‘A light-hearted romp through Norse mythology’. @TerryTyler4 reviews Why Odin Drinks by @bjornlarssen

Today’s team review is from Terry. She blogs here https://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.com/

Terry has been reading Why Odin Drinks by Bjørn Larssen

4 out of 5 stars

I read the first episode of Bjørn Larssen’s (very) alternative Norse mythology, Creation, which is now incorporated into this book – this is good, because I was able to re-read it before embarking on the confused All-Father’s further adventures.

I think I would need to know a lot more about Norse mythology than I do in order to fully appreciate this, though I did look up bits and bobs here and there, which helped.  The idea of portraying Odin as rather hesitant and not quite sure of his role as ultimate creator, is inspired.  Problem is that he and all the other gods (and versions of Odin in the past, present and future) know about everything that will be (which seems logical, what with them being deities), but are not always sure whether items or concepts actually exist yet.  Like Odin’s wife Frigg not being sure what a miniskirt is, but knowing she wants one. 

‘What sort of tea will you have?”They haven’t discovered it yet,’ said Urðr.  ‘He looks like the lapsang souchong type to me, though.’One of my favourite aspects was the occasional presence of ‘literature’. 

She is an entity that whispers to Odin’s mind a piece of information pertaining to something that has just been said, such as ‘Loki is foreshadowing‘, but Odin cannot see her; he just hears the sound of her sneakers as she sprints away.  I love that.

In parts 2-4 we meet many more gods – Loki, Freya and Freyr, and Frigg.  Freya, goddess of love, beauty, fertility, sex, war and gold (pretty much all the most important things to a Norseman, one imagines) is portrayed as a sort of Paris Hilton type, which I thought was genius.

‘As he travelled, Odin thoroughly investigated people of all shapes and sizes, casually letting it slip that he was the All-Father’.

Some of the time the references went over my head because of my lack of knowledge of the subject, though other times I felt the prose needed a bit of tightening up; it seemed to career away with itself now and again.  However, the good is very very good, and I also liked the pertinent observations about life and death, time and war, woven amongst the ridiculousness.  And the ending.  Clever.
A light-hearted romp through Norse mythology, and a fitting development for Bjørn Larssen’s comedic talent!

Ever woken up being a God, but not knowing how to God properly?

Poor Odin must restrain his brothers, who create offensive weapons such as mosquitoes and celery; placate his future-telling wife, Frigg, who demands sweatpants with pockets; listen to Loki’s Helpful Questions; hang himself from Yggdrasil for nine days with a spear through his side (as you do); teach everyone about nutritional values of kale (but NOT celery); meet a Wise Dom, Sir Daddy Mímir, in order to outwit those who outwit him; and, most importantly, prove he is The All-Father, while his brothers are, at best, Those-Uncles-We-Don’t-Talk-About.

This nearly (except in Vanaheim) universally acclaimed retelling of the Gods’ first millennium answers way too many questions, including ones on Freyr’s entendre, horse designing… and why Odin drinks. 

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‘The hilarity flows so well’. @SueBavey reviews #comedy #shortystory collection Why Odin Drinks by @bjornlarssen #TuesdayBookBlog

Today’s team review is from Sue. She blogs here https://suelbavey.wordpress.com/

Sue has been reading Why Odin Drinks by Bjørn Larssen

Why Odin Drinks is a collection of four comedic fantasy retellings of the Norse myths. The stories are peppered with familiar names from the Norse myths and stories which have been told many times in Norse fantasy, but never before with such snarky and irreverent humour. Larssen’s take on the myths is truly original and well worth reading.

In the first story, Creation, which was previously published as a standalone, we see Odin and his lesser known brothers Vili and Ve on a creation spree with wide eyed abandon.

Odin philosophizes about what makes a thing alive and whether it is OK to eat such things. Vili continues making pretty things and Ve makes things that cause pain and destruction.

