to this sentiment his willingness to write the script of the Anansi Boys movie adaptation, saying that "I normally say no to adapting my own stuff into film. But I wanted an Anansi Boys adaptation I could be proud of, and the radio adaption had left me wanting to go: No, this is what I meant".
On April 9, 2010, Gaiman updated his Twitter feed with, "Anansi Boys script starting to look a bit more like a script".
On July 23, 2010, Gaiman announced in his blog that he handed in the first draft of the script for the movie adaptation.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of Gaiman's earlier novel American Gods
American Gods
American Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel by Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on a mysterious and taciturn protagonist, Shadow. It is Gaiman's fourth prose novel, being preceded by Good Omens ,...
. In Anansi Boys we discover that 'Mr. Nancy' (Anansi
Anansi
Anansi the trickster is a spider, and is one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore.He is also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy; and in the Southern United States he has evolved into Aunt Nancy. He is a spider, but often acts and appears as a man...
) has two sons, and the two sons in turn discover each other. The novel follows their adventures as they explore their common heritage.
Anansi Boys was published on September 20, 2005 and was released in paperback on October 1, 2006. The book debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list, and won both the Locus Award
Locus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
and the British Fantasy Society
British Fantasy Society
The British Fantasy Society began in 1971 as the British Weird Fantasy Society, an offshoot of the British Science Fiction Association. The society is dedicated to promoting the best in the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres....
Award in 2006. The audiobook was released in 2005, narrated by Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
.
Plot
Anansi Boys is the story of Charles "Fat Charlie" Nancy, a timid Londoner devoid of ambition, whose unenthusiastic wedding preparations are disrupted when he learns of his father's death in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The flamboyant Mr. Nancy, in whose shadow Fat Charlie has always lived, died in a typically embarrassing manner by suffering a fatal heart attack while singing to a young woman on stage in a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
bar.
Fat Charlie is forced to take time off from the accounting agency where he works and travel to Florida for the funeral.
After the funeral, while discussing the disposal of Mr. Nancy's estate, Mrs. Callyanne Higgler, a very old family friend, reveals to Fat Charlie that the late Mr. Nancy was actually an incarnation of the West African spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
god
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
, Anansi
Anansi
Anansi the trickster is a spider, and is one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore.He is also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy; and in the Southern United States he has evolved into Aunt Nancy. He is a spider, but often acts and appears as a man...
, hence his name. The reason Charlie had apparently not inherited any divine powers was because they had been passed down to his hitherto unknown brother, whom she mentions can be contacted by simply asking a spider to invite him. Charlie is skeptical, and on his return to England, largely forgets what Mrs. Higgler had told him, until one night when he drunkenly whispers to a spider that it would be nice if his brother stopped by for a visit.
The next morning, the suave and well-dressed brother, going under the name of "Spider", visits Charlie, and is shocked to learn that their father had died. Immediately Spider steps through a picture to their childhood home. Charlie goes off to work, rather puzzled by Spider and his sudden disappearance.
Spider returns that night, stricken with grief that Anansi had died and that he (Spider) had been thoughtless enough not to notice. The two, to drown their sorrows, become uproariously drunk (at Spider's recommendation) on the proverbial trio of wine, women, and song. Although Charlie is not involved in most of the womanizing or singing, he is drunk enough to sleep through much of the next day. Spider covers for Charlie's absence from his office at the Grahame Coats Agency by magically disguising himself as Charlie. In the process, Spider discovers Grahame Coats's long-standing practice of embezzling
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
from his clients. Spider also steals the affection and virginity of Charlie's fiancée, Rosie Noah.
Spider, in the guise of Charlie, reveals his knowledge of the financial improprieties to Grahame Coats during a meeting which Grahame calls in order to fire Charlie. As a result, Grahame delays firing Charlie. When Grahame seeks him next, Charlie receives a large cheque and a holiday from work. With Charlie out of the office, Grahame Coats proceeds to alter the financial records to frame Charlie for the embezzlement. Embittered by the loss of his fiancée, Charlie uses his vacation to return to Florida, and requests help from Callyanne Higgler and three of her equally old, eccentric friends to expel Spider. Being themselves powerless in this matter, they instead send him to "the beginning of the world", an abode of ancient gods similar to his father, of whom each represents a species of animal. There, he encounters the fearsome Tiger, the outrageous Hyena, and the ridiculous Monkey, among others. None are willing to trade anything with him until he meets Bird Woman, who agrees to trade Charlie her help, symbolized by one of her feathers, in exchange for "Anansi's bloodline for my own".
