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Norse Mythology

by Neil Gaiman

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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8,563314933 (4.02)247
Fiction. Mythology. HTML:

Introducing an instant classicā??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 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 a giant, 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.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.… (more)

  1. 131
    The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson (CGlanovsky)
    CGlanovsky: The Edda feels like the primary source material for Gaiman's retelling
  2. 40
    Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman (sturlington)
  3. 32
    Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton (LamontCranston)
  4. 00
    Expecting Someone Taller by Tom Holt (themulhern)
    themulhern: The one is a fine retelling of Norse mythology, the other is humorous fantasy based on Norse mythology. So they compliment each other nicely. And both are written rather cleverly.
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» See also 247 mentions

English (306)  Hungarian (1)  Slovak (1)  Portuguese (Brazil) (1)  Dutch (1)  Italian (1)  Spanish (1)  Polish (1)  German (1)  All languages (314)
Showing 1-5 of 306 (next | show all)
Neil Gaiman has encountered the Norse gods before - using them in past works... but this is the first time he's been able to really indulge in their sagas. The book is arranged as a collection of short stories, covering various well known myths. Odin, Thor, Loki, Tyr, Frigg, Balder... they're all here, but their legends, while mostly intact, are embellished with Gaiman's unique voice and particular flourishes. Gaiman's gods often sound like school children, bickering over who gets to do what on the playground, but in this case, the playground is typically filled with frost giants or massive sun sized wolves. The book starts with a rather dense introductory chapter, but then flows into a set of short stories that are mostly gems. Finally, things escalate as you near the end of the book; as you approach Ragnarok... and beyond. ( )
  nakedspine | Nov 16, 2023 |
An excellent, delightful to read series of tales about the Norse Gods. Freya and Thor and Loki and Odin and so many more are here, quarrelsome and loving, tricksters and killers.
Women of course have few roles other than to stand about and be admired, but every once and awhile one of them does something noble. It's the way the sagas were written...
Gaiman takes the tales and makes them readable and accessible. I've been thrashing through some of the sagas and it's heavy going at times. Thanks to Gaiman for creating a book that is a pleasure to read. ( )
  Dabble58 | Nov 11, 2023 |
First of all, Neil Gaiman is just a superb storyteller. He is excellent at telling fairytales and mythological tales like this. And he is excellent at narration as well, I listened to this on audiobook because if I ever get the chance to listen to Gaiman storytelling, I will take it. The way he reads his books is like they never had to be written down, they could just be a form of oral storytelling. It’s like someone telling you stories they remember before you go to sleep or around a fire or after a meal and everyone is just a little drowsy.

It was really cool to see more of where these well known tales actually came from, a closer retelling than the more popular ones of Marvel. And to learn stuff like: Loki and Thor aren’t brothers (not even in a foster sense), Loki is the reason that Thor’s hammer Mjƶlnir exists (and has a shorter than intended handle), the origin stories of Loki’s children Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hel, the events of Ragnarok, etc.

I love that the first thing Thor thinks of when something goes wrong is that it’s Loki’s fault ā€œbecause this saves a lot of time.ā€ And if he ponders on the situation and determines it isn’t in fact Loki’s fault, his second thought is to go and ask for Loki’s advice, because he is after all known for being clever. Besides the MCU, this has been my only other dive into Norse Mythology and I really enjoyed seeing all these stories tie together. I am definitely interested now to read more into the traditional tales.

Norse Mythology: ā˜… ā˜… ā˜… ā˜… ā˜… ( )
  rianainthestacks | Nov 5, 2023 |
I've always liked stories of mythology. These stories are great! ( )
  Tom.Morrison | Nov 1, 2023 |
Neil Gaiman chose his favorite myths and spiced them up! Great retelling! ( )
  Stefuto | Oct 31, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 306 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Neil Gaimanprimary authorall editionscalculated
Buckley, PaulCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Garceau, PeteCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ngai, VictoCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
RuokosenmƤki, JoukoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Weber, SamCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Welch, ChrisDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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For Everett, Old Stories for a new boy
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It's as hard to have a favorite sequence of myths as it is to have a favorite style of cooking (some nights you might want Thai food, some nights sushi, other nights you crave the plain home cooking you grew up on).
Many gods and goddesses are named in Norse mythology.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Fiction. Mythology. HTML:

Introducing an instant classicā??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 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 a giant, 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.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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