A review by queer_bookwyrm
Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, torture, descriptions of blood and gore, murder
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman is is his way of compiling all the Norse stories he had access to, and rewriting them in a way modern readers can understand. He has also arranged the stories in some coherent order to create an overall narrative of the Norse Gods.
Gaiman explains at the beginning that a lot of stories about the Norse Gods are simply lost to time and oral tradition, so the stories only follow a handful of the gods, mostly Thor, Loki, Odin, Freya, and a few others.
I found this book to be extremely informative about the Norse God lore and the way the Norse understood our world and universe. These stories set the foundation for so many fantasy stories. Gaiman's comedic timing in this is perfect. I found myself chuckling regularly about Thor and Loki's antics.
Basically, Loki is ridiculous no matter who tells the story, Thor is the biggest himbo, Freya is tired of all the bullshit with people trying to constantly marry her off, and Fenris Wolf deserved better (especially from Tyr).
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman is is his way of compiling all the Norse stories he had access to, and rewriting them in a way modern readers can understand. He has also arranged the stories in some coherent order to create an overall narrative of the Norse Gods.
Gaiman explains at the beginning that a lot of stories about the Norse Gods are simply lost to time and oral tradition, so the stories only follow a handful of the gods, mostly Thor, Loki, Odin, Freya, and a few others.
I found this book to be extremely informative about the Norse God lore and the way the Norse understood our world and universe. These stories set the foundation for so many fantasy stories. Gaiman's comedic timing in this is perfect. I found myself chuckling regularly about Thor and Loki's antics.
Basically, Loki is ridiculous no matter who tells the story, Thor is the biggest himbo, Freya is tired of all the bullshit with people trying to constantly marry her off, and Fenris Wolf deserved better (especially from Tyr).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Gore, and Torture