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evaphoenix's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, War, and Violence
Minor: Rape and Slavery
xkrille's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I read it for university, and it was fine. I did not hate it, but at the same time, it was not for me. It was interesting enough, and I can somewhat see why it's a classic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Grief, War, and Blood
expertfisherfox's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A classic. This particular copy had the translation on one side of the page and the original text on the opposite, which was fascinating to look at and compare.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Gore and Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Murder, and War
godraed's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Heaney's heroic translation
proves the poet
a master of the medium
Heaney's translation does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the original poem. He created a modern masterpiece from the Old English original.
Adventure, grim oaths, monsters, and a window into the worldview of another time.
Gath a wyrd swa hio scel.
proves the poet
a master of the medium
Heaney's translation does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the original poem. He created a modern masterpiece from the Old English original.
Adventure, grim oaths, monsters, and a window into the worldview of another time.
Gath a wyrd swa hio scel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Death, Murder, Blood, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Gore, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
xandra_lyn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Rating for the translation not the story. It was rather clunky, and often confusing. I actually found the author's explanations on the side to be more confusing than just reading the poem. I've read a different translation of beowulf previously, and that one was better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore
Minor: War
Beowulf pulls off the arm of Grendel, and other battle related gorejaan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Beowulf has very quickly become an all-time favourite. The reason I didn't give this audiobook edition 5 stars is because Heaney abridged his own translation, and the verses he dropped are integral to an interpretation I find to be very rich.
I listened to this edition as I read Heaney's 1999 facing-page translation. I LOVED his narration. He was not a very dynamic narrator, but he was slow, steady, deliberate, and he gave the poem a depth I would not have felt if I didn't listen along (Beowulf was always meant to be heard anyway, not read). I cried a little towards the end when Beowulf recalled his service in Hygelac's retinue: "I marched ahead of him, always there / at the front of the line; and I shall fight like that / for as long as I live, as long as this sword / shall last" (2497-2500).
I got 150 lines in before immediately becoming a Grendel apologist, btw.
Beowulf is a poem about many things: grief, predestination, war, self-actualization, etc. It's about the relationship between the Danes, the Geats, and the Swedes, a meditation on what a man's descendants owe to him, to what extent goodwill endures between generations, the punishment a man inflicts for his victim's grandparents' actions. It is about the lives women must piece together betwixt the death and loss and tragedy of war, and the agency they might exercise to prevent further violence (these are the verses missing from Heaney's abridged narration, but existing in his facing-page translation).
Give this story a chance. It helped that I read it with my book club, at my own pace (instead of for a class, during which I would have been rushed by deadlines).
I listened to this edition as I read Heaney's 1999 facing-page translation. I LOVED his narration. He was not a very dynamic narrator, but he was slow, steady, deliberate, and he gave the poem a depth I would not have felt if I didn't listen along (Beowulf was always meant to be heard anyway, not read). I cried a little towards the end when Beowulf recalled his service in Hygelac's retinue: "I marched ahead of him, always there / at the front of the line; and I shall fight like that / for as long as I live, as long as this sword / shall last" (2497-2500).
I got 150 lines in before immediately becoming a Grendel apologist, btw.
Beowulf is a poem about many things: grief, predestination, war, self-actualization, etc. It's about the relationship between the Danes, the Geats, and the Swedes, a meditation on what a man's descendants owe to him, to what extent goodwill endures between generations, the punishment a man inflicts for his victim's grandparents' actions. It is about the lives women must piece together betwixt the death and loss and tragedy of war, and the agency they might exercise to prevent further violence (these are the verses missing from Heaney's abridged narration, but existing in his facing-page translation).
Give this story a chance. It helped that I read it with my book club, at my own pace (instead of for a class, during which I would have been rushed by deadlines).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Grief
Moderate: War
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I listened to it on audiobook mostly while falling asleep so I missed a lot of it. I really enjoyed the introduction which was mostly the history of the Beowulf. I definitely enjoyed the parts I was tuned in for and plan to reread it in book format.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, and Violence
shannasbooksnhooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
'Such is the feud and emnity, the cruel malice of men, for which I look, in which the Swedish people will come against us, when they learn that our lord is reft of life, who aforetime did guard us against those that hated him his treasury and realm, after the fall of mighty men did rule the sealoving Geats, accomplishing the profit of his people, yea, and before all did knightly deeds.'
Beowulf has always been my favorite epic poem, so having a Tolkien translation is honestly amazing. And reading the addition of Sellic Spell was interesting, although it was a bit off-putting after reading Beowulf. Reading Tolkien's commentary with his son's additions to clarify was amazing as well.
Beowulf has always been my favorite epic poem, so having a Tolkien translation is honestly amazing. And reading the addition of Sellic Spell was interesting, although it was a bit off-putting after reading Beowulf. Reading Tolkien's commentary with his son's additions to clarify was amazing as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Violence, Gore, and Blood
waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I had to read this for a college course, and I have to admit that it's one of the better books I've had to read for school! The translation and context provided by Seamus Heaney went a long way in my enjoyment and understanding of the epic poem. It reads a lot like the Greek epics: The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid. It's a classic hero's journey tale: Beowulf battles monsters, avenges the lives of those cut down in battle, confusing family trees where all the names sound the same, and lots of hyphenated descriptions of people and beasts.
It may help to know that if you have to read this for school, I was able to read the whole thing in about 6 hours while taking notes for class, and I'm a slow reader. I hope you find it as easy and interesting to read as I did!
It may help to know that if you have to read this for school, I was able to read the whole thing in about 6 hours while taking notes for class, and I'm a slow reader. I hope you find it as easy and interesting to read as I did!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death of parent, Murder, Death, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
monjure's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Gore