Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2882 in Books
• Published on: 1996-10-31
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Synopsis
The Scandinavian myths form a linked chain of stories, creating a mighty, fantastical world teeming with gods and goddesses, master-smiths and magicians. Battles between gods and giants exist alongside unexpected love matches until the final days of destruction dawn, with their promise of rebirth. Using his talents as poet, translator and author, Kevin Crossley-Holland brings the myths alive. He reveals a dynamic culture in which is reflected the Norseman's spirit and confidence, his ruthlessness and cruelty, arrogance and generosity.

Customer Reviews

Making the gods live again
"Listen! Who can hear the sound of grass growing? The sound of wool on a sheep's back, growing? Who needs less sleep than a bird? Who is so eagle-eyed that, by day and night, he can see the least movement a hundred leagues away? Heimdall and Heimdall and Heimdall."

A skillful and muscular retelling of the Norse myths, full of the raw power of ancient kennings and strong Anglo-Saxon sounds. This book is as full of lusty laughter and mighty battles as any hall in Asgard, with the inevitable doom of Ragnarok hanging over all. A really delightful book that brings these thousand-year-old tales to life in the 21st century.

Must-have reference.
Finally I've found it: the book of tales of Odin, and Thor, and Bifrost, and Ragnarok! What a pleasure to read the tales that inspired so much of the world's fantasy literature! Here you'll find the background stories behind and the likes of Beowulf, the Nibelungenlied or the Volsungs' Saga, and obviously the roots of Professor Tolkien's own Middle-Earth mythology, so numerous are the similarities.

Not only are the thirty-two myths comprised in this translation very well told and captivating, but the introduction and notes are very complete and interesting, not to mention the very practical glossary and index. I haven't read Snorri Sturluson's Edda so I can't compare, but I'm pretty sure Kevin Crossley-Holland's is one of the best reference books on the subject, a must-have on one's shelf.

A review of the 'Norse myths'
The author retells the beautiful and colorful Norse mythology in an organized way which in it, it is comfortable to follow the development of the story and without losing in sense of Myth in the translation.
The many stories of that mythology are wonderful and capture the reader in the magical world of the Gods fighting against the giants and trying to keep their grip as rulers until the unavoidable Ragnarok.
The author also made good notes of each story which explains the story's origin and the introduction at the beginning of the book is very interesting and explains a lot about the Norse world and the development of its Mythology through the hundreds of years.
I recommend this book very much to the fans of this kind of literature, the Norse mythology is just fascinating and full of cleverness and humor.

Tal Katz.