Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Norse Mythology
Reviewed by: Stephen Kelly
Branch: Newbridge Library
Age Range: Adults
The great Norse myths, which have inspired so much of modern fiction, are dazzlingly retold by Neil Gaiman. Tales of dwarfs and frost giants, of treasure and magic, and of Asgard, home to the gods: Odin the all-father, highest and oldest of the Aesir; his mighty son Thor, whose hammer Mjollnir makes the mountain giants tremble; Loki, wily and handsome, reliably unreliable in his lusts; and Freya, more beautiful than the sun or the moon, who spurns those who seek to control her. From the dawn of the world to the twilight of the gods, this is a thrilling, vivid retelling of the Norse myths from the award-winning, bestselling Neil Gaiman.
What I particularly liked about this book was Gaiman’s excellent grasp of Norse mythology, and how he retells the stories, in such an engaging and descriptive way. My favourite character was Thor, god of thunder, who’s involved in some magnificent tales. Thor is a very funny and brute character. All of the characters were depicted with great vividness and clarity, Gaiman describes all gods, elves, dwarfs and giants fantastically. The story always kept me guessing, for example in the tale of Thor’s visit to Jotunheim, the Land of the Giants, the reader is always guessing what Thor will do next. My favourite part of the book was when Thor goes fishing with a giant and tries to catch the Midgard Serpent, who is found in the deepest depths of the ocean. Most of the scenes are mysterious, for example, the tale of Ragnarok, where the gods and giants fight each other and the reader is anticipating who might win. The story always gripped me, I was constantly turning the pages as Gaiman retells the Norse mythology tales in a wonderful language, transforming the original manuscripts of the myths into a modern day version.
Available to borrow on Bolinda Borrowbox in both e-book and audiobook format.
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