When humans are added to the mix the author includes some social commentary.

Chaos ensues until a tragedy occurs and gives the gods pause. Then Odin turns introspective while considering that actions have consequences – even those of the gods…

Creation’s tongue in cheek humour is refreshing and makes for many laugh out loud moments.

The second story is Loki Runes Everything, in which Odin is continuing to haphazardly create things without any kind of order or planning – until he comes to the conclusion that he needs both a plan and someone to organise him – he needs a wife!  I’m sure many people will be able to relate to this feeling. And wouldn’t it be perfect if his wife could see the future and help decide which order to create things in? Enter Frigg. Now everything will be perfect, right?  It isn’t long before the reality of living with said wife and trying to satisfy her every whim kicks in.

Frigg sees everything in the future all at once which is highly overwhelming – particularly since she doesn’t have any coffee, pillows, Manolos or concealer yet!! What has Odin been playing at?!

In this story Larssen includes the myth where Odin hangs from the World Tree, Yggdrasil with a spear in his side in order to procure the power of runes, Loki having trussed him up and stuck the spear in him as per Odin’s request. Up to this point, his main advisor has been Madam A (Angrboda from the myths), whose propensity for bondage has given him ideas suggesting being hanged from a tree might be enjoyable at some level.

When Odin meets the three Norns, they have an interesting lesson in verb tenses for Odin, which must have been extremely difficult to write and/or edit, with each sister speaking in their own tense the whole time, with Odin getting more and more confused:

““So I am sitting here with time?” Odin asked, paying less attention to Skuld’s words than he will think he should. Had. Would have will.”

Story 3 is Fashionteller and features Frigg as a future-telling fashion victim goddess. I enjoyed Frigg’s description of her visions as “future burps” and her unhealthy obsession with a future tv show called Blabbing with Bjarnisdóttirs. There are so many things she has seen and wants to own now, but her voracious appetite will not be slaked if she cannot describe the things properly to Odin, their creator.

When Freya and Freyr show up from Vanaheim, Freya’s condescension towards frumpy Frigg reminded me of Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek.

Frigg’s constant disappearing into visions of the future are annoying Skuld since the things Frigg sees will now have to happen and that complicates the Norns’ tapestry of Time.

I really enjoyed Frigg’s characterisation. No wonder she is cranky when she can’t yet have all of the lovely future things she sees and is constantly being mansplained to by people who don’t know anywhere near as much as she does and can’t take their eyes off her chest.

Larssen has an engaging way of addressing the reader without actually doing so directly:

“The list kept expanding anyway in a slightly deluded way, not unlike what would be called TBR piles in the future. Unfortunately, similar to all owners of TBR piles, Frigg didn’t know which of her expectations were unrealistic.”

The final story is The Well of Wise-Dom which has a number of insightful and somewhat prophetic comments to make about war. Sir Daddy Mímir is the leather-clad Wise-Dom who tries to stop Odin from seeking all knowledge by drinking from his well. But Odin being Odin is stubborn  and determined to do whatever he wants. He gains insight into how to win wars – by having the best, strongest and hardest warriors:

“The only way to stop a great army is to have an even greater army.”

“…What I’m saying is that there is no such thing as inevitable when you have control.” Bjørn Larssen is a very talented comedic writer. His timing is perfect and the hilarity flows so well that you can read each of these novellas in one sitting. However, there is always an intelligent social commentary to be found not too far beneath the surface satire of his stories. If you are a fan of absurd humour with a point of view, you will love this book as much as I did!

5 stars.

Ever woken up being a God, but not knowing how to God properly?

Poor Odin must restrain his brothers, who create offensive weapons such as mosquitoes and celery; placate his future-telling wife, Frigg, who demands sweatpants with pockets; listen to Loki’s Helpful Questions; hang himself from Yggdrasil for nine days with a spear through his side (as you do); teach everyone about nutritional values of kale (but NOT celery); meet a Wise Dom, Sir Daddy Mímir, in order to outwit those who outwit him; and, most importantly, prove he is The All-Father, while his brothers are, at best, Those-Uncles-We-Don’t-Talk-About.

