Odd and the Frost Giants audiobook

This was a cute children’s story, thankfully much tamer than some of Gaiman’s other works which are more often than not, pretty terrifying.Odd lives with his mother and her new husband, since the disappearance and presumed death of Odd’s father. His step father is rude, nasty and often cruel to Odd. So one day he decides to leave, to walk to his father’s old hut, and remain there. While there Odd meets 3 animals, a fox, a bear and an eagle – but they are not as they appear. And once they begin to talk everything changes for Odd, he soon realises he is actually speaking with the gods of Asgard – Thor, Odin and Loki.I liked Odd as a character, he walks with a limp, he is quite sassy and takes everything in his stride. This story was entertaining and enjoyable, would recommend to anyone looking for a short book with big heart.

This book is a little treat. If you enjoyed Norse Mythology then you will likely adore this. This is a children’s tale, though as with all good children’s books it’s perfect for adults too. Odd is a tough little boy. He is physically disabled and shunned by his step-father who pushes him out of his family home, though he refuses to give up. He refuses to stop smiling and it is because of this that he succeeds. Positivity can go a long way and it certainly helps when you stumble across the Gods.Imagine this: Thor (who has been transformed into a bear) has his paw stuck in a tree after trying to reach a bee’s nest. Odin (who has been transformed into an eagle) flies overhead watching the scene. Loki (who has been transformed into a fox) skulks in the corner bemused. Odd walks in unawares and offers his help. The three Gods have been banished from Asgard and their kingdom is now in the hands of the Frost Giants. Unsurprisingly, it’s all Loki’s fault. Sound familiar? Gaiman has captured the essence of Odin, Thor and Loki terrifically. The marvel cinematic universe and the comic book writers do a good job with their personalities, though their actual physical attributes are completely wrong. It’s all in the minor details. Some of it may sound unimportant (the fact that Thor is supposed to have a big red beard for example) though things like this are quite important when dealing with Gods. So I like the attention to detail here. It’s a fun little book. And watching Odd resolve the problems of the Gods is amusing. I recommend it to fans of Thor as portrayed in the marvel cinematic universe.

Each time I read something by Gaiman, I think, “This. This is where he excels.” Whether it's a fairy story (Stardust,) or a children's story (Coraline.) Or the melding of American Mythology with a new Mythology of his creation (American Gods, Anansi Boys.) Maybe it's something vaguely steampunkish and other-worldly, like Neverwhere. Sometimes it's when I revist the complexities in Sandman. Or maybe I'm not actually that fickle, and I just like the way his phrasing and ideas are like mainlining story straight into my amygdalae, so most of the time it doesn't really matter what type of fiction he's writing this time.I like best to listen to his novels in audio format; it makes me feel like I'm wrapped in a big quilt and being read to like a child. Odd is another installment in his latest string of children's tales. This one borrows heavily from Norse mythology, but mostly through allusion to other, more established stories. I had to go look some of them up – like how Odin sacrificed an eye to gain knowledge and wisdom from Mímir's Well, and about Jötunheimr, the Land of Giants. I love that there's a deeper layer of complexity to the story – but only if the reader desires it. In this completely Gaiman-invented tale, Odd, a young woodcutter's son, runs away from a cruel stepfather, and ends up meeting Odin, Thor and Loki, who have been outsmarted by a giant. I both read and listened to this tale, it's quite short. The audio file was well under 2 hours in length. I probably could have read it alone in far less than an hour. This edition has wonderful little pencil drawing illustrations by Brett Helquist, which underscore its suitability for children. And it is just wonderful for kids, without any focus on the darker themes present in Coraline, or even The Graveyard Book. I think it would make a fabulous springboard for homestudy elementary school children, as an introduction to mythology. This one really is for all ages. Audio *****Story *****

What a delightful counterpoint to Norse Mythology!I mean, yes, it's written for middle-grade and Thor and Loki are cute and Odin is inscrutable as always and the frost giant is funny rather than scary because, after all, EVERYONE is afraid of Freya's tongue... but it's still a real delight!I don't care what anyone says about Gaiman. The man can write a classy tale no matter where or what he's writing about. This is, after all, only a retelling of an old story, but it's a very particular and beautiful Odd viewpoint.I'll definitely be reading this to my girl when she gets a little older. :) Heck. It might even be time now. :)

As mentioned a few days ago already, this is the special edition of a story Neil Gaiman wrote and published for World Book Day in the UK in 2008.The book is about the titular viking boy Odd (meaning "the tip of a blade" and not "strange"), who had a terrible accident after his father died in an equally terrible accident (they are not the most lucky of people), leaving Odd with a disability. He is shunted in the village for being weak until one day he leaves to go back to his father's old hut in the woods. There, he meats a fox, a bear and an eagle, some frost giants and gods of Asgard, travels over a rainbow bridge and proves that physical strength isn't everything.I won't say more about the tale because that would spoil it. Some might call this a simple tale, but it also a very old one. Or, at least, a variation of a very old and prominent Norse tale. The way Gaiman tells it with his dry humour and charming descriptions, this viking world comes to life, making this the perfect story for a delightful winter afternoon (and not just for children either). It might also be worth mentioning that Neil Gaiman manages to get all the mythological details absolutely right, therefore teaching the reader a thing or two about Norse mythology in general.However, what makes this book truly special is the combination of Gaiman's magical word-weaving with Chris Riddell's equally magical illustrations. The silver details are simply stunning and very appropriate for the wintery theme. I have included a picture of how the chapters begin and one of my favourite ornament at the bottom of a page (they are all different) but unfortunately the camera cannot adequately show the silver glint, you'll simply have to believe me.A true treasure and I'm very happy that I waited for it (instead of getting the normal paperback edition).

Este breve libro es ideal para introducir de una manera muy amena a los más pequeños a la mitología nórdica, al menos para despertar su interés en el tema. No he leído tanto de Neil Gaiman como me gustaría, sin embargo me alegro de haber podido acceder a este título (gracias a mi pareja, que me lo prestó) ya que me pareció una historia sumamente fresca y tierna, y no pierde la magia que destaca a Gaiman en ningún momento.

A wonderful book to start off a year with. Neil Gaiman truly is one of best authors ever.

4-stars for an enjoyable listen. Mr Gaiman has the best narration voice out there!This is one of those tales that is appropriate for children and adults alike. There is humour and wonder and lessons here to be learned. It doesn't really matter what age group you are in, I think you will enjoy this tale. I listened to this free on Youtube. My only problem with listening as opposed to reading is that my brain doesn't seem to retain much of the story; hence why my review is a little light on details. Good fun listen though.Thanks for reading.

Odd is a young boy with a crushed leg who lives with his mom and step-dad after his birth father dies. Tired of feeling unwanted and being abused, he runs away to his late father's work shed in the forest where he meets a fox who leads him to a trapped bear being watched over by an eagle. Little does Odd know what an adventure he'll have with these new animal friends. This book, based off of Norse Mythology is a children's book, but I think adults will like it too. Gaiman's writing and imagery is excellent and I really enjoyed spending time with these characters. Highly recommend if you like mythology.