The Gospel of Loki

''They tell you revenge isn't worth it. I say there's nothing finer.''

When a writer makes an effort to compose a story out of all the different well-loved myths about the deities of Norse Mythology, putting the Trickster at the heart of the narration, and having him confessing all the crimes he has committed in all their evil glory, then it deserves no less than a fairly positive review. The result is a fascinating work, able to transport the reader into Asgard and the whole Nine Worlds, but not without some hindrances along the way.

The incorporation of the myths is well-done, atmospheric and skillfully bound. The Nine Worlds are as realistic as can be. The wonderful rendition of Thor's trials in the Hall of the Giant King, one of the show more most well-known myths about the Thunderer, is one of the best moments in the book., The end is darkly beautiful.

As much as I liked the way the stories are told, there were a few things I had major problems with. The ''Yours Truly'' code name became too tiring rather quickly. In addition, the pseudo-funny, aloof, semi-modernized interactions and descriptions alienated me from the narration in a significant degree. There were a few parts that lost their beauty and their impact because, to my ears, they sounded like a silly Nickelodeon teen-movie. I'm not suggesting that I would have preferred a translated Old Norse text, but between that and the ''I Was A Teenage Loki'' style, there could have been a balanced mixture of both. Still, this is my personal pet-peeve, I am sure many readers will find this kind of language satisfying and entertaining. Easier to understand, most probably. Here, I will agree with a reviewer on GR who stated that, perhaps, this is the kind of book that would engage the younger generation, but not the adults of my age.

My biggest problem has to do with the characters, and this one I can't easily forgive. The gods and goddesses are strangely represented, portrayed as rather simplified versions of themselves. I don't care whether they represent archetypes, the Norse myths never treated them as such. Poor Heimdallr (as is his proper name) and Baldr are ridiculed to no end,as is Sigyn whose legendary loyalty is portrayed as the infatuation of a plain old-maid ( I hated that with a vengeance!). Iðunn is a stupid teenager, Freyja is someone who would go all the way to acquire a piece of jewellery (and yes, it did happen according to the myths but here, it is described without any elegance), and the tormented Skaði, my personal favourite goddess, doesn't have a kinder luck in the hands of the writer. I admit that all these didn't sit well with me, the complexity of the deities is vanished and we steer too much away from the myths. I tried to have in mind that we witness everything from Loki's perspective, and it made sense, but still, it bothered me deeply.

I don't know how these legendary, larger than life, mythical figures are portrayed in some recent popular action movies. I couldn't care less, I haven't watched them, I never will. My guess is their luck can't be much better than here. But the Thor I have in mind, the Thunderer of the myths, isn't a dim-witted brute, gentle Baldr isn't vain and silly, Freyja isn't a shrew with no presence at all. In the hands of any other writer, this issue would have made me abandon the book shortly after I started it.

Joanne Harris is a writer I love and trust. Her books have a certain something, her writing a distinct kind of beauty. When you choose to present such beautiful stories out of the Pantheon of Norse Mythology, the responsibility must be quite heavy. The Gospel of Loki is well-written, and adequately respectful to the original material which has brought up generations and generations. I am certain that if Loki ever had the chance to read it, he would love it. And I, for once, was satisfied with this book, even though there were some issues that prevented me from granting it four stars. Would I read it again? Probably not. However,I was told there is a sequel to it, I checked in the synopsis, and my answer was a big, fat NO. Let us respect some things, let us not turn everything into cartoon super-heroes... show less

I settled down to this book with considerable anticipation. I'd relished Joanne Harris' "Gentlemen and Players" and "Chocolat", packed as they were with original ideas, strong characterization, and a slightly mystical view of the world. I've been fascinated with Loki since I was a child. I discovered him in his Marvel Comics incarnation and was always puzzled that people preferred the oafish Thor to the brilliant Loki . My fascination with Loki even led me to read some of the Norse Sagas which although sometime tedious were wonderfully amoral and extraordinarily blood thirsty.

What I got when I started reading was not at all what I expected. That, of course, is my problem, not the author's.

Perhaps I should have paid attention to the show more additional initial the author added to her name. I think now that she was flagging that Joanne M Harris was not going to write the kind of fiction Joanne Harris is famous for.

I should also have paid attention to the title "The Gospel of Loki: The Epic Story of the Trickster God". Epic tales have a particular form and the idea that any story about Loki could be a Gospel, literally Good News, has to be a conceit or a trick.

There are lots of good things in this book: the language and the imagery are rich without being obtrusive, the original Norse stories are faithfully

rendered but made new by being seen through Loki (admittedly lying) eyes, and the scale and the pace of the book are epic. Perhaps the most admirable thing is the way Harris positions Loki, the ultimate unreliable narrator, to reveal some hard truths: that Chaos and Order cannot abide or even begin to understand one another, that humour is an honest but misunderstood act of rebellion and that not trusting anyone is a limitation and not a strength.

And yet I found myself wanting something more or different than I was being served. The book did not engage my emotions. It did not provide the intense intimacy that a novel told in the first person normally provides.

Then I realized that this book is so "novel" that it is not a novel at all but something much stranger and original.

