The Long Ships - New York Review Books Classics | Historical Fiction Viking Adventure Novel | Perfect for Book Clubs & History Enthusiasts

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 is a book for those of us who as boys read Sir Walter Scott and Rudyard Kipling, the Rover Boys Series, Mark Twain and Moby Dick as an adventure story and also for everyone of us of either sex and of whatever age who can now sit back and enjoy some great stories of Viking adventure threaded through and through with humor and not a little historical accuracy. While it's a serious book in that I was written by an author of talent, an essayist and poet in his own land (Sweden) and is therefore well written it's not a serious book to be taken seriously. It has no message and no moral. It doesn't try to solve any problems. It just tells some great stories. For the record The Long Ships is a collection of four novellas, centered on the life and adventures of Red Orm Tostesson, a late Eleventh Century (980-1025) Viking who lived in Skania in what was then a part of the kingdom of the Danes but which now lies on the southern tip of Sweden. The stories were first written and published in Swedish by Frans Bengsston, a Swedish essayist, translator and poet, in 1940-41 and then translated and published in English in 1954, 15 years later All four of these novellas contain a heady stew of history, derring-do, adventure, love, fortune, friendship and - always - violence. In the first story where Red Orm, the son of Toste and his wife Asa, goes a-Viking in Krok's ship with his friend Toke, plunders the coasts of Normandy and Northern Spain, is captured by the Moors, spends six years as a galley slave, becomes a member of the Empower Alamansur's bodyguard, steals the world's most valuable necklace and then the largest bell from the Monastery of St James (now Santiago de Campostella in Galicia) escapes and returns home safely there is enough material for a year's season of TV episodes. The same is true of the next three - in the first of which (he second of the novellas) Red Orm is a part of the Viking fleet which defeats the British (read Anglo-Saxons) at the battle of Maldon and eventually procured a true King's ransom from weak King Ethelred. Then in the next story (the third novella) Red Orm and his family and retainers move to a safer place in the woods above their home in Skania to escape the wrath of King Sven Forkbeard (Orm has married Ylva the beautiful youngest daughter of King Harald and sister of King Sven Forkbeard who is furious over the marriage). Here they have an almost endless series of adventures; and then, finally, in the fourth story Red Orm and his now grown sons and retainers together with his old friend Toke take a ship up the River Dvina, over "The Great Portage" to the Dneiper and down the Dneiper past Kiev to "The Weirs" where they retrieve a great treasure and return safely home to live happily to the end of their days with fortune and family. (Best I can figure the route in present day terms is that they entered the Dvina at its mouth in the Gulf of Riga in Latvia, went up the Dvina to the source of the Deneiper in Russia and down the Dneiper to what is probably site of the huge Dnipropetrovsky Dam 200 miles up river from the Black Sea. Whatever it was it was quite a journey!) I recommend that the book be read slowly and for pleasure, not for knowledge - although there's a lot of history in it. . Take one novella at a time and enjoy it. I think Bengtsson wrote it for pleasure. An accomplished poet himself he larded it with the extemporaneous verses of his characters, although as translated from the Swedish, the poetry does not come through to the English reader. And he has a sense of humor. In every novella there are episodes which are simply over the top - funny - like the Flashman stories; they have all characteristics of Red Orm as Dick Armstrong the All-American Boy. In fact I think all these novellas are basically for men who are still boys at heart. Don't take this book too seriously. You will however - if you read it - come away with some real feeling for history in Red Orm's time. You will realize that there was no glamour in the Viking life. The Vikings were basically plunderers, setting out each spring in individual ships or groups of one or two to go "a-Viking" along the coast of the North Atlantic countries. They were violent men. Swordplay and battle was the rule rather than the exception and the pages of this book run red with the blood spilled by the characters in these stories. If you believe what Bengtsson writes they actually sought warfare and violence rather than peace. Furthermore if you read it you will have a feel for the work of the several religious orders that sent Priests to the Vikings in an effort to Christianize them and the effect on Red Orm of his baptism in Book Three. You will have a feel for the