Beowulf

Published by Dreamscape Media Audio

Narrated by Stephen Crossley

In this epic poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of the king of the Danes whose great hall is plagued by the monster Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel bare-handed and goes on to kill Grendel's mother with a giant’s sword that he recovers from her lair. Later, as king of the Geats, Beowulf confronts a dragon that terrorizes his kingdom. J.R.R. Tolkien said of Beowulf that it is in fact so interesting as poetry, in places poetry so powerful, that this quite overshadows the historical content.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media Audio
• Release date: Oct 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781974902200

Reviews for Beowulf

[thorold_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The poemBeowulf is a tough sell. Not only has it traditionally been used by English departments around the world to break the spirit of newly-recruited undergraduates (who thought they had signed up for three years of Emily Dickinson and Virginia Woolf, only to find themselves out on the parade-ground practicing their Old English sound-shifts for month after month...), but also, when you get down to it, it turns out to be a poem about a macho muscle-man who spends his time - when not quaffing mead - either ripping monsters limb from limb or swimming long distances in full armour. Told completely straight, without any discernible trace of irony. Well, not exactly my cup of tea...Skimming through the introduction of the Bolton & Wrenn critical text, it turns out that we know surprisingly little about what must be one of the most-studied poems in the canon. It has survived in only one manuscript, the famous "British Museum Cotton Vitellius A XV" (bizarrely, the emperor Vitellius comes into it because it's his bust that stands on top of that particular bookcase). In fact, there are very few Old English texts that survive as multiple copies, so this uniqueness isn't unusual in itself. The manuscript seems to have been written around the year 1000, and textual evidence suggests that it's at least the third generation of copies since the poem was first written down. When and where that was is hotly disputed, but Mercia in the second half of the 8th century is a strong possibility. The action of the poem is set in a pre-Christian past in Denmark and Southern Sweden (with some mention of actual historical figures from the time), whilst the poet is obviously from a Christian background and refers quite freely to the Old Testament. What I found most surprising was to discover that the poem was not conspicuously a "classic" in its own time: we don't have any other contemporary references to it (apart from the "Finnesburg fragment", a single page of MS that seems to come from a different version of part of the same story), and as far as anyone can tell it fell completely off the radar of English literature between the end of the Old English period and the time around 650 years later when the first modern scholars became interested in Old English manuscripts and discovered this poem, bound in with a prose translation of St Augustine. So Beowulf is only part of the history of English literature with hindsight.The Heaney translationSeamus Heaney, of course, saw it as rather more than a philological crossword puzzle or a Boys' Own adventure story, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered with it. He points us in particular at the last part of the poem, where the elderly (70+) hero decides that he owes it to his people to take on one last dragon, even though it will certainly cost him his life. And indeed, the anonymous poet deals with the complex emotions involved here a little less brusquely than he does elsewhere - but this isn't Shakespearean drama, and we shouldn't expect it to be.What Heaney is really interested in, I think, is the poetical challenge of finding something in modern English that has the same magically seductive sound quality as Old English alliterative verse (which always sounds magnificent, even if you haven't a clue what it means...). And, of course, being Seamus Heaney, he decides to imagine the voices of the poem as if they came from the Northern Ireland farmers of his own sound-world, puts these into a slightly looser form of the Old English two-stress half-lines, and succeeds brilliantly. This translation is a poem that you just have to read aloud, even if there's no way that you can find any sympathy for Beowulf as a character.