It has now been some weeks since I finished the book and my memory of it is still fresh and bright. Harris' Loki has taken up residence in my imagination. I don't like him as much as my childhood Loki but I believe in him more. Surprisingly, I find that I have compassion for Harris' Loki. Although he is an inveterate trickster, he is also the victim of a trick by Odin that ripped him from Chaos and bound him to a world that could never truly be home.

This is not a book to read if you are looking for escapist fantasy. It is a long song about the nature of chaos and order and the betrayal that is inevitable when the two meet. It is about fate and destiny and sustaining power of humour. It is, in fact, exactly what is says on the cover: an epic tale of a trickster god, except the real trickster is Odin. show less

Even before I joined Loki’s Army after Avengers, I’d always been a fan of the myth version. “The Trickster” appears in many cultures because the chaotic archetype is so universal. So I ordered The Gospel of Loki as soon as I learned of it. Those looking for the Marvel version may be disappointed, but I found Harris’ interpretation wonderful.

The book doesn’t cover much new ground Vis-à-vis the original myth and the Lokasenna. The oft-heard events are all here: sewing his lips closed, Thor in drag, his various monstrous offspring, et al. What made this book stand out for me was how well Harris captured Loki’s voice. He is irreverent, humorous, sarcastic, and above all, sassy. When he first refers to himself as “Yours show more Truly,” I laughed aloud because it was so spot on. The books has a lot of funny moments, such as his ruminations on sex and how can anyone enjoy it with so many restrictions? Naturally, each of the main events are told from his POV so there’s some twisting to what readers expect to happen, but always in a way that can be explained by perception, instead of the black and white of “truth.” Our “Humble Narrator” even implies that everything he says can’t be trusted; but neither can anyone else.

One place where Harris did go beyond the myth was to provide Loki with an origin, how did he come to be in Asgard, the “brother” of Odin? I loved her explanation, and how it underlay everything that comes after. The book ends with Raganarok, but I truly hope Loki’s story doesn’t end with it. I would love for him to tell more tales.

Overall, I loved the book and intend to read the others in the series (Runemark and Runelight) though I doubt either could possibly be as entertaining without Yours Truly. Highly recommended to fans of myth, mischief or re-imagined fairytales. show less

Look, I'm going to name-drop now. Deal with it.

I bought Joanne Harris's latest book, The Gospel of Loki, at its launch. Joanne signed it for me (look, Joanne signed my book!). Joanne also gave me some blurb for my second book, and was one of the judges when I won Literary Death Match.

Yes, look at me, I am awesome. I know Joanne Harris, and I'm hugely grateful to her as a new author who's received her prestigious support.

So take what comes next with as much salt as you want, but The Gospel of Loki is magnificent. Take the darkly rich Norse mythology of Odin and Asgard, and transmit it through the amoral, witty and restless voice of Loki, birthed in and birther of chaos. What you get is a series of Tales and Trickery, by the end of which show more you are at home with some of the weirdest and imaginative beings which ever sprang from human hearts trying to explain what was outside in the Dark.

The book it reminded me of most was Robert Graves' The Greek Myths, not because of any essential similarity in the telling, but because in both a writer with a singular voice and attitude brings alive a world with such energy and assurance that you wonder how these myths were ever told without that voice. It took the endless Northern nights of telling and drinking to give birth to Loki; it took Joanne Harris to rescue the trickster from Marvel Comics and make him speak again. First class stuff. show less

The Gospel of Loki does an excellent job of stitching together many of the Norse myths into a coherent narrative. At the same time, Harris gives Loki, Odin, and (to a lesser extent) the other gods of Asgard an understandable psychology. If you've ever wondered "Why do the gods put up with Loki's constant betrayals?", The Gospel of Loki gives you a plausible answer.

The Gospel According to Loki, by Joanne Harris, is told from the point of view in the voice of bad boy Trickster Loki. The Trickster’s captivating ability to tell a tale is almost bewitching enough to elicit an inkling of sympathy from the reader, yet anyone who has ever read Norse mythology knows how the story ends. Loki is never the hero. Maybe he could have been if the tale had unfolded differently, if the tables had been turned a bit in his favor. Destined to be more of a villain and an anti-hero, he is still able to persuade us to wish for a glimmer of hope at the end. Loki’s personality, cunning, and self-admiration shine through his words in this fun romp celebrating the glorious days and the final moments of Odin, Thor, show more Loki, and the rest of the Aesir in Asgard. show less

This quick read is particularly humorous and enjoyable for those already familiar with Norse mythology. Many of the well known tales are re-told from the perspective of Loki (your humble narrator), as he considers why and how things end as they did and attempts to justify his views and actions. Readers are presented again with the story of how Thor ended up in a wedding dress, why you shouldn't test feats of strength against masters of illusion, how Asgard had its walls built for free (and Odin got his horse), and how Loki rose and fell time and again as the stories progressed. Told with modern language, a sense of humor, and a interesting and enjoyable (if self-serving and quite problematic) narrator, this is a pleasant way to dive show more back into the Norse tales or to introduce someone new to the pantheon... albeit with an admittedly biased perspective.

As a side note, the humor in this novel starts early. In fact, it begins before the story does! Don't miss reading the cast of characters, and, if they're unknown to you, be sure to glance back at it after finishing Loki's tale. show less