Odd is an unusual sort for a Viking boy. His father was killed while out on a raid and before his mother remarried he went out to provide for them and a tree fell and crushed one of his legs. Now the winter isn't ending as it should and everyone is getting crankier as a result. Odd decides to escape his house (and his stepfather) and stay in his father's workshop to get away from all of it. While there, he is summoned by a fox to help a trapped bear. The fox is really Loki and the bear is Thor while the raven flying overhead is Odin. They have been trapped in these forms by a Frost Giant that has taken over Asgard and Odd may be just the one person in all the realms who can help them trick the giant and regain their forms.
A lovely tale and I love that it's Odd's cheerfulness and cleverness that wins the day rather than brute strength.
Page count: 117p/13,124p ytd/263,084p lifetime
Showing posts with label mythology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mythology. Show all posts
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
91:120 Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris
Norse mythology told from the point of view of Loki, the trickster god. In it are all the familiar tales of Loki and the Aesir Gods: Odin, Thor, Sif, Heimdall, Frey, Freya, Idun, etc. We have the stories of Sif's hair, Freya's necklace, Thor's hammer, etc. leading up to and including Ragnarok.
I love mythology in general and this was held out for me as something that would likely interest me by my favorite bookstore (the last book they would ever do so as they closed soon after). I've read the author before, she has good Norse mythology credentials, and the first couple of lines drew me in so I was prepared for a good, fun romp though the legends from a witty and irreverent narrator.
I didn't get that.
What I got instead was the same basic stories that I've read before from a slightly different point of view but not with any great depth of insight, just a different camera angle. Loki's voice was whiny without adding anything of any value. He never grew as a character. His great plans would frequently be more like a pebble in a stream than an avalanche of anything.
In short, it was boring and a slog to read. I wanted so much to enjoy it but I had to force myself to finish it. I kept holding out hope that it would get better and in truth, by the end Loki was a bit less whiny but really, that's the best thing I can say about it.
Page count: 280p/23,953p ytd/238,885p lifetime
I love mythology in general and this was held out for me as something that would likely interest me by my favorite bookstore (the last book they would ever do so as they closed soon after). I've read the author before, she has good Norse mythology credentials, and the first couple of lines drew me in so I was prepared for a good, fun romp though the legends from a witty and irreverent narrator.
I didn't get that.
What I got instead was the same basic stories that I've read before from a slightly different point of view but not with any great depth of insight, just a different camera angle. Loki's voice was whiny without adding anything of any value. He never grew as a character. His great plans would frequently be more like a pebble in a stream than an avalanche of anything.
In short, it was boring and a slog to read. I wanted so much to enjoy it but I had to force myself to finish it. I kept holding out hope that it would get better and in truth, by the end Loki was a bit less whiny but really, that's the best thing I can say about it.
Page count: 280p/23,953p ytd/238,885p lifetime
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