Customer Reviews

Norse Mythology...According to Uncle Einar

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Norse Mythology...According to Uncle Einar is the best retelling of any mythology I have ever read. Instead of a stuffy, boring book you open the pages of an incredible romp through the Norse Pantheon.

Who ever expected to see the Norse gods portrayed as life in a small Tennesee town, complete with bikers, people from the wrong side of the tracks and disfunctional families!

Think of it as Lil Abner goes a-viking ;-)

Definitely one for the permanent collection!

Jane Sibley takes the Norse Myths and "updates" them in a way that is side-splittingly funny. Framed as a set of 17 bedtime stories, these tales revolve around the Valhalla Sports Bar and Grill (which has a coin-operated bucking bronco on the porch) in Asgard (an old-money Vanir suburb recently invaded by arriviste Aesir). The cast includes Thor (a biker), Heimdall (the local FBI/BATF/DEA agent), Tyr (who runs the VFW), and various gods, redneck Jotuns, and other dubious creatures. Sibley has a wonderful wry wit, and shows her vast knowledge of the subject as she lovingly skewers it. The storytelling is as good as Tom Holt or Terry Pratchett at their best. There is an allusion to a followup volume; I only hope it's true...

This book is a collection of Norse myths as they might be seen by one's ne'er-go-well uncle (that would be Einar). He's telling them to his nieces and nephews while visiting their family. He tells them in modern dress, and with a fine sense of humor (something the Norse have not generally been credited with). But there's something very right in the picture of Thor barreling around Valhalla and environs on a motorcycle....

Dr. Sibley knows her Norse myths inside and out, so Uncle Einar gets all the plots right, though the scenery, props, and costumes would surprise your average Viking. She also knows how to tell a story.

I gave the book to my husband for Christmas. He had finished it before bedtime. I read it almost as fast myself, and wanted more.

Jane Sibley the storyteller is here in top form. Jane Sibley the scholar is rarely evident, but there behind the scenes...

Jane Sibley is not only an educator, she is also an accomplished storyteller. In this collection of stories from Norse mythology, she has Uncle Einar tell his nieces and nephews bedtime stories based on the Norse gods and goddesses. However, Uncle Einar doesn't always have a good handle on the details which results in the gods hanging out at the Valhalla Sports Bar and so forth.

For those people who are familiar with the Norse mythos, Jane's take on the classic stories are sometimes hilarious, sometimes amusing. My wife has already caught me giggling a couple of times while reading about how Odin got a horse. For people who are just learning about Norse mythology, the stories are accurate enough to give the reader a feeling for how the original stories read.

I heartily recommend this book for everyone as these stories were supposed to have been told to Uncle Einar's nieces and nephews. It will make a great book for reading to and with children. I have the great fortune to have known Jane for several years and was exceedingly pleased when she told me that she was publishing this book. I look forward to more stories from Jane and Uncle Einar.

Many laughs and many blessings, I truly enjoyed your book! Thank you! I will share these with my friends, and children, when I have them. Honored to be counted amongst your friends, and one who I'll gladly share a meade drought from, unless its latched onto the North Sea.

"Norse Mythology : According to Uncle Einar", is probably the best stress relief I have had in many years, as far as a book goes anyway. After battering my way through multiple, (what is the term?), aah yes, hide bound texts, I found it to be a truly enjoyable work that rather perversely conveyed the legends and stories of my ancestors in a meaningful and extremely humorous way. I found Jane Sibley's work to be very refreshing and enlightening. Uncle Einar is the Grandfather that I am striving to be!, (much the chagrin of my children, but to the joy of my wife and grandchildren).
Let's face it, Thor as a Harley riding whoop-[...] kind of guy, with a heart of gold and a very short fuse, there you go. Odin as a one eyed conman, well go figure. Heimdal operating as the local FBI, ATF, CIA agent, I can't think of anyone better for the job. Tyr runs the local VFW, and the list goes on and on and on. Dr. Sibley has done a magnificent job in conveying the underlying theme of Norse Mythology in a relatively accurate, modern and entertaining way.
This is a must read for anyone interested in or studying Norse Mythology. It will make you take a step back and say, "Yah, that's kind of different", which is not a bad thing, you need to take a step back every once in a while. Let's face it, if we can not laugh at ourselves and our history, we become extremely boring.

Very highly recommended for anyone interested in Norse Mythology, Eddas, Sagas or Nordic tales.
Another plus was I picked up an autographed copy off Amazon for a song, Odin would be proud!

Spence the Elder
"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc"
-M. Addams-

I find it hard to consider this a collection of bedtime stories, because it kept me awake long into the night. I couldn't close the covers after just one or five -- I had to keep going. I'm no Norse scholar; I just like a really well-told yarn. I think I may have accidentally learned something of Norse mythology while I was giggling, siickering, chuckling, and just plain guffawing my way through Uncle Einar's hilarious tales.

A wickedly witty send-up of the Eddas -- and all the other Viking myths, too. Serious historians won't know whether to have apoplexy or choke themselves in the effort not to giggle. The rest of us can just sit back, read, and laugh our sea-boots off. And the illustrations are apt to both content and tone of the stories.

This is a wonderfully funny book. Anyone interested in Norse mythology from the beginner to the serious student should have this book. It is described as a childrens book for adults. Between the witty stories and the humourous drawings, this book is a must have.

If you are a *serious* student of Norse mytholgoy, you probably need to lighten up. Jane Sibley provides a wonderous retelling of old tales with plenty of humor, social satire, and ribaldry. This is a "must have" for the well-rounded Pagan bookshelf.