Beowulf

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Summary: Words at the intersection of culture and national identity
Review: Seamus Heaney's Beowulf consists of two inextricably linked parts. The first is Heaney's 30-page introduction. The second is Heaney's new translation of Beowulf. As impressed as I was with Beowulf itself, the Introduction alone I found to be extremely moving and well worth the "price of admission". In 30 pages Heaney takes us to that place where words are important. In this place the words we use, their nuances and inflections, and the context in which we use them tell us volumes about our national and cultural identity. Heaney, himself a product of the north of Ireland, quotes the poet W.R. Rdogers with glee: the people of Ulster are "an abrupt people / who like the spiky consonants of speech / and think the soft ones cissy". Heaney's exuberant discovery of the path taken by words such as 'thole" and 'uisce' open a mirror into Heaney's world view and his linguistic soul. "The place on the language map where the Usk and the uisce and the whiskey conincideed was definitely a place whre the spirit might find a loophole . . . where one's language would not be a simple badge of ethnicity or a matter of cultural preference or official imposition, but an entry into further language." Having thus set us up with this introduction, it becomes impossible to read Beowulf and its blood feuds between Scandanavian clans without reference to more contemporary blood feuds (Irish/English Serb/Croat). Consequently, Heany's introduction provides the reader with contemporary (and historical) resonances that enrich the reading experience. Lastly, I hesitated before purchasing Beowulf. I tend to avoid joining book-buying stampedes, particularly when a 'classic' book attains almost cult status. I an happy that those concerns did not prevent me from buying and reading Beowulf.

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Summary: Not the Beowulf from high school....
Review: I HAD to read Beowulf in high school and got nothing out of it. Reading and hearing the rave reviews of this new translation encouraged me to give it one more shot. I have to say that as you grow older, you grow wiser. This story is engrossing and more lively than you remember. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.

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Summary: Highly Audible
Review: The one thing that stopped me from rating "Beowulf" 5 stars is that I think its equivalent form to be audio. Seamus Heaney marvellously translated the old epic into modern English, but the real majesty of his work remains hidden as long as there is no audio-edition available - an edition that should be spoken by Heaney himself, whose superb feeling for the relationship between a near forgotten Northern myth and our modern (TV-induced, OK) fascination with plot is already hinted at in the book. "Beowulf" spoken by Heaney would surely help to make people "hear" that there is a difference between prose and poetry (even in our age of prose-poetry). And it would probably say: "Shame on you for banning poetry from the mass-market of modern literature. So much more could be said by using words more seriously"

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Summary: Beowulf Resurrected
Review: I had probably read Beowulf five or six times before, for various literature courses over the years, but never with the absolute fascination which grabbed me this time around. Spellbinding verse, and an obviously timeless epic. What more can you ask? One tip: Keep a notepad nearby to record the words which you're not already familiar with. They'll be somewhat understandable due to context clues, but you may want to broaden your horizons.

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Summary: Heaney & Tolkien
Review: This is the perfect chance to share a true story, reflecting on one word of Heaney's great translation.

Picture a balmy summer lunchtime in Oxford. JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis are enjoying a pub lunch, along with some undergraduate students. Warm English ale mellows out the brains, and the throng ambles back peacefully to listen to Tolkien's lecture on Beowulf. Undergrads pile into the room, JRR enters, standing behind one of those old, tall, wooden desks with a heavy, slanting flap lid. Undergrads, still mellow, continue light-hearted conversation, not caring about too much, or respect for lecturer. JRR opens his copy of Beowulf. Noise continues. JRR opens desk lid, and as he declaims the first word, "HWAET!", he slams the lid with a huge crash.

Instant silence, all eyes face front, all backs straight.

"That's what that word is for," explains Tolkien. "This is oral tradition, the poet is standing in the mead hall, after dinner, the audience is in their cups. He has to get their attention. So he bangs something on the table, at the moment he starts the story."

Heaney is right, there isn't a word that sounds strong enough to compare with the original, "behold" is very cumbersome. I guess you could say "So!" with the same force and emphasis.

Try it out, when you read the story in the pub..... Seamus Heaney brings the story to life so well it deserves the live audience.

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Summary: A living, breathing poetical masterpiece
Review: This book breathes wonderful life into the saga - so much so that our students are fascinated to find that poetry can be so exciting.

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Summary: Is Beowulf a Heroic Warrier or a Self Conceeded Prince?
Review: As a student i was asigned to read the story of Beowulf. as i read the book i have come to the conclusion that Beowulf is either a brave strong warrior or a self conceeded prince who thinks he is everything.

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Summary: The Hero Is Defined By And Against His Enemies
Review: The hero is defined by and against his enemies. The 1000 year old epic story of Beowulf, Grendel, its mother, and the Dragon is given new life in this wonderfully frank and straightforward translation. Like many others the last time I had visited Beowulf was about 15 years ago via a somewhat archaic and convoluted version in high-school. I was pleased to finally obtain Mr. Heaney's version, which was sold out at numerous places. The age old story moves along briskly as Heaney weaves the plot-line of the courageous hero sailing across the seas to assist a noble king whose hall is being terrorized nightly by the malevolent creature Grendel. Beowulf seems most alive when he's battling the monster, and then the revenge minded mother of Grendel. The lull of 50 years is finally broken by one last conflict for the archetypical hero to steel himself against. Released from its guardian slumber by the a servants theft, an ancient dragon blackens the land in retribution. Beowulf, now an old man resigns that he will go out in a figurative and literal blaze of glory. The two combatants are joined together in death; linked forever in song and poem in the memories of the people. The book utilises small descriptive snippets interspersed w/ the text to give the reader a further clearer idea of what is going on, similar to annotation. I found these to be insightful and helpful in the overall enjoyment of the book. An excellent read, which should always be followed by John Gardner's Grendel. Recommended.

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Summary: You must give this a chance!
Review: I had picked this up previously in a different translation, and I wallowed through the turgid prose like many before me. Then my girlfriend bought me Heaney's version: it is a masterful piece of work, by one of the English language's finest craftsmen. Literary heaven.

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Summary: Not Your English Teacher's Beowulf!
Review: I'm one of those insane people who actually has read Beowulf for pleasure! This is a very enjoyable presentation of a great piece of literature. The author's Irish background and colloquialisms really add life to the work. You really get the feeling you're listening to a master poet in a big, oaken mead hall!