The opening chapters of the book introduce readers to the key “players” in the stories to come by describing a bit about the characters’ origins and personalities. In other words, it’s classic Neil Gaiman story-telling fodder. Neil Gaiman retells the stories with simplicity and humor and small dashes of unsettling observations thrown in for good measure. However, I am super glad I decided to give this book a shot. I only really knew a bit about Thor, Loki, and Odin thanks to those movies, and I had never heard of many of the other characters and creatures explored in Gaiman’s short stories. Up until reading Norse Mythology my only experience with the Norse gods was via the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 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. 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. 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.

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. So, if you like what you read, please consider using a link!** If you click on the link and purchase something, I receive monetary compensation that I use to help support my blog.

Norse mythology neil gaiman sparknotes