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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
Probably more about a 2.5* rating. It's not as good as Coraline (in my opinion), as it's less detailed, and Coraline doesn't have that much detail anyway.
I'm a big fan of Neil Gaiman's work, and although I don't think that this is his best work, it was still very enjoyable. A quick little read that had wonderful elements of mythology and Mr. Gaiman's own spectacular imagination.
My only complaint was that the story seemed to resolve itself rather too quickly. Granted it is for children who don't want a lot of resolution and don't want a scene to take too long before moving to the next bit of action, but it left me (adult child) wanting more.
My only complaint was that the story seemed to resolve itself rather too quickly. Granted it is for children who don't want a lot of resolution and don't want a scene to take too long before moving to the next bit of action, but it left me (adult child) wanting more.
This little book, which was short enough for me to read in a single sitting, reminded me a great deal of Philip Pullman's [b:Once Upon a Time in the North|2225238|Once Upon a Time in the North (His Dark Materials, #0.5)|Philip Pullman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331317426s/2225238.jpg|3568899], as the length and appearance of the books were similar, they are both from highly imaginative authors, and both featured talking bears. While not one of the more important works of his career, it is a great addition to Gaiman's works, aimed at a similar audience to [b:The Graveyard Book|2213661|The Graveyard Book|Neil Gaiman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1303859949s/2213661.jpg|2219449].
Who doesn't love to read a children's book now and again. Neil Gaiman is one of my favourite authors and this story was such a delight to spend a cosy evening at home with!
This book is an enjoyable, quick read. It has mythology mixed in with an engaging story and a likeable hero (who, I agree with Neil Gaiman's "About The Author" writer, we need more stories about!).
3.5 stars
A lovely elementary-level short story in the always pleasant voice of Neil Gaiman, concerning the encounter of a young boy with 3 Norse deities trapped in the bodies of animals. Would have loved it as a kid.
A lovely elementary-level short story in the always pleasant voice of Neil Gaiman, concerning the encounter of a young boy with 3 Norse deities trapped in the bodies of animals. Would have loved it as a kid.
Odd and the Frost Giants was tremendous fun - and exactly what I needed as a brief respite from the series of Bond novels that I'm slogging through (rumour has it that the next one: The Spy Who Loved Me is the worst of the lot!)
This is the sort of thing Neil Gaiman does well - a young protagonist, the eponymous Odd, finds himself confronted by enchanted animals that turn out to be the gods of Norse mythology, who enlist his help in defeating the Frost Giants... well, a Frost Giant, anyway. It puts a fun spin on the characters of Loki and Thor - though frankly, if my recollection of Norse mythology is correct, the amount of drinking and the lust for attractive women isn't too much of a deviation from the mythos.
I read this in my lunch hour at work, with time to spare... it's big print, with illustrations, and quite thin. This, if anything, is my biggest problem with the book. It's Neil's gift to very quickly create a cast of lively, believable characters that the reader can easily attach to... with a book this brief, it's as though that relationship is cut cruelly short. I'm sure Odd lived happily ever after... and who knows, maybe he returned to Asgard later in life?
This is the sort of thing Neil Gaiman does well - a young protagonist, the eponymous Odd, finds himself confronted by enchanted animals that turn out to be the gods of Norse mythology, who enlist his help in defeating the Frost Giants... well, a Frost Giant, anyway. It puts a fun spin on the characters of Loki and Thor - though frankly, if my recollection of Norse mythology is correct, the amount of drinking and the lust for attractive women isn't too much of a deviation from the mythos.
I read this in my lunch hour at work, with time to spare... it's big print, with illustrations, and quite thin. This, if anything, is my biggest problem with the book. It's Neil's gift to very quickly create a cast of lively, believable characters that the reader can easily attach to... with a book this brief, it's as though that relationship is cut cruelly short. I'm sure Odd lived happily ever after... and who knows, maybe he returned to Asgard later in life?
