Rating: 
Summary: The First English Epic
Review: "Beowulf," a poem written sometime between the eighth and tenth centuries AD, is the first surviving epic in what would become the English language. Beowulf is a young man, who, in his youth, was an unsettled, unmotivated prince of the Danish Geats. As he matures, he hears of a neighbouring king's problems, and ventures on the sea to help out. Beowulf's motivation is to rise above his early dissipation and make a name of fame and glory through great deeds.Beowulf's relationship with the troubled king Hrothgar, and his feud with the demonic beast Grendel are integral parts of this work, known to students of English throughout the world. Through all the war-boasts, battles, and gift-giving, look for the touching humility of Beowulf, rendering him a complex and emotionally involving character. Even in translation, the syntax of "Beowulf" can be convoluted and difficult to follow, but the outline of the story despite its language and frequent flashbacks, is still easy to discern and appreciate. "Beowulf" offers us a glimpse into two cultures: The culture of the writer, along with his values, religious and social; and The culture of Beowulf, from centuries before the writer, a society based on kinship and reciprocality. For those who enjoyed Michael Crichton's "The 13th Warrior," nee "Eaters of the Dead," "Beowulf" is an important literary forebear, and it is wonderful to read the two together and compare.
Rating:
Summary: The First English Epic
Review: "Beowulf," a poem written sometime between the eighth and tenth centuries AD, is the first surviving epic in what would become the English language. Beowulf is a young man, who, in his youth, was an unsettled, unmotivated prince of the Danish Geats. As he matures, he hears of a neighbouring king's problems, and ventures on the sea to help out. Beowulf's motivation is to rise above his early dissipation and make a name of fame and glory through great deeds. Beowulf's relationship with the troubled king Hrothgar, and his feud with the demonic beast Grendel are integral parts of this work, known to students of English throughout the world. Through all the war-boasts, battles, and gift-giving, look for the touching humility of Beowulf, rendering him a complex and emotionally involving character. Even in translation, the syntax of "Beowulf" can be convoluted and difficult to follow, but the outline of the story despite its language and frequent flashbacks, is still easy to discern and appreciate. "Beowulf" offers us a glimpse into two cultures: The culture of the writer, along with his values, religious and social; and The culture of Beowulf, from centuries before the writer, a society based on kinship and reciprocality. For those who enjoyed Michael Crichton's "The 13th Warrior," nee "Eaters of the Dead," "Beowulf" is an important literary forebear, and it is wonderful to read the two together and compare.
Rating:
Summary: The First English Epic
Review: "Beowulf," a poem written sometime between the eighth and tenth centuries AD, is the first surviving epic in what would become the English language. Beowulf is a young man, who, in his youth, was an unsettled, unmotivated prince of the Danish Geats. As he matures, he hears of a neighbouring king's problems, and ventures on the sea to help out. Beowulf's motivation is to rise above his early dissipation and make a name of fame and glory through great deeds. Beowulf's relationship with the troubled king Hrothgar, and his feud with the demonic beast Grendel are integral parts of this work, known to students of English throughout the world. Through all the war-boasts, battles, and gift-giving, look for the touching humility of Beowulf, rendering him a complex and emotionally involving character. Even in translation, the syntax of "Beowulf" can be convoluted and difficult to follow, but the outline of the story despite its language and frequent flashbacks, is still easy to discern and appreciate. "Beowulf" offers us a glimpse into two cultures: The culture of the writer, along with his values, religious and social; and The culture of Beowulf, from centuries before the writer, a society based on kinship and reciprocality. For those who enjoyed Michael Crichton's "The 13th Warrior," nee "Eaters of the Dead," "Beowulf" is an important literary forebear, and it is wonderful to read the two together and compare.
Rating: 
Summary: A terrific prose translation
Review: David Wright has provided the reader with an excellent prose translation of the oldest known epic of any Teutonic people and the first important poem in Old English. It deals primarily with two central events in the life of the Geatish hero Beowulf. The first is concerned with his victory over the monster Grendel who had been attacking Heorot, the mead hall of the Danish king Hrothgar (John Gardner published a novel, "Grendel", in 1971, that takes Grendel's side in the story). The next day, Beowulf slays Grendel's mother who is attempting to try and avenge her son. In the second major event, taking place fifty years later, Beowulf fights a dragon; both are mortally wounded. Hygelac, King of the Gelts, is identified with the historical Chochilaicus, who raided the lower Rhine about 512 A. D. A young Beowulf was in that raid. When Chochilaicus was killed in a battle with the Franks about 520, he was succeeded by his son Heardred. This poem shows the importance, in a warrior society, of the relationship between the warrior and his lord. The poem, even though it contains threads of Christian commentary, is also concerned with the pagen view of immortality: the memory of a warrior's heroic acts. Also: that fate can be swayed by courage. "Fate often saves an undoomed man when his courage is good."
Rating:
Summary: Highly Readable
Review: I enjoyed the opportunity to read Beowulf and focus on the narrative, the story, rather than the language. Not as a substitute for a verse rendition, but as another way to look at a classic. If you bother reading (or even skimming) the introduction, you will find that David Wright presents a good argument for providing the alternative of a prose version. For me, it was a different and highly readable way to revisit the epic.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Readable
Review: I enjoyed the opportunity to read Beowulf and focus on the narrative, the story, rather than the language. Not as a substitute for a verse rendition, but as another way to look at a classic. If you bother reading (or even skimming) the introduction, you will find that David Wright presents a good argument for providing the alternative of a prose version. For me, it was a different and highly readable way to revisit the epic.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: I have not read the original, but this translation's strength clearly lies in its effective use of focused and forceful modern prose. Warriors have rarely spoken better.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: I have not read the original, but this translation's strength clearly lies in its effective use of focused and forceful modern prose. Warriors have rarely spoken better.
Rating:
Summary: best translation i've read
Review: My professor recomended this translation to me, and even as a novice in medieval studies, I still think it is far better than what I read in high school. Wright offers fascinating historical information at the beginning and termination of the story that give the non professional reader good insights and background on the implications and circumstances surrounding obscure events in the plot. A reader can walk away with both a great story and a better understanding of the complex time called the Dark Ages.
Rating: 
Summary: Epic Poem Becomes Clumsy Narrative
Review: This is an extremely poor translation of Beowulf for anyone who wants more than just a narrative summary. Wright has, by his own admission, eliminated most of the poetic language from the original poem. The poetic, metaphor-like kennings seemed to him puzzles and word games which barred the reader from the real meanings of the narrative. The appositives used in place of actual names and pronouns he found "long-winded," and the poetic descriptions pretentious. Wright, apparently believing readers not intelligent enough to understand creative language, has given us a translation of Beowulf in the form of highly simplified prose, with few poetic descriptions or language that will "distract the reader" from the narrative. What remains is a clumsy, awkwardly worded translation which offers little to replace the poetry Wright has hacked out of it. Any lover of language will be deeply disappointed by this translation.
|
