Rating: 
Summary: great translation
Review: Beowulf is the oldest existing poem in any modern European language. Written in Old English & dating from around the 8th century, just one copy survived Henry VIII's dissolution of the Catholic monasteries.The well known story is pretty straightforward; when Hrothgar (a Danish king) is confronted with Grendel, a monster who has taken to attacking his hall Herot, Beowulf of the Geats (Southern Sweden) comes & slays Grendel. Subsequently, Beowulf must slay Grendel's mother and towards the end of his own life, must battle a dragon. Everyone who has ever taken a survey of English Literature course probably started with Beowulf. One can only hope that they read this 1963 translation by Burton Raffel. He has taken this great epic & provided it with a worthy translation. Here is a sample: ..And after that bloody Combat the Danes laughed with delight. He who had come to them from across the sea, Bold and strong-minded, had driven affliction Off, purged Herot clean. He was happy, Now, with that night's fierce work; the Danes Had been served as he'd boasted he'd serve them; Beowulf. A prince of Geats, had killed Grendel, Ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering Forced on Hrothgar's helpless people By a bloodthirsty fiend. No Dane doubted The victory, for the proof, hanging high From the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster's Arm, claw and shoulder and all. GRADE: A+
Rating:
Summary: great translation
Review: Beowulf is the oldest existing poem in any modern European language. Written in Old English & dating from around the 8th century, just one copy survived Henry VIII's dissolution of the Catholic monasteries. The well known story is pretty straightforward; when Hrothgar (a Danish king) is confronted with Grendel, a monster who has taken to attacking his hall Herot, Beowulf of the Geats (Southern Sweden) comes & slays Grendel. Subsequently, Beowulf must slay Grendel's mother and towards the end of his own life, must battle a dragon. Everyone who has ever taken a survey of English Literature course probably started with Beowulf. One can only hope that they read this 1963 translation by Burton Raffel. He has taken this great epic & provided it with a worthy translation. Here is a sample: ..And after that bloody Combat the Danes laughed with delight. He who had come to them from across the sea, Bold and strong-minded, had driven affliction Off, purged Herot clean. He was happy, Now, with that night's fierce work; the Danes Had been served as he'd boasted he'd serve them; Beowulf. A prince of Geats, had killed Grendel, Ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering Forced on Hrothgar's helpless people By a bloodthirsty fiend. No Dane doubted The victory, for the proof, hanging high From the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster's Arm, claw and shoulder and all. GRADE: A+
Rating: 
Summary: Beowulf Critique
Review: Beowulf is the oldest survivng epic in British Literature ("Beowulf"2001 p.1). It's also the longest suviving poem--it consists of over 3000 lines ("Beowulf" 2002 p.1). Even though it was written over eleven centuries ago, this traslated edition was not difficult to understand. Beowulf was throroughly enjoyable to read despite the elaborate killings and the harsh conditions of the dark ages. The style writing was very colorful and very detailed, which made each scene easy to picture. The since of bravery and loyalty to the king, along with the way they referred to their family in the terms of talking about themselves was the most interesting. This showed how inportant it was to know who your family was and their accomplishments.
Since it is the oldest poem in British literature the author is unkown, along with the historical information about the people of the time. Histoy of the time period comes from researchers who looked to the literature of the time, for example Beowulf, along with any other artifacts that would shed light into their cultural societies. This work focuses on the ways people of this time should conduct themselves. The people of this time were fierce and brave, they depended on the reputation of their families to continue their name, and they were always in search of peace (never finding until death). These examples were all the things Beowulf portrayed to show the audience he was a role model of his society and societies to come. This work refers to history of the time throughout the work, anog with giving reference of whom each person was a decendant from, and talks about battles he faced along the jouney of his life. This explains the histor of the work, the history of the time, and a summary of the work.
Rating:
Summary: Beowulf Critique
Review: Beowulf is the oldest survivng epic in British Literature ("Beowulf"2001 p.1). It's also the longest suviving poem--it consists of over 3000 lines ("Beowulf" 2002 p.1). Even though it was written over eleven centuries ago, this traslated edition was not difficult to understand. Beowulf was throroughly enjoyable to read despite the elaborate killings and the harsh conditions of the dark ages. The style writing was very colorful and very detailed, which made each scene easy to picture. The since of bravery and loyalty to the king, along with the way they referred to their family in the terms of talking about themselves was the most interesting. This showed how inportant it was to know who your family was and their accomplishments.
