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fieldofhats's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Spoilers for the story structure and myths.
The structure of this book is brilliant because it uses the structure of the Prose Edda (with the exception of the prologue) as a base, with Gylfi disguised as Gangleri going to Asgard to question the gods about their stories, although Kevin Crossley-Holland’s version is much more dramatized and entertaining than the medieval literature style of Snorri Sturluson. It changed the reason for him going, but it makes more sense within the context; in the Prose Edda, the story of Gefjun creating Zealand is thrown in at the very beginning with seemingly zero connection to the rest of the narrative. I also love the addition of Gylfi to the last chapter. It makes sense and it brings the mythological stories together very well.
There are a multitude of myths in this volume, much more so than in others like it (such as Neil Gaiman’s anthology). Crossley-Holland tells the stories in a manner that’s witty and easy to understand. He keeps the vibe of the original myth and adds his own flare. His version of the myths are very accurate. He takes some liberties and adds some details to make the tale fit a modern audience better, as well as puts in his own interpretation when the given information is sparse, but he rarely discards story bits from the original sources. The only times he seems to do this are when the tale becomes particularly gruesome (Thor’s murder of Heimir’s host at the end of Thor’s fishing expedition is missing, for example) or for continuity’s sake (Kvasir is missing from the story of the capturing of Loki). Other than things like that, these tales are very accurate.
This anthology of Norse myths has every famous tale and many of the obscure stories only found in the Prose Edda. It evens has the Otter’s Ransom story, which involves the gods heavily but is actually the start of the Volsunga Saga. There are a few myths that are missing, however; Freyja’s dalliance with the dwarves to get Brisingamen and Loki’s Taunts are notably absent, although both are mentioned. I think these were omitted due to the family-friendly nature of this book. I understand the motive behind making these tales digestible for young audiences, and I love that it’s accessible, but I still would have liked to see the missing stories in some capacity.
Overall, this was an absolutely wonderful collection! The myths are told beautifully, and in a way that is accessible to all ages, which I think is a very good thing. This is also a fantastic companion piece to Gaiman’s book since this one has more stories than Gaiman’s and fills in some gaps.
The structure of this book is brilliant because it uses the structure of the Prose Edda (with the exception of the prologue) as a base, with Gylfi disguised as Gangleri going to Asgard to question the gods about their stories, although Kevin Crossley-Holland’s version is much more dramatized and entertaining than the medieval literature style of Snorri Sturluson. It changed the reason for him going, but it makes more sense within the context; in the Prose Edda, the story of Gefjun creating Zealand is thrown in at the very beginning with seemingly zero connection to the rest of the narrative. I also love the addition of Gylfi to the last chapter. It makes sense and it brings the mythological stories together very well.
There are a multitude of myths in this volume, much more so than in others like it (such as Neil Gaiman’s anthology). Crossley-Holland tells the stories in a manner that’s witty and easy to understand. He keeps the vibe of the original myth and adds his own flare. His version of the myths are very accurate. He takes some liberties and adds some details to make the tale fit a modern audience better, as well as puts in his own interpretation when the given information is sparse, but he rarely discards story bits from the original sources. The only times he seems to do this are when the tale becomes particularly gruesome (Thor’s murder of Heimir’s host at the end of Thor’s fishing expedition is missing, for example) or for continuity’s sake (Kvasir is missing from the story of the capturing of Loki). Other than things like that, these tales are very accurate.
This anthology of Norse myths has every famous tale and many of the obscure stories only found in the Prose Edda. It evens has the Otter’s Ransom story, which involves the gods heavily but is actually the start of the Volsunga Saga. There are a few myths that are missing, however; Freyja’s dalliance with the dwarves to get Brisingamen and Loki’s Taunts are notably absent, although both are mentioned. I think these were omitted due to the family-friendly nature of this book. I understand the motive behind making these tales digestible for young audiences, and I love that it’s accessible, but I still would have liked to see the missing stories in some capacity.
Overall, this was an absolutely wonderful collection! The myths are told beautifully, and in a way that is accessible to all ages, which I think is a very good thing. This is also a fantastic companion piece to Gaiman’s book since this one has more stories than Gaiman’s and fills in some gaps.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
redheadorganist's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Most of the 32 myths are only a few pages long, however some of them still drag. Lots of difficult names. There are notes discussing the sources and history of each myth, however they are at the end, so you could read the stories without those. There is a balance between the academic portion and storytelling but overall not an engaging read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
wolfiegrrrl's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Reading this book had me falling in love with this mythos. The introduction and map of the Nine Worlds beautifully set the stage for the stories within, and I thought the writer did a great job ordering the myths in an easy-to-understand timeline. It certainly piqued my curiosity and sparked a desire to learn more.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, and Violence
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