The Long Ships (New York Review Books Classics)

A number of years ago I stumbled upon a non-fiction history of the Norman invasion of England in 1066, and immediately decided that I wanted to read everything I could about this historical period, especially works of fiction, which I love. Well, there was Mirsky's King of Vinland Saga, which was good but needed more depth; there was King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett, which was, as usual for her, too dense; there was the out-of-print Golden Warrior, by Hope Muntz, which was excellent, but perhaps required a bit too much work. I finally read several hundred pages worth of the Sagas of the Icelanders, but as interesting as these were, they bear little resemblance to the modern novel. Recently, I came upon the Long Ships and here, finally, it is. This great book ranks up there with the best historical fiction of any genre and is certainly the best I have come across as it regards the ancient Vikings.First, it is page-turning, exciting adventure. Little battles, big battles, individual confrontations, blood feuds, revenge, camaraderie, treasure, despair, hate and love; it's all here. The book pretty much follows the career, as it were, of Orm, who is initially kidnapped by the crew of a Viking ship and who agrees to accompany them on their ambitious, faraway raid to a wealthy fortress on the Iberian peninsula. Orm didn't particularly mind being kidnapped too much, as raiding for plunder was pretty much the goal of every Northman over the age of about twelve anyway. (Interestingly, the word "Viking" here is used as a verb. To go on a raiding party is to go "a-viking.")Their raid is a success, to begin with, but they are in turn are attacked by a fleet of Moorish vessels out for revenge. Those that survive are captured and become galley slaves for almost three years. Through luck and circumstance, they are freed, and made bodyguards to the powerful Almansur, the Muslim lord. Eventually they escape and make their way back to their homes in the North, but not before fighting several other battles and experiencing many other adventures. We're only about half way through at this point, and there is much, much more to come.Along with Orm's adventures the novel is interspersed with the stories of just about everybody they run into. The Vikings loved stories and poems and there are many different tales told by many different personalities, many of which are of some length, and all of which are bloody and riveting.So there is adventure a-plenty here but the novel is also very well-written, filled with wit, irony and humor. Orm is grievously wounded after a bloody battle to the death and is tended to by King Harald's daughter. (The Vikings had a pretty sophisticated system of justice, but, alas, when all else fails, it's a kill or be killed.) In any event, she tells Orm that she was betrothed to the person that he killed. Orm is, naturally, worried that she will seek her revenge on him. She tells him that she hated the man that Orm killed, and would have murdered him in his sleep. Eventually, Orm begins to take to her, and starts to woo her: "You told me that if you had been forced to marry Sigtrygg you would have driven a knife into him in his bridal bed," he says to her, after suggesting that he wanted to marry her, "and I should like to be sure that you feel differently towards me." She laughs, "merrily." The book is filled with clever wordplay such as this on just about every page, and you will find a smile coming to your face often.Some reviews here have expressed doubt that these illiterate Vikings would be so articulate, but I'm not so sure. No, they were not educated to any extent, but it must be remembered that there were few forms of entertainment in those days other than story-telling and word-of-mouth, so it is quite likely that to entertain or to be entertained, one may very well have had to cultivate linguistic skills.Lastly, the novel is rich in historical detail, especially that having to do with the mindset of those that lived back then. The Vikings were somewhat religious, but not terribly so, and were far more interested in doing whatever it was that would bring them "luck." Indeed, they become Muslims while in Spain at the insistence of their Muslim superiors. "Our Gods don't seem to be too powerful here," one remarks. Eventually, Orm is persuaded to become a Christian, not because of a new found love for Jesus, but primarily due to convenience. There is a great deal of discussion of Christianity in the novel, the way it was practiced, and the pragmatic, unconventional ways by which the priests tried to gain converts. It is quite interesting and has the ring of truth to it.There is also the Viking way of life, their customs and their culture. Farming, mostly; some trading. They loved women and they loved boozing. As much as anything, though, it was raiding and fighting and maintaining one's honor. A brutal way of life, to be sure, but that was the way in northern Europe. And there are many descriptions of foreign climes as well: northern Europe to be sure, but also England, Ireland, Spain, central Europe, and Russia. It is, simply, fascinating.Great novel. Ranks up there with the best historical fiction.