Since it is the oldest poem in British literature the author is unkown, along with the historical information about the people of the time. Histoy of the time period comes from researchers who looked to the literature of the time, for example Beowulf, along with any other artifacts that would shed light into their cultural societies. This work focuses on the ways people of this time should conduct themselves. The people of this time were fierce and brave, they depended on the reputation of their families to continue their name, and they were always in search of peace (never finding until death). These examples were all the things Beowulf portrayed to show the audience he was a role model of his society and societies to come. This work refers to history of the time throughout the work, anog with giving reference of whom each person was a decendant from, and talks about battles he faced along the jouney of his life. This explains the histor of the work, the history of the time, and a summary of the work.
Rating:
Summary: "A Monumental Rendition of the Timeless Epic, Beowulf"
Review: Burton Raffel's rendition of the classic Anglo-Saxon epic "Beowulf" exceeds others with its fluid narrative, sheer radiance of song, and vivid imagery; other editions are bland, failing to keep the reader interested in the story line and engaged in the style of verse. The in-depth introduction, comprehensive afterword, and extensive glossary of characters simply adds all the more worth to Burton Raffel's excellent work, making this edition the head of its class.
Rating:
Summary: You must delve deeper for true understanding.
Review: For those of you that rated this book as it should have been rated, I applaud you. However, some of these reviews struck me as being overly harsh. First off, people write at length about how egotistical he is...did it ever occur to you that that may have been a major part of the story? That his pride, or hubris, was a key factor? I suppose not, you may wish to listen to your English teachers more. As to this story being boring, remember that it was written originally sometime between the 7th and 10th centuries A.D. They didn't have Playstation, or Hollywood, etc., and this fantastic tale certainly came from a mind that had a brilliant imagination for his time.
Rating:
Summary: Well, I certainly can't say it's cliche....
Review: I can't say it's cliche because it's the earliest poem as of right now, but unfortunately, Beowulf didn't escape the disease contained within most "classic" books. That disease is tedium.
Like most school endorsed books, this one is unbelievably boring. I had to struggle through the entire book where they talked about useless crap. They talked about Beowulf's strenght, his manliness, and whatever else happens to catch their eye at the moment. Aside from that, is it just me or does everybody's name look similar?
Anyway, I must admit that the fights were interesting, if not concise, and there is certainly an interesting number of forebodings in the book. Other than that, there is not much to enjoy in Beowulf, though I can't blame a man for enjoying it.
Oh, the ending is pretty neat, though. In the years I have read books and watch movies, I have never quite seen an ending like that. It is supposedly sad, but it ends with a note of joy. The modern books I read either end with the "sunset ending" or the pessimistic ending where nothing ever goes right. This one seems to end with both, but more of the sunset ending without the damn cliches plaguing today's media.
Oh, and did anyone seen the movie released in 1999? Romance, futuristic fighting, and a Beowulf without a manly beard. What does this tell us, kiddies? It tells us that the morons at Hollywood couldn't come up with a good story to save their life. What they should do is stop sitting on some CEO's lap and start thinking independently, which I'm sure would be something new and exciting to them.
Beowulf may be boring, but the story is interesting. Directors and authors should take note, which they won't, of course, but for the record, they should.
Rating:
Summary: Glad I Read It Again
Review: I first read Beowulf in this edition as a high scholl student and I must admit that at the time I was not thrilled. When I learned that a new translation was available and rising on the charts, I felt that I should give this one a new look. Beowulf is the oldest extant poem in the English language but Raffel brings it to life. This is not the poetry of a long dead language but the vibrant poetry of today. In high school we were forced to read this for its literary technique not for the powerful story conveyed. This may have been my initial problem with the work. In retrospect this is a great story. Beowulf is the heroic epic on grand scale. We have good kings, bad kings, wars and battles with monsters. Beowulf does not only give us adventure however. It presents a unique historical document of the Sixth Century. It explains the codes that the various tribes lived by for their survival. This is a tale of kings and warriors that one owes himself the time to explore and enjoy. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Beowulf is boring
Review: I was browsing through the book store, and came across a small book with the word "BEOWULF" across the cover. I thought it an odd name so i picked it up. When i read the intro (By Mr Raffel) i was instantly sold to buy this book. The fact alone that it was written between 1200 and 1600 years ago should credit this book enough for everyone to want to read it. The story itself is motivating. It really lets you imagine a great warrior who had his priorities straight. Sometimes the most basic story of a hero winning battles will grip your heart and squeeze it with inspiration. I give this 5 stars because it was a really entertaining "poem" to read. I say poem because it was supposed to be a poem. But fear not; this book reads as a short story, and i would encourage people to read it and have their kids read it (older kids: say 12 and up). Once you understand the story it might be fun for your kids to try it, and you can "enlighten" them on any points they think they've missed. I wish we knew more about such an awsome tale. I tip my cap to the Unkown Author for giving us a truly beautiful tale of a warrior who knows no defeat, but also knows that all good things must eventually come to an end. As a footnote, I might advise you to purchase the "black-covered" book with the man in chain-mail. I picked it up at the bookstore (after having read this copy) and it looked a lot more interesting and provocative than mine. In addition to side notes, and footnotes, that version also shows the original text (in old english) and i though that you seemed to get more for just a few extra bucks.
