Saga Book Club: The Saga of Grettir the Strong Review

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So I finally finished Grettis Saga today. I say finally, not in a negative way (I loved it) but because it has taken me quite a long time to read it. Just over two months, to be precise, which isn’t ideal when you’re trying to start a book club, luckily, it’s a one-person club at the moment because that would be embarrassing!

Perhaps what I loved the most about the Saga was all the weird supernatural encounters, prophecies and curses - very spooky in places! Namely, chapter 35 which is an absolute highlight of the saga; it had me on the edge of my seat while simultaneously reeling at the horrific showdown between Grettir and Glam!

And again, how humorous the characters can be - like no one told me the Sagas would actually be laugh-out-loud funny 😆

Also, are the Sagas just the SGU (Snorri Góði universe) because he’s getting MCU levels of cameos in this one, and I know for a fact he’s in several others too!!!

TL;DR

March reading wrap up 📚✨

Hi, this is my March 2023 reading wrap up.

This month I read books written by women, semi accidentally but also aware that March was Women's History Month here in the UK (I think I accidentally called the whole month International Women's Month when in fact, it is just a day (March 8th) rather than an entire month)

The first book was A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Chinese-British author Xiaolu Guo, a smart witty look at life in England as a Chinese woman learning English.

The second was Rest and Be Thankful by Welsh author Emma Glass, a fascinating dreamlike and emotionally raw look at a Paediatric nurse's struggle to balance her personal life with the unrelenting demands of the underfunded yet essential work she does in the NHS.

The third is Passing by Nella Larsen, a 1929 classic of the Harlem Renaissance that follows two women with Black ancestry who can "pass" as White women in a society that is inherently racist and the dangers of this.

I also continued reading Grettir's Saga, which is a Medieval Icelandic Saga that follows a bellicose outlaw called Grettir Ásmundarson and his antics, one of which inspired a scene in Robert Egger's Viking epic The Northman! - Join the Saga Book Club to delve into Sagas and Norse History and Mythology with me!