Reviews with content warning for Murder - Beowulf: A New Translation

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.

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godraed's review against another edition

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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.

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strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

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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.

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waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

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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!

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monsterofidaho's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Fool that I was, I figured this was a revision of a prior translation of Beowulf and not a direct translation from the original text. I’ve never been more delighted to be wrong! The book reads so well on its own but it really takes flight when you listen to the audiobook. Hearing JD Jackson begin with ‘Bro! Tell me we still know how to speak of kings!’ sends a thrill down my spine every time I revisit the audiobook. The poem really feels – almost – like it was in its original time of telling, an epic of inhuman proportions first spoken to an audience of many and now spoken so much more personally to an audience of yourself.

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