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stateofiction's review
4.0
I mean if you gave this some more development, this would be a baller adaptation
clockworkp's review
3.0
Está bien y es corto y entretenido, pero se nota lo diferente de la cultura antigüa y lo diferente que era la forma de narrar. Se siente lo anecdótico y fragmentado de toda la saga. Me resultó muy difícil entender las motivaciones de los personajes y por que tomaban las decisiones que tomaban incluso sabiendo lo que les pasaría con tanta profecía spoileadora.
Me quedo con las ganas de leer la saga de Ragnar y me interesaría leer más sobre estas leyendas en un formato más cohesivo que los textos antigüos.
Me quedo con las ganas de leer la saga de Ragnar y me interesaría leer más sobre estas leyendas en un formato más cohesivo que los textos antigüos.
gaggle_of_npcs's review
5.0
This is the best epic I have ever read. It kept my interest, has good characters and scenes, and is overall entertaining. I was skeptical at first because I'm not a big fan of Norse myth, but it was well worth it and better, in my opinion, than many Greek epics.
team_centerfold's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoy this Saga and I really enjoyed this translation.
pagesofpins's review
4.0
These people were the original Game of Thrones. Fast-paced and very readable for an ancient epic, we follow the saga of the family line of a son of Odin, complete with incest, child murder, drinking the blood of ones' enemies, pillaging, dragon slaying, sorcery and magic wolf skins. Daaaaaaamn.
Unexpected humor is present in these tales, not to mention some great insults and serious braggery. Meant to be told over a swing or two of mead, to be sure.
Interesting treatment of lady vikings here. They're pretty much all vengeful evil badasses that will cut you (not surprising for this time period), but also simultaneously objects of desire and people you shouldn't force into marriage unless you want a world of hurt. Not a lot of effort is spent here to keep the listening women of this epic in their place. Sure, you have to be evil and maybe get it on with some nasty dude, but hey, get pissed. Burn the castle down.
Unexpected humor is present in these tales, not to mention some great insults and serious braggery. Meant to be told over a swing or two of mead, to be sure.
Interesting treatment of lady vikings here. They're pretty much all vengeful evil badasses that will cut you (not surprising for this time period), but also simultaneously objects of desire and people you shouldn't force into marriage unless you want a world of hurt. Not a lot of effort is spent here to keep the listening women of this epic in their place. Sure, you have to be evil and maybe get it on with some nasty dude, but hey, get pissed. Burn the castle down.
fieldofhats's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
I feel like I need to rate these two sagas separately because they are extremely different in quality and tone. The Saga of the Volsungs is a solid 4 stars; the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok is 2 stars. Of course, I’m glad both of these texts exist and I’m glad to have read both of them for research and Pagan purposes, but that does not change the fact that Ragnar’s saga was awful. Especially when compared to the Volsunga Saga, or any other mainstream saga. The total combined rating for this volume is 2.5 stars, rounded up because I love the Volsunga Saga.
The Saga of the Volsungs is incredible. The characters are fascinating, and each of them have distinct flaws that become their ruin in the end. The emotional turmoil of the story is palpable, especially with the death of Sigurd and everything around that. I will say, though, that I prefer the Poetic Edda’s version of this saga, but it is nice to have this version to compare and contrast.
The saga of Ragnar Lothbrok is a sorry excuse for a sequel to the Volsunga Saga, and not a very good story in general. The very beginning, the cinderella-like story with the spear-point, was fantastic, but the rest was extremely lacking. It’s a story about death, avenging that death excessively with raids, and then more raids just for the fun of it. It’s a very stereotypical Viking saga, which I guess is why it’s so popular, but compared to the emotional intricacies of the Volsunga Saga, it’s just plain bad.
I think the crucial difference between the two sagas are with the characters, specifically the main characters. Sigurd is a good man who only makes war when he’s obligated to. It talks about him going out with Gjuki’s sons, but that’s never the focus of the story. He is a man of love, regret, shame, and strength. He is complex, and so are most of the other characters in that saga. Ragnar, by contrast, simply is not. He isn’t particularly wise, he loves war, and he rapes his wife… As his son, Ívar, says, “[Ragnar] is too proud and deals unrighteously with others” and is thus “shameful”. And his sons are, arguably, worse. His wife, Kráka/Randalín, is an independent and outspoken character (and is one of the two most interesting characters because of that), but doesn’t actually get any development. Ívar is sort of like Randalín in that he has some depth, but not a whole lot of development. He’s clever, and that trait stands out; but he’s still bent on murder and revenge, as we see in the last few chapters of the saga. And furthermore, none of the other characters have any distinct traits. They all blend together.
If you’re looking for something fun to read, the Saga of the Volsungs is entertaining, engaging, and emotionally impactful. The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok is the opposite of that. If you’re a Pagan, both sagas have a lot of references and allusions that are worth reading for, so it would probably be good to read. Otherwise, stay away from Ragnar’s saga.
The Saga of the Volsungs is incredible. The characters are fascinating, and each of them have distinct flaws that become their ruin in the end. The emotional turmoil of the story is palpable, especially with the death of Sigurd and everything around that. I will say, though, that I prefer the Poetic Edda’s version of this saga, but it is nice to have this version to compare and contrast.
The saga of Ragnar Lothbrok is a sorry excuse for a sequel to the Volsunga Saga, and not a very good story in general. The very beginning, the cinderella-like story with the spear-point, was fantastic, but the rest was extremely lacking. It’s a story about death, avenging that death excessively with raids, and then more raids just for the fun of it. It’s a very stereotypical Viking saga, which I guess is why it’s so popular, but compared to the emotional intricacies of the Volsunga Saga, it’s just plain bad.
I think the crucial difference between the two sagas are with the characters, specifically the main characters. Sigurd is a good man who only makes war when he’s obligated to. It talks about him going out with Gjuki’s sons, but that’s never the focus of the story. He is a man of love, regret, shame, and strength. He is complex, and so are most of the other characters in that saga. Ragnar, by contrast, simply is not. He isn’t particularly wise, he loves war, and he rapes his wife… As his son, Ívar, says, “[Ragnar] is too proud and deals unrighteously with others” and is thus “shameful”. And his sons are, arguably, worse. His wife, Kráka/Randalín, is an independent and outspoken character (and is one of the two most interesting characters because of that), but doesn’t actually get any development. Ívar is sort of like Randalín in that he has some depth, but not a whole lot of development. He’s clever, and that trait stands out; but he’s still bent on murder and revenge, as we see in the last few chapters of the saga. And furthermore, none of the other characters have any distinct traits. They all blend together.
If you’re looking for something fun to read, the Saga of the Volsungs is entertaining, engaging, and emotionally impactful. The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok is the opposite of that. If you’re a Pagan, both sagas have a lot of references and allusions that are worth reading for, so it would probably be good to read. Otherwise, stay away from Ragnar’s saga.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Gaslighting, Sexism, Murder, Slavery, Death, Blood, and Emotional abuse
elsiereadseverything's review against another edition
I’d like to request that the man price be paid for these women obviously written by men who experienced an awful life because men refused to listen to them.
That’s it. That’s the whole story: listen to the women in your life and maybe you wouldn’t burn to death, or get cleaved in half, or you know, have someone shank you while you’re sleeping because you’re a colossal ass.
That’s it. That’s the whole story: listen to the women in your life and maybe you wouldn’t burn to death, or get cleaved in half, or you know, have someone shank you while you’re sleeping because you’re a colossal ass.
hexatrance's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0