Norse Mythology (Norton 100th Anniversary Edition, SIGNED 1st)

Gaiman, Neil

ISBN 10: 039360909X / ISBN 13: 9780393609097

Published by W. W. Norton & Company, 2022

About this Item

1st ed/1st printing, SIGNED by the author on a specially bound in signature page. This book is square, solid, and unread; the beautiful pictorial boards are solid and unblemished. The book is in a protective archival bag. No remainder marks. You'll feel as if lost in a dream realm, and imagine you've wandered over the fields and far way, beyond the fields we know once you've received this book! NOTE: A special re-issue to celebrate Norton's 100th anniversary as a publishing company, so this is the First Edition of that issue. Seller Inventory # 038179

Bibliographic Details

Title: Norse Mythology (Norton 100th Anniversary ...

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Publication Date: 2022

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Fine

Dust Jacket Condition: None (as issued)

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

Introducing an instant classic―master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.

Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales.

In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki―son of a giant―blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.

Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Once, when Thor’s hammer is stolen, Thor must disguise himself as a woman―difficult with his beard and huge appetite―to steal it back. More poignant is the tale in which the blood of Kvasir―the most sagacious of gods―is turned into a mead that infuses drinkers with poetry. The work culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and rebirth of a new time and people.

Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerge these gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

Review:

An Amazon Best Book of February 2017: Neil Gaiman putting his own fingerprints on the Norse myths? Cue the hyperventilation of delighted readers. That reaction is genuinely earned in this tight retelling, as Gaiman darts between a Tolkienesque tone in the epic origin stories and his own bright wit in the tales centering on the adventures of Thor, Loki, and Odin. Those new to Norse mythology might be astonished by how bizarre some details are. (For example, the ship made of the fingernails and toenails of the dead might make you wonder how much the Vikings genuinely enjoying sailing.) The doomsday of Ragnarok will cause a jolt of disquiet among those who are used to Hollywood endings, and Thor himself will be a surprise for those who are familiar with Hollywood Thor—but those surprises are often where the fun lies. Fans more well-versed in Norse myths should still appreciate the humor and spark that Gaiman infuses into the stories he has selected to retell, adding to the existing rich literature. Many who read Norse Mythology will make this volume their joyful leaping-off point into a strange and mesmerizing world of gods, giants, undead goats, betrayals, a slanderous squirrel, elves, dwarves, and Valkyries. And don't forget that ship made of the finger- and toenails of the dead. —Adrian Liang, The Amazon Book Review