Staff Pick
Published to mark the 1000th anniversary of Leif Eriksson's voyage to North America, this volume of nine full sagas and six tales features new translations that are readable and accurate. An amazing collection of one of the great marvels of world literature. Recommended By Maddie K., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
A unique body of medieval literature, the Sagas rank with the world's greatest literary treasures — as epic as Homer, as deep in tragedy as Sophocles, as engagingly human as Shakespeare. Set around the turn of the last millennium, these stories depict with astonishingly modern realism the lives and deeds of the Norse men and women who first settled Iceland and of their descendants, who ventured further west — to Greenland and, ultimately, the coast of North America itself.
The ten Sagas and seven shorter tales in this volume include the celebrated "Vinland Sagas," which recount Leif Eriksson's pioneering voyage to the New World and contain the oldest descriptions of the North American continent.
For more than 70 years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Review
"The glory of the Sagas is indisputable." Milan Kundera
Review
"Generally excellent, accurate and readable, these translations are sure to become the standard versions." The Times Literary Supplement
Review
"One of the great marvels of World Literature.... This is a dream come true." Ted Hughes
Synopsis
In Iceland, the age of the Vikings is also known as the Saga Age. A unique body of medieval literature, the Sagas rank with the world's great literary treasures - as epic as Homer, as deep in tragedy as Sophocles, as engagingly human as Shakespeare. Set around the turn of the last millennium, these stories depict with an astonishingly modern realism the lives and deeds of the Norse men and women who first settled in Iceland and of their descendants, who ventured farther west to Greenland and, ultimately, North America. Sailing as far from the archetypal heroic adventure as the long ships did from home, the Sagas are written with psychological intensity, peopled by characters with depth, and explore perennial human issues like love, hate, fate and freedom.
About the Author
Jane Smiley's 10 works of fiction include The Age of Grief, The Greenlanders, Ordinary Love and Good Will, Moo, A Thousand Acres (which won the Pulitzer Prize), and most recently, the bestselling Horse Heaven.