It's virtually impossible to read more than ten words by Neil Gaiman and not wish he would tell you the rest of the story .to tell their stories to a new audience. Hopefully this collection will be just the beginning (. Somehow he brings us close to this world of mountains and cataracts, monsters and elves (There have been countless retellings of the Norse myths, but few that give them the everyday immediacy of Neil Gaiman's. You feel that bumbling Thor, wise Odin, fabulous Freya and the wily Loki areGaiman retells the Norse sagas in his own lucid, laid-back style,inherent in the source material . An honest retelling that betrays an abiding personalfor the exploits of dim-witted Thor, mercurial Loki, bombastic Odin and the rest (and a lot of fun (undertaking .to the stories that wield such great cultural significance (Gaiman's voice is engaging; often quirkily humorous ., and the narrative, always crisp and direct, combines an adult's insight with a childlike sense of wonder at the magic of it all (Gaiman's characteristically limpid,. His telling of the tales is for children and adults alike, and this is both right and wise, it being the property of genuine myth on many levels (It's the perfect moment to become acquainted with Gaiman's. In his latest book, he recasts the Nordic sagas ashuman dramas, putting flesh and blood on the slippery Loki, the hard-charging Odin and others (His workwith new worlds and ideas () --This text refers to the hardcover edition.