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A review by ravenousbibliophile
The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris
5.0
Blurb: A story that treats you to a few tricks, and tricks you out of your moral treats.
I have often read -and delighted in- stories that are set squarely in the grey. Stories that blur the lines between 'Good' and 'Bad' and 'Right' and 'Wrong'. And as a consequence, I've always enjoyed reading the stories of 'heroes' who weren't necessarily heroic and 'villains' who weren't necessarily villainous. And while such grey stories and characters have been fun to read, I have very rarely come across a story that managed to paint my perception grey, while strangely remaining black and white itself.
The color metaphor is a bit heavy, I know, but it's the best way I can describe my experience of reading The Gospel of Loki. Right off the bat you know what to expect from a story with the name 'Loki' in it. Especially considering that the book was released in 2014, a time when most people's understanding of Norse Gods like Loki and Thor was simply Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth respectively. And one expects to find the story of a being who lives up to his title of "Trickster" with an easy smile and a casual shrug. What Joanne Harris delivers, however, is the story of a being who starts out pure, is later corrupted, and then makes it his life's mission to exact revenge upon those who corrupted him. But don't be fooled by my use of the words 'Pure' and 'Corrupted'. They don't mean what you think they mean. And the book excels at providing darkness draped in shining light. For all intents and purposes, the book is the story of not just Loki but also Odin. Who, together, seem like the only two people in the whole of the Nine-Realms burdened with intelligence and imagination and are surrounded by beings who are at best blissfully ignorant and at worst vain morons. I sincerely hope that a 'Gospel of Odin' will grace my bookshelf in the near future.
As I said at the beginning. I began the book having a very clear idea of what to expect, and as I read it, my perception of the story, its characters and its message became increasingly warped and skewed. What started out as the narrative of a Trickster, soon turned into a ballad of hatred and violence and downright debauchery, and at the end of it, all I wanted to do was devour the next book in the series. Much like a starving man from Lansquenet would want to devour a box of Vianne Rocher's chocolates.
I have often read -and delighted in- stories that are set squarely in the grey. Stories that blur the lines between 'Good' and 'Bad' and 'Right' and 'Wrong'. And as a consequence, I've always enjoyed reading the stories of 'heroes' who weren't necessarily heroic and 'villains' who weren't necessarily villainous. And while such grey stories and characters have been fun to read, I have very rarely come across a story that managed to paint my perception grey, while strangely remaining black and white itself.
The color metaphor is a bit heavy, I know, but it's the best way I can describe my experience of reading The Gospel of Loki. Right off the bat you know what to expect from a story with the name 'Loki' in it. Especially considering that the book was released in 2014, a time when most people's understanding of Norse Gods like Loki and Thor was simply Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth respectively. And one expects to find the story of a being who lives up to his title of "Trickster" with an easy smile and a casual shrug. What Joanne Harris delivers, however, is the story of a being who starts out pure, is later corrupted, and then makes it his life's mission to exact revenge upon those who corrupted him. But don't be fooled by my use of the words 'Pure' and 'Corrupted'. They don't mean what you think they mean. And the book excels at providing darkness draped in shining light. For all intents and purposes, the book is the story of not just Loki but also Odin. Who, together, seem like the only two people in the whole of the Nine-Realms burdened with intelligence and imagination and are surrounded by beings who are at best blissfully ignorant and at worst vain morons. I sincerely hope that a 'Gospel of Odin' will grace my bookshelf in the near future.
As I said at the beginning. I began the book having a very clear idea of what to expect, and as I read it, my perception of the story, its characters and its message became increasingly warped and skewed. What started out as the narrative of a Trickster, soon turned into a ballad of hatred and violence and downright debauchery, and at the end of it, all I wanted to do was devour the next book in the series. Much like a starving man from Lansquenet would want to devour a box of Vianne Rocher's chocolates.