This nearly (except in Vanaheim) universally acclaimed retelling of the Gods’ first millennium answers way too many questions, including ones on Freyr’s entendre, horse designing… and why Odin drinks. 

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‘Gods in a place that as yet has nothing’. @GeorgiaRoseBook Reviews Creation by Bjørn Larssen @bjornlarssen, For Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Georgia. She blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Georgia has been reading Creation by Bjørn Larssen

This book tells the tale of Odin waking up along with his two brothers, Vili and Vé, to find themselves Gods in a place that as yet has nothing. It should be a terrific opportunity to create loads of cool stuff, you’d think. However, Odin, and his brothers, have no idea what they are doing and come up with random things such as celery and mosquitoes instead. (I mean, who would ever choose to invent either of those!)

When Odin does manage to create something useful, a cow. They have no idea how to get milk out of it and the cow doesn’t hang around for long.

Creation is a short book and a pacey read. I enjoyed the humour and Larssen’s writing throughout and look forward to seeing what comes next.

In the beginning there was confusion.

Ever woken up being a God, but not knowing how to God properly? Your brothers keep creating mosquitoes and celery and other, more threatening weapons. What can your ultimate answer be – the one that will make you THE All-Father and them, at best, the All-Those-Uncles-We-Don’t-Talk-About?

“FML! That answer’s why I drink!” – Odin

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‘It’s about Odin and his brothers, Vili and Vé, creating the world.’ @TerryTyler4 reviews #Humour novella CREATION by @bjornlarssen

Today’s team review is from Terry. She blogs here https://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.com/

Terry has been reading Creation by Bjørn Larssen

I read Bjørn Larssen’s debut novel, Storytellers, which made some references to Norse gods and featured a certain subtle humour in places.  I also read his second novel, Children, which is about the children of Norse gods and contains far more funny bits. I’ve read many of his blog posts and follow him on Twitter; the conclusion I’ve come to is that Mr Larssen is a terrific comedic writer, first and foremost, so I’m delighted that he’s actually written A FUNNY BOOK!

Creation is a novella, a slim paperback (beautifully presented), is hilarious, and made me laugh out loud on several occasions, which books rarely do. It’s about Odin and his brothers, Vili and Vé, creating the world. Except they’re not very good at it and don’t really understand what they’re doing. They wonder how to get the food out of Audhumla the cow, why words like ‘anvil’ ‘laptop’ and ‘algebra’ keep popping into their heads, how the flying water happened and why the wolf bit off the peacock’s head. Odin discovers that, along with man and woman, he has created irony. 

I think it’s the sort of book you find screamingly funny or you don’t, depending on your sense of humour. I echo the words of Bjørn’s husband, when he finished reading it: ‘When can I get more?’

In the beginning there was confusion.

Ever woken up being a God, but not knowing how to God properly? Your brothers keep creating mosquitoes and celery and other, more threatening weapons. What can your ultimate answer be – the one that will make you THE All-Father and them, at best, the All-Those-Uncles-We-Don’t-Talk-About?

“FML! That answer’s why I drink!” – Odin

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‘Tongue firmly in cheek’ #Humour @deBieJennifer Reviews Norse #Mythology #Shortstory Creation by @bjornlarssen, For Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Jenni. She blogs here https://jenniferdebie.com/

Jenni has been reading Creation by Bjørn Larssen

“In the beginning, a God opened his eyes and sat up, utterly confused.”

Thus opens Creation, Bjørn Larssen’s latest take on Norse mythology. Tongue firmly in cheek, this self-professed heathen riffs on godhood, omnipotence, and what would happen if a few drunk uncles went on a bender on the blank canvas of the universe.

Spoilers, they’d invent chickens.