[antao-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(Original Review, 2001-02-20)If you are familiar with the Hindu myth-kitty though, you may also find parallels between “Beowulf” and the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. When Jambavan spends a lot of time telling Hanuman about how great he is, to induce him to jump to Lanka in search of Sita, or Arjun surveys the array of warriors against him, described in some detail, leading to the Bhagavad Gita, or the Pandavas' "advisor" at Draupadi's swayamvar asks the unknown Karna to declare his lineage and rank.In Beowulf, where the eponymous protagonist has to be introduced by his history in order to be considered worthy of being received in Hrothgar's halls, and able to, perhaps, take his chances against Grendel. Thorsten Verblen's, in his model of conspicuous consumption, suggested that in societies, or social conditions, that were not stable a man could only gain status by his reputation and by what he carried with him: his arms, his abilities and his history. It is a theory that applies to the bling culture of hip-hop, where alas, lives can be dramatically shortened, as much as to the Bronze Age and Iron Age world's of chiefdoms and agriculturists versus nomads. Women were acquired by raids, but there was enough spare, or surplus, labour available for ancillary crafts to develop: goldsmithery, ironmongery and the like. In such conditions, a man meeting a stranger or a putative enemy, would be likely to show off his armour and then show off further by talking about who he was, both his history and his lineage. Like Buffaloes sizing each other up before fighting, it may have been a way of reducing the number of fights that had to occur.Let us not forget the fate of Patroclus, who deliberately rode around in Achilles' bling and therefore got caught in a drive-by assassination. Had he been in a Prius instead of his black, silver-wheeled, borrowed SUV, he might have lived...It reminds me of the peaceful moment of the Bhagavad Gita from the Mahabharata just before the great battle of Kurukshetra, though of course Arjuna and Krishna are on the same side.Celtic kingdoms, Saxon kingdoms, Anglo-Norman kingdoms, were ALL European kingdoms. There was no hard border between mainland Britain and the rest of Europe. Kings ruled territories on both sides of the channel in joint jurisdictions. Laws and customs, language, arts and religion were common, in overlapping webs. The Celtic (that is British, or Welsh) and the Saes/Saxon peoples were not 'barbaric'. They were civilised, literate cultures, with highly organised governments, law codes, religion and arts.The group which was 'barbaric' was the 'Normans'. These were a rabble of raiders, adventurers, thieves and pirates, drawn together to loot other peoples. They were illiterate, depending on the monks of those they conquered to keep their records. Their law codes were truly barbaric, vastly inferior to the British and the Saxons, who operated on a system of compensation payments (fines). It was the Normans who imposed amputation, tortures, and increased executions. They were supreme in violence only, inheriting the worst of Viking culture without its balancing qualities, as the Normans were the misfits and rejects. What they were also good at was propaganda. Their bards sang wholly fabricated histories claiming an honourable ancestry for a united people that didn't exist. There were no 'Normans' until the bards constructed the myth of them as the raiders conquests grew successful.This is the 'people' who spawned the British ruling class. The British ruling class keeps books that trace their genealogy proudly 'back to the Conquest'. They were violent thugs, the vermin of Europe, who grabbed and stole, then dressed it all up in myths of propaganda. They haven't changed. Just like the rest of Europe, namely in Portugal...I wonder what the Britons thought about the invading Anglo-Saxons. Were they any better? The difference is, we have very few records to tell us what they thought. The invaders came in sufficient numbers that over a period of centuries their language replaced the native language, and so over time the Brits ended up with a weird sense that the Anglo-Saxon invaders were "Britons", but later Norman invaders were "them", because there weren't enough of them to replace the language of the Anglo-Saxon invaders (although enough to give us 1/3 of the English vocabulary).What did the Britons think about the Saxons (who didn't invade, but simply switch roles from mercenaries to usurpers...)? Actually we know exactly what the British thought of the Saes - they loathed them. See “Armes Prydain” and other works of the time. There was no worse insult than to be called a Saes - Saxon. The native British were culturally superior if only because settlers come as younger sons, or people who are unsuccessful at home, less educated, less cultured. You don't invade and crush natives by singing pretty songs. Compare “Beowulf” with the “Mabinogi” and the gulf is huge - like comparing drinking songs with Shakespeare.It's also inaccurate that the Saes replaced the British. Genetics say otherwise and the story is mixed. In some places it was violent takeover. In others it was trade, marriage, settlement. Coexistence is now the new historical understanding. Brits were mainly herders so held to the high ground and you can still see their place names across 'England' today in higher areas. The Saes were grain farmers who lived on lowland clays so their names survive there. The Saes were not as educated as the Brits. Alfred imported monks from the Cymru (Wales) led by Asser, to teach his people to read and write. Alfred was a visionary, like the later Guillaum le Batard of Normandy. But their peoples were less savoury, especially the Normans who practised genocide to terrify the natives. The whole of Yorkshire was depopulated, half of Pembrokeshire, and a large area of the Scots border. Massacres, or else driven out into destitution. On the second the British ruling class has not changed, still driving people into poverty and homelessness, just like the rest of Europe, namely in Portugal...The English called themselves English from at least the sixth or seventh century on. It was the Normans and their successors who coined the term Anglo Saxon to describe them. All part of the attempt to legitimise their conquest and pretend that they were the rightful rulers of the kingdom and its confiscated estates; and that English history started with them. That's why they promoted the Arthurian myth and tried to pretend they were its heirs - in order to try to write the English out of the story. And why they immediately knocked down the English Abbeys and cathedrals and rebuilt them in their own style.

