Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley

8 reviews

emmagreenwood's review

challenging slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

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

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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

pacifickat's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

This epic poem is the forefather of much of Western high fantasy and lore. I enjoy seeing parallels to works like those of Tolkien, Gaiman, and Sanderson: lords, warriors, great halls, named swords, lengthy descriptions of shields and armor, sworn fealty, rings and ring givers, codes for good kingship, swift horses, dragons, treasure hordes, and monsters lurking in the darkness out of stories of old. 

It is also intersting to hear how these ancient Scandinavians / Anglo-Saxons overlayed and combined Christian elements with their own cultural values and older pagan religious myths and practices. Syncretism is a near universal human tendancy, and it's fascinating to see such an old example as a new belief system was sweeping across pre-modern Europe.

This was an enjoyable and approachable translation to hear in audiobook format.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Death

Minor: Alcohol

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.

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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. 

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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

naomi_k's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Minor: Alcohol and Cursing

roadki77's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted 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

3.5

Plot holes aplenty. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Cannibalism and Alcohol

agentdrake's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Slavery and Torture