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    Beowulf and Other Old English Poems
    Unavailable
    Beowulf and Other Old English Poems
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    Beowulf and Other Old English Poems
    Ebook195 pages2 hours

    Beowulf and Other Old English Poems

    By Constance Hieatt

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Unique and beautiful, Beowulf brings to life a society of violence and honor, fierce warriors and bloody battles, deadly monsters and famous swords. Written by an unknown poet in about the eighth century, this masterpiece of Anglo-Saxton literature transforms legends, myth, history, and ancient songs into the richly colored tale of the hero Beowulf, the loathsome man-eater Grendel, his vengeful water-hag mother, and a treasure-hoarding dragon. The earliest surviving epic poem in any modern European language. Beowulf is a stirring portrait of a heroic world–somber, vast, and magnificent.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
    Release dateMay 26, 2010
    ISBN9780307434821
    Unavailable
    Beowulf and Other Old English Poems

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    Reviews for Beowulf and Other Old English Poems

    4/5

    4,596 ratings67 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I would not have understood it or liked it had I read it on my own, but by reading it in class with explanations I thought it was facinating.
    • 4/5
      I was very surprised at the ease with which I read this great epic poem. I expected it to be very hard to get through and keep focused on, but it's actually a very straightforward story. Lots of action, and lots and lots of random little stories thrown in.This is the only version of Beowulf I've read, but from the snippets I've seen of other versions, this would probably be my favorite.
    • 5/5
      This is a great, stirring epic, with perhaps some roots in the real history of the founding of the Swedish nation. I have never read any other version to compare this with, but Burton Raffel's 1963 translation reads well to me, and actually makes you want to read on to find out what happens next.
    • 3/5
      A fun read with a distanced narrative that reduces tension.
    • 4/5
      If you are like me, you haven't read Beowulf since high school and your memory of the story is probably pretty bad. I found reading this translation very enjoyable, and I loved having the "original" version printed opposite the translation (even though I couldn't read it).
    • 4/5
      I had to read Beowulf in high school my senior year (we did a bit on the middle ages and its literature). I think I wouldn't have liked this as much as I did if it hadn't been for my instructor. She made the story come to life and provided our class with all sorts of history of the UK (pre-UK) and its countries and people. It was reminiscent in many ways to Odysseus and I enjoyed it overall.
    • 5/5
      Incredible, Epic. I would love to have a time machine and go back to the first time this was told in a mead hall with the outer dark and cold winds pushing on the back of the speaker.
    • 5/5
      If you ever need to read anything in translation that Heaney has done, DO IT. He keeps the feel of the original texts and is absolutely astounding at modernizing ancient texts without diverting from the original.
    • 4/5
      This is a great way to cash in on the recent movie. Heaney's version is readable, and his translation flows very well. There are not a lot of unneccessary flourishes here, which works well for Beowulf. It, like the hero, is a sturdy translation. The introductory essay is good.
    • 4/5
      Nice, readable prose translation of the epic poem--not sure I would have read it otherwise. My Granny Giroux saw this and said "You bought that because of the cover!" and I couldn't argue.
    • 5/5
      Very fun telling.
    • 5/5
      I've read different translations, this one is my favorite. Take your time reading it, let yourself be taken back to a time when the edges of the Earth were unknown and the sea was a place of monsters and myth. A good story takes you on an adventure, and this an adventure I've taken several times and it never gets old.
    • 5/5
      Seamus Heaney's translation captures the soul of Old English without belaboring the point. Very enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      The absolute best version of "Beowulf" out there. I love the original Old English (Anglo-Saxon) text on the facing page.
    • 3/5
      Interesting collection of hero stories of ancient Scandinavian origin. While reading, I noticed ring references that may be the source for the magic rings featured in J.R.R. Tolkien"s Hobbit stories and the dark creatures used by Tolkien and in Rowling's Harry Potter Books. Good background for understanding many of the classic English Literature references. Slow reading because of strange name spellings and use of Old English. I think it is worth the effort or at least it was for me.
    • 4/5
      Read this in two different college classes, the first with a terrible professor and I hated it, the second time with a wonderful professor and I loved it! There is something to be said for teaching style.
    • 5/5
      A beautiful translation.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed the Heaney translation. I read Beowulf in my first year of college many years ago, and the story didn't hang together. This translation did an incredible job of making the story come alive like a 21st century adventure novel. Highly reccommended.
    • 5/5
      A great epic, and Heaney's translation is a joy to read.
    • 2/5
      I would have loved to have a glossary with in this book with a few explanations of some words and maybe a summary because the poetical form can make the story hard to follow
    • 5/5
      Excellent, excellent translation.
    • 3/5
      Yes, a classic, I know. And not bad. But not my favorite, nor one of the best, I think. Still, recommended.
    • 5/5
      I have read many translations and this is my favorite. I love the poem/story of Beowulf and read it often. This is not only an excellent translation, but it is such an easy to read version that I must give it 5 stars. Read this version and enjoy a true classic tale that will keep you interested from start to finish.
    • 4/5
      Many reviewers say this isn't the best translation of Beowulf; I wouldn't know as it is the only one I've read. I think Mr. Heaney has written an accessible translation that brings the imagery of the times to life and shows well aspects of Viking society, such as the loyalty to kings, the importance of rewarding your men, and the need to prove yourself brave and valiant. I am not surprised this has become a standard text for these reasons.
    • 5/5
      I love Heaney's translation, but for me, the real gemlike quality of this text is the matching Old English printed on the opposite pages -- it's just too much fun (at least if you're a lit geek like me)!
    • 3/5
      This was the first translation of Beowulf I read, and I still like it.
    • 5/5
      I chose this poetry book because I really enjoyed reading this book in high school. I think this book is very important to students in the classroom because it helps broaden there experience in different types of literature. I think that students will find this book very interesting. I also feel that they may understand the book better if they watch the movie first so that they can get a better mental image of how the story unfolds and the stories purpose.
    • 3/5
      Adequate but not nearly as good as I expected from his prize and some reviews. Occasionally jarring for informality or anachronism
    • 3/5
      Graphic novel adaptation of the Old English epic poem, Beowulf.
    • 5/5
      Tim Murphy is a phenomenal poet and translator. He has over 30,000 lines of poetry MEMORIZED. The man is a genius. This is the best translation of Beowulf that I have ever read. Tim Murphy makes poetic translation look so easy!