The Impudent Edda by Rowdy Geirsson is a wildly entertaining and irreverent take on Norse mythology that combines sharp wit with a deep love for the sagas of old. If you’re a fan of Viking lore but enjoy a good laugh, this book will hit the spot.

Geirsson takes the traditional stories from the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda and gives them a humorous, modern twist. The result is a collection of short stories and essays that poke fun at the legendary heroes, gods, and monsters of Norse mythology, all while staying surprisingly true to the spirit of the originals. Whether it’s Loki’s mischievous antics or Thor’s blundering bravado, Geirsson’s reimagined tales are full of clever wordplay and snarky commentary that will have you chuckling from start to finish.

What’s great about The Impudent Edda is that it’s accessible to both mythology buffs and casual readers. If you’re familiar with the Norse myths, you’ll appreciate the many in-jokes and references, but even if you’re not, the book is still a lot of fun. Geirsson’s writing is light and playful, making these ancient stories feel fresh and relatable.

The humor is definitely the star of the show here, but Geirsson also manages to sneak in some thoughtful observations about the human condition, just like the original sagas did. The stories play with themes of fate, power, and the absurdity of life, but they do so with a wink and a nudge that keeps things from getting too serious.

Overall, The Impudent Edda is a delightful romp through Norse mythology that’s as funny as it is clever. If you’re looking for a book that combines historical geekery with a healthy dose of humor, this one’s a must-read. It’s perfect for anyone who enjoys mythology, satire, or just a good laugh at the expense of some very old gods.

thank you to Netgalley and Puffin Carcass for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for a review.

as the title says, this retelling of Norse Mythology was impudent. not only that, it was also bawdy and irreverent, with a pail of "in your face" humor thrown in. this version felt as if it was being narrated from a stand-up comedy podium, with several marks missed.

I LOVE Norse mythology and The Impudent Edda was such a great take, with an excellent mix of humour and darkness that I needed in my life!
Deadpan humour and satire is hard to nail and still have the story be brilliant. Geirsson pulls this off with ease and I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Puffin Carcass for the ARC.

Loved this and I am hoping to get this for my library. I have a feeling some of my patrons will really love it.

I kept returning to this book in attempt to like it but failing. Its description caught my attention. I am from the Boston area. I enjoy Scandinavian folklore. This book however just was not an enjoyable read for me.
I truly hate to criticize anyone who can do anything better than I and has the guts to put himself out there but "The Impudent Edda" was just too much of a struggle for me to read.
I do not intend to share a review for this book anywhere else.

This book takes the same "one step detached" writing style that Goldman uses for The Princess Bride (one of my favourite books) so I was very excited to try it.
Overall, I found the Impudent Edda to be a dark delight. The satire is laid on very thick - the foreword at times reminded me of The Big Lebowski it was so abstract - but the author does a good job of taking the style and flavour of Norse Mythology and reimagining it through the eyes of a 21st century Bostonian. I did deduct a star simply because the foreword was a bit too out there for me.

This book is chaos. But many people I know love chaos and if you love chaos this might be the book for you. Did I learn about Nordic Sagas? I think. Did I laugh at lot at the descriptions? Absolutely.

I think the benefit of a book like this that takes Nordic lore and puts it in a completely different way of speaking is it highlights that basically even translations can be high brow and a whole other language unto themselves. It is cool to read this is a tone that maybe more can understand and that likely is similarly crass in the way the oral tellings would have been in the past. Sure there are some things I didn't understand and it got a bit messy, particularly, whenever the stuff on astrophysics came up that felt a bit much. But overall a fun time if you like Nordic lore.

This book is a lovechild between rapidfire-speed Youtube channels and podcasts recapping historic events or mythological tales, and an extended tongue in cheek meta joke between academic minds in the same research field. Do what you will with this information: this book is definitely not your regular norse mythology retelling, and if you come in expecting that you might bounce off. But it’s about the right size for what is essentially a podcast episode/an extended joke, and in the right mood can be enjoyed as one!

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc of this book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I picked this one up with very different expectations -- somehow I got it into my head that this was a graphic novel modern retelling of the Norse mythology -- and in a way it is, and it isn't. Either way it was a ride.

To clarify any misunderstanding: this isn't a comic book. But it's written in a way that's very meta, tongue-in-cheek modern retelling style full of slang and modern sensibilities, presented like an academic text. Make of that what you will! If you are in the mood to revisit the classics with a pinch of irreverence -- and remind yourself that the originals are irreverent as well solemn -- then this book is is an excellent vehicle for that. The snark and the slag are laid pretty thickly, and I could imagine myself getting tired of that if the book was any longer than it is, but it's not even 130 pages long.

As stated above -- could be pretty divisive, but can also be enjoyed pretty damn well when in the right mood.

Thanks to #NetGalley for an early copy of #TheImpudentEdda.

Was not a fan, maybe it's just not for me and will be for someone else out there but I just had a really hard time getting into it. I have a basic knowledge of Norse mythology and really had no idea what was going on at most times.