Norse Gods

Name: Norse Gods
ISBN: 9787559416735

尼尔·盖曼 / 胡婧Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaDec 2021

4.3

Word count: 102K words
Chapters: 19
ISBN: 9787559416735

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Summary

Where did Thor's hammer come from? Why did Odin, the father of the gods, lose an eye? What exactly is Loki—neither wholly good nor wholly evil? In the two thousand years since their birth, the Norse myths have passed through countless retellings, and their original form has grown ever more obscure. Now Neil Gaiman, master of fantasy literature, has traced the threads of Norse mythology and, in a wholly new style, brought that splendid and magnificent mythological system back to life. From the World Tree to the Nine Worlds, from the birth of all things to the twilight of the gods, from the golden apples of youth to the giant wolf Fenrir… under Gaiman's pen the stories are reborn, and the gods rise one by one.

Editor's review

What Neil Gaiman offers is not academic scholarship but a retelling of the scattered Norse myths as a living, breathing collection of stories. From the structure of the World Tree to the arrangement of the Nine Worlds, from Odin trading an eye for wisdom to Thor losing his hammer, and on to Loki's origins and the final doom of Ragnarok, he clarifies the threads and, with a novelist's craft, brings the gods back to life. The book's value lies in its readability: it preserves the myths' roughness and absurdity without letting genealogies and names drown out the stories, so readers can quickly build an overall understanding of Norse mythology. It suits newcomers to fantasy literature and writers looking for source material. Read it as a story collection rather than a reference book—enjoy the plots first, then go back and sort out the relationships.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Newcomers to Norse mythology and fantasy worlds
Fans of Neil Gaiman's storytelling style in fantasy literature
Writers, game designers, and film and TV enthusiasts in need of mythological material
Readers looking for a short-story collection they can read in sections

Not a good fit for

Specialist researchers who need rigorous academic annotation and source criticism
Readers who prefer long, continuous plots and are unused to story-collection structures
Young children sensitive to the violence and absurdity in the myths

Reading tips

You don't need to memorize the genealogies first; start with the chapters on Thor and Loki to build an impression of the characters, then fill in the world's structure.
After each story, note in one sentence how it connects to what came before; looking back after finishing the book will make things clearer.
You can read this alongside the original Norse myths to see where Gaiman has novelized the material.
It works well for bedtime or commute reading in sections—each story takes about ten minutes, so there's no need to finish it in one sitting.

About the publisher

Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1958

Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House focuses on literary publishing while also covering the humanities, social sciences, and books on art and daily life. Its approximately 1,535 titles in the database span social novels, world history, design, science fiction, classic works, and film and television: they include modern Chinese literary classics by Lu Xun such as A Madman's Diary: The Complete Short Stories of Lu Xun, Call to Arms, Four Generations Under One Roof, and Teahouse, as well as foreign literary memoirs like Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday. In science fiction it offers Asimov's Galactic Empire series, while in architecture and art it publishes Liu Dunzhen's Classical Gardens of Suzhou and design titles from Phoenix Space. Its authors are concentrated among classic writers such as Lu Xun, Zweig, and Asimov, with translators including Liang Xijiang, Zhong Haonan, and Ye Lihua. Its overall character is built on classic works while embracing genre fiction and visual culture. Public information is limited, and this introduction is based on the titles in the database.

版权信息
序
第1章主角们
第2章在一切开始之前，以及之后
第3章世界之树和九大世界
第4章弥米尔的头颅和奥丁之眼
第5章诸神的宝物
第6章伟大的修筑工
第7章洛基的孩子们
第8章芙蕾雅的奇异婚礼
第9章诗之蜜酒
第10章托尔的巨人国之旅
第11章青春的金苹果
第12章葛德和弗雷的故事
第13章希密尔和托尔的捕鱼大冒险
第14章巴德尔之死
第15章洛基最后的日子
第16章诸神的黄昏：众神最后的命运
名词对照表

FAQ

How is this book different from an academic edition of Norse myths?

It is closer to a retelling than to research. Gaiman uses a novelist's craft to trace the threads of the World Tree, the Nine Worlds, and Ragnarok, preserving the myths' absurdity and roughness but offering no academic annotation or source criticism. Read this to get into the stories; for research, consult the original texts and academic works.

I've never encountered Norse mythology—will it be confusing?

No. Gaiman starts from the birth of the world and gradually introduces the main gods—Odin, Thor, Loki, and others—with stories that are relatively independent yet interconnected. Read in table-of-contents order; don't strain to memorize genealogical terms, and just follow the plots to build an overall impression.

Is Loki the villain of the book?

He can't be summed up simply as a villain. Loki is neither wholly good nor wholly evil—both a helper to the gods and a driver of Ragnarok. Gaiman preserves the ambiguity of his identity; readers see his cunning, changeable, and deeply destructive side, which is exactly what makes Norse mythological figures so complex.

Is it suitable for children?

That depends on age. The book preserves the myths' original violence and absurdity, which may not suit young children. Teenagers interested in fantasy stories can read it with parental or teacher guidance, as an entry point to understanding Western mythological systems.

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About the author

尼尔·盖曼 Author

Neil Gaiman is a widely noticed author in the field of contemporary fantasy literature, whose writing spans novels, prose, and essays. The collection holds thirteen of his works, including novels such as Good Omens, Norse Mythology, Neverwhere, The Graveyard Book, and The Anansi Boys, as well as the Neil Gaiman Fantasy Novel Trilogy and Literary Masters' Private Lectures (3 volumes). His writing often draws on myth, folklore, and ancient beliefs, weaving supernatural elements into everyday reality to create an atmosphere that is both real and illusory; his tone is sometimes humorous and quick-witted, sometimes gloomy and eerie, with abundant imagination and unhurried storytelling. His works are categorized as classics, foreign literature, otherworldly realms, science fiction, and prose essays, reflecting the breadth of his subjects and his cross-genre writing. Public information is limited, so biographical details are omitted, but his fantasy novels and essays have attracted readers of different ages.

胡婧 Author

Public information about Hu Jing is limited, and her nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background cannot currently be confirmed. Judging from the works held in the library, her writing and editorial interests span several fields: the otherworld-continent material drawn from myth and legend in Nordic Gods, foreign literature such as Lassie Come-Home, historical and local-studies reading such as Research on Towns in the Jiangnan Delta, and social-psychology topics such as The Emoji Code: How Smileys, Hearts and Likes Are Changing the Way We Communicate. These four works fall into different categories, suggesting that she does not confine herself to a single genre but moves between fictional narrative, historical material and contemporary social issues. In her handling of language she appears to value the interest and readability of the subject itself, tending to present fairly specialized knowledge in an accessible way. Given the limited material, no further judgment on her life or writing style is offered here.