Odd has a rough life -- first his father died, then his mother married the drunken Fat Elfric, and finally he had an accident that crippled his leg.
But the indomitable pleasantness of Neil Gaiman's sunny little Norseman is part of what makes "Odd and the Frost Giants" such a memorable story. Originally writing for the UK's World Book Day, Gaiman smoothly wove together Norse legend with exquisite prose and a quirky sense of humor. It's a glittering, icy story with a warm heart.
The Viking village that Odd lives in is wrapped in a freakishly long winter, which is threatening them with starvation. Since people are treating him even worse than usual, he goes off to live by himself in his father's old woodland cottage -- and after he rescues a bear with a trapped paw, he finds himself with three new animal roommates (the bear, a fox, and an eagle). They also talk.
It turns out that the three animals are not actually animals, but the mighty gods Thor, Odin and Loki. Loki was tricked into giving Thor's magical hammer to one of the Frost Giants, and all three were transformed into animals and banished from Asgard. Now the crippled "odd" boy must help the gods return to Asgard -- and somehow, he must also stop the Frost Giant that has conquered it.
The World Book Day is apparently to encourage children to read, but "Odd and the Frost Giants" is the kind of book that you don't need much encouragement to read. It's a truly enchanting, warm-hearted little fantasy story -- you've got magical animals that bicker relentlessly, a northern land locked in perpetual winter, and a trip to the world of the gods.
Though the story is his own, Gaiman wraps it around some real Norse legends (including the story of Asgard's wall and Mimir's Well). And it's full of exquisitely descriptive prose ("ice ran from the crags down to the basin in twisted ropes and great clear icicles") and dusts it with moments that are pure magic (the uncovering of the rainbow). And despite the eternal winter and the rotten stepfamily, the story is very warm-hearted -- it's nice to see the upbeat Odd fighting against impossible odds,
It's also very funny at times -- it turns out Freya has a sharp tongue and a bunch of scratchy cats, and the Frost Giant can be rather polite ("Would you mind if I picked you up? It would make it easier to talk if we were face to face...").
Odd is a hero that's easy to like -- he's kind, forgiving, pleasant and doesn't even let a crushed leg keep him down. His sunniness is a bit excessive at times (he invited a bear to eat him? Seriously?), but it's enjoyable to see him succeed. And Gaiman gives plenty of character to the bickering gods -- the quiet and stern Odin, the grumpy Thor and the perpetually sarcastic, silver-tongued Loki.
"Odd and the Frost Giants" is a brilliant little sliver of fantasy, and Neil Gaiman leaves you wanting to know what's ahead of his "odd" little hero.
Odd and the Frost Giants
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