This short collection in Penguin’s Little Black Book series has a few dozen tales in verse by La Fontaine, many of them taken from Aesop’s fables. TheThis short collection in Penguin’s Little Black Book series has a few dozen tales in verse by La Fontaine, many of them taken from Aesop’s fables. They are generally witty and have nice twists that in many cases subvert conventional morals. Like the person who befriends a bear, the bear is helping him by swatting flies, ultimately swatting one on the man’s face with a large rock thus killing the man too. Or the frogs that have a democracy but want a king, then ask for a stricter king, and get a crane that eats all of them. I had never read La Fontaine before and was glad that I did, this was just about the perfect sized dose....more
A solid account of the Norse myths from the creation of the world to Ragnarok. Neil Gaiman retells the standard myths with relatively little deviationA solid account of the Norse myths from the creation of the world to Ragnarok. Neil Gaiman retells the standard myths with relatively little deviation from the original sources/standard retellings, although he makes the gods more consistent and understandable than they are in the original myths--rounding out the sharp edges and inconclusive or contradictory elements. What emerges is a deweirdization of the Norse myths that in many ways is the opposite of the direction that Gaiman normally takes his fiction. Still enjoyable--and Gaiman's reading on the audible version was very good....more
The Prose Edda is, in comparison to the Elder or Poetic Edda, literally prosaic. The framing by the compiler, Snorri Sturluson, that attempts to put NThe Prose Edda is, in comparison to the Elder or Poetic Edda, literally prosaic. The framing by the compiler, Snorri Sturluson, that attempts to put Norse mythology in the context of Christian belief and Ancient Greece is borderline bizarre/clunky. The epic itself tells most of the same story as the Elder Edda, often literally with text interspersed with verses from those poems, going from creation through Ragnarok—followed by a set of stories, many of them about the consequences of greed for gold. The myths themselves are, of course, epic. And it is interesting to read one of the main original sources. But the language/framing does not feel like it adds any new elements (unlike the fascinating poetry of the Elder Edda) and, in fact, seems almost worse than more recent compilations which in some ways have more coherence and artistry than what was itself a compilation nearly a millennium ago....more
Two extraordinary sets of stories in verse--the first set out the Norse cosmology from creation through destruction and the second set focus on the VoTwo extraordinary sets of stories in verse--the first set out the Norse cosmology from creation through destruction and the second set focus on the Volsungs, especially Sigurd the dragonslayer. Amazingly, only one copy of this was preserved from the Middle Ages, forming much of the source of our knowledge of Norse myths, and even this copy has a missing section--the lacuna. It is a collection so it moves backwards and forwards in time, often telling the same stories from different perspectives or in different ways. Some are more interesting than others and are worth re-reading (e.g., the first epic of creation through destruction) while others are more skimmable. What is particularly striking is the range from adventure to humor to drama to riddles and witty banter....more
I can't believe I missed this before, a short prose epic that focuses on the story of Sigurd the dragon slayer and his love triangle with Brynhild andI can't believe I missed this before, a short prose epic that focuses on the story of Sigurd the dragon slayer and his love triangle with Brynhild and Gudrun. The opening tells the brutal stories of several generations of Kings in the Volsung family leading up to Sigurd. Then comes the core story itself, followed by a lengthy after story that includes such historical figures as Attila the Hun. The language is simple, the stories are filled with amazing images and even plots, and it is mostly compulsively readable....more
A.S. Byatt's nearly straight retelling of Ragnarok, with a light framing around a girl growing up in WW II England and learning the stories for the fiA.S. Byatt's nearly straight retelling of Ragnarok, with a light framing around a girl growing up in WW II England and learning the stories for the first time through the book Asgard and the Gods. The frame works well, illuminating the myth itself which is told in beautiful but somewhat elliptical language. The first time I started this book I put it down in a certain amount of confusion, this time I was more familiar with the underlying Norse myths so found it much easier to enjoy the language and images without struggling to follow the storyline as well....more
This short set of stories about "hidden people" or elves of Iceland works really well as an integrated whole. While each story--ranging from 2 pages tThis short set of stories about "hidden people" or elves of Iceland works really well as an integrated whole. While each story--ranging from 2 pages to 15 pages--is a standalone piece, they also form an integrated whole telling about the origins of the hidden people and introducing a range of their key traits and behaviors. While they bear some resemblance to elves in other cultures, they have their unique set of traits, almost as a parallel but similar world next to but unseen by the human world (except when the hidden people choose otherwise). Each story is followed by a short explanation/interpretation by Alda Sigmundsdóttir which are in equal parts enlightening and amusing....more
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