Reviews

Beowulf by Unknown

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lizziestudieshistory's review against another edition

3.0

I probably would have enjoyed this more with a different translation into modern English... The tale itself is timeless, and highly influential in modern literature (looking at you Tolkien!) However, this version feels dry and over written. I'm used to verse translations being a bit over the top, but at times I found myself rereading whole chunks to work out what was going on. Never good! And not a problem I usually get with the sheer amount of epic poetry I've read!

I'll be delving back into Beowulf in the future with a translation that will hopefully bring an enthralling reading experience. However, I would recommend picking up Beowulf if you haven't - I had a great time picking out the bits Tolkien nicked, and the poem is a must read to understand our literary history.

maia_reads21's review against another edition

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challenging fast-paced

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

3.0

thecrookedspine's review against another edition

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5.0

Five stars due almost exclusively to this truly brilliant and inspiring translation - because frankly the story of the source material fell short for me. But if you have to read Beowulf, read this one.