Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is a great author. I’ve read and enjoyed a few of his other books and Norse Mythology is the latest addition. I didn’t read the synopsis before reading Norse Mythology because I know any Neil Gaiman read is a good read, if not great, because he is a master in storytelling.

Norse Mythology is a retelling of an ancient myth. It is a collection of stories of a dysfunctional family of powerful gods including Odin, Thor and Loki. The book begins with the introduction of Asgard and ends with the destruction of it. The different stories have  different characters but with either Odin, Thor or Loki in it. Some stories were short, some were long. Some of my favorites include A Mead of Poets, The Treasures of Gods, and Freya’s Unusual Wedding.

The characters were such a mood. Thor has such a passion for eating. But he was an idiot, too. In a charming way, I must say. 🙂 I liked how Freya is often fed up with Thor and Loki. Loki is my favorite character, what a savage. For most parts, he was the central character. It seems to me that Neil Gaiman loves Loki the most among these gods. Ha! Many of the characters were the same throughout the story but I loved what he did with Loki’s character and what it did to me as a reader who liked Loki a lot. Loki didn’t actually change much but my opinion of him has changed. I think the same thing happened for many of the readers — it has made the reader feel different. I’m sure many readers liked Loki so much in the beginning, it was really easy to like him. Then in the end, it was also very easy to hate him thus, he becomes the reader’s least favorite character. Well, it’s easy to think and write of a character change but I think, only a skilled writer can make you change your opinion without having to tell you to. And that is what Gaiman just did so well.

Norse Mythology is a quick, magical and  easy read. It is a well-written book and one you can easily enjoy. It is a good feeling to be immersed in the world of Asgard. 

Quotable Quotes:

“That was the thing about Loki. You resented him even when you were at your most grateful, and you were grateful to him even when you hated him the most.”

“Rebirth always follows death.”

“Each insult is woven with just enough truth to make it wound.”

Rating: 5/5 stars

Circe by Madeline Miller

If you are into mythology, well even if you aren’t actually, you should read this book.

This is the first book I’ve read written by Madeline Miller and it’s surprisingly good. I loved her writing style as well as the character developments. The story was also packed with myths, gods and goddesses and it was fun to come across familiar names.

I haven’t heard much about Circe herself actually apart from her being a witch and turning men to pigs. Madeline Miller did a great job giving life to Circe’s character. She also was able to write the story like as if Circe was telling the story herself. I liked the way she grew and developed throughout the book and the ending was indeed meaningful.

Highly engaging, enjoyable and wonderful read.

Quotable Quotes:

“Beneath the smooth, familiar face of things is another that waits to tear the world in two.”

“I had no right to claim him, I knew it. But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.”

“Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep.”

“I would say, some people are like constellations that only touch the earth for a season.”

“You cannot know how frightened gods are of pain. There is nothing more foreign to them, and so nothing they ache more deeply to see.”

Rating: 4/5 stars