The highlight of this collection is Krakumal. The language is crisp and lively. The poem is on par with anything written between 800 and 1200. UnfortuThe highlight of this collection is Krakumal. The language is crisp and lively. The poem is on par with anything written between 800 and 1200. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the other selections included. Compared to a work like Beowulf, these sagas are dull and dry.
Though the sagas themselves fail to captivate the reader, Waggoner does provide valuable notes on the text. However, the location of the notes proves to be one of the major flaws with the text. I've never given much consideration to footnotes versus endnotes before, but in this case footnotes would have been a major improvement. The constant flipping back and forth was a distraction.
Finally, part of my disappointment with this book was that in spite of the title there wasn't much about Ragnar. Most of this short volume centered on Ragnar's sons and their adventures. Avid fans of Viking/Norse legends will probably enjoy this collection, in spite of its flaws, but for readers with only a moderate interest in the genre I would suggest reading Krakumal and not bothering with the rest.
The selections in this collection are broad enough that anyone interested in the High Middle Ages will find something to enjoy. However, the scope of The selections in this collection are broad enough that anyone interested in the High Middle Ages will find something to enjoy. However, the scope of the anthology is also a drawback - readers will find passages or entire sections that likely do not interest them. The major weakness of the text though is the lack of introductory or contextual notes for the passages. There are a few pages of general introduction at the beginning of the compilation that explain the authors' editing choices, but the selections themselves feel somewhat random and are floating in the book without context or background. This book could be vastly improved in a subsequent edition with some short introductory notes. As it stands, be prepared to refer to Wikipedia for background information if you aren't already an expert in medieval history and literature. ...more
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