Norse Mythology has been very successful and it's easy to see why. Everybody has a glimmering about Asgard, and Valkeries, most of us either from Marvel's Thor comics or the movies, and Gaiman admits he is no different. What he has done here is dig out the originals, make a personal selection, and retold them in his unique personal style. Because it is Gaiman, his choice is idiosyncratic. He has chosen to go down side-alleys not normally followed. I'm thinking particularly of 'The Apples of Immortality' and 'The Mead of the Poets,' and especially the amount of coverage given to supporting characters like Frey and his sister Freya.
Because it is through-written, the characters remain constant - the thick-headed Thor, Loki with his scarred lips, and Loki's daughter Hel, with half of her beautiful, the other half dead. And Gaiman tackles the whole Edda, from the dawn of creation to Ragnarok and rebirth. Personally, I loved it.
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