Norse Mythology

Neil Gaiman,long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fictionpresents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok. In Norse MythologyGaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odinthe highest of the highwisedaringand cunning; ThorOdinΓÇÖs sonincredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and LokiΓÇöson of a giantΓÇöblood 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 deitiesdwarfsand giants. Through GaimanΓÇÖs deft and witty prosethese gods emerge with their fiercely competitive naturestheir susceptibility to being duped and to duping othersand their tendency to let passion ignite their actionsmaking these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.