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astratton1027's review
adventurous
challenging
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
3.5
ultimatekate's review
5.0
Most people are wary of all things Beowulf, and even though I teach this poem, I was one of them. All that changed when I read Heaney's translation. WOW! It reads like a novel, it's incredibly descriptive, and it's been a hit with my students!
kdahlo's review against another edition
5.0
I was excited to read this and really enjoyed it. I've read Heaney's translation before, I liked that too, and especially enjoyed seeing the old English side by side with the translation. My biggest wish for this edition would to be able to have more of that experience, to line it up against the old English or another translation and compare the wording.
It was fun to read , and I found that I understood certain areas of the poem better. Perhaps the biggest difference was feeling like I understood the digressions better, Headley did a good job transitioning into them and guiding me to understand when things were happening relative to the main narrative. That's the aspect of the poem I've struggled with the most before.
That said, there are definitely some 'catalog of ships' moments in Beowulf, no fault to the translator. I did feel liked Headley's translation helped squeeze some meaning out of these moments for me, which I would otherwise just breeze through. The foreword was also really interesting, and discussed some features of the original text and its competing editors.
Overall, a fun experience and one that made me want to seek out more scholarship on the topic. I think Headley would be happy with this result, because this translation is offered up with so much curiosity, affection and humor. It's funny that taking on a translation has such an aura of ego. Reading this version, and the foreword helped me rethink the process as something more humble, joining in on a tradition that has spanned hundreds of years.
It was fun to read , and I found that I understood certain areas of the poem better. Perhaps the biggest difference was feeling like I understood the digressions better, Headley did a good job transitioning into them and guiding me to understand when things were happening relative to the main narrative. That's the aspect of the poem I've struggled with the most before.
That said, there are definitely some 'catalog of ships' moments in Beowulf, no fault to the translator. I did feel liked Headley's translation helped squeeze some meaning out of these moments for me, which I would otherwise just breeze through. The foreword was also really interesting, and discussed some features of the original text and its competing editors.
Overall, a fun experience and one that made me want to seek out more scholarship on the topic. I think Headley would be happy with this result, because this translation is offered up with so much curiosity, affection and humor. It's funny that taking on a translation has such an aura of ego. Reading this version, and the foreword helped me rethink the process as something more humble, joining in on a tradition that has spanned hundreds of years.
namsmommy09's review against another edition
2.0
Not really my cup of tea. Maybe it would be easier to read a physical copy of this story, but the words did flow nicely and the narrator was good.
rereader33's review
3.0
2022 April Its Raining Rereads Reading Challenge
Prompt: reread a classic
I had fun with this reread. This is actually the third time I'm reading this and while its as wordy and overly descriptive as most classics, I still enjoyed myself. Something I didn't realize until this reread, though, is how repetitive the story is. Its effectively monster attacks people, Beowulf slays it, rinse and repeat two more times. Yes, he has help in the last fight, but it's still the same premise. Not to say that's bad, I did enjoy the fights, it's just that that's pretty much the story in a nutshell. Simple, yes, but still fun. One of the better classics I had to read growing up.
Prompt: reread a classic
I had fun with this reread. This is actually the third time I'm reading this and while its as wordy and overly descriptive as most classics, I still enjoyed myself. Something I didn't realize until this reread, though, is how repetitive the story is. Its effectively monster attacks people, Beowulf slays it, rinse and repeat two more times. Yes, he has help in the last fight, but it's still the same premise. Not to say that's bad, I did enjoy the fights, it's just that that's pretty much the story in a nutshell. Simple, yes, but still fun. One of the better classics I had to read growing up.
madzie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0