Description: Combining an accessible approach with innovative scholarship, Carl Phelpstead draws on historical context, contemporary theory, and close reading to deepen our understanding of Icelandic saga narratives about the island's early history.
Brief description: Carl Phelpstead, professor of English literature at Cardiff University in Wales, is the author of Holy Vikings: Saints' Lives in the Old Icelandic Kings' Sagas.
Review Quotes:
"This well-written work expands understanding of Icelandic sagas in an accessible, entertaining, and thought-provoking way. . . . Phelpstead's insightful approach to the sagas' themes and complexities opens them up to the modern reader and the literary world."--Choice
"Offers an expansive yet grounded introduction to the sagas and is a great academic resource for researchers and students."--Forum for Modern Language Studies
"Refreshingly clear, engaging, and unpretentious. . . . Will aid and stimulate students of the sagas and others, providing many excellent starting points for discussion and further analysis."--Scandinavian Studies