Product Description

Written in the thirteenth century, Njal's Saga is a story that explores perennial human problems-from failed marriages to divided loyalties, from the law's inability to curb human passions to the terrible consequences when decent men and women are swept up in a tide of violence beyond their control. It is populated by memorable and complex characters like Gunnar of Hlidarendi, a powerful warrior with an aversion to killing, and the not-so-villainous Mord Valgardsson. Full of dreams, strange prophecies, violent power struggles, and fragile peace agreements, Njal's Saga tells the compelling story of a fifty-year blood feud that, despite its distance from us in time and place, is driven by passions familiar to us all. This Penguin Classics edition includes an introduction, chronology, index of characters, plot summary, explanatory notes, maps, and suggestions for further reading.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65540 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-30
• Original language: Icelandic
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

About the Author
Robert Cook is Professor of English at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik.

Customer Reviews

Burnt Njal
As an Asatru heathen I have read many tales and sagas from Icelandic literature but by far Burnt Njal's saga is the best. As with many sagas the tale begins before the main characters are born and ends after they are long dead.
Njal's life is a slice of Icelandic history for all to read embelished with the folklore, magic and monsters that the Icelanders believed in.
If you are going to read only one saga in your Life then this should be it.