Read it? | Norse Mythology

I was SO EXCITED about this book.

It checked some good boxes for me:

• I have Scandinavian ancestors
• I love Neil Gaiman's books
• I love mythology

I looked for it at my local library but, they didn't have it. So, in my impatient excitement, I bought it new.

I couldn't wait to dive in. I've read a ton of health and science books for the last decade trying desperately to figure out my autoimmune situation. After awhile, that just becomes completely exhausting. So, lately, I've been working on reading more entertaining books. 

As I excitedly read page after page, I found myself feeling...off. With each story, I felt more and more deflated. I realized I was not enjoying reading this book. 

What was it though? The writing seemed fine to me. I've always enjoyed Neil Gaiman's style. Then, I realized, I really ​didn't like the characters and what they did in the stories. I didn't like the decisions they made. I really didn't get it. That was an even bigger disappointment. It wasn't how the stories were being told, it was the stories themselves. Ugh.

​I had always wanted to dive into Norse mythology. I thought it would be similar to Greek mythology where there would be this greater wisdom you could glean. And, I thought maybe it would bring me closer to my Scandinavian ancestors if I could learn from their ancient wisdom. But, I found that to be missing. There were just so many decisions the gods made that I didn't get. 

​About halfway through the book I stumbled across this YouTube video about the oldest story known to man. The story has many iterations but is basically the same version of events and it was inspired by the movement of the stars in our sky. It made me wonder if these Norse mythologies were also inspired by the stars and if so, that explained the oddness of them and why they exist in the first place. Just having that perspective helped me have more patience with the book.

Anyway, I ended up reading the whole book and actually enjoyed a couple of the stories toward the end. I still recommend this book for anyone who isn't familiar with Norse mythology because I did appreciate learning more about the gods and the different realms. ​If I could go back in time, I'd buy a used copy or wait for the library to carry it. 

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