{"product_id":"the-saga-of-the-volsungs-9780140447385","title":"The Saga of the Volsungs","description":"\u003cb\u003eOne of the great books of world literature--an unforgettable tale of jealousy, unrequited love, greed, and vengeance. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on Viking Age poems and composed in thirteenth-century Iceland, \u003cb\u003eThe Saga of the Volsungs\u003c\/b\u003e combines mythology, legend, and sheer human drama in telling of the heroic deeds of Sigurd the dragon slayer, who acquires runic knowledge from one of Odin's Valkyries. Yet the saga is set in a very human world, incorporating oral memories of the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun and other warriors fought on the northern frontiers of the Roman empire. In his illuminating Introduction Jesse L. Byock links the historical Huns, Burgundians, and Goths with the extraordinary events of this Icelandic saga. With its ill-fated Rhinegold, the sword reforged, and the magic ring of power, the saga resembles the Nibelungenlied and has been a primary source for such fantasy writers as J. R. R. Tolkien and for Richard Wagner's Ring cycle. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Penguin Group\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/01\/2000\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780140447385\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 160\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.28lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.94h x 5.02w x 0.41d","brand":"Jesse L. Byock, Anonymous","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36634784071836,"sku":"9780140447385","price":13.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_e1100043-cfcc-486d-a120-7c9b1ddc0e3e.jpg?v=1603837640","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-saga-of-the-volsungs-9780140447385","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}