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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
flammewar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ascmis's review against another edition
2.0
kriemhild and brunhild deserved better, and siegfried was an absolute asshole and absolutely deserved to die. not surprised, because this was written in like the middle ages, but. what the actual fuck.
1.5 stars — despite being incredibly misogynistic and a little boring, it was very… readable? the characters had like zero personalities, but at least the plot somewhat worked.
1.5 stars — despite being incredibly misogynistic and a little boring, it was very… readable? the characters had like zero personalities, but at least the plot somewhat worked.
ajfbern's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A flawed but epic work, consisting of a courtly romance followed by a grand revenge plot. Easy to see how the lay has generated so many derivatives that expand a part of the whole and fix the flaws in exposition or style
I liked how Gunther was a weak king (and a cuckold?) in the first act and then becomes a top three boldest warrior of all time in the second half. The Burgundians discovered the power just guys being dudes. Shame about Sivrit and the gold though!
autumnatical's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
_kaylee_m_'s review against another edition
2.0
Okay for reading a dead tree before bed. Rivals the book of Judges for stories of dumb things done by men.
I'd recommend Parzival instead.
I'd recommend Parzival instead.
mediaevalmuse's review against another edition
3.0
This text is a favorite of my Old Norse professor, and she sold it to me with promises of wacky adventures and the lure of “the tale of the ring.” There were certainly parts of this text I liked, but as a whole, I wasn’t as enthused with this book as I was reading other Germanic texts.
Things I Liked
1. Brynhild: Brynhild exists in a number of Germanic text, and in every incarnation, she’s always my favorite. She’s the one breaking stereotypical gender roles, acting rashly and insensibly, and doing the most interesting things narrative-wise. Though she’s only seen briefly in this text, her appearance left a lasting impact on me.
2. Wackiness: This text features much less wackiness than a lot of Germanic heroic tales, but gosh, when they appear, are they memorable. Things like Sigfried’s invincibility and the fight between Brynhild and Kreimhild really remind me why I love medieval literature so much.
3. Kreimhild: Honestly, I think this text should be less pitched as the story of Siegfried and more as the story of his wife, Kreimhild. She’s the central character in the story and is the reason for a lot of the action that happens, which is why I liked her despite the text’s efforts to convince me that she was cruel and/or crafty.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Detail: Compared other medieval epics, this text seemed strangely detailed. There was more step-by-step narration of everything that happened, so ultimately, the text becomes longer and drawn out to the point where I wanted to skip ahead to the “good bits.”
2. Assault: Unfortunately, this text features some violence against Brynhild that I don’t recall reading in other versions with the character in it, and it’s largely revolving around her refusal to sleep with her husband (and Sigfried helping to subdue her). These scenes may have been meant to be comedic, but as a modern author, they just made me uncomfortable.
3. Organization: This is probably a nit-picky thing, but for some reason, the introduction to my edition is listed after the main text, not before, which was kind of annoying.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in medieval Germanic literature, heroic tales, and feuds/vengeance plots.
Things I Liked
1. Brynhild: Brynhild exists in a number of Germanic text, and in every incarnation, she’s always my favorite. She’s the one breaking stereotypical gender roles, acting rashly and insensibly, and doing the most interesting things narrative-wise. Though she’s only seen briefly in this text, her appearance left a lasting impact on me.
2. Wackiness: This text features much less wackiness than a lot of Germanic heroic tales, but gosh, when they appear, are they memorable. Things like Sigfried’s invincibility and the fight between Brynhild and Kreimhild really remind me why I love medieval literature so much.
3. Kreimhild: Honestly, I think this text should be less pitched as the story of Siegfried and more as the story of his wife, Kreimhild. She’s the central character in the story and is the reason for a lot of the action that happens, which is why I liked her despite the text’s efforts to convince me that she was cruel and/or crafty.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Detail: Compared other medieval epics, this text seemed strangely detailed. There was more step-by-step narration of everything that happened, so ultimately, the text becomes longer and drawn out to the point where I wanted to skip ahead to the “good bits.”
2. Assault: Unfortunately, this text features some violence against Brynhild that I don’t recall reading in other versions with the character in it, and it’s largely revolving around her refusal to sleep with her husband (and Sigfried helping to subdue her). These scenes may have been meant to be comedic, but as a modern author, they just made me uncomfortable.
3. Organization: This is probably a nit-picky thing, but for some reason, the introduction to my edition is listed after the main text, not before, which was kind of annoying.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in medieval Germanic literature, heroic tales, and feuds/vengeance plots.
alicemirage's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ironicallybee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
3.0
honestly good for her
cagebox's review against another edition
2.0
I normally give classics more of a rating based just on reputation alone, but The Nibelungenlied is an especially banal work of literature. It's hard to know how much of the blame lands on the text itself or the translator, but a story that could be an epic of glory and revenge becomes an absolute slog. It is no wonder that Wagner changes the story found here in his immortal classic, because The Nibelungenlied is the worst classic I can recall reading.