book data
89 ratings, 4.28 average rating, 20 reviews
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published
April 26th 2005
by Penguin Classics
binding
Paperback, 272 pages
isbn
0140447709
(isbn13: 9780140447705)
description
Egil's Saga tells the story of the long and brutal life of tenth-century warrior-poet and farmer Egil Skallagrimsson: a psychologically ambiguo...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 128)
my favorite of the icelandic sagas. egil was tons of fun. he killed one of his father's friends when he was six years old, then recited a poem about it at dinner. he was constantly killing and maiming people, carrying off women, getting drunk, and making up poems, which made him very popular as a viking. i also enjoyed his friends and relatives, including one who may or may not have been a werewolf and a guy named shaggy harald who had vowed never to cut his hair. all in all the 900's sound like...more
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I love this one. It's the first one I read. I can remember being really excited when the Hvita river comes in because I'd just got back from Iceland and I'd been in that river.
Egil's is one of the funniest sagas, in my opinion. I love the bit when Egil kills one of his father's servants (when he's about 8) and his father doesn't say anything, 'but relations between the two were a little strained' or something like that. Plenty of viking-style hijinks (vomiting in people's faces, murdering peo...more
Egil's is one of the funniest sagas, in my opinion. I love the bit when Egil kills one of his father's servants (when he's about 8) and his father doesn't say anything, 'but relations between the two were a little strained' or something like that. Plenty of viking-style hijinks (vomiting in people's faces, murdering peo...more
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Read in January, 1995
I'd had this recommended to me by my high school English teacher but only got around to it much later. He'd told me "It's unlike anything else you've read" and if you've never read an Icelandic saga, that is true.
The saga begins (inevitably) with a long list of genealogies, but once the action starts, it's quite a ride. Egil is a very ambiguous character, sometimes vicious and brutal, sometimes sympathetic, and always fascinating.
Egil's world is pretty alien for the modern ...more
The saga begins (inevitably) with a long list of genealogies, but once the action starts, it's quite a ride. Egil is a very ambiguous character, sometimes vicious and brutal, sometimes sympathetic, and always fascinating.
Egil's world is pretty alien for the modern ...more
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Read in August, 2008
I read this about ten years ago - time to dust it off and enjoy it again.
I'm already on chapter 17 and no mention of Egil yet. This must be one of the slowest build-ups in literary history!
Chapter 37 and the star finally makes an appearance. So far the book seems to be concenrating on family lineages rather than events. Good if you're a historian, bad if you want a decent story.
There are some really vivid gory bits - fighters in a berserk frenzy chewing their shields before battle, Egil ch...more
I'm already on chapter 17 and no mention of Egil yet. This must be one of the slowest build-ups in literary history!
Chapter 37 and the star finally makes an appearance. So far the book seems to be concenrating on family lineages rather than events. Good if you're a historian, bad if you want a decent story.
There are some really vivid gory bits - fighters in a berserk frenzy chewing their shields before battle, Egil ch...more
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Read in May, 2007
This was an excellent book, with Lord of the Rings-style adventures. It was especially good in light of my having traveled to Iceland recently. It was basically about the establishment of the country, and all the adventures leading up to it. The only problem with it was that there were a lot of names to keep track of, and, of course, they were all foreign (no Jims or Bobs or Joes). Also, I'm not quite sure why it's called "Egil's Saga". He was a main character, but not the only on...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommended to Shurms by:
Thorrecommends it for: medievalists, Norwegians and Hobbits
The story is essentially a good old 10th-century land dispute between neighbors. While wandering around pissed-off over a court decision, the Viking poet Egil worships Odin, guzzles ale, vomits on friends, gouges out eyeballs (of the host who supplied him with the ale), bursts Hulk-like out of his clothes, and dispatches men like bedbugs, one, a certain Atli the Short, with a well placed bite to the neck. Fun for the whole family. Nuf said.
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My favorite of the Icelandic sagas, of them I found it the most readable. Born "Dark and ugly" and with a viscous temper, Egil escapes scrapes alternately as a warrior, as a murderer, as a viking raider and as a poet. The inclusion of colorful historical characters such as King Athelstan, and Eirik Bloodaxe
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A VERY interesting look into Viking Culture. It's very strange to look back on this book. Viking history has never been my forte, so when I had to read this for a class I was not that excited. But for some reason, I could never put it down! It was weird and sometimes gross but totally compelling!
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Written by the master poet Snorri Sturluson, this saga ranges over time and territory dominated by the brutal/tender Egil Skallagrimson, driven to extraodinary acts and circumstance by the god Odin. Apart from Grettir's Saga, my favorite among medieval Icelandic literature.
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Read in January, 2008
This was my first saga and from what I hear its one of the best. After I got used to the very blunt writing style and everyone being named thor something I really found myself enjoying the saga very much.
Highly recommended
Highly recommended
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Read in March, 2008
A fun saga, though not as good as Njal's Saga. This one was much more contained within a single person's life and had a lot more poetry, which was really interesting to read. I've never read much Icelandic poetry...
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Read in January, 2001
Egil Skallagrimmsson was a bad dude. This saga captures huge swaths of historical events, and it's unreal what this guy was a part of. Egil's Saga is a must read for anyone who digs history, action, politics or warfare.
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
fans of iceland
the writing style is a little dated. hahahaha literary jokes. the warrior-poet thing is kind of a kickass concept to me, and that guy's psychotic antics are wildly amusing. i love iceland.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in June, 2008
My first icelandic saga and still a personal favorite. Not as powerful a narrative as Njal's Saga but Egil is the most unique and powerful character in the saga literature.
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Egil sure was some kind of badass. Like, made other Vikings seem like members of the Society of Friends.
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Read in March, 1996
This is probably the ass-kickingest story I have ever read.
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
Everyone who likes tough guys
Egil is a serious badass.
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