limited extent to which "civilization" as the Western World then knew it had changed the way of life of the many small tribes which inhabited the region of the Danes and how far they had to come to catch up. I enjoyed it and hope you do too.A translation of this book is really hard to achieve actually. English and Swedish differ somewhat obviously but the STYLE of the language in the book is a bit peculiar. There was a conscious attempt of the author to have the ancient way of language in the line of the Icelandic sagas as a theme. And he succeeded immensely in my mind. I'm thinking comparing with the original Swedish version.The translator is a genius in his work in my mind - I expect a Nobel prize ;). This is really hard work.As to the book itself it brings the Vilking world seriously alive. Forget the TV-series Vikings. This book is a serious attempt to illustrate how the vikings actually thought and felt and it seems so credble while reading it. "YES - this is how they were in real life".Possibly it's not true but the book will make you believe it - again and again.In original Swedish it's a graal piece of course.This is simply excellence and sheer reading joy.This long novel, published in the 1940s in Swedish, has been regarded as one of the best historical novels ever. I wouldn't go that far myself, but I found it mostly an enjoyable and often amusing read, following the life and voyages of Orm Tostesson in the years around the end of the first millennium, told in a Norse saga style with voyages across Europe and the Balkans and Middle East, tales of battles, horrific massacres, treasure hunts and heroic rescues, weaved into real historical events and characters . Some of the sub-stories go on a bit and become a bit tiresome but there is mostly a good narrative drive and some great set pieces. I noticed a great example of a Viking curse: "may she toss perpetually in the whirlpool of Hell amongst sword-blades and serpents' fangs".. I have now read this book 4 times. Each time I read it I find something new.I just love it. For those of you who might be put off by the terrible Hollywood movie of the same name, don't worry. The book is nothing like the film. If you like a book filled with humour, great battles and a history of the Norse people then this book is for you. Thoroughly recommended.Recommended by my brother who has read it many times and says if he could only have one book in his life it would be this one. There are many good reviews of this book and I have to agree with them, it's not swashbuckling Hollywood, it's Viking, you are there with them, I could even feel Harald Bluetooth's toothache! Thoroughly enjoying this bookIt's going to be incredibly difficult to put into words just how good this book is. Any review no matter how good, will be able to do this book full justice. The book is a perfect masterpiece and quite untouchable in many respects by modern imitators. It had in fact been sitting in my `to read' pile for many months as I was completely put off by the revolting cover. And yet a couple of weeks ago I bit the bullet, dusted the book down and began a truly remarkable adventure with Orm and his companions.This is an epic `cradle to grave' saga describing the adventures of Orm the Viking. Orm's adventures are richly layered and meticulously researched. The level of detail included is simply astounding and you will learn so much more about the world of the Vikings. The book feels so authentic; the dialogue is slightly archaic but completely right for this book. Everything clicks into place just so, the fascinating facts and cultural practices, the dialogue and poetry, the enthralling side-stories and historical anecdotes, the battle scenes, the travel scenes, the weather, the medicinal practices and of course the merry-making - this book will come to life in your hands. It will be very difficult to put down.The book has been translated and there are a couple of dodgy words and the occasional typing error. Yet that is a publishing problem and not one which detracts from the overarching quality of this beautifully written book. You can tell that the author is a master of his art and through the medium of his craftsmanship has the power to hold his readers captive for countless hours. The book does require a substantial time commitment as it is not a quick read. Yet the rewards and the enjoyment the reader will gain are immeasurable.Why read `The Long Ships' when there are so many other books out there on the market?Well, the book deserves to be read because it is unique. It is steeped in historicity and will give you countless hours of literary pleasure. It is simply brilliant. It is also a refreshing and clean counter-balance to those more modern books that tend to be more sexually explicit and far more graphic.The book was devoured and will have to take its place amongst my favourite reads.Highly recommended.