The magician of storytelling metamorphosis brings a characteristic playfulness to this fresh and vibrant reincarnation the ice and fire tales of Valhalla.
"As I retold these myths, I tried to imagine myself a long time ago, in the lands where these stories were first told, during the long winter nights perhaps, under the glow of the northern lights or sitting outside in the small hours, awake in the unending daylight of midsummer." - Neil Gaiman
Gather round, this is where the stories are born. This is where the world was made.
Picture it: about you, mile upon mile of sparkling, moonlit rock and snow. Above, the flickering magic of the aurora borealis, an electric-blue contrast to the warm fire where the storyteller weaves his words. He talks of playful, careless, wrathful gods, stories of immortal forces battling under freezing, star-filled skies.
The great Norse myths are woven into the fabric of our storytelling – from Tolkien, Alan Garner and Rosemary Sutcliff to Game of Thrones and Marvel Comics. They are also an inspiration for Neil Gaiman’s own award-bedecked, bestselling fiction.
Now our greatest living fantasist reaches back through time to the original source stories in a thrilling and vivid rendition of the great Norse tales.
Gaiman’s gods are thoroughly alive on the page – irascible, visceral, playful, passionate – and the tales carry us from the beginning of everything to Ragnarök and the twilight of the gods. Galvanised by Gaiman’s prose, Thor, Loki, Odin and Freya are irresistible forces for modern readers and the crackling, brilliant writing demands to be read aloud around an open fire on a freezing, starlit night.
*Design may vary
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN: 9781408891957
Number of pages: 304
Weight: 273 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
Brilliant … Somehow he brings us close to this world of mountains and cataracts, monsters and elves - Sunday Times Book of the Week
It’s virtually impossible to read more than ten words by Neil Gaiman and not wish he would tell you the rest of the story … The halls of Valhalla have been crying out for Gaiman to tell their stories to a new audience. Hopefully this collection will be just the beginning - Natalie Haynes, Observer
There have been countless retellings of the Norse myths, but few that give them the everyday immediacy of Neil Gaiman’s wry, punchy phrasing and delivery. You feel that bumbling Thor, wise Odin, fabulous Freya and the wily Loki are part of him - The Times
Gaiman retells the Norse sagas in his own lucid, laid-back style, teasing out the humour and absurdity inherent in the source material … An honest retelling that betrays an abiding personal passion for the exploits of dim-witted Thor, mercurial Loki, bombastic Odin and the rest - Financial Times
Beautifully told and a lot of fun - Mail on Sunday
A bold undertaking … An excellent introduction to the stories that wield such great cultural significance - Economist
Gaiman’s voice is engaging; often quirkily humorous … The author’s affection for the characters shines out from every page, and the narrative, always crisp and direct, combines an adult’s insight with a childlike sense of wonder at the magic of it all - Joanne Harris, Spectator
Gaiman’s characteristically limpid, quick-running prose keeps the dramatic impetus of the medieval texts … His telling of the tales is for children and adults alike, and this is both right and wise, it being the property of genuine myth on many levels - Ursula K. Le Guin, Guardian
It’s the perfect moment to become acquainted with Gaiman’s eerie, fantastical writing. In his latest book, he recasts the Nordic sagas as gripping human dramas, putting flesh and blood on the slippery Loki, the hard-charging Odin and others - Irish Independent
His work draws you in and eats you up with new worlds and ideas - Metro
The ideal person to present these stories for a contemporary audience. He approaches the stories with a lightness of touch … There’s humour throughout - SFX
See long-dead Nordic legends brought vividly to life in this latest [book] from the master of the dark fairytale - National Geographic
Stories that predate the Vikings retold in clear modern English by a master storyteller. These ancient Norse myths have been skillfully adapted from various sources into something not only informative but also highly... More
In these fractious times, tales of bombastic and larger than life characters such as the Norse Gods and heroes show that we have always had a need for tall tales and the great personalities that myths provide to... More
I was delighted to hear about this book and enjoyed learning more about Nordic mythology. But the lack of reference to current Nordic sources or tradition was confusing. It is not clear how much time the author has... More
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