Published on Double X (http://www.doublex.com)
A Viking Tale
Neil Gaiman’s Odd and the Frost Giants is a fine introduction to Norse lore.
By: Nina Shen Rastogi
Posted: November 17, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Odd’s name isn’t odd—it means “the tip of a blade”—but Odd himself is odd. For one thing, the hero of Neil Gaiman’s Odd and the Frost Giants has an unnervingly sunny disposition for a lame Viking boy whose widowed mother has remarried an oaf named Fat Elfred, who comes with seven children of his own. One day, crowded out of his new home, Odd decides to run away to his late father’s woodcutting hut. In the forest, he encounters a bear, an eagle, and a fox—and discovers that they’re actually the gods Thor, Odin, and Loki, ensorcelled by a Frost Giant who has captured the gods’ city of Asgard. The divine trio is morose and pessimistic about their chances of recapturing the city, but Odd—with his unflagging, irritating good cheer—figures they might as well try. This slight novella is narrated with Gaiman’s trademark playfulness, and young mythology lovers will enjoy this appealing introduction to Norse lore.
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Fear Factor:
(Odd never seems to be in any real danger, though the story of how his leg got crushed might unsettle very young readers. There’s also a brief mention of animal sacrifice, though it’s not gory.) -
Heart:
(The story of Odd’s father’s love for his mother, and how Odd uses that story to defeat the Frost Giant, is moving.) -
Attitude:
(Odd is unfailingly sweet, mild, and staunch, but Loki has a sly streak.) -
Psst: The author’s biography hints that Gaiman has more Odd stories up his sleeve.
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If You Like This: Parents taken with the kookiness of Odd and the Frost Giants will probably enjoy Gaiman’s work for adults, like the novels American Gods and Anansi Boys (not to mention his excellent Sandman comics). Children who want to trace the gods-in-disguise theme throughout world mythology can start by picking up Ingri D’Aulaire’s classic collections of Greek and Norse myths.