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A review by thebobsphere
Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A.S. Byatt
2.0
A.S Byatt's take on Norse mythology is a mixed bag. It is clever, I liked the way she compared Norse mythology with Christian spirituality and integrated that with a girl living in Britain during the second world war and comparing WWII as a modern day Ragnarok. I also thought that Byatt managed to squeeze in a whole saga in 150 pages was admirable. There's also an afterword written by Byatt, which is fantastic.
However my problem with this is the stilted prose. At time it verges on the dry and boring, whereas Norse mythology is anything but. Generally Byatt's writing style has an elegant verve and that was missing. If you're beginner to the world of Norse myths, I suggest you try the D'aulaires volume of Scandinavian mythology, which is a delight.
However my problem with this is the stilted prose. At time it verges on the dry and boring, whereas Norse mythology is anything but. Generally Byatt's writing style has an elegant verve and that was missing. If you're beginner to the world of Norse myths, I suggest you try the D'aulaires volume of Scandinavian mythology, which is a delight.