Customer Reviews

Odd and the Frost Giants

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Neil Gaiman really, really likes writing about gods, and that's okay. If American Gods is the solid, upstanding one that works hard and takes its job seriously and Anansi Boys is its younger brother that pops by in the middle of the night with some beer and a couple of friends, Odd and the Frost Giants is the youngest brother of all, the third child who goes around climbing into magical wardrobes when the others aren't looking (it wouldn't shut the doors properly, mind, because Odd is the type to know that it's very foolish to shut oneself inside a wardrobe).

In a Viking settlement in Norway, long ago, winter seems to be stretching on forever. Odd, a boy with a crushed foot who doesn't fit in with his stepfamily, runs away from home when he can no longer stand to be in close quarters with them. He ends up following after an unusually insistent fox, starting on an adventure that will throw him in with the gods in a fight to defeat the frost giants (well, giant, anyway) and save his village from endless winter.

Odd and the Frost Giants is a novella written for World Book Day as part of a promotion to get kids reading (schoolchildren in the UK and Ireland are each given a token that can be redeemed for one of the novellas specially written for the occasion). If this book doesn't work, I don't know what will; it's everything a children's book should be - high adventure, mythology, magic, talking animals, a good sense of humor, and a sensible, sympathetic protagonist. I really enjoy Gaiman's work, but sometimes it feels like his way with words is a sort of glamour, and with some of his books I wonder whether I'd like the plot quite as much if I weren't constantly distracted by his lovely language - which is a bit of an odd complaint, certainly, but it does bother me once in a while. At any rate, Odd is blessedly free of this issue; the story is extremely engaging, and at roughly a hundred pages, it moves along at a smart clip without ever feeling rushed. It's utterly charming and satisfying in the way only the best fairy tales are. Highly recommended.

A review by Hank Wagner, co-author (with Christopher Golden and Stephen R. Bissette) of the upcoming Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman, due out from St. Martins in October 2008:

Gaiman wrote Odd and the Frost Giants as his personal contribution to World Book Day in the United Kingdom, which exists purely to inspire children to read. It's an annual event where a group of authors write books for nothing and publishers publish them for nothing. These books are then sold for £1 each to children who have been given £1 Book Tokens. On its website, the World Book Day organization (www.worldbookday.com) describes it as "the biggest annual event promoting the enjoyment of books and reading."

Regrettably, at least for US residents (I count myself among that group), there are no current plans to publish this charming, 14,500 word novelette in America. Happily, the book is available through Amazon.uk and it's only 1 pound, a bargain even with current exchange rates. Be warned, however, the shipping charge will make the final cost seem relatively steep.

The good news is that it's worth the cost: the story, enhanced by several illustrations from frequent Gaiman collaborator Mark Buckingham, is delightful.

As you may have guessed from the title, the novelette deals with characters from Norse myth, a subject Gaiman became entranced with at a very young age. It tells the story of the crippled Viking boy Odd, who, running away from home, is befriended by a group of forest animals--a fox, a bear, and an eagle--who are far more than they seem. In truth, they are the Norse gods Loki, Thor, and Odin, respectively. Hoodwinked by a crafty and vengeful Frost Giant, they have been transformed into animals and exiled from Asgard. Odd offers his help, and travels with the gods from Midgard to their homeland of Asgard, where the plucky lad plans to bargain with the Frost Giant in attempt to save the day.

No more about the story, you'll have to discover its significant pleasures on your own. Be assured though that this is vintage Gaiman, a lively, memorable tale that, although modern in its sensibilities, treats its source material in a respectful, affectionate, and humorous manner, making that material more accessible for modern readers, many of whom are likely encountering these characters and settings for the first time.

What a delightful book to read even as a grown up. Odd runs away after his father dies and his mum remarries. He encounters a fox, bear and eagle. With his three new found friends he embarks on a journey that takes him on adventures that result in him meeting the frost giant. I don't what to say much more about the story as it will spoil it. I recommend it for adults as well as young children either to free read or as a bed time story. Great little book for all ages worth five stars.

Life's been tough for twelve-year-old Odd ever since his father died during a sea voyage while trying to save a horse who'd fallen into the sea. After his father's death, Odd severely crushed his foot while trying to use his father's heavy axe to cut down a tree and can only walk with the help of a crutch. Now his mother is married to Fat Eldred, who has little time for Odd and sees him as useless because of his disability. But worse is to come as the winter has not ended as it should have done and Odd is trapped in the village great hall with all the other villagers and Fat Eldred, who becomes nasty after drinking.

Keen to escape, Odd decides to escape to his father's cabin in the woods. There he comes across a fox and an eagle who lead him to a trapped bear and from there his life becomes really strange as they tell him a story about how the Ice Giants have taken over Asgard. Now Odd must embark on a journey to save the Gods, a journey that will require all his initiative and courage ...

Neil Gaiman's novella, produced for World Book Day 2008, is a charming and timeless tale of personal courage and initiative against great adversity. Odd is a delightful character - uncomplaining, cheerful and clever, he doesn't let anything get in his way and the way he tackles the Frost Giants in the story is quirky and clever. The depiction of the Norse Gods doesn't break new ground but is still done with Gaiman's usual deft touch and I've always had a soft spot for the trickster, Loki, who is shown here as having a wry sense of humour.