[deckla_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Maybe Heaney's translation is better, but this slim volume has lots of good supporting information, including a chronology, maps, early critical reactions, notes, a genealogy of the major characters, and a bibliography.

[justagirlwithabook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had to read Beowulf in high school my senior year (we did a bit on the middle ages and its literature). I think I wouldn't have liked this as much as I did if it hadn't been for my instructor. She made the story come to life and provided our class with all sorts of history of the UK (pre-UK) and its countries and people. It was reminiscent in many ways to Odysseus and I enjoyed it overall.

[lovinglit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This translated version has the Olde English verse written on the left page, and the modern English verse on the right page. As Heaney states in the introduction, he has tried with this translation to keep the language simple and as the original intended the meaning to be. He favoured meaning over rhyme, and as a consequence there is little rhyme. But the rhythm is certainly there and it reads very well. I was surprised at how accessible the story was, and how drawn in I was. There seemed to be some glaringly obvious similarities in storyline to The Hobbit...I am unsure as to whether this has been stated before I came to the conclusion, but is seemed so to me. The parts of the story that did get complicated were the family lineages and connections. But that didn't detract from the legend of Beowulf being as grand and fearsome as ever

[patsymurray · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was surprised to find I enjoyed this poem despite its grim subject matter. It is a story of a heroic battle of a warrior with evil forces. Beowulf wins the first battle easily, but the second and third are harder fought. The virtues here are simple, and the evil originates almost entirely from outside the community so it is easy to choose a side. This poem reenforces the warrior's code that kept men loyal and obedient to their leaders. The accompanying photographs of landscapes and artifacts in this edition help generate the atmosphere and help add to the reader's understanding of the action and description in the poem. .

[traumleben_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For many, Beowulf is a painful childhood memory because we were all forced to read -- or read parts of -- a translation of Old English into somewhat less old English. It was a fairly average tale made worse through unenthusiastic translation. It's oft featured in English literature curricula precisely because of its age, but that doesn't make it good poetry. A story like Beowulf was first carried forward from teller to listener long before it was ever written down. Once committed to paper though, it becomes frozen in time. Once it's frozen, it starts to lose its connection to the audience so it's only right that we entertain new translations. Seamus Heaney does a brilliant job of it, making an eminently readable epic poem, worthy of your overtaxed attention. From dragon-slaying to Scandinavian alliances, it's worth revisiting.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Irish author Seamus Heaney provides a readable poetic translation of the epic Beowulf. In the poem readers see a mingling of Christian and pagan traditions. Well-versed Biblical students may even notice parallels between Beowulf and warriors in the Bible. Although the Old English appears on facing pages, my lack of knowledge of Old English makes it impossible for me to determine Heaney's faithfulness to the originals. His introduction and acknowledgement provides some background. He admits to differing opinions with other scholars but the final product seems true to the version I remember from college days while being far more readable. Perhaps more readers will find this classic tale accessible because of Heaney's work.

