Just like most other children, Neil Gaiman’s first introduction to the universe of Norse mythology was through the depiction of Thor by American comic writer Jack Kirby. Both during the silver age of comic books in the United States and now, Thor remains the most popular god of all of Asgard. But even Thor is relatively underdeveloped as a character, as the action-packed movies in Marvel Cinematic Universe do not give much room for character development or universe building. Understandably, the complexity of the stories and varying source materials make it hard to follow all the gods in Norse mythology. This is where Neil Gaiman comes in. A collection of short stories,Norse Mythology brings the revamped version of the old, distant tales we have always wished to learn about but never have the time to delve into. Through Gaiman’s writings, the stories seem familiar, timeless and most importantly, alive. Focusing on the three arguably mightiest gods, Odin, Thor and Loki, Norse Mythology covers a wide range of the period from the beginning of the world to the Ragnarok — the great battle of the gods. The stories are fast-paced with no unnecessary fillers, and yet are in no way bland thanks to Gaiman’s witty prose.
