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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Brilliant book. I loved how the character Loki really draws you in and I got involved with how he was manipulated throughout the story. You really warm to Loki's side of the story.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2 stars
I read it in Italian, but since most of my problems are not with the writing but with the content, it doesn't matter.
I didn't expect much of this book, I'm used to mythological retelling that barely has anything in common with the original mythos and I was ready to enjoy it but this book isn't even that.
This book is the more tedious and Christianized version of pop-culture nordic myths + a narrator (that is Loki) that tries to be sarcastic and unreliable but is only vaguely edgy and verbose. It is like listening to someone talking about their first D&D character: "They're so eviL! A demon! A lone wolf, who thinks only to themselves!!"
The myths in themselves aren't technically wrong, there're some changes but they're well withing the author's freedom when writing a retelling, but for being a book about Loki any grey morality or just conflict are underwhelming. Loki is an egoist, the gods are dumb and Odin is a scheming b*stard and all the myths are at face value. It's like reading "All nordic myths for your children" but with more complicated prose.
Loki, in general, is an interesting figure because as a trickster and as deity of which we know very little (even by Norse religion standards) is open to interpretation: is he a misunderstood hero? An antihero? A mother of monsters? A fire god? The source of all evil? Who knows.
But until this book, I never thought he could be boring.
I read it in Italian, but since most of my problems are not with the writing but with the content, it doesn't matter.
I didn't expect much of this book, I'm used to mythological retelling that barely has anything in common with the original mythos and I was ready to enjoy it but this book isn't even that.
This book is the more tedious and Christianized version of pop-culture nordic myths + a narrator (that is Loki) that tries to be sarcastic and unreliable but is only vaguely edgy and verbose. It is like listening to someone talking about their first D&D character: "They're so eviL! A demon! A lone wolf, who thinks only to themselves!!"
The myths in themselves aren't technically wrong, there're some changes but they're well withing the author's freedom when writing a retelling, but for being a book about Loki any grey morality or just conflict are underwhelming. Loki is an egoist, the gods are dumb and Odin is a scheming b*stard and all the myths are at face value. It's like reading "All nordic myths for your children" but with more complicated prose.
Loki, in general, is an interesting figure because as a trickster and as deity of which we know very little (even by Norse religion standards) is open to interpretation: is he a misunderstood hero? An antihero? A mother of monsters? A fire god? The source of all evil? Who knows.
But until this book, I never thought he could be boring.
I will always a forever enjoy any book about Norse Myths written in Loki’s very arrogant and accurate perspective. 100000000000/10 can’t wait for part two.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While best known for ‘literary fiction’, Joanne Harris has written across a range of genres, and The Gospel of Loki is her third book to heavily feature Norse mythology. Previous novels Runemarks and Runelight are straight-up fantasy with a Norse flavour, while here she sets out to retell the sagas of the Norse gods from the perspective of Loki, the trickster, offering a reversal of the usual viewpoint. Covering the whole story, from the Nine Worlds’ creation through to Ragnarok, Loki tells his own version of events, showing Odin and the rest of the gods in a totally different light.
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/2015/07/22/the-gospel-of-loki-joanne-m-harris/
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/2015/07/22/the-gospel-of-loki-joanne-m-harris/
I mean I didn’t hate it I just didn’t have the motivation to finish
This book started out strong, but by the end felt like little more than a rehash of the Norse tales told with narrative quips. This is from Loki's perspective? Then why do things seemingly happen exactly as they have always been told (with the notable exception of his origin in the pantheon)? Surely some of what happened was altered, twisted, and made to make him look worse than he is? But no, there are no changes here. He's claiming to be a scapegoat and a victim of false advertising without proving the assertion, and that was incredibly disappointing.
I will always enjoy reading about the Norse, and the first half of the book was entertaining, but the whole thing didn't live up to the promise.
I will always enjoy reading about the Norse, and the first half of the book was entertaining, but the whole thing didn't live up to the promise.