[lhlogan1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Classically good and classically fun.

[ireadthereforeiam · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This translated version has the Olde English verse written on the left page, and the modern English verse on the right page. As Heaney states in the introduction, he has tried with this translation to keep the language simple and as the original intended the meaning to be. He favoured meaning over rhyme, and as a consequence there is little rhyme. But the rhythm is certainly there and it reads very well. I was surprised at how accessible the story was, and how drawn in I was. There seemed to be some glaringly obvious similarities in storyline to The Hobbit...I am unsure as to whether this has been stated before I came to the conclusion, but is seemed so to me. The parts of the story that did get complicated were the family lineages and connections. But that didn't detract from the legend of Beowulf being as grand and fearsome as ever

[liz1564 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beowulf translated by Stephen Mitchell was sent to me by Yale University Press via NetGalley. Thank you.This Beowulf by Stephen Mitchell is an very entertaining translation, The adjective that comes to my mind is "robust." The narrative is straightforward and the flashbacks and foreshadowing are not awkward and do not stop the forward movement of the story. I taught Beowulf for many years to high school students and I wish I had this version. The literature anthology I used had the Kennedy translation which I personally love for it lyric imagery. In Kennedy, the lines about Grendel approaching Heorot (lines 678-680) are "From the stretching moors, from the misty hollows, Grendel came creeping, accursed of God." The Mitchell translation renders the same lines as " Then up from the moor, in a veil of mist, Grendel came slouching. He bore God's wrath." I like the former, but I know my students would have preferred the latter.In the end, whether it be Mitchell, Seamus Heaney, Charles Kennedy or E. Donaldson, all translations of Beowulf are a good thing. I am sure the scops who entertained their listeners during the black nights in the cold north would each have put his own spin on the story. Make it beautiful or make it bloody. One thing is for sure. Beowulf can never be boring.Some very nice addition sto the Mitchell translation are the addition of maps, genealogical charts and a list of characters and place names with pronunciations.

[madepercy-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first time I have read this epic poem but having seen the horrible 3D movie (cartoon?) beforehand, my imagination was all awry. Of note is the Christian versus pagan context that is completely missed by the movie, and also the context of the story is all over the shop. I was confused by the epic poem's plot but have since learnt that there are three seemingly disjointed stories, and there is no Angelina Jolie dragon for the two heroes to have slept with. Indeed, the movie makes Hrothgar and Beowulf look like idiots. The only part of the movie that made any sense in the context of the ancient text was the coastguard riding up to challenge Beowulf's armed warband (one of the typical "look at me I'm in 3D" shots with his spear). The rest just makes me angry at the movie! I drew some parallels with the Christian/pagan issue with my coinciding trip to Hong Kong. On a visit to Lamma Island, I asked my Chinese-speaking colleague about the Tian Hou Temple. She replied that it was something about the Queen of Heaven. I wondered whether it was Buddhist or what and looked it up when I returned to the hotel. It was interesting that Tian Hou evolved into the Empress of Heaven from a humble goddess of water and fishing. As Hong Kong originated as a fishing village, that makes sense. I have since learnt that various religious practices from Buddhism were incorporated into the worship of the polytheist local gods, and during numerous political eras, local deities were accepted and encouraged by governments over the centuries where these helped with civil stability (during the Han Dynasty, I think). Such Chinese "folk" religions are known as "Shenism". This interested me no end! Yet another thing I knew nothing about. In Beowulf, I felt the same tension between folk and formal religion, and it is clear that the text provides witness to the early days of Christianity in the region. I also felt I had seen numerous movies that draw on the different plots of the text. It is short and quick but would take several readings to better piece together the confusing plots, but others have agonised over this sufficiently for me to know my confusion was not just poor attention to detail!