The Long Ships, by Frans G. Bengtsson, is an historical novel set in various parts of Europe in the decades around 1000 A.D. It's hero is a viking by the name of Red Orm and it is written in the style of the Icelandic sagas. The text is matter of fact in tone, tending toward understatement rather than melodrama. Descriptive passages are brief and never bog down the story. It is filled with a wry humor that often had me laughing out loud. It's a true delight to read, which is amazing to me as this story was written in Swedish - almost 60 years ago! - and has been translated into English and yet it is extremely easy to read. Easier than some books I've read by English writers of more recent times. Still, I think a word of warning might be in order for those unread in the sagas: there's no great emphasis on introspection here. No one really agonizes as they vacillate for chapters over every decision a la Shakespeare's Hamlet. This isn't a psychological drama, which suits me just fine. What it is is a great viking adventure.It was originally written as two novels of two parts each and it shows here and there, most notably in the final part. The four unequal parts are 1) The Long Voyage (167 pages), 2) In King Ethelred's Kingdom (63 pages), 3) In the Border Country (134 pages), and 4) The Bulgar Gold (120 pages). The entire novel is very good, but I must confess to liking the earlier parts better than the later ones. The Long Voyage covers the period from just before Red Orm's abduction by fellow vikings, through his enslavement and eventual escape from the Moors, and his return home as a proud and accomplished viking. In Ethelred's Kingdom reveals how Orm raids England and gets married and shows us just how much this changes his circumstances. In the Border Country is where Orm settles down and sets about raising his family far from a very angry king. The Bulgar Gold is a final adventure for our domesticated viking. This time he heads east and finds setting forth as an older, more established viking feels entirely different than adventuring as a poor but vigorous youth. The beginning of part four is the roughest part of the whole book for me, but it ends wonderfully.Religion plays a prominent role in the story. The vikings are starting to convert to Christianity, which is not as established as it is today. Priests wheel and deal as they barter for as many souls as they can save. Orm starts out a heathen, then is forced to become Muslim, and finally chooses to be Christian in order to wed his lady love. Though he accepts Christianity and becomes a good ambassador for the faith, he's by no means a fanatic. He accepts it for what he gets out of it. I find his attitude to be very practical. Every faith is depicted in a good light, despite the more prominent place Christianity stakes within the tale.The viking world comes alive in this book and we get to see viking society in action. We're shown how their relationships are built and broken and sometimes restored. We tag along as great booty is made off with time and again, whether that booty is a humongous religious artifact, a forbidden woman, or great heaps of gold and silver. Reading the Long Ships let me experience how it might feel to be a northman a thousand years ago. More importantly, it entertains me immensely. It is fun.

Se lê como uma saga, pura ficção mas grande parte das sagas também são, afinal elas foram escritas pelo menos 200 anos depois da era Viking. E o livro dá uma visão muito real do que foi o tempo dos Vikings, com passeios por muitos dos locais que eles pilharam e se divertiram. O estilo lembra Cornwell e sua série saxonica. Na verdade o livro é de 1945, portanto é o contrario, é possivel que Cornwell tenha se inspirado nele. O outro grande livro sobre a era Viking, The wanderig heroes, de Laxness, é mais dificil de ler, embora também seja muito bom. Este livro de Bengsson é uma delicia de ler, dá até dó quando acaba.

Scritta in uno stile saga convincente, la narrazione attira bene la vostra attenzione. I capitoli sono più simili a una serie drammatica storica episodi, e hanno piccoli ricordi ordinati di azioni precedenti per aiutare a ricordare al lettore chi è chi e quindi i problemi probabili che porteranno alla storia. Storicamente offre motivi plausibili per i viaggi vichinghi e perché appaiono inaspettatamente in angoli lontani lanciati del mondo allora conosciuto.

I greatly enjoyed reading this book, and I would recommend it to anyone with any degree of interest or fascination towards vikings or their era.In all honesty, when I started reading it, I found the prose a bit heavy to follow (to call it dull would be too harsh, I feel) but it's something you get used to. Ultimately, it's not enough to damage the novel as a whole, and in hindsight it's partly what makes the setting feel more authentic.That being said, there's not much I can say against this book. The characters are well-rounded and genuine, so much so that you're tempted to believe them to have been real at one point. The plot is wonderfully weaved together, with events as grand as Kings and Caliphs striving to fulfill their ambitions, as well as the simple country life of norsemen during the Middle Ages.It's a shame that Orm Tostesson was not a real man; otherwise, his story would be among the sagas of Leif Eriksson and Yngvar the Far-Travelled, and deservedly so.

Kings and vikings and priests and slaves, Christians and Jews and Muslims and pagans, the messy medieval societies are somehow made comprehensible through the many lovable characters and their adventures. A page-turner that often made me smile inside or laugh out loud.

Excelente libro, de muy buena calidad en cuanto a papel e impresión. La historia es fascinante y excelentemente escrita. Absolutamente recomendable!