In London, a swindled client, Maeve Livingstone, confronts Grahame Coats directly, having learned of the embezzlement of her late husband's royalties. Grahame Coats agrees to make full restitution and more, suggesting that taking him to court could fail to achieve her purpose. While she is distracted by his offer, he kills her with a hammer and conceals her body in a hidden closet.
Charlie has returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, whereupon spontaneous events begin happening in quick succession. Charlie quarrels and scuffles with Spider; Charlie is taken in for questioning by the police for financial fraud at the Grahame Coats Agency; Spider reveals the truth to Rosie, who is angered by his treatment of her; birds repeatedly attack Spider; Grahame Coats leaves England for his estate and bank accounts in the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Andrews; and Maeve Livingstone's ghost begins haunting the Grahame Coats Agency building.
Maeve Livingstone is contacted by her late husband, who advises her to move on to the afterlife. She refuses in favor of taking vengeance on Grahame Coats. Later, she meets the ghost of Anansi himself, who recounts a story to her. Once, Anansi reveals, the animal god Tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
owned all stories, and as a result, all stories were dark and violent; but Anansi tricked Tiger into surrendering the ownership of all stories to Anansi, so stories now involve cleverness and skill rather than strength alone.
After he is attacked by flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
es, Spider realizes that something Charlie did is causing these attacks, and that he is in mortal peril. He takes Charlie out of prison. They discuss matters in the course of fleeing from birds around the world, revealing that giving Anansi's bloodline implicates Charlie as well as Spider. Charlie is then returned to prison. He is eventually freed, and then mentions the hidden room in Coats's office, where the police will find Maeve Livingstone's body.
Spider is swept away in a storm of birds, by which Bird Woman delivers Spider to Tiger, Anansi's longtime enemy, who imprisons him and takes his tongue in order to prevent most of his use of magic. In spite of his helplessness, Spider manages to form a little spider out of clay, instructing it to go find help in the spider kingdom that Anansi and his descendants command. Though not as effective a hunter as Tiger, Spider can still fend him off for a little while, whereas Tiger is pleased to draw out the hunt, as it allows him to savour his long hoped-for revenge on Anansi and his brood.
Rosie and her mother have taken a cruise to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, where they unexpectedly meet Grahame Coats. They have not heard of the events in England, and so unsuspectingly walk into his trap and are locked in his basement.
Charlie goes searching for Callyanne Higgler, so that she might help him answer his problems. He tries to look for her in Florida, but the rest of Anansi's old friends tell him Mrs Higgler was off in the Caribbean island of Saint Andrews, and reveal him that it was another old lady, Mrs. Dunwiddy, who when fat Charlie was young, made a spell to separate his good side from his bad side, which became Spider, meaning that Fat Charlie and Spider had once been one person (which explains why Anansi constantly says he only has one son in American Gods). He finally finds her after a long search in Saint Andrews and is sent again to the beginning of the world. Charlie forces the Bird Woman to give back Anansi's bloodline in return for her feather. Meanwhile, Spider has managed to survive, Tiger having grown overconfident. When Tiger attempts a killing strike, the reinforcements summoned by Spider overwhelm him. At that point, Charlie rescues Spider and gives him back his tongue.
Tiger possesses Grahame Coats and uses his blood-lust to manipulate him, intending to get revenge on Spider by killing Rosie and her mother. The possession by Tiger makes Grahame Coats vulnerable to attacks by other spirits; Maeve Livingstone, having found Grahame Coats with the aid of the ghost form of Anansi, eliminates Coats in the real world and, satisfied, moves on to her afterlife.
At the beginning of the world, Charlie, having discovered his power to alter reality by singing a story, recounts the long tale of all that has gone before, humiliating Tiger to the point of retreat. Spider then closes the cave entrance, sealing Tiger and Grahame Coats into the cave; Charlie weaves this event into his song, reinforcing it with his powers, such that Tiger is now well and truly trapped. Coats, now renamed Stoat
Stoat
The stoat , also known as the ermine or short-tailed weasel, is a species of Mustelid native to Eurasia and North America, distinguished from the least weasel by its larger size and longer tail with a prominent black tip...
, remains with Tiger as company.
In the end, Spider marries Rosie and becomes the owner of a restaurant. He is put constantly under pressure by Rosie's mother to have children, but (possibly to annoy her) never does. Charlie begins a successful career as a singer, marries police officer Daisy Day (whom he met on the night of drinking with Spider, mourning his father), and has a son.
