ramakn22's review against another edition
informative
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
tamara_joy's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Well told, true to the source material, and beautifully illustrated.
belgatherial's review against another edition
4.0
It was such fun reading this with Christopher. I was surprised by how into it he got, given it's WAY above his level. We did read it at bedtime, which helps. But yeah. Good stuff!
eb00kie's review
2.0
As a prose rendering of the Norse mythology it's mediocre, but the drawings are nice. Anything else is mostly narrative, monotone writing and decent-sized paragraphs with few figures of speech.
Also, in the ending, as well as in the beginning, there is an odd element in that it's as if all the gods coexist in the same universe and their succession is nearly Darwinian, based on believers, the successor being Christianity. It's unusual for a children's book, not to mention it endorses Christianity while suggesting that it is on par with the Norse mythos, as nothing more than a story. It's neither here nor there. For the overhelming Christian crowd it's going to be half-insulting, while everyone might still feel put off that Christianity was shoehorned into something that had a specific cultural flavour.
This book was recommended to me because I read [b:The Poetic Edda|24510238|The Poetic Edda|Anonymous|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421311397s/24510238.jpg|370900].
Also, in the ending, as well as in the beginning, there is an odd element in that it's as if all the gods coexist in the same universe and their succession is nearly Darwinian, based on believers, the successor being Christianity. It's unusual for a children's book, not to mention it endorses Christianity while suggesting that it is on par with the Norse mythos, as nothing more than a story. It's neither here nor there. For the overhelming Christian crowd it's going to be half-insulting, while everyone might still feel put off that Christianity was shoehorned into something that had a specific cultural flavour.
This book was recommended to me because I read [b:The Poetic Edda|24510238|The Poetic Edda|Anonymous|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421311397s/24510238.jpg|370900].
princessleia4life's review against another edition
3.0
Found it when I was looking for something else.
kjboldon's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully illustrated series of Norse myths, with an engaging new introduction by Michael Chabon. This was a good companion to reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
Outdated by now but still a classic. The art is by far the best part of the D'Aulaires' books.
secondhusk's review against another edition
4.0
I saw this on my friend's bookshelf and read it in a hammock over a long weekend. My god, what a delight. The weird and beautiful illustrations. The amused writing style. And most of all, just how freakin' bizarre Norse mythology is. I mean, knowledge exists because a bunch of gods spit berry juice into a vat and then asked the spit questions. Come on. Also, Valhalla is a wonderfully fucked-up place.