A review by methylblue
The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson

funny informative lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

4.0

For those interested in the breaking down of the meter and poetic practices used in skaldic and Eddic poetry they might find a better use of their time in consulting modern resources. The writing style is somewhat crude, especially in the description on various metaphors used in old norse poetry. That being said, the myths and stories certainly retain their charm and I for one appreciate reading them in the abbreviated form used by Snorri Sturluson, even more than their poetic form sometimes. I was led to believe that the "Edda" translation by Anthony Faulkes is the best and having cross referenced some passages I have to agree. I recommend skipping Snorri's description of the meter and other things related to the poetry, found in the edition I mentioned, entirely. One could also argue for skipping the explanation of various metaphors but I don't encourage this entirely. They are quite beautiful and interesting and provide a window into the culture of nordic countries in antiquity and Early Middle Ages.
Skim through it and read what interests you in that part of the book. Also, don't take every fact mentioned off the cuff by Snorri seriously. I'm glad to have read this book, to anyone interested in the topic I suggest reading the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda as well.