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A review by jfaberrit
Beowulf by Anonymous
4.0
Reviewing Beowulf itself seems kind of foolish to be honest, as it's over 1000 years old and just about the oldest living document in English. If you don't like it, take it up with your great, great, great, etc. grandparents or their northern European neighbors.
Instead, the modern elements can be reviewed:
The Translation: It's rather great. The "good parts" are good, and the parts between them are good. It feels modern, energetic, and reads really well.
The notes: A complete disaster, unless you happen to be an Oxbridge Olde English scholar. While there is a very brief explanation of the verse structure, it deserves much more discussion, rather than 30 pages aimed at the handful of people who have probably had to read the poem already in their coursework, rather than the general audience for the book.
Instead, the modern elements can be reviewed:
The Translation: It's rather great. The "good parts" are good, and the parts between them are good. It feels modern, energetic, and reads really well.
The notes: A complete disaster, unless you happen to be an Oxbridge Olde English scholar. While there is a very brief explanation of the verse structure, it deserves much more discussion, rather than 30 pages aimed at the handful of people who have probably had to read the poem already in their coursework, rather than the general audience for the book.