Anansi

by Denzel Washington

Anansi
Read by Denzel Washington • Original Music by UB40

These two stories feature Anansi, the hilarious spider of West Indian folklore. In the first, he outwits a prideful snake to win possession of all the stories in the jungle. The second recounts his getting caught in his own web of lies at his mother-in-law’s funeral.

Audio

First published August 22, 2006

About the author

Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. is an American actor and director. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his work in film since the 1990s, including his portrayals of real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Melvin B. Tolson, Frank Lucas, and Herman Boone.

Washington has been awarded three Golden Globe awards and two Academy Awards for his work. He is notable as the second African-American (after Sidney Poitier) to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, which he received for his role in the 2001 film Training Day.

Reviews

[James Biser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great tale. Denzel Washington is excellent with the voice of the island of Jamaica. The stories of Anansi are classic.

[Sunnykimmy]

I grew up with these stories. And up til now, I never knew they are originally African. They were told in my language and I always thought they were from my country. But it makes sense that they're African, since the slaves were brought here from there, they developed a language all their own and here the stories are at least in part, told in that language. Either way, I am honored that Denzel Washington read Anansi.