I love Neil Gaiman, and I like reading myths and legends, and this book was … bland? It is a straight retelling of much of the Snorri Edda, adding some detail from the Poetic Edda in places. Gaiman adds fine details, and a tongue-in-cheek view of the gods, but never overdoing things - it would be easy to make fun of Thor, Loki, the giants … all the time, but he does it in places, and in a very low-key (hah!) way.
Owing to the fact that Neil Gaiman did not add too much of his own voice to those stories (which is a decision I greatly appreciate!), the book does feel like “just” a collection of Norse myths, made nice and palatable to a modern audience. Which it is, and which it wants to be, so 5/5 stars for fulfilling its purpose - it’s just not a convincing star book for me.
Any opinion I could reasonably have is better expressed by Ursula K. le Guin’s review.