[malarchy_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Penguin Epics edition of Beowulf is a 117 page translation in verse form by Michael Alexander. It is the same translation as the Penguin Classics edition but does not contain the additional contextual information.Beowulf is of course the legendary Old English epic written probably over a thousand years ago. It is a Scandic tale rather than an English one, the action taking place in the lands of various Scandic and Germanic factions. What makes it special is its existence as such a great early Old English work. What makes it epic is that Beowulf tells a series of outstanding adventures captured in the literary style of the Germanic peoples who populated northern Europe including Eastern Britain.There are various translations of Beowulf. This translation makes a very interesting judgement call. It retains a lot of the Germanic sentence structure rather than aiming for a more readable style to modern English users. This makes for a tough read at times in English but a more natural fit in terms of sub-clause use and verb positioning for those familiar with German and its most closely related languages. After a while the more complex composition becomes increasingly readable to the point where a reader can find ease in the word order patterns.There are occasional points to criticise in the translation. In particular the translation of the word Wyrd. It is hard to skip over the translation of Wyrd as Weird because it makes no sense in modern English. Fate would have been a better translation. It is particularly difficult to skip over when used around the adventure with the dragon give the proximity of Old English Wyrm and Wyrd. Why one has the modern English translation and not the other is hard to follow.Still, the translation by Michael Alexander is rich and evocative. It is hard to describe the times and places of Beowulf but the Epics edition does a decent enough job.The story itself is of course outstanding. It is the 15th book in the Penguin Epics collection and comes much later than some of the earlier works in the series. The later nature makes it a much more advanced work than those which have come before except perhaps Cupid & Psyche. What makes it so distinct is the crossover of symbolism, heroic deed, and societal structure. The bonds between people are much more organic than in more ancient literature.It helps that Beowulf is not just fiction but the elements that may be fictitious are still gripping. The battles against Grendel is surprisingly short, Beowulf defeating Grendel in their first combat. Grendel's mother offers another foe for Beowulf but he is able to defeat both of them. He does so in different circumstances. The battle with Grendel taking place in the familiar surroundings of a great hall. The battle with Grendel's mother however is more fantastic. This battle is much more of an adventure into legend with the fight itself taking place underwater, where Beowulf would in reality have stood no chance.That there is a distinction between a more real environment for the battle with Grendel and a fabulous one in combat with Grendel's mother could suggest slightly different traditions. Was Grendel real?The possibility of reality exists because of the non-fiction elements of the work. The battles against Frisians and the Battle on the Ice being parts of the sequence of wars in northern Europe.That Beowulf himself is a Geat is fascinating. It is thrilling to have a work of this quality preserve a tale from a defeated people. As a people now culturally assimilated into Swedes, it is really exciting to hear their voice from an elder time.Beowulf's ultimate demise comes in battle with a dragon. His men are not brave enough to take on the great wyrm but Beowulf and the dragon are each other's match. It is a terrific fight and a great way for a hero to go.Beowulf's Christian nature is a little odd. He initially is presented as a Christian hero which does not fit with the Christianisation of the region. There is only limited reference to Christianity as the work progresses. It seems as though the religious element was a later addition. It certainly is not enough of an addition to erode the references to traditional Scandic society and culture.The influence of this great work on more modern literature is entirely obvious. Tolkien lifted not just ideas and themes from Beowulf even character names. The most famous author in the fantasy genre turns out to have written tales that could almost be sequels to this old epic.The Penguin Epics edition does not contain any additional information other than the work itself. It fits within the Penguin Epics Collection. The Penguin Classics version apparently contains a bit more. This absence does no real harm to the work at all for those familiar with north European mythology or history, or indeed for those able to do a bit of follow-up research themselves.Beowulf is a must read for everyone. Which edition to choose is a matter of choice. This offering was a good choice for this reader.

