Old Tales Made New | ‘Norse Mythology’ by Neil Gaiman
A good book is a truly dangerous thing. It will make you miss your tram stop, be late for work, overstay your lunch break, ignore your loved ones, stay up late, and spend too much money on coffee (or tea, or beer) as page after page slips away in some well-lit corner of a cafe (or bar).
Amongst the instigators of these crimes against regular life, Neil Gaiman is certainly one of the most guilty. He expresses no remorse for the chaotic upending of your carefully constructed routine; in fact he seems to delight in condemning anyone foolish enough to pick up one of his books to hours upon hours of disconnection from the world around them.
It would come as no surprise to find Gaiman and his ilk huddled around a table, comparing diabolical plans:
"That's nothing. I've just published a retelling of 'Norse Mythology'. They'll have to put up barriers to stop people from walking into traffic with their noses buried in it."
Gaiman’s ‘Norse Mythology’ is a glorious piece of writing. Whether you’re brand new to the legends of Odin and his court of complex gods or a practiced student back for more, this retelling is unique in its style and clarity.
Gathered from various collections and interpretations, ‘Norse Mythology’ starts at the beginning and finishes at the end. Gaiman’s unique voice, warm and humorous, introduces us to the creation of the world, guides us through the lives (and deaths) of the gods themselves, and then finishes with a flourish upon the bloodied battlefield of Ragnarok.
Be prepared to meet gods and goddesses, giants and mortals and strange creatures that lurk at the fringes of life as you know it. There’s so much magic in these characters, but their flaws and struggles put them firmly within the realms of believability. There are moments when you could look up from a piece of dialogue expecting the speaker to be sitting before you, someone solid you could reach out and touch, so clearly can you hear their voices in the text.
Gaiman’s refusal to succumb to the temptation of density that afflicts many fantasy authors makes ‘Norse Mythology’ a unique joy. He paints this world in broad, expressive strokes, trusting our imaginations to fill in the gaps. He tells us that Freya is beautiful and her hair is gold, because that’s relevant to the story, but the exact shape of her beauty is up to us to decide. Such an approach is reminiscent of the source material, originally oral histories, from which Gaiman has gathered these myths, and ultimately affords the retelling an air of authenticity that would be lacking with a more detail-oriented style. These are myths, not fictions, meaningful legends that lived in the hearts of those who told and retold them across generations. Gaiman’s style effortlessly captures that weight, without sacrificing any of the magic and depth of the characters and their stories.
Gaiman’s artful brevity also makes ‘Norse Mythology’ immensely accessible for younger readers (although not too young - these gods lived dangerous and often cruel lives), and it absolutely begs to be read aloud.
There is absolutely nothing negative that can be said about ‘Norse Mythology’, except perhaps that you read it at your own risk: anything else you planned to do that day will be offered up as a sacrifice to these reborn gods.
‘Norse Mythology’ is available from your local bookstore, including independents Embiggen Books in Melbourne, Australia - because we have to support the little guys! RRP $27.99 for paperback.