Mention should also be made of Mark Buckingham's illustrations, which help to bring the scenes to life.

All in all, it's a delight from beginning to end - by turns touching and funny and true - it's a story that will charm young and old alike.

Neil Gaiman is not one for description and that works well in this entertaining little read for children. A good smattering of Norse mythology and an appealing hero, peril and adventure and a satisfactory (and not saccharine) ending.

Highly recommended. I would say ages 7 - 11 depending on reading ability.

Odd has a rough life -- first his father died, then his mother married the drunken Fat Elfric, and finally he had an accident that crippled his leg.

But the indomitable pleasantness of Neil Gaiman's sunny little Norseman is part of what makes "Odd and the Frost Giants" such a memorable story. Originally writing for the UK's World Book Day, Gaiman smoothly wove together Norse legend with exquisite prose and a quirky sense of humor. It's a glittering, icy story with a warm heart.

The Viking village that Odd lives in is wrapped in a freakishly long winter, which is threatening them with starvation. Since people are treating him even worse than usual, he goes off to live by himself in his father's old woodland cottage -- and after he rescues a bear with a trapped paw, he finds himself with three new animal roommates (the bear, a fox, and an eagle). They also talk.

It turns out that the three animals are not actually animals, but the mighty gods Thor, Odin and Loki. Loki was tricked into giving Thor's magical hammer to one of the Frost Giants, and all three were transformed into animals and banished from Asgard. Now the crippled "odd" boy must help the gods return to Asgard -- and somehow, he must also stop the Frost Giant that has conquered it.

The World Book Day is apparently to encourage children to read, but "Odd and the Frost Giants" is the kind of book that you don't need much encouragement to read. It's a truly enchanting, warm-hearted little fantasy story -- you've got magical animals that bicker relentlessly, a northern land locked in perpetual winter, and a trip to the world of the gods.

Though the story is his own, Gaiman wraps it around some real Norse legends (including the story of Asgard's wall and Mimir's Well). And it's full of exquisitely descriptive prose ("ice ran from the crags down to the basin in twisted ropes and great clear icicles") and dusts it with moments that are pure magic (the uncovering of the rainbow). And despite the eternal winter and the rotten stepfamily, the story is very warm-hearted -- it's nice to see the upbeat Odd fighting against impossible odds,

It's also very funny at times -- it turns out Freya has a sharp tongue and a bunch of scratchy cats, and the Frost Giant can be rather polite ("Would you mind if I picked you up? It would make it easier to talk if we were face to face...").

Odd is a hero that's easy to like -- he's kind, forgiving, pleasant and doesn't even let a crushed leg keep him down. His sunniness is a bit excessive at times (he invited a bear to eat him? Seriously?), but it's enjoyable to see him succeed. And Gaiman gives plenty of character to the bickering gods -- the quiet and stern Odin, the grumpy Thor and the perpetually sarcastic, silver-tongued Loki.

"Odd and the Frost Giants" is a brilliant little sliver of fantasy, and Neil Gaiman leaves you wanting to know what's ahead of his "odd" little hero.

I think this was probably aimed at a younger audience, but it was amusing enough and has flashes of Gaiman's dark humour. Being a little older than the target, I'm not sure I'd buy the rest of the series, but it was worth the money. Definitely an odd little book, but Gaiman does odd rather well.

A delightful little read from Neil Gaiman. Based on Norse mythology and written with children in mind it was thoroughly enjoyed by this grown up.

If you like your books about Norse myths, gods and a kid who's smarter than the average bear, this is the book for you. Originally published for World Reading Day, it doesn't feel as if it were a chore for him to write, but a pleasure. At least, it was a pleasure for me to read. It's the tale about Odd, a child who's crippled with a lame leg. Winter's here, and it shows no signs of going away, and Odd finds out that it's due to Asgardian gods (Loki, Odin the All Father and Thor) who are transformed into animals due to happenings. Odd goes with the gods to help them turn the winter back, and to make things right. The story is one of those lovely, charming things you read as a child: talking animals, lovely illustrations and a cracking plot.

Recommended.

Odd and the Frost Giants was published for World Book Day in 2008, but it has the feel of the sort of classic, timeless fairy tale that's been around forever, whilst remaining fresh and fun at the same time.

Odd is a young Viking boy who remains cheerful and level-headed despite the fact that his life has been rather unlucky. His father died at sea (not even "in the heat of battle as a Viking should"; then Odd managed to cripple his leg when trying to cut down a tree; and his mother remarried Fat Elfred, who doesn't much care for Odd at the best of times, let alone now when the village seems to be trapped in a winter which isn't ending.

Odd therefore, in best fairy-tale tradition, sets off to make his own way in the world. And in the best fairy-tale tradition, he soon meets up with a fox, a bear and an eagle, who aren't quite all they appear, and ends up on a journey to save the home of the Norse Gods from the invading Frost Giants.

This brief tale manages to weave Norse mythology with a refreshingly un-sugarcoated account of Viking life. Odd is a likeable hero who never feels sorry for himself, and whose common-sense approach solves problems that the Gods can't figure out. The Gods themselves are brilliantly written, with some great banter between Loki and Thor.

This book really is one suitable for all ages, and would make a great introduction to Norse mythology for younger readers.