[multifaceted_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So. Beowulf. I have absolutely no knowledge of Old English--so I can't even begin to understand the original text on the even numbers of the pages--but I will say that it was fun to look over every now and then, sound out some of the real Old English words, and see where some of our words eventually evolved from. Heaney's translation, on the other hand, was pretty great, although I don't have any other versions to compare to. It was a fast paced read; after all, the original poet managed to pack 50 years and some royal feuds into 3000+ lines. Sometimes the reading goes so fast that I find myself stopping, looking back and trying to take in the complex poetic elements that Heaney managed to keep within the work, such as alliteration of one or two words within the two separate sections of a line; something that is very much in line with some of the elements Viking poets originally employed in their own language, as well. I kind of wished Heaney would have kept more of the kennings, though. Even though it can make reading more obtuse, I find it says just as much about the author and the times as it does about the person or thing the kenning is describing.The story itself is pretty simple; it's a fast paced tale of lords and changing kings, great deeds, and the eventual inevitability of death--it kind of makes me think of Gilgamesh, in a way. The "moral" I took from it was not only the unavoidable, eventual decline and death of life, but also of countries. The only slightly confusing thing for me was the descriptions of long-standing feuds between peoples, since I haven't had much of any experience with that part of history or the geography of the feuds outside of this story. I found the story a really interesting combination of Christian and Pagan beliefs. There's the beliefs in giants and monsters, only they're attributed to something such as a pre-flood like sinful, heathen time (in the case of the giants) or as the demonic offspring of Cain, the man cast out by God as the killer of his brother. There's mentions of things that have their roots in Norse myths, such as the "Brosinga" necklace around line 1197 (originally the Brisingamen, the necklace of the goddess Freyja once stolen by the god Loki), the story of Sigmund beginning at 884 (very similar to the Norse story of Sigurd, Sigmund's son, where the gold guarded by the dragon was begotten by a few of the Aesir gods from the dwarves, and cursed by the latter), or the mention of weapons engraved with "worm-loops" at 1532 (this recalls to mind Jormungand, the Midgard serpent who encircles the world, biting on his own tail). In Beowulf, most of these side stories are attributed to kings and queens alone, with no mention of gods. Then there's the mark of the Shieldings--the boar on their banners and helmets recalls the animal the Vanir god Freyr is often associated with keeping by his side or as the object of his sacrifices. Of course, Freyr was the god called upon for prosperity and protection in battle. And the most prominent thing of all; one of the most common "kennings" used for God in Beowulf is also one of the names for Odin--All-father.Oh! One more thing that stuck out to me was the women in Beowulf. I was intrigued by how often women figured in the Eddas--as goddesses, as Norns who wove fates, as Valkyries who chose the battle-slain, as the prophetic Volvas, and they were even pivotal characters in quite a few of the heroic lays. Beowulf, sadly, feels more like a reality. The women dole out the mead and maybe one or two of the smaller gifts to the heroes, and daughters are passed along as prizes to heroic lords or as a peace-treaty to kings of nearby nations. This obviously works out very well, right? And by "very well" I mean "hardly at all". Thanks, dad.

[soradsauce_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you ever need to read anything in translation that Heaney has done, DO IT. He keeps the feel of the original texts and is absolutely astounding at modernizing ancient texts without diverting from the original.

[indreamsawake · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read this in two different college classes, the first with a terrible professor and I hated it, the second time with a wonderful professor and I loved it! There is something to be said for teaching style.

[woodsathome · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Who knew I would ever enjoy Beowulf. I remember struggling through it in school and not making any sense of it (although the fact that an elementary teacher first assigned it may have added to my confusion).Heaney's translation was a revelation. I had heard such strong praise, but was still reluctant to revisit the epic. My sister finally persuaded me to read it to help her prep to teach a new Brit Lit class.I was blown away. Not only could I understand what was going on, I was engrossed it the plot. I actually could not put it down.So if you, like me never "got" Beowulf while in school, don't hesitate to give this translation a try

[westfargolibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Written between the 7th & 10th century in Old English, Heaney's translation brings this masterpiece to life! Beowulf is the story of a warrior who journeys from Sweden to rescue the Danes from the monster Grendel. This edition is beautifully illustrated with photos of ships, weapons, jewelry, and artwork.

