Myths of the Norsemen (Puffin Classics)

One of my favourite books as a child, the writing is excellent and perfect for reading aloud. The Norsemen Myths themselves are fabulous stories and it really is not surprising that they have been mined so effectively by other writers, Marvel Comic's and of course Hollywood. This collection stands the test of time and is suitable both for young readers and adults who want to have a good solid introduction to the Norse Myths.

Classic retelling of a selection of Norse Myths. This is the go-to reference and makes for good reading as well. Having just read the Neil Gaiman version of these tales I have to say while Gaiman adds a certain style as you'd expect, I still prefer this version.

The only problem is that now my daughter thinks she's Loki. I think this is a good book and my daughter thinks so too!

Like many people my age I read this and his other books when I was young, but I also read them again when I was at university, and am reading them now again in my retirement. They are still entertaining and informative, well written and as close as you could reasonably go for the intended audience to the original tales which are composited for the sake of the continuing narrative. I do like how he tries to tell a Coherent story, from the coming of the gods to Ragnorok, the end. If you are a youngster there is something unsatisfying about the fragmentary nature of the originals, and the Norse myths are filled with blood and guts. To include this without turning the stomach is one of the author's great skills. Most importantly they make you want to know more, which is a key aim of such books. He is a shining light of children's literature and whilst now having a PhD, I still loved them.

Good product but I did not get the cover as pictured.

The Roger Lancelyn Green books are excellent introductions to the stories of the past. I own the volumes that Puffin has published in its Classics series but I find that this retelling of Norse mythology is a more cogent and focused story than the other books. As such it would be an ideal pace to start. All of Green's books present the stories in an accessible, clear and lively way. The retellings have a feeling for the original stories and are very atmospheric. However I note that this book has a clearer focus compared to the other books. The characters (Odin, Thor, Loki and the giants) are all well-drawn out and the focus is on the struggles of the gods of Asgard while they prepare for Ragnarok (i.e. doomsday.) In the other books there is comparatively less focus. This can be expected in volumes of disparate stories. Here, the focus is clearer. There is a slight digression when the book tells about Sigurd (i.e. the hero Siegfried of Wagner's Ring cycle). Even so this book still offers a tightly-told single-narrative retelling of the Nordic myths. I recommend this Roger Lancelyn Green book to any age, but all his retellings are recommendible to readers of all ages.

My 12 year old son is a lover of mythology having started with the Percy Jackson series and moved on from there. He is aware that Rick Riordan's next series will focus on Norse mythology and I got him this book to ensure he was familiar with the Norse myths. He devoured it in 3 days and raved about it. It has several positive reviews - well deserved. From what I can tell (I only skimmed it) it covers all of the key norse myths and provides a great foundation to understanding them. My 9 year old is reading it now and is enjoying it as well.

Again another great read for kids that has no horrible histories nonsense or post-modern twists and plays on words. I have no problems with post- modern literature other than the desire to name it as such. However, children need to understand the basics before they venture into more complex forms of narrative and this is great stuff for it.