Norse Stories - Retold From the Eddas #261980

<i>Norse Stories Retold from the Eddas</i> by Hamilton Wright Mabie is a refreshing read for the young and old alike. The author presents the original Scandinavian poetry in riveting prose and has succeeded in retaining the flavour of the Norse tales without losing anything to translation. <br><br>Hamilton Wright Mabie has made an excellent selection of myths that fill the 16 chapters in <i>Norse Stories Retold from the Eddas</i> and taken great care to sustain the chronology of events as they unfolded, starting with the creation of the world, moving on to the adventure and warfare with giants and culminating in the regeneration of the new world under the All-Father. While the valour of Thor and engrossing descriptions of battle and victory may tingle the imagination of younger readers, <i>Norse Stories Retold from the Eddas</i> is by no means a book meant only for children. It has hidden within it some moving messages of hope, peace and prosperity, which can only be truly appreciated by a more mature reader. <br><br>Mabie has kept the tone friendly and engaging. More importantly, he has resisted the all-consuming need to allegorize these beautiful stories and stuck to pure narrative which does absolute justice to the work. Readers can take a trip down memory lane by awakening the child within them with or read it as an adult to absorb the finer nuances of life, happiness and peace.