Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Genre: Mythology, Fantasy, Folklore

Pages: 304

Published February 7th 2017 by W. W. Norton & Company

Synopsis:

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 fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, the son of giants, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. From Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

My Thoughts

An accurate rating for this would be 3.5, as this is a collection of short stories and each one varies as far as rating goes. I averaged the ratings out rather than go through the entire book and rate them.

I picked this up at my library via audiobook because Gaiman narrates it and I love his voice. He is the creator and therefore knows the inflections of tone and what not, I highly recommend listening to it! The narrated version is wonderful and since I am a huge fan I could literally listen to Gaiman all day. He could list off shampoo ingredients and I’d love it.

This is a collection of various shorts and tales of Asgard, Thor, Loki and other Norse gods and goddesses as well as figures. Some are humorous and others are quite sad. Some of the stories are well known and others are not so much. In an age where most people know Norse mythology through Marvel Comics I think this book came out in just the right time.

There were gems and then there were boring stories that I skimmed over, but altogether it was rather nice. Gaiman captured Loki and Thor’s relationship perfectly and because Thor and Loki are mostly known through Marvel, I think this will be lapped up by fans who enjoy Thor & cast!

Overall I enjoyed it…