You're Thor?

[erikred]

All right, ignore the subject line.

When I was a wee lad (and please, no jokes about me never being a wee lad), I checked out D'Aulaire's Norse Gods and Giants so often that I literally filled up the check out card to replacement several times. In 1986, Doubleday reprinted the book in softcover; when I graduated from Cal, my parents bought me a copy. Somehow, in moving back and forth to and from Japan, the book got lost, or loaned, or somesuch. I've been on the lookout for a replacement ever since.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that used copies in fair condition were fetching $70+ on Alibris.com. I then looked for a more recent reprint but found none. I eventually tracked down a descendant of the D'Aulaires; he was kind enough to reminisce with me about the old books, but had disappointing news: printing rights to the D'Aulaire collection had passed to a Christian homeschooling group, likely because many of the D'Aulaire books have to do with handsome retellings of the lives of Lincoln, Washington, and other American heroes. The group allowed the book of Greek Myths to be republished, but all seemed lost for my childhood friend.

Earlier this year, my brother Darth, a Librarian, discovered that the book had finally been slated for republishing under the slightly less pagan title of D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths, with a forward written by Berkeley resident Michael Chabon! I did a jig of joy, put in my order for two copies (one for me, one for my nephew) with Amazon, and wrote Chabon a short note expressing my glee that he was writing the forward. He responded with a short note of thanks and expressed pleasure that old fans like me (and him) would finally get a chance to revisit the old tales.

Apparently we weren't the only ones. Whether through the glamor of Chabon's name or a whole slew of old fans, D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths ranks 8,880 on Amazon's list of books; not bad for a reprint of a kids book of mythology!

Amazon was supposed to ship my books at the same time as my copy of Harry Potter; sadly, this did not occur. Apparently, Amazon had not received enough coopies of D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths; my order was delayed. The sales folks in the email section were sympathetic and bumped me up to two-day shipping when the books finally came in. Yesterday they sent word that my book is on its way.

I have lit the bonfires down by the shore and performed the blot down by the bog. My table is set for the weary traveller, and my cupboards open for inspection.

We feast on words on the morrow.

Comments

[annaland.livejournal.com]

That brought tears to my eyes. Sometimes there is a happy ending in Bookworld.

[missludmilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for this! I have been trying to remember the name of the Greek myths book I loved as a kid -- I read it easily two dozen times, if not more -- and I clicked on your link above and that's it! Wow. I was just mentioning it the other day to mkb_cbr, as the book planted some of the first seeds towards my atheism. (There is some discussion at the end about how religions evolve and fall out of favor, and it just seemed a little weird to me, even as a kid.) So thanks again!

[rubyloot.livejournal.com]

I wore out my local library's copy of Greek Myths as well. The illustrations thrilled me on an almost physical level. I could almost feel the ridgelike lines with my fingers.

And now you tell me they had a Norse book as well? My library never had it, or some other voracious reader always checked it out. Thanks for the info. I now will start saving up for it, to join my paperback Greek book.

Book joy!

[alfvaen]

You know, I never had a decent book of Norse myths as a kid--what I know I mostly picked up from "The Mighty Thor", or similar sources. And Simon definitely needs to learn his Greek myths as well...

[erikred.livejournal.com]

Hee, once, at the age of 13, I wrote a long and pedantic letter to Walt Simonson (then writing The Might Thor) explaining how he'd gotten it all wrong.

Fortunately, mercifully, they never published it. :)

[annaland.livejournal.com]

I've got it wish-listed on Amazon for purchase. It's a beautiful binding besides. My childhood greek myths were courtesy of Edith Hamilton but Norse myths sadly, again, from the Mighty Thor.

[erikred.livejournal.com]

Good dame Edith! She got me through quite a lot of 6th and 7th grade. D'Aulaire's much more lively, though.

[annaland.livejournal.com]

I'm there!

[missludmilla.livejournal.com]

By the way, have you ever read any of the Icelandic Sagas? They are usually long - novel or novella length - but kick ass. They have bezerkers and stuff.

[erikred.livejournal.com]

1) I'm so glad I put you back in touch with your childhood friend!

2) Njal's Saga for life, yo. :) I've actually got all of the sagas downloaded from the The Online Medieval and Classical Library (OMACL). I cannot recommend this site enough.

[therobbergirl.livejournal.com]

Eek! I was a fan of the Greek myths one!

And btw, it's up to sales rank 4,204 on Amazon now.

[erikred.livejournal.com]

Dude! I'm so ecstatic about this! I'm actually starting to get Xmas jitters about going home to this book (which should be arriving at 4:30 p.m., if FedEx.com is on target).