You're welcome, and thank you too! I always love seeing a new Gaiman book in my TBR pile.

(PS: it always moves to the top but don't tell the other books, they'll get jealous.)

I'm supposed to come to the reading in NYC tonight, but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get in from Long Island with the snow storm! Still, can't wait to read it.

So excited about Norse Mythology! I just ordered it and can't wait for it to arrive! <3

It pains me to say that the title of the new book is a bit aggravating for me as an Icelander. The author of Edda, Snorri Sturluson, lived right here in Iceland after he fled from Norway like so many of his countrymen. To pacify the Norwegians we gracefully allow them to claim half his nationality. But to say that the myths from Edda and that time are Norse is simply not correct. These are the gods from all the Scandinavian countries and not just Norway :( A better title would have been Scandinavian Mythology. While many people use the word Norse instead of Scandinavian, people from outside of Norway are quite often not happy about that ;) Too much honor to Norway that way!
I do look forward to seeing the book though, I'm sure it will be wonderful like everything else that comes from you ;)

Pre ordered it and it arrived yesterday :D Very excited to read but right now I'm backed up on library books and need to get those read and returned

My pre-order arrived right on time. I can't wait to tip my toes in it.

Finished the audiobook the day it came out. Please do more mythology. Love your writing but your story telling skills are also above and beyond everything else. Thank you for this book.

Sigrún wrote: "It pains me to say that the title of the new book is a bit aggravating for me as an Icelander. The author of Edda, Snorri Sturluson, lived right here in Iceland after he fled from Norway like so ma..."
"Norse" not as in "Norwegian",
"Norse" as in "people of North Germanic group of languages".

I'm listening to audiobook and I am sure some stories should be told, not just read.

As a child I've read some more or less 'childish' versions of those myths and I still remember the feeling (even if not properly named then yet) of sadness of inevitable events. One of my favorite ones was the one about Fenris and Tyr and Gleipnir. Poor Fenris - I thought then and I think now, listening to your version of the story. Beauty of tragedy...

As an adult I've read Edda (and plenty of other myths) and I appreciate your version of 'myth retold'. It is not an easy task to tell well known story in a way which is both fresh AND faithfull to tradition.

I don't usually write public posts like that, but I wanted to thank you for this book, Mr Gaiman :) So - thank you.

Neil Gaiman, time traveler extraordinaire!!

Mr. Gaiman. It's going to be a pleasure to read this book from you - can't wait! As long as people remember that good old Snorri was Icelandic, I don't mind the "Norse" name, as Icelanders spoke Old Norse, that was our language (actually, Icelandic is the language that is closest to the Old Norse language, closer than modern day Norwegian).

Thanks again!

Matthew wrote: "Sigrún wrote: "It pains me to say that the title of the new book is a bit aggravating for me as an Icelander. The author of Edda, Snorri Sturluson, lived right here in Iceland after he fled from No..."

Matthew, it is interesting you should ask these questions, for it is a lot more complicated than saying the Eddas were birthed, or the Vanir were only spoken of, in Iceland. Actually, the history is quite complex! I'll try to summarize it as shortly as possible, keeping in mind that this is a complex subject with many, many stories involved.

Norse Mythology (for that is what it is called), are the oral myths of the North Germanic Peoples. Old Norse was the language of the Scandinavian Peoples, and spoken before and during the Middle Ages. It was during this period (Middle Ages) that we see the forward movement of the ancient pagan Norse (not specifically Norwegian, mind) myth cycles into the more modern era of writing. A vast amount of Norse myth was collected and written down in Iceland, by a people whose language still most closely resembles that of Old Norse. During the 13th century, Snorri wrote down the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda, in Iceland. Christianization of the tales occured at this time as well, causing disputes even to this day on the actions of specific deities and heroes. Then there are also the Sagas, which encorporate not only folklore, but also region lore, family histories (many of these Icelandic), and historical figures (Attila the Hun is even mentioned). The Sagas encorporate thousands of entries. They are complex and amazing.

But to say that calling this book Norse Mythology is disrespectful to the Icelandic or Scandinavian peoples would be only half the story, and not a very complete take. The original language was Norse, and all stories were often told in the oral tradition. They were only written down in Iceland, and calling them Icelandic Mythology or Scandinavian Mythology does not properly capture that oral tradition. Therefore, the title Norse Mythology, when viewing the whole of this argument, still seems apt. It captures the spoken magic of the narrative.

Just ordered last night! I'll be jumping in immediately.

I have enjoyed most of your work. I feel that I miss much however. Right now I am reading the ending of Dirk Gentley's Holistic Detective Agency since it is rather confusing. I am wondering if I must go and read the two poems connected to the story to be able to gleem the meaning of the ending (seems to hing on the Albatross). I am not sure if I am interested in Norse Mythology. I am sure it is enlightening and a good read. Maybe one day. Best wishes as always.