Award and nominations
Anansi Boys won the LocusLocus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
, Mythopoeic
Mythopoeic Awards
The Mythopoeic Awards for literature and literary studies are given by the Mythopoeic Society to authors of outstanding works in the fields of myth, fantasy, and the scholarly study of these areas; the full criteria and description can be read on the Mythopoeic Society's -Mythopoeic Fantasy...
, YALSA ALEX, and British Fantasy
August Derleth Award
The August Derleth Award is an annual award given out by members of the British Fantasy Society for best novel of the year. The award is named after American writer and editor August Derleth.-Winners of the August Derleth Award:...
Awards in 2006. Despite garnering enough votes for a Hugo nomination, Gaiman declined it.
BBC World Service Radio Adaptation
Mike Walker adapted Anansi Boys into a radio play for the BBC World ServiceBBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
. It stars Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
as Spider and Fat Charlie, Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
as Grahame Coats and Tiger, Rudolph Walker
Rudolph Walker
Rudolph Walker, OBE is a British character actor. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Walker came to the United Kingdom in 1960....
(best known as Patrick Trueman on British soap opera EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
) as Anansi, Doña Croll
Doña Croll
Doña Croll is a Jamaican-born British actress. She is best known for her British soap opera roles as Pearl McHugh in Family Affairs and more recently as Vera Corrigan in the BBC soap, Doctors....
as Mrs Noah and the Bird Woman, Tameka Empson
Tameka Empson
Tameka Empson is a British actress and comedienne who is perhaps best known for being one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show 3 Non Blondes.Tameka also featured in a episode of MI High : Red Button Rampage, Series one...
as Mrs Higgler, Petra Letang
Petra Letang
Petra Letang is a British-Dominican actress, probably best known for her role as Naomi Julien in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
as Rosie, Jocelyn Jee Esien
Jocelyn Jee Esien
Jocelyn Jee Esien is a Black British comedian, of Nigerian origin, perhaps best known for her part in the hidden camera show 3 Non Blondes, and her own comedy sketch show, Little Miss Jocelyn.-Biography:...
as Daisy, and Ben Crowe as Cabbies and other voices. It was broadcast on the 17th of November 2007. The original sound track was composed by Danish composer in residence Nicolai Abrahamsen. It was directed by Anne Edyvean (who also worked on the radio 3 adaptation of Signal to Noise in 1996).
Neil Gaiman stated that he was displeased with the BBC radio adaptation, because "budget cutbacks and less broadcasting time for drama [have caused BBC to decide] it would have to be an hour-long adaptation. And bad things happen when novels get cut down to an hour. So despite a really terrific cast and production and as solid a script as could be in the circumstances, I was not happy. It felt like one of those Readers' Digest condensed books". Gaiman attributed to this sentiment his willingness to write the script of the Anansi Boys movie adaptation, saying that "I normally say no to adapting my own stuff into film. But I wanted an Anansi Boys adaptation I could be proud of, and the radio adaption had left me wanting to go: No, this is what I meant".
Movie Adaptation
It was rumored that there was going to be a movie adaptation of Anansi Boys (from the radio play), but the "moviemakers wanted to change the lead black characters to white or drop the magical elements altogether". Gaiman claimed not to need the money, "Not needing the money puts me in a magical place because I can say no. I like the idea of having good movies made or having no movies made."On April 9, 2010, Gaiman updated his Twitter feed with, "Anansi Boys script starting to look a bit more like a script".
On July 23, 2010, Gaiman announced in his blog that he handed in the first draft of the script for the movie adaptation.
Translations
- Anansiho chlapci (CzechCzech languageCzech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
), ISBN 80-7332-079-7 - I ragazzi di Anansi (ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
), ISBN 88-04-55701-X - בני אנאנסי (HebrewHebrew languageHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
) - Os Filhos de Anansi (PortuguesePortuguese languagePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
), ISBN 972-23-3592-8 - Дети Ананси (RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
), ISBN 5-17-037493-3 - Chłopaki Anansiego (PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
), ISBN 83-7480-020-8 - Băieţii lui Anansi (RomanianRomanian languageRomanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
), ISBN 973-733-103-6 - De bende van Anansi (DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
), ISBN 902-455-385-7 - Los hijos de Anansi (SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
), ISBN 978-84-96544-66-6 - Anansi dēli (LatvianLatvian languageLatvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...
), ISBN 978-9984-777-69-6 - Hämähäkkijumala (FinnishFinnish languageFinnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
) - アナンシの血脈 (JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
), ISBN 4-04-791534-3 - Anansi Boys (GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
), ISBN 978-3-453-26530-1 - Anansijevi momci (SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
), ISBN 86-7436-611-2 - 蜘蛛男孩 (ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
), ISBN 978-986-6665-19-6