Hey bookworms! I have been super busy lately! Trying to crush my May TBR pile and I only have about a week left. I was at Anime North in Toronto all weekend but I managed to get some reading done while at the Airbnb. I finished Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman last week and did this as part of a buddy read with a fellow booktuber named Amanda Reads.
Synopsis: Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin through their upheaval in Ragnarok.
In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.
Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.
This was a really fun book. Neil’s characters were all drawn from his love of mythology and a lot of it was based on the Marvel Comics characters.
My favorite Norse god was, of course, Loki, because of his mischievous ways. Thor was honestly kind of an airhead but I feel like that doesn’t differ much from the comic books. One thing I did say to Amanda when reading was that the Norse Gods are complete assholes. They take no one else’s feeling into regard and just do what they want and take what they want. The poor dwarfs (or dark elves as they are referred to) get the shit end of the stick a lot.
The style that these chapters were told in reminded me of a bedtime story being read to me by my parents. They were told as if it was a tale of bravery or to be a warning of something to fear.
The tale I enjoyed the most was about Fenrir the wolf and his strength. All the gods tried to come up with ways to keep him shackled so that he couldn’t escape because they feared his power and the tale is about them tricking Fenrir. It is full of deceit and lies which the gods are known for.
This was my first Neil Gaiman book that I have read and I would gladly read more of his work. He tells tales in a unique way and it left me wanting more.
Book Rating: 4.5/5
You can buy this book on Amazon and Book Depository or find it on Goodreads.
Disclaimer: I had this book in my collection for a while and decided to read and review it as part of a buddy read.
I recently did the “Do I Have That Book?” tag and I had so much fun making this video! I would love if you could check it out and leave a like or comment what you thought!
Ah! I just checked this out from the library! I’m totally loving it, like Neil just is perfection from page one and I love Norse mythology, so glad you’ve enjoyed this, makes me more excited to keep reading it!
Yep aha! I hope you enjoy the rest of it :D. Which god is your favorite so far?
I’m having a soft spot for Loki lol I can’t help it
He is my favorite too! Thor is kind of an airhead lol.
I loved this book! He is one of my favorite authors. I had originally bought this book for my son, but ended up reading it as well, and so glad I did!
I’m glad you liked it! It was a really fun book and makes me want to read more by Neil!
oh! this sounds like areally pleasant book and much easier to read than anticpated. looking forward to picking up my cop ynow thank you
Yea its is very broken up into lots of short stories or “tales”. Such an easy read.
I listened to this on audio and not only is it written very well, Neil Gaiman is possibly my favorite audiobook narrator of all time. He really brings it to life.
I have never heard him speak but I can imagine it being amazing based on his writing style!
Great blog post. I did one similar to that! Would love it if you would follow me: https://eatlovebooks.wordpress.com/