Jared Berg
Editor In Chief
A beautifully and meticulously constructed collection of fantastical vignettes, Neil Gaiman’s latest work, Norse Mythology, provides satisfying and enthralling reading for both the casual and serious reader. Upon reading Norse Mythology, fans of Gaiman’s earlier works will revel in another masterful addition to his canon, and casual readers will enjoy a delightful and imaginative retelling of one of the world’s great mythological canons.
Gaiman, perhaps the biggest name in contemporary literary fantasy next to George R.R. Martin, is best known for his works in novels such as American Gods, Stardust and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which was 2014’s winner of the esteemed Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. Norse Mythology, which was released on February 7, is a unique addition to Gaiman’s canon. Norse Mythology is not a contemporary re-envisioning of these classical tales, but rather a canonically honest retelling of this set of cultural fables. As Gaiman said in a recent interview with The New York Times, “I’m trying to write a book that a Norse scholar is not going to go, ‘He’s got it so completely wrong.’ But I’m not telling it for a Norse scholar. What I want to do is tell [the reader] the story and make it work as a story.”
Gaiman manages the tough task of making a particularly tricky set of myths flow in a logical and poetic manner. Norse mythology is infamous for being rife with inconsistencies, mostly owing to the dearth of proper source material. While a fascinating example of how oral traditions develop and diverge, it is not the most appealing material for a contemporary author attempting to construct an appealing collection that reads like a novel. Unsurprisingly, given Gaiman’s characteristic wit, intellect and humor, Norse Mythology more than lives up to this unenviable task. In a novel spanning from the dawn of time to the final reckoning of the gods, Gaiman weaves his vignettes in a way that makes a complicated story cogent.
Particularly delightful chapters include “Freya’s Unusual Wedding,” in which Thor goes undercover as the goddess Freya in order to steal his hammer back from the giants and “The Master Builder,” wherein Odin commissions a giant to build a wall around Asgard. Gaiman’s rendition of this story cycle provides a particularly welcome portrayal of Freya. Whereas the conventional renditions of these myths treat Freya as a pawn in the games of her male counterparts, Gaiman provides Freya with a cleverness and brutal sense of humor that illuminates her character and agency.
The work of not only a talented author but a passionate scholar, Gaiman’s affinity for the Norse myths is evident throughout the book’s 300-odd pages, as Gaiman writes in a manner that portrays not only mastery over, but genuine affection for, his source material. Although a departure in style from his usual works, Norse Mythology demonstrates the full range of Gaiman’s talent. For someone who writes screenplays and New York Times bestsellers in equal measure, this accomplishment is no small feat.