by Jeff Janoda
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Product Description
Based on medieval Norse legend, Saga is a novel of enormous power, one of those rare historical fictions which the reader knows is authentic in its evocation of another time and place. We meet Arnkel, the fierce Norse chieftain of Swan's fjord who has sworn to recapture the lands his bitter, ageing father has sold off, robbing his son of his inheritance. Arnkel feuds with his neighbours, exploits the desires of his closest supporter for another man's wife and hires assassins to carry out his will. Arnkel schemes against Snorri, a rival chieftain; their claims against each other are taken to 'the Thing', the country's tribal council, where clans meet to celebrate as well as to settle disputes. The land is stalked by evil - whispering elves are everywhere - and violence is a constant threat: neighbour distrusts neighbour and no one knows where or when death will strike. The difficult reality of life is always in the foreground; one can virtually see and feel the harsh beauty of the land, the passions and the rivalries of the clansmen and women. This unique novel makes medieval Iceland come alive: its rituals, the role of the supernatural, the enormous influence of law. Saga is a novel never to be forgotten.
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Average Customer Review:
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Masterful Writing, 2008-03-10
Janoda's retelling of a classic saga is unlikely to become a bestseller given its esoteric subject matter, but that is truly a great shame as evolved readers of any stripe will surely delight in the author's wonderful skills.
Saga is about a very small community in Iceland around 965 CE, and for an historical novel, comparatively little happens--there are no grand battles, epic journeys, allusions to well-known historical events, or famous personages. The cast is limited to a dozen or so main characters and the pace of events might fairly be considered glacial. Yet for all that, the story is oddly, almost paradoxically compelling. Somehow the sparseness of the material, the humble (even dreary) circumstances within which the story unfolds, and Janoda's supremely economical--even frugal--use of language are all superbly suited to the tale and imbue it with a veracity and vigor that mere research can never match.
Like one of his humble farmer characters, Janoda painstakingly tends the unpromising soil and climate of his setting and scratches out of it a miraculous harvest of which which we lucky readers are the beneficiaries--a quirky masterpiece that transcends the seeming limitations of its subject to yield a tale that is by turns suspenseful, moving, shocking, and utterly convincing.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
great piece of modern nordic historical fiction, 2007-09-27
Great way to bring life to this saga. Read this book more than a year ago (twice) and it still sticks. Great great stuff. Let's have more!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
THE BEST Historical Fiction I've Read!, 2007-05-30
This is one of those books that you get so into while you're reading that you don't want it to end. Janoda has fleshed out a portion of the Eyrbyggja Saga, giving depth and dimension to the Snorri Gothi, Arnkel Gothi, and Thorbrand factions feuding, scheming, betraying and killing for possession of two farmsteads and a precious birch forest on a peninsula in 10th century western Iceland. The saga has everything a Norse and medieval history buff would want, including some really "creepy" stuff with a vengeful ghost and dark elves who live in the shadows and feed off the evil the Norse perpetrate.
Janoda's prose is fluid and effortless, and he writes as a master storyteller. I HOPE HE WRITES ANOTHER BOOK LIKE THIS ONE ON ANOTHER OF THE SAGAS!
Highest Recommendation
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
As bracing as a gust of wind across a Tundra, 2006-02-17
I bought this, based on the reviews here as I was looking for a good Midgard-themed book to read.
It's a great first novel and I hope the author dips into this setting again for the next one.
A fine tale of the harsh Icelandic life and of betrayal and passion. Any fans of this genre should indeed give this one a try.
Couldn't fault any of it. Good stuff.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Very Strong Story Telling!, 2006-02-01
This is an awsome story and a very good read. It bounces around a bit but still worth every penny!
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