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A review by mgerboc
Beowulf by Anonymous
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I was supposed to read this in high school, but, like most of my assignments, it went uncompleted. Now that I'm on this fantasy literature kick, I thought I'd go way back to some fantasy origins, and Beowulf FUCKING RULED. It's extremely hard to actually rate a 1200 year old classic, but I can say that Seamus Heaney's translation was gorgeous. I have nothing to compare it to, but I can't imagine this written any other way. The lyricism, the deep understanding of the language, and the profound respect for the text all shine through. If you're reading this and you're able to, I recommend reading at least some of it out loud. It comes from the oral tradition, and when speaking the words, even in modern English, you can definitely feel a connection to that, especially in the hands of a translator/poet like Heaney.
Here are some quotes that I particularly liked:
“Behavior that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere.”
“It it always better to avenge dear ones that indulge in mourning. For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end. Let whoever can win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark.”
Plus - referring to the human body as a "bone house" is utterly badass, and describing an old man's hand as "feud-calloused" says so much with so few words.
Why don't we write epic poems about people anymore?
Here are some quotes that I particularly liked:
“Behavior that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere.”
“It it always better to avenge dear ones that indulge in mourning. For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end. Let whoever can win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark.”
Plus - referring to the human body as a "bone house" is utterly badass, and describing an old man's hand as "feud-calloused" says so much with so few words.
Why don't we write epic poems about people anymore?