The Fireside

Egil's Saga is the 10th-century Nordic equivalent of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Translated from the Icelandic with an introduction, notes and an essay, this is the first time Eddison's version of this epic heroic saga has been published in paperback. The saga of Egil, son of Grim the Bald, tells the exciting tale of a medieval warrior-poet and his many Viking adventures. Challenged by his ugly appearance and haunted by rumours that his grandfather was a werewolf, Egil devotes himself to Odin, god of kings, warriors and poets, and determines to avenge his father's exile from Norway. With action ranging across Iceland and Scandinavia down to Scotland and England, Egil's thrilling encounters include kings, sorcerers, berserkers and outlaws, as the story follows his transformation from youthful savagery to mature wisdom. Sometimes considered the greatest of the Icelandic sagas, Egil's Saga is the 10th-century Nordic equivalent of The Iliad and The Od...

In a previous blog post, I mentioned how I associate fall reading with fantasy (especially with Tolkien and Harry Potter.). It was thanks to both Tolkien and Harper Collins (for putting various editions of his works) that got me into books. Not "reading" but "book buying" (different than 'collecting'...somewhat). So make sure you read up on some Tolkien now that school is back in session, and it is now the beginning of the ideal reading season.   This post is a brief run-down of Tolkien's works, as well as some quality cost-effective editions worth checking out.