Neil Gaiman adapts the primary cycles of Nordic legend, beginning with the fashioning of the nine worlds from the corpse of the giant Ymir. The narrative follows the Aesir gods through a series of interconnected tales, focusing on the volatile relationship between the hammer-wielding Thor, the wise and one-eyed Odin, and the deceptive shape-shifter Loki. These vignettes detail the theft of Idunn’s apples, the forging of Mjöllnir, and the building of Asgard’s walls, concluding with the inevitable destruction of the gods during the frozen battlefield of Ragnarok.
Fans of folklore and classic fantasy read this collection to understand the origins of Germanic myth without the archaic density of the Poetic Edda. The text serves readers who want a chronological sequence of Northern myths characterized by dark humor and blunt dialogue. A reader gains a clear mental map of the Norse pantheon and a firm grasp of the specific betrayals and alliances that lead to the final dissolution of the heavens and earth.
Outward-looking and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Practical Optimizer. Which reader are you?
Insights from Norse Mythology
“Before the beginning there was nothing.”
Even the gods are terrified of the dark and the cold. Most of their stories are just about trying to keep the fire going.
Kvasir was literally made of spit but he was the smartest person alive. Then he got turned into a jar of honey wine.
Valhalla sounds less like heaven and more like a never ending frat party. You just kill each other and then wake up for dinner.
“I will not go with you to be your bride.”
Freya is the only one with any common sense. She refuses to be traded like a trophy just because the boys made a bad bet.
- Published
- 2017
- Publisher
- W. W. Norton & Company
- Language
- EN
