Another hallmark text from Medieval Europe, and another portal to the Norse world. Egils saga Skallagrimssonar is one of those thoroughly enjoyable piAnother hallmark text from Medieval Europe, and another portal to the Norse world. Egils saga Skallagrimssonar is one of those thoroughly enjoyable pieces of classic writing that simultaneously work splendidly as an entryway into Medieval literature for the uninitiated, and has plenty to offer seasoned veterans as well. The skilfully crafted narration is easy to follow, yet so rewarding to analyse a little deeper.
As most sagas, it is remarkably short and concise, yet (at some risk of sounding like 'everything was better back in the day!') fits more brilliant storytelling and character development into its modest size than your average modern-day 700-page brick. The protagonist Egill himself is of course one of the most memorable characters in the saga genre. From his anti-heroism to his social maneuvering, from his jovial yet violent nature to his strained relationships with relatives and kings, his personality and its development remains intriguing throughout the text.
Not to mention that it's pretty much a fantasy novel with roots in history. A little haunting, a little shapeshifting, a little skull-splitting, and a lot of political intrigue, family drama and revenge plots.
In short, it has a little bit of everything. This means that in my eyes it lacks the enchanting effect of masterpieces such as Njáls saga or Laxdæla saga, or indeed the more historically rooted kings' sagas (which I usually work with), but there is little doubt that Egils saga is a wondrous tale....more
It took me a quarter of a century as a passionate lover of mythology and fantasy to read Le Morte d'ArThe ultimate piece of Arthurian legend? Perhaps.
It took me a quarter of a century as a passionate lover of mythology and fantasy to read Le Morte d'Arthur, and in the end I only did so because I've started regularly encountering and listening to people who know much more about Arthurian literature than I do. Sadly, the... academic approach lead me to get little enjoyment out of this. I'm sure it's great, but I couldn't enjoy it like I can modern iterations of the mythos like The Winter King and The Mists of Avalon, my two favourite Arthurian stories.
This work, which I should probably refer to as a masterpiece, has such an interestingly unique position in the literary canon. It is perhaps the most important, most known work, but it occupies a weird middle position between modern adaptations, of which there are seemingly millions, and considerably older works, of which there are also quite many. Geoffrey of Monmouth comes to mind, and I strangely enjoyed his silly "history" much more, possibly because of the attempted "historical" voice.
Still, Malory is thoroughly fascinating in his own right, for his influences on our thinking not just about King Arthur and his buddies, but about knights and chivalry and the Medieval world in general.
And since I'm trying to check off all the important works of Arthurian writing, Le Morte d'Arthur is, of course, unmissable....more
Another strange little example of the great variety of Old Norse literature, and another good starting point for anyone interesting in getting into thAnother strange little example of the great variety of Old Norse literature, and another good starting point for anyone interesting in getting into the sagas (just like most of the famous family sagas are).
Grettis saga tells the tale of Grettir the Strong, and his decades spent as an outlaw in Medieval Iceland, living on the edge of a society that is already on the edge of Medieval society. It contains a good saga dose of absurdly graphical violence, magical swords, some courthouse drama, and ghosts (!). Somehow, it manages, like to many of these, to end in Constantinople.
And Grettir himself is pretty badass, of course....more
A powerful tale of humanity in the face of crisis, The Plague is arguably one of the most depressing books I have read. Not because of all the pestileA powerful tale of humanity in the face of crisis, The Plague is arguably one of the most depressing books I have read. Not because of all the pestilence, panic and death, but because of all the gripping side stories coming forward in the midst of it all.
I cannot say I enjoyed this book, but it is a classic for a reason, and poses a variety of questions and thoughts worth pondering....more
'Tell me one thing, Mother,' he asks, 'whom did you love most?'
One of the most well-known of the Old Norse sagas, the Laxdæla Saga follows Guðrún 'Tell me one thing, Mother,' he asks, 'whom did you love most?'
One of the most well-known of the Old Norse sagas, the Laxdæla Saga follows Guðrún Ósvifsdóttir and her kinsfolk in the Icelandic region of Laxriverdale. Guðrún is mythically revered as the most beautiful woman in the history of Iceland, and the saga details the history of her life and her four very different marriages, through romantic and violent tragedies of all sorts. In the end, the twists and turns and mysteries of her love life are left up to the reader to wonder about.
As one of the Icelandic family sagas, the story of Guðrún is based on true events, but with a rather fluid sense of historical truth beyond this. Most of the saga should be treated as fictitious embellishment, but appreciate it as simply a fantastic story, and that is what you shall receive. An excellent tale of a strong and independent woman and her changing fortunes, in love, grief and vengeance.
Much of medieval literature remains rather obscure to the modern reader (aside from those few of us who spend our lives living in the past), especially when it comes from such a small and seemingly insignificant corner of the world. But the Laxdæla Saga is a rather accessible story which not only has withstood the test of time remarkably, but commands a literary quality beyond the capabilities of most modern authors....more
”He felt no regrets as the work of a lifetime was swept away. He had labored to take man to the stars, and now the stars — aloof, indifferent stars”He felt no regrets as the work of a lifetime was swept away. He had labored to take man to the stars, and now the stars — aloof, indifferent stars — had come to him. The human race was no longer alone.”
Out of the authors emerging from the golden age of science fiction, Isaac Asimov is undoubtedly the greatest, but after reading this, I think Arthur C. Clarke might be my favourite. ...more
Reading parts of this again for work, and realised I never reviewed this absolutely massive book.
One of the most fascinating (and distorted) works of Reading parts of this again for work, and realised I never reviewed this absolutely massive book.
One of the most fascinating (and distorted) works of history ever written, created by one of the most famous (and biased and opinionated) historians of all time.
Steinbeck is another classic author that is more or less mandatory to check off the list. This was an interesting book, although in my eyes not a greaSteinbeck is another classic author that is more or less mandatory to check off the list. This was an interesting book, although in my eyes not a great one.
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