And then they’d invent the ‘containers’ chickens give birth to.

Personally, my familiarity with Norse mythology leans heavily to the second generation and the escapades of our favorite Marvel Vikings, not the Allfather and his unruly brothers at the dawn of time, so I can’t speak to how closely Creation adheres to the original mythos. I can say that as someone new to the lore, I never felt lost.

Did Odin just describe a cow as wrapped in material for clothes, full of food on the inside, and capable of producing drink? Yes, and isn’t that a deliciously sideways way of viewing the first cow in existence?

Now if you’ll excuse us, Zaphod Beeblbrox and I will take a cut from shoulder in white wine sauce.

And the reviewer makes a deep cut Douglas Adams joke for no one but herself, her Dad, and maybe the author. She has a feeling Larssen might be a Hitchhiker’s fan.

 Let go and roll with the madness, dear readers, because that is the kind of ride you are in for with Creation. Off-kilter in the best way possible, Creation is a book where the punches (and punchlines) just keep coming. Peopled by three gods trying to fumble their way into creating everything, and a cow that’s pretty certain she wants to keep the food inside her on the inside, Larrsen has a page turner on his hands. At under 70 pages, Creation is short enough to read in a single sitting, but worth savoring for those of us who like to mull over our comedy a bit.

Or read it in one go and be eager for more. Apparently this is only the first in a whole series called Why Odin Drinks— if most of his days are like the ones described by Larssen, I don’t blame him!

5/5

In the beginning there was confusion.

Ever woken up being a God, but not knowing how to God properly? Your brothers keep creating mosquitoes and celery and other, more threatening weapons. What can your ultimate answer be – the one that will make you THE All-Father and them, at best, the All-Those-Uncles-We-Don’t-Talk-About?

“FML! That answer’s why I drink!” – Odin

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A Fun Little Book About 3 Newly Appointed Gods And The Mistakes They Make. @SueBavey Reviews Creation by @bjornlarssen for #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Sue. She blogs here https://suelbavey.wordpress.com/

Sue has been reading Creation by Bjørn Larssen

Creation is a short novella, which details the creation of everything by Norse god Odin, and his brothers Vili and Ve. Its irreverent humour is refreshing and makes for many laugh out loud moments. It was an absolute blast to read!

The three gods are new to the world and to creating things, they are learning as they go along. Tripping over tree roots and one-upping each other in terms of the size of the creations they make. These gods are getting carried away with their newly discovered skills and creating all manner of things just because they can: a tree with needles instead of leaves that throws cone things down onto your head as you pass underneath? Why? Who needs that?
Celery? No one appreciates that one.
Odin tries to restore some kind of order over the proceedings and gets increasingly frustrated!

Determined to do better than his brother’s invention of celery to put an end to his hunger, Odin invents a cow: “You can drink from it.” he pronounces much to the cow’s consternation. When he adds that you can wrap it’s skin around you to keep warm and eat what’s inside, the cow’s outrage increases.

Odin philosophizes about what makes a thing alive and whether it is OK to eat such things. Vili continues making pretty things and Ve makes things that cause pain and destruction. Chaos ensues until a tragedy occurs and gives the gods pause. Then Odin turns introspective while considering that actions have consequences – even those of the gods…

Bjørn Larssen is a very talented comedic writer. His timing is perfect and the hilarity flows so well that you can read this novella in one sitting. This is the funniest book I’ve read for a long time and belongs on the shelves with Pratchett and Adams. If you are a fan of surreal, absurd humour you will love it! I cannot wait to read the next installment in this series.

In the beginning there was confusion.

Ever woken up being a God, but not knowing how to God properly? Your brothers keep creating mosquitoes and celery and other, more threatening weapons. What can your ultimate answer be – the one that will make you THE All-Father and them, at best, the All-Those-Uncles-We-Don’t-Talk-About?

“FML! That answer’s why I drink!” – Odin

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