Old Norse Literature discussion

Good day !
I am asking you all for suggestions : i am looking for one or more titles of books about norse mythology that are pleasant to read. So, not only the information in the book(s) is important, but also the prose. Thank you in advance :)
Meikoningin

Adults or children?

Hi Rachel,

thank you for your reply ! I am looking for (a) book(s) for adults. Something else i forgot to mention : i would like the book(s) to be in norwegian.

Wishing you a lovely evening,
Meikoningin

Hm. I do read Norwegian, but I can't help you there. I've seen some for kids, but not adults. I'll keep an eye out.

Hi everyone!
I see this group is active, and the discussion looks like a good place for my questions.

I'm in the middle of a (tentative) reading project on Old Norse, and suggestion on books and editions are welcome.
As an introduction, after Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman I'm reading The Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings by Kevin Crossley-Holland. Next are the Poetic Edda (I've seen the translation by Carolyne Larrington mentioned elsewhere in the group) and the Prose Edda (of hich I have the standard edition in my language, Italian) and, before moving to the Icelandic sagas, probably Beowulf, just because I've never read it. There are famous translations by J.R.R. Tolkien and Seamus Heaney as well as Crossley-Holland himself. Which do you recommend? Which other books do you recommend?
Thanks!

A.G.E. wrote: "There are famous translations by J.R.R. Tolkien and Seamus Heaney as well as Crossley-Holland himself. Which do you recommend?"

I liked both well enough, but if your goal is comprehension, Tolkien's might be better. It also has a decent amount of notes, as I recall.

My understanding is that there is some influence of Finnish myth on the character of Odin, & similarly of Baltic myth on the character of Thor. You might look into the Kalevala & related studies (of which I unfortunately have no knowledge), or the works of Algirdas Greimas, of which the only relevant one in English (tr. Milda Newman) is Of Gods and Men: Studies in Lithuanian Mythology.

Thanks again.
Yeah, I was planning a Tolkien-Heaney-(Crossley-Holland) sequence.
Interesting insights on Baltic mythology; there are various references in The Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings and elsewhere. The shamanic elements in particular, which as far as I can tell are an important part of Norse mythology, seem to come from across the Baltic (and probably much forther beyond).

Re the Eddas....Jackson Crawford’s Poetic Edda is good and readable. The Penguin for the Prose Edda is also good. Re Beowulf, we are blessed with good translations. Much depends on what you want to get out of it. Tolkien’s is incomplete. Heaney is a thing of beauty. I usually teach Roy Liuzza’s translation fromBroadview Press.