Introducing an instant classic―master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.
Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales.
In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki―son of a giant―blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.
Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Once, when Thor’s hammer is stolen, Thor must disguise himself as a woman―difficult with his beard and huge appetite―to steal …
Introducing an instant classic―master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.
Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales.
In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki―son of a giant―blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.
Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Once, when Thor’s hammer is stolen, Thor must disguise himself as a woman―difficult with his beard and huge appetite―to steal it back. More poignant is the tale in which the blood of Kvasir―the most sagacious of gods―is turned into a mead that infuses drinkers with poetry. The work culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and rebirth of a new time and people.
Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerge these gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.
I was really looking forward to this book as I enjoy myth and legends, but I couldn't finish it. The myths themselves were simply too outrageous, required too much suspension of belief, to find them engaging. Having just read a book on Celtic myth and monsters, I figured I was well primed for this content but it just didn't engage me the same way. I found the tales to be rambling and nonsensical. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it were less of a straight retelling and more of a here's the tale, now let's talk analysis and how it has shaped our world via pop culture, history, etc.
I read this book in almost one sitting, during a flight over Greenland and Iceland. It is a series of very enjoyable short stories that form chapters of a larger time frame, from the beginning to the end of time. The story-telling is remarkable. The characters are endearing and I was touched by their humanity, even though they are gods.
I’ve read Gaiman’s wonderful retelling of classic Norse myth at least twice before. I did a quick listen while doing housework today, and it was just as charming as I remembered. So very highly recommended.
I’ve read Gaiman’s wonderful retelling of classic Norse myth at least twice before. I did a quick listen while doing housework today, and it was just as charming as I remembered. So very highly recommended.
Gaiman on kirjoittanut joukon norjalaiseen mytologiaan pohjautuvia tarinoita, joissa jumalat, jättiläiset, kääpiöt ynnä muut sankarit seikkailevat melko klassisissa myyttisissä merkeissä. Ihan käypäisiä tarinoita, ja tällaiselle norjalaista mytologiaa lähinnä pintapuolisesti tuntevalle nämä menevät ihan täydestä. Se tietenkin häiritsee, että kaikki nimet on survottu nykyenglannin 26 aakkosmerkin puitteisiin.
Entertaining, sometimes gruesome, sometimes funny and sometimes sad
4 stars
collection of stories about the gods of Asgard and the elves, dwarves and giants around them, book-ended by the Norse creation myth and the world-ending battle of Ragnarok. It’s a storytelling approach, not a scholarly description. And it’s not the shiny, techno-magical Asgard of Marvel’s Thor, or the ethereal Olympus we’ve come to think of with Greek myths. For all the magic and impossible feats that get tossed around, it’s still a gritty, harsh world with wars, murders, lust, deception and betrayal.
The stories are mostly separate, but a pattern emerges: not just when stories refer back to earlier events, but the slow transformation of Loki from the kind of trickster who steals Sif’s hair, tricks rival smiths into creating fantastic gifts, and generally outwits his opponents (while finding ways to embarrass the other gods if he can) to the kind of trickster who thinks it would be hilarious to …
collection of stories about the gods of Asgard and the elves, dwarves and giants around them, book-ended by the Norse creation myth and the world-ending battle of Ragnarok. It’s a storytelling approach, not a scholarly description. And it’s not the shiny, techno-magical Asgard of Marvel’s Thor, or the ethereal Olympus we’ve come to think of with Greek myths. For all the magic and impossible feats that get tossed around, it’s still a gritty, harsh world with wars, murders, lust, deception and betrayal.
The stories are mostly separate, but a pattern emerges: not just when stories refer back to earlier events, but the slow transformation of Loki from the kind of trickster who steals Sif’s hair, tricks rival smiths into creating fantastic gifts, and generally outwits his opponents (while finding ways to embarrass the other gods if he can) to the kind of trickster who thinks it would be hilarious to trick a blind man into killing his own brother.
In his introduction, Gaiman notes that we don’t actually have a thorough record of the stories. Like most myths, they were told and retold and changed through oral storytelling. The Norse didn’t write them down until well after Christianity had established itself in the region. And so there are a lot of figures who are mentioned in passing in one tale or another that we don’t really know much about.
And I realized that most of what I know of the mythology comes from modern works influenced by it. Comic books of course, not just Marvel’s Thor, but Vertigo’s Sandman and the manga and anime Ah! My Goddess. The Ring Cycle (by way of Bugs Bunny). Oddly enough, a lot of it by way of Neil Gaiman himself: Sandman, American Gods, Odd and the Frost Giants, probably a handful of short stories too.
I listened to the audio book and, frankly, in the beginning Gaiman's reading isn't the best. But either he got better or I got used to it. Mainly, some (not all) of the dialogue seemed flat
The book itself is wonderful. I know little about Norse mythology, and so was really interested in some of the details, as well as the history
This isn't original fiction, it's Neil Gaiman's retelling of classic Norse mythology in a series of short, readable stories. If you're looking for Neil Gaiman's fiction and character building this isn't the book for you, but it IS a great collection of classic myths, told with Gaiman's simplicity and elegant style and humour. In one of the audiobook forms Gaiman himself reads the stories and you can hear the humour in his voice and his love of the stories and characters, which is charming. A great resource for the original myths of this time.
Quite the entertaining read. Gaiman presents tales from Norse mythology with the brisk, efficient delivery that one might imagine from a bard telling the stories orally. Each tale has its main cast, usually involving Odin, Thor, and/or Loki, its central conflict, its action, and its resolution. The stories also feature plenty of hyperbole. Cauldrons for brewing ale are three miles deep, gods are described as the strongest, the mightiest, the most beautiful, or the most wise.
I couldn't help but think of how Odin, Thor, and Loki might as well have been characters in some grand sitcom; they have their unique personalities, they are presented with a challenge, and they each have their own solutions. What also struck me about Gaiman's Norse Mythology was how funny it was. You could almost imagine vikings guffawing as they listened to these tall tales during a feast.
We have heard these stories, I thankful Neil Gaiman has assembled and shared with us. I am also thankful Neil Gaiman and many other authors have expanded and elaborated larger tales.
