Customer Reviews

The complete sagas of Icelanders, including 49 tales

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This set though steep in cost is worth every dime. All of the Icelandic family sagas are found here translated into English. Why does it get 4 stars? Well, first it does not include the Bishop sagas (biskopsogur), King Sagas (Konungsogure) nor the Knight sagas (ridarsogur). So if you are hoping to see something like Jomsviking saga or the Saga of Hralf Kraki you will be disappointed, but you will have the sagas that relate to the families of Iceland including Egil, Njal's, Grettir and so on. It is unfortunate that a complete set of the Norse sagas can only be found in either Norse or German. English readers are out of luck unless they have command of those languages.

Second, if you want extended essays on the sagas you maybe better served by the Penguin translations which focus on a particular saga's themes and dimensions. This set has short introductions but no extended essays on par with a study set. But get this collection because it is translated to the highest quality, in a beautiful 5 volume slipcased set, and it is wonderful addition to any book collector's library.

A composite collection of Scandinavian culture and history, the Sagas of the Icelanders stands out in Medieval-Germanic literature as being (for the most part) historically accurate, socially developed, and (perhaps most importantly!) gruesomely exciting to read.
The sagas are filled with graphic depictions of human frailties, vengeance, murder, epic battles, sublime heroism, and fatal betrayals. Kingdoms rise and fall. Political machinations of the most Machiavellian-type cruelty and legal thrillers rivaling Gresham's tales abound, as the authors calmly expose the reader to their stark and grim world.
Each of the volumes contains sagas that fluctuate wildly in style and subject. Volume one chronicles the Vinland sagas, the Warriors and Poets sagas, and the Greenland sagas. Volume two recounts the sagas of Outlaws, Nature spirits, and the Supernatural. Volume three contains the most poignant masterwork of them all, Njal's saga, as well as those of Champions, Rogues, and Adventures. Volume four includes the Regional feuds, and Volume five holds the sagas pertaining to religious conflicts, wealth and power, and one Epic.
The books are wonderfully bound and printed, with clear and well formatted type (for those who care about such things), and are attractive with their blue and gold covers----hey, if you never read them, at least they'll look good on the shelf. Right? Right?

This library-bound five-volume set contains almost all of the Icelandic sagas. Published in Iceland in 1998, it is the first real consolidation of the majority of Icelandic sagas and tales. The only other English works you'd be missing would be the Sturlunga sagas (Sturlunga Saga: 2).

Many public libraries have these five volumes for your review. Should you choose to buy them they are available for around $300 U.S. from the publisher in Iceland, Leifur Eiriksson Publishing ([...]). For the price that's being asked here, you could fly to Iceland and buy the set and still come out ahead!

A 11/15/09 postscript: a previous postscript I made saying that this set was no longer being offered is no longer true. Leifur Eiriksson Publishing has begun offering the set again through their website for $299 plus $50 shipping.

--Webbie

As you are reading this review, you are probably already aware of what this product is all about. It is the essential collection for any other fans of the sagas. The translations are very good, and accessible to practically any reader. Though the price is somewhat high, the collection of tales and sagas you recieve is unbeatable. The quality of the books is fantastic. The only downside to this product is the type of leather covers that are used. Though it is authentic leather, the leather is almost paper-thin, and not as substantial as I expected. In this case, the leather is used as a decorative sort of cover, but not with the intent of necessarily making the books more durable, which is usually what leather is used for. Other than that, the books are of very high quality, and they are very readable. They are an absolute must for anyone who wants to be the proud owner of all 40 family sagas, PLUS the 49 TALES OF ICELANDERS which cannot be found anywhere else. This set of books deserves the highest of honors! Buy it while you can, because anyone with interest in the sagas will not regret it!