Challenge Corner discussion

Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki?son of a giant?blood 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 deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

The treasures of the gods (view spoiler)[ Wow I'm loving these so far! They've actually been lining up with what I know of Norse myth so I guess I'm not completely clueless about this stuff. And I'm really not sure what to feel about Loki--I want to like him but he's also such a pain in the ass. (hide spoiler)]

Freya's Unusual Wedding (view spoiler)[ HAHAHA THOR IN A WEDDING DRESS-- I remember this from the magnus Chase series. Damn Rick you're so good. I'm so glad Freya doesn't let the Aesir push her around and is like 'you guys fucked it up--you get to fix it (hide spoiler)]

The Story of Gerd and Frey (view spoiler)[ All I think about is Frey being Magnus's father and the sword of summer aka Jack. I like the little bits of romance that are thrown in between the Aesir and Vanir (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ Fucking Heimdall is a damn badass!! Taking down Loki and being like "No bitch you didn't win, life won". I like that rebirth always follows death. I hadn't heard the ending to Ragnorak that was portrayed here before. (hide spoiler)]

15%
(view spoiler)[I’m finding this book interesting so far. I enjoy reading about Greek mythology, but I have never branched out, so most of this is new to me (all I know is from the Thor movies!). (hide spoiler)]

35%
(view spoiler)[I love how strange things can get in mythological stories. They can get so weird, and the explanations can be so crazy. It makes you wonder how these stories came to be.
Side note: I’ve always noticed how mythological gods and goddesses are almost always portrayed negatively. They have tempers, cheat, find ways to get out of oaths, etc. (hide spoiler)]

58%
(view spoiler)[Apparently the Norse gods and goddesses, compared to the Greek ones, deal with mortal woes, such as hunger, aging, etc. They have ways to work around it, but I found it to be a contrast to many Greek myths where powerful beings don’t have to worry about those issues. Also, I feel bad for all the goddesses who keep getting stuck in bad deals made by the gods where they are forced to marry (usually to giants). Luckily they find ways out of those arrangements. (hide spoiler)]

75%
(view spoiler)[In Greek myths, the gods usually interact with humans often. I am noticing in these stories usually revolve around the gods and giants, dwarves, or elves. Mostly giants. (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[I started out kind of liking the stories, but I got a little bored towards the end of the book. The stories were all kind of similar. I wish they had more of a theme or a unique spin on why something exists (the closest was the one about poems). (hide spoiler)]

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RESTARTING AUGUST 5TH, 2021

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The children of Loki

(view spoiler)[ I feel horribly bad for the wolf-child. Odin could be argued to actually behave quite cowardly in many ways. I would have expected that being the All-father would somehow make you invincible? (hide spoiler)]

Thor's journey to the lands of the giants

(view spoiler)[ The giant's ruse was impeccable... it was entertaining to witness how the gods and their egos reacted to being defeated. (hide spoiler)]

Hymir and Thor's fishing expedition

(view spoiler)[ Thor is hugely over-powered and the gods' carelessness and disregard for everyone and everything becomes a little frustrating after a few stories (hide spoiler)]

Loki's last days

(view spoiler)[ He really had it coming... i never understood why he did the mean and degrading things that he conspired into existence.
i feel sorry for his wife though because she feels an obligation to stand by his side although he has mainly caused issues for the gods (hide spoiler)]

Sorry, I got stuck with another book. I am finally going to start it today. Glad to see that you liked it, Isabel.

Read up to Thor's journey to the lands of the giants.

My knowledge of Norse myths is limited to Marvel movies, so I'm really enjoying this one. (view spoiler)[ Although I must say that these gods are pretty nasty. Most of the time they are scheming or tricking people, the worst was with Loki's children. Also how they keep making deals involving marrying off their goddesses is irritating, albeit Thor in a wedding dress was hilarious.

I think, if I accept Gaiman's version true to the original myths, then it only shows how people created their Gods in ancient times in their own images. The Gods have the same flaws as humans, same worries about aging and hunger, and the same misogynistic and racist mentalities. I always find mythologies interesting precisely because how flawed all the Gods are in these stories. They are just like people with alot of power. (hide spoiler)]

Baldur's story (view spoiler)[ These Gods are strange. If Frigg didn't go trying to protect her son, they would not have the party and Loki would not have managed to get Baldur killed. They just made the prophecy self-fulfill itself (hide spoiler)]

Loki's last days (view spoiler)[ I felt sorry for him and more his wife and children. He did create enough of problems but the other gods weren't much better. And the punishment they made for him was straight cruel. Why kill his children? No wonder he wanted Ragnarok (hide spoiler)]