Blurb: A story that treats you to a few tricks, and tricks you out of your moral treats.
I have often read -and delighted in- stories that are set squarely in the grey. Stories that blur the lines between 'Good' and 'Bad' and 'Right' and 'Wrong'. And as a consequence, I've always enjoyed reading the stories of 'heroes' who weren't necessarily heroic and 'villains' who weren't necessarily villainous. And while such grey stories and characters have been fun to read, I have very rarely come across a story that managed to paint my perception grey, while strangely remaining black and white itself.
The color metaphor is a bit heavy, I know, but it's the best way I can describe my experience of reading The Gospel of Loki. Right off the bat you know what to expect from a story with the name 'Loki' in it. Especially considering that the book was released in 2014, a time when most people's understanding of Norse Gods like Loki and Thor was simply Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth respectively. And one expects to find the story of a being who lives up to his title of "Trickster" with an easy smile and a casual shrug. What Joanne Harris delivers, however, is the story of a being who starts out pure, is later corrupted, and then makes it his life's mission to exact revenge upon those who corrupted him. But don't be fooled by my use of the words 'Pure' and 'Corrupted'. They don't mean what you think they mean. And the book excels at providing darkness draped in shining light. For all intents and purposes, the book is the story of not just Loki but also Odin. Who, together, seem like the only two people in the whole of the Nine-Realms burdened with intelligence and imagination and are surrounded by beings who are at best blissfully ignorant and at worst vain morons. I sincerely hope that a 'Gospel of Odin' will grace my bookshelf in the near future.
As I said at the beginning. I began the book having a very clear idea of what to expect, and as I read it, my perception of the story, its characters and its message became increasingly warped and skewed. What started out as the narrative of a Trickster, soon turned into a ballad of hatred and violence and downright debauchery, and at the end of it, all I wanted to do was devour the next book in the series. Much like a starving man from Lansquenet would want to devour a box of Vianne Rocher's chocolates.
I have often read -and delighted in- stories that are set squarely in the grey. Stories that blur the lines between 'Good' and 'Bad' and 'Right' and 'Wrong'. And as a consequence, I've always enjoyed reading the stories of 'heroes' who weren't necessarily heroic and 'villains' who weren't necessarily villainous. And while such grey stories and characters have been fun to read, I have very rarely come across a story that managed to paint my perception grey, while strangely remaining black and white itself.
The color metaphor is a bit heavy, I know, but it's the best way I can describe my experience of reading The Gospel of Loki. Right off the bat you know what to expect from a story with the name 'Loki' in it. Especially considering that the book was released in 2014, a time when most people's understanding of Norse Gods like Loki and Thor was simply Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth respectively. And one expects to find the story of a being who lives up to his title of "Trickster" with an easy smile and a casual shrug. What Joanne Harris delivers, however, is the story of a being who starts out pure, is later corrupted, and then makes it his life's mission to exact revenge upon those who corrupted him. But don't be fooled by my use of the words 'Pure' and 'Corrupted'. They don't mean what you think they mean. And the book excels at providing darkness draped in shining light. For all intents and purposes, the book is the story of not just Loki but also Odin. Who, together, seem like the only two people in the whole of the Nine-Realms burdened with intelligence and imagination and are surrounded by beings who are at best blissfully ignorant and at worst vain morons. I sincerely hope that a 'Gospel of Odin' will grace my bookshelf in the near future.
As I said at the beginning. I began the book having a very clear idea of what to expect, and as I read it, my perception of the story, its characters and its message became increasingly warped and skewed. What started out as the narrative of a Trickster, soon turned into a ballad of hatred and violence and downright debauchery, and at the end of it, all I wanted to do was devour the next book in the series. Much like a starving man from Lansquenet would want to devour a box of Vianne Rocher's chocolates.
I'm only 3 chapters in but I'm done. I've got loads more to read and I just can't get into it. Stop over 'essplaining' everything and just get on with the dang story!