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★★★★★
Have you ever read the Prose Edda or the Poetic Edda? Painful. Gaiman's Norse Mythology is a joy.
Some complain that when compared to Gaiman's other works, Norse Mythology falls a bit flat. The goal of this project was not to tell new stories, but to breath new life into the old stories. Gaiman stays true to the source materials and presents the stories of Thor and Odin and Loki and all of the Norse gods in a language that feels fresh and engaging. I've worked my way through the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda and they are anything but an easy read. The prose of a millennia past is something of a hot mess. Gaiman has done all of the painful research for us and given us the old stories gift-wrapped in tight, modern language and a clarity and singular narrative that old Snorri Sturluson was incapable of providing. If you want new and exciting stories about Thor and the gang, pick up a Marvel Comic book or Rick Riodan's Magus Chase series. But if you have a genuine academic interest in the old Norse stories, you'll learn more from spending a day with Gaiman's Norse mythology than you will learn from spending a year sifting through the Prose and Poetic Edda and it will be a hell of a lot more fun.
February 2017 · Books · verified purchase