[tuffsme · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have to say that I was surprised by how dark this book actually is. It isn't sugar coated or idealized like the movies bortray the story to be. It's a great read when you're looking for more than drama and scandal.

[cbfiske · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Seamus Heaney's choice of words for this translation. A pleasure to reread.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another re-read prompted by the desert island books conversation. this is just fabulous. I know the original derives from a oral tradition, and I feel that this is designed to be read aloud, not to oneself. the meter is unlike the iambic rhythm we're so used to now, but the alliteration works and the lines sort of trip of the tongue. It's never a dull "te tum te tum te tum" thing - the words almost have a life of their own.
Add to that it's a swashbuckling story from the heroic to the unbearably sad and it just sweeps you away. Takes a bit of concentration, but that's no bad thing in a book.

[sweetbriarpoet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful poem. I have been meaning to read this for years- and thought it would require a deeper understanding of Old English to really capture the essence of the poem. If you are worried about this, I suggest reading Seamus Heaney's translation. He is such an amazing poet (my absolute favorite) and his knowledge of Old English means you get a meaningful translation which really allows you to just enjoy the story.

[pferdina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you are like me, you haven't read Beowulf since high school and your memory of the story is probably pretty bad. I found reading this translation very enjoyable, and I loved having the "original" version printed opposite the translation (even though I couldn't read it).

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a surprisingly speedy, easy and enjoyable read--for which Heaney, the translator, deserves a lot of credit. Especially given this is a verse translation. I've found that I have preferred prose translations of Homer and Dante because those trying to be true to alliteration, meter and rhyme often feel forced, awkward and occlude the meaning. It probably helped that Heaney is a distinguished poet in his own right; his translation was fluid, with a rhythm and tone somewhere between Homer and Tolkien in feel. And the story is fun, a Pagan tale set mostly in Dark Ages Denmark with Christian interjections by the original poet who probably was a monk writing anywhere between the mid-seventh to the end of the tenth century. There are monsters, notably Grendel and a dragon with his horde. What's not to love?And a translation is needed. I read a bilingual edition, with the original Old English (Anglo-Saxon) and modern English translation side by side. Knowing Spanish I often can make out the gist of passages in Portuguese, Italian or even French. And though it's not easy, I can get Chaucer, in Middle English, even if I prefer a translation there too. I was surprised really at how indecipherable I found the Anglo-Saxon of Beowulf. All the more reason to appreciate Heaney's achievement.

[justlance · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read many translations and this is my favorite. I love the poem/story of Beowulf and read it often. This is not only an excellent translation, but it is such an easy to read version that I must give it 5 stars. Read this version and enjoy a true classic tale that will keep you interested from start to finish.

[ulfhjorr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great epic, and Heaney's translation is a joy to read.

[lizannbowen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having translated the entirety of Beowulf from Old English into modern English, I must say that Heaney takes great leaps and a poetic license to the original text. That being said, Heaney's translation allows any reader to understand the world of Beowulf in a greater capacity and fully engages the audience to hear the world as well through beautifully written verse. However, if using this text to research its setting and time period (which is rather loose and controversial, with scholars claiming the work anywhere between the 8th to the 11th century), you must have the original text and your Oxford to truly appreciate the language's impact on the understanding of its time period.

[millsge_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't know how to review a masterpiece like Beowulf - it's like writing a review of Sistine Chapel . To say something about this work of art that would be both original and add to our understanding of the poem, the author, the time in which it was written, and its many themes is beyond me. As with all great poetry, all one can do is try to hear every note of its music and allow it to go directly to that thing one identifies as one's "I."

[roguebelle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Heaney's translation, but for me, the real gemlike quality of this text is the matching Old English printed on the opposite pages -- it's just too much fun (at least if you're a lit geek like me)!

[benuathanasia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this the first time in college. Then, I enjoyed the incredible rush of the adventure. This time around reading it, I ignored the forest to focus on the trees; I inhaled the beautiful poetry of the language. A wonderful, timeless adventure.