Tags
ancient literature, beowulf, book review, epic poem, Grendel, gutenberg project, Medieval, poetry
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
“Beloved Beowulf, remember how you boasted,
Once, that nothing in the world would ever
Destroy your fame; fight to keep it,
Now, be strong and brave, my noble
King, protecting life and fame
Together. My sword will fight at your side!”
Stirring stuff eh? Nothing but distilled epicness! When someone used to say ‘Beowulf’ to me I’d start thinking about epic soundtracks to films, especially ‘Lux Aeterna’. But not anymore…
No, there’s nothing to get excited about here, people. In fact, this might be my shortest review of a book yet. Basically ‘Beowulf’ is the story of a warrior called Beowulf (who comes across as a bit vainglorious, hence the quote above about him boasting!) and his epic battle with Grendel the monster, and said monsters mum. And you get to read the story TWICE. Once by the narrator, and a second time round by Beowulf himself (who was only trying to impress the ladies in court!)
My translated version was the Gutenberg e-book edition, and very unimaginative if I might say so. Ask around for a GOOD translation before you give it a go. If you know a good version, please let me know. I feel like a s*&% not diggin’ this piece of epic lit. And I don’t like that. It makes me feel dumb.
So please, convince me through another version this CAN be better and I’ll be a very grateful girl indeed!
To read my version of the text free, plesase visit ‘Beowulf’ at the Gutenberg Project.
Related articles
- The World’s Best English Epic Poetry – Beowulf (in English Translation) (antipodeanwriter.wordpress.com)
- You Should Ban Beowulf (coopcatalyst.wordpress.com)
- What’s in Yuuur Future? (eradica.wordpress.com)
- How not to tell a story… (houseofthedread.wordpress.com)
- Wise, Brutish, and Hairy (thelintinmypocket.wordpress.com)
Wordly Obsessions 
I’ve read a big chunk of the Seamus Heaney translation (the piece that’s in the norton anthology…and i’m embarrassed to admit that it’s only now that i’ve read your review that i realize i haven’t read the whole of “beowulf”) and love love love it. I mean, so much so that I’ve read it two or three times. The language is gorgeous – and yeah, not much happens and there’s a bunch of that genealogy-type stuff that seems typical of epics, but I love the translation. I guess I should go out and buy the whole thing, now that I know I’ve only read about half of it.
Your review also serves as a great reminder for why I should stay away from works that are in the public domain now but that’ve been translated. It’s so tempting to download them for my kindle rather than spending $10 for a paperback, but some of those old translations are pretty awful.
Ellen, thanks for responding. You have shown me that there is something to look forward to with regards to Beowulf. Yes, some of them free domain books are bad, not all mind you, but some. Yeah, Norton Anthologies often have lengthy excerpts and not the whole thing. I’ve also had that experience!
I’ll try and get a copy of the Heaney version. I love Heaney. I’m sure he’ll make it worthwhile for me.
Pingback: Looking Back at 2011 | A Year Through Books « Zee's Wordly Obsessions
I use the version you have pictured above when I teach Beowulf – a great story, in my opinion.
Best,
S. Thomas Summers
Author of Private Hercules McGraw: Poems of the American Civil War