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strategineer's review against another edition
2.0
Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology is a retelling of a few stories from Norse mythology (which we don't know very much about). I'm a fan of Neil Gaiman's work generally but I found this to be quite boring.
Unlike Greek mythology, we don't have many written records describing Norse mythology as it existed. So, there's not really much we know about Norse mythology.
In his book titled Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman riffs on what we know about the Norse myths and creates his own retellings of the stories and some completely new ones.
It's OK. I like a lot of Neil Gaiman's work (especially American Gods), his passion for mythology is clear and it shines through most of his work. Unfortunately, I don't think I have as much of an appreciation for Norse mythology as he does and reading this book didn't change that.
Unlike Greek mythology, we don't have many written records describing Norse mythology as it existed. So, there's not really much we know about Norse mythology.
In his book titled Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman riffs on what we know about the Norse myths and creates his own retellings of the stories and some completely new ones.
It's OK. I like a lot of Neil Gaiman's work (especially American Gods), his passion for mythology is clear and it shines through most of his work. Unfortunately, I don't think I have as much of an appreciation for Norse mythology as he does and reading this book didn't change that.
evangelinereading's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lbarsk's review against another edition
5.0
Well the way Goodreads messed up my reading of this book was hilarious, but suffice to say I devoured it in two sittings. I wasn't expecting anything less than a book written by one of my all-time favorite authors, but Gaiman really hit it out of the park here.
I'm familiar with Norse Mythology but not SUPER familiar — reading these tales was a great way to get reacquainted. I loved the mix of modern day speech and a more poetic quality of language; his way of "translating" kennings into a book written in English in the 2000s was smartly done. I just wish there were more!!!
Also, as a MASSIVE fan of American Gods and Sandman, it's pretty cool to see where all of the Norse influence on those stories comes from. This pantheon obviously means a great deal to Gaiman and it shows here. Thoughtful, accessible storytelling that feels current while maintaining otherworldly elements.
I'm familiar with Norse Mythology but not SUPER familiar — reading these tales was a great way to get reacquainted. I loved the mix of modern day speech and a more poetic quality of language; his way of "translating" kennings into a book written in English in the 2000s was smartly done. I just wish there were more!!!
Also, as a MASSIVE fan of American Gods and Sandman, it's pretty cool to see where all of the Norse influence on those stories comes from. This pantheon obviously means a great deal to Gaiman and it shows here. Thoughtful, accessible storytelling that feels current while maintaining otherworldly elements.
hyunjin's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I love Loki problematic king
emmaahlerup's review against another edition
3.0
Detta var en svår betygssättning. Jag både gillade och ogillade boken. Jag läste boken på svenska och den svenska översättningen är tyvärr riktigt dålig. Uppenbara rena felöversättningar förekommer (tex. wrist blir vrist). Ofta verkar det vara en ordagrann översättning med engelsk meningsbyggnad som blir styltig och stapplig på svenska. Jag kom på mig själv med att översätta tillbaka till engelska i huvudet, för att tänka mig in i hur Gaiman formulerat sig från början.
Jag tyckte också det var oklart vilken publik boken riktar sig till. Formatet med stor text och korta kapitel signalerar ungdomsbok, men innehållet var stundtals rätt vuxet. Kanske tänkt som både och?
Jag har aldrig läst särskilt mycket nordisk mytologi, så för mig var detta en bra introduktion. Jag har svårt att avgöra hur mycket Gaiman skarvat och fylllt i för att få ihop berättelserna, men jag tyckte dock att berättelserna saknade djup och att mycket förblev oförklarat. Men det är högst troligt att detta ligger i myternas natur och är anledningen till varför jag aldrig riktigt fastnat för mytologi. Så många frågor som jag aldrig fick svar på.
Vill ge den en 4:a för innehållet och det vackra omslaget, men en svag 2:a för den svenska översättningen.
Är du det minsta intresserad av mytologi så läs den, men en stark rekommendation är att läsa den på engelska.
Jag tyckte också det var oklart vilken publik boken riktar sig till. Formatet med stor text och korta kapitel signalerar ungdomsbok, men innehållet var stundtals rätt vuxet. Kanske tänkt som både och?
Jag har aldrig läst särskilt mycket nordisk mytologi, så för mig var detta en bra introduktion. Jag har svårt att avgöra hur mycket Gaiman skarvat och fylllt i för att få ihop berättelserna, men jag tyckte dock att berättelserna saknade djup och att mycket förblev oförklarat. Men det är högst troligt att detta ligger i myternas natur och är anledningen till varför jag aldrig riktigt fastnat för mytologi. Så många frågor som jag aldrig fick svar på.
Vill ge den en 4:a för innehållet och det vackra omslaget, men en svag 2:a för den svenska översättningen.
Är du det minsta intresserad av mytologi så läs den, men en stark rekommendation är att läsa den på engelska.
the_reading_vampire's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
4.0
vivi_papis's review against another edition
5.0
I should say most of my enjoyment comes from the fact that Gaiman himself narrated the audiobook version. He's wonderful doing the voices, changing the tone to match the character. It is the first time I read (in this case, listen to) his work and I have to acknowledge his mastery of words to involve his reader in the story. Despite some of the sentences have been written in a childlike fashion (repeating the characters names or simplistic language), I guess that is exactly what makes the tales timeless, for it can reach any mind and heart.
jonisbookquest's review against another edition
4.0
This book didn't go as deep as I wanted it to go, but I still had a really fun time reading it. Thor and Loki's dynamic was amazingly done - I actually laughed out loud. So, it was a bit shallow, but it was a very easy read. Definitly recommend to people who want to know a bit more about Norse Mythology, just like me.