A review by kmardahl
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

5.0

I bought this audiobook by accident. I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan and I thought it would be his re-telling of the Norse myths. It wasn't. It was THE norse myths. As Neil Gaiman read the introduction and made this clear, I felt a touch of disappointment. I know all these myths so I wasn't too keen on having a copy of them, even if they were read by Neil Gaiman. I continued to listen. Then, something happened. I couldn't stop listening. I hung on to every word, eager to hear more and more and more. I was a child again with my eyes and mind wide open. I was entranced and enthralled. I felt so coddled to have these fantastic stories told directly to me. I suddenly understood how utterly amazing these tales are. I don't know whether these tales were told in the same way 1000 years ago. It doesn't matter. Storytellers through the ages have passed on the tales and brought them to new life in each generation. Imagine being told tales that have been repeated to countless children and adults. Such tales must be quite amazing to have lasted for so many centuries. Robust tales like these are worthy of gods. These tales were the same tales I heard as a child, but Neil Gaiman added something intangible to them. The sound of his voice. A combination of words. These tales were reborn. It was pure magic.