Library Book Review – Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Library Book

Genre: Mythology Retelling

Number of Pages: 304

📖PLOT SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS📖

Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok. 

In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.

Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

💭THOUGHTS💭 

I wanted to try and get another Mythology Retelling under my belt and thought that I would try this one, based on Norse Mythology (hence the title!). I have to say that whilst it was better than Circe, it was still just an average read for me, with my interest wandering at some points. What it did have in it’s favour was that it was split into little short stories. The only thing I would say is that sometimes the timelines in the separate stories seemed to be a bit off as if some of the stories happened at the same time, but they had to be done separately and therefore the timeline didn’t quite flow (or it might have been me misunderstanding what was going on).

The writing was good, but I did sometimes get confused with what was going on. This could be because I haven’t read any Norse Mythology before and I am therefore not familiar with the words. There was a helpful glossary at the back but I didn’t see it until I had finished reading the book (on my phone).

There weren’t chapters as such, but short stories. Some of the stories were split, but on the whole they were just one “chapter” each. As the stories were short there was a good pace to the book as a whole. Nothing dragged. The stories did have detail in, but they weren’t over the top. You could tell that each was a story that you could sit and tell your friends and family in one sitting.  

The characters were the gods and goddesses of old, told through word of mouth stories. It was fascinating to learn about the different gods. The only things I knew were what I had seen from the Marvel films, so my knowledge was very limited! 

The settings were fantastical and interesting to read about. It gave a whimsical quality to the stories. 

Overall an average read for me but possibly something that I would read to my son when he is older. 

⭐Rated 3.5/5⭐

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