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A review by fieldofhats
Egil's Saga by Unknown, Snorri Sturluson
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s typical in Old Icelandic sagas to dive into the family history of the main character, but in Egil’s Saga we really get to know Egil’s lineage. We see Thorolf develop from a naïve glory-seeker to a generous, albeit brash, jarl, and the clash between the values of Thorolf and King Harald. We also get to see how Kveldulf’s wise manner effects both of his sons, Thorolf and Skallagrim, and the connection he had with Skallagrim.
Speaking of character arcs, Egil’s was fantastic. In the beginning of his story, he was a downright bad person and I had very little interest in him — but then he experiences sudden grief when his brother dies and his whole world perception changes. From this point on, we see him grow into a kind and honorable man.
I want to mention the poetry because the poetry in this saga is fantastic. Hermann Pálsson does a fantastic job of translating the poems in a poetic way — he keeps the alliteration present always, and even keeps rhyme-schemes when present. Absolutely beautifully done. The subject of the poems is also incredible, we get battle poems, love poems, praise poems, friendship poems, grief poems, etc. I loved everything about the poetry in this saga.
Speaking of miscellaneous things I loved, there were a few really cool fight scenes in this book. There were a lot of battles described, but there were a few one-on-one fights that were described in detail that were simply awesome. I didn’t expect that from a medieval Icelandic saga, but I’m very much here for it.
There were some things I didn’t like, though; there were sections I didn’t think were very necessary. Everything in Vermaland didn’t seem to have any bearing on the overall plot, and the petty feud between Thorstein and Steinar wasn’t necessary to Egil’s story at all. This doesn’t have anything to do with the translation, and it’s understandable given that there were different standards in medieval Iceland for stories, but still. I didn’t prefer it.
Speaking of things I didn’t really like, the middle section of this saga was hard for me to get through. I was very invested in Thorolf, Skallagrim, and Kveldulf’s stories that when Egil came along I didn’t really care all too much. It didn’t help that Egil wasn’t a very likable character. For a while, I detested him. He does go through change, though, and becomes much less insufferable. But by that point, my brain was already burnt out by the story. I ended up listening to Ulf Crow’s audiobook narration on his YouTube channel @VikingSagas, which is beyond fantastic. He uses the public-domain WC Green translation of the saga, which differs slightly in language but is otherwise the same. I’m very glad of it, too, because I was on the verge of DNFing this one, but the audiobook saved me from that.
Overall, this was a great saga! This was my first novel-length saga (not counting Poul Anderson’s Hrolf Kraki’s Saga), and it was much more exciting than I anticipated! It’s pretty action-packed and while the various sub-plots can get confusing, the characters and theme progression make up for it. I wouldn’t suggest reading this if you’re just getting into the Icelandic sagas, but if you’re already interested in them, definitely give this a read!
Speaking of character arcs, Egil’s was fantastic. In the beginning of his story, he was a downright bad person and I had very little interest in him — but then he experiences sudden grief when his brother dies and his whole world perception changes. From this point on, we see him grow into a kind and honorable man.
I want to mention the poetry because the poetry in this saga is fantastic. Hermann Pálsson does a fantastic job of translating the poems in a poetic way — he keeps the alliteration present always, and even keeps rhyme-schemes when present. Absolutely beautifully done. The subject of the poems is also incredible, we get battle poems, love poems, praise poems, friendship poems, grief poems, etc. I loved everything about the poetry in this saga.
Speaking of miscellaneous things I loved, there were a few really cool fight scenes in this book. There were a lot of battles described, but there were a few one-on-one fights that were described in detail that were simply awesome. I didn’t expect that from a medieval Icelandic saga, but I’m very much here for it.
There were some things I didn’t like, though; there were sections I didn’t think were very necessary. Everything in Vermaland didn’t seem to have any bearing on the overall plot, and the petty feud between Thorstein and Steinar wasn’t necessary to Egil’s story at all. This doesn’t have anything to do with the translation, and it’s understandable given that there were different standards in medieval Iceland for stories, but still. I didn’t prefer it.
Speaking of things I didn’t really like, the middle section of this saga was hard for me to get through. I was very invested in Thorolf, Skallagrim, and Kveldulf’s stories that when Egil came along I didn’t really care all too much. It didn’t help that Egil wasn’t a very likable character. For a while, I detested him. He does go through change, though, and becomes much less insufferable. But by that point, my brain was already burnt out by the story. I ended up listening to Ulf Crow’s audiobook narration on his YouTube channel @VikingSagas, which is beyond fantastic. He uses the public-domain WC Green translation of the saga, which differs slightly in language but is otherwise the same. I’m very glad of it, too, because I was on the verge of DNFing this one, but the audiobook saved me from that.
Overall, this was a great saga! This was my first novel-length saga (not counting Poul Anderson’s Hrolf Kraki’s Saga), and it was much more exciting than I anticipated! It’s pretty action-packed and while the various sub-plots can get confusing, the characters and theme progression make up for it. I wouldn’t suggest reading this if you’re just getting into the Icelandic sagas, but if you’re already interested in them, definitely give this a read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, Slavery, Gaslighting, and War