Rating:
Summary: 'Beowulf - Old Nordic He-man and legend'
Review: �Beowulf � Old Nordic He-man and legend� �Then the monster charged again, vomiting
Fire, wild with pain, rushed out
Fierce and dreadful, its fear forgotten.
Watching for its chance it drove it tusks
Into Beowulf�s neck; he staggered, the blood
Came flooding forth, fell like rain� (2688-2693, Burton Raffel�s translation) To the fellow enlightened, individualistic soul and internal Seeker of Truth: The work Incomprehensible events and mysterious omens stimulated the contemporary strolling bards of the 5th century to the heroic poem of the idealised superhuman Beowulf and his many accounts at Lejre. The events, which occurred in the area near Roskilde Fjord, were so intense that even 200 years later � generation after generation � handed down fables and lays were composed in remembrance of the greatness of olden times. Especially in Danelagen and Ireland where the Anglo-Saxon art of storytelling was interwoven with that of the Celtic, the tradition from the warriors of prehistoric Denmark matured to be the best preserved legend of trials, courage and character: Beowulf is in itself an impressing and magnificent work that primarily is an excellent poem but which also passes on important knowledge of historical interest, though remaining peripheral to its central fact as being a sheer literal feat. The historic fiction Even though no real evident supports the existence of Beowulf, there seems to be agreement in accordance to contemporary accounts, which supplied the Beowulf-poet with inspiration to the creation of the celebrated person. The poet had without any doubt great knowledge of Germanic history thus enabling him to adapt the fantastic Beowulf to geographical existing places and exact historical events. The central story is thus connected to a network of other European legends and eposes. It is put to greater consensus with the founding of the Scylding-dynasti, the Danish �race� and the immediately approaching doom of the Geats. The epic poem is ingrained (in pace with the introductions of origins of peoples and monsters), into a man created supernatural story, for which the supporting space and time gives off an almost tangible nearness and realism. The breathtaking / awe-inspiring story The mythical-historic Beowulf battles it out with the hell-born offspring of Cain, swims across oceans, hunts monsters of the sea with his personalized sword Nagling � all for wealth and fortune � to brave the matchless and take on impossible challenges; simply stepping into character � for he is the utter accomplished hero who does not take advises from the feeble-hearted, but relies upon himself and the Wyrd (old Norse; destiny to be forfilled) which he is acknowledged for through kingship and a glorified death in heroically violent combat against an extern threat to his established world/kingdom. NB: At times, the idealized values of the poem contradicts themselves; this is most obvious in the typical traits of the heroic codex of Beowulf and his contemporaries versus the Christian lecture �poured on top�: This is explained in the beginning of Christian influence on the 6th century, where the heathen belief in Wyrd merged with the belief on God; In force of the poet�s (probably a monk � since they were among the only literate) comprehension and great tolerance of heathens, the many allusions and Christian values and virtues can be ascribed to his attempt of paralleling the Heathen-Germanic history with the Old Testaments pre-Christian world. - Thus trying to prove the Christian world�s announcement in his innate cultural legacy but also to justify and explain why both Heathen and Christian traditions are retained by his contemporaries. Conclusion The language and essence of �Beowulf� calls out with a profound attraction which we, readers of Beowulf, still find moving inside of us� the inspiration of becoming better people in a world where the old ideals has long ago been forgotten and written off as being out of date. � And where way too many dragons already lurks. My advise: buy the book, read it through and indulge in the awesome poetry and vivid, figurative language. (There is much more to it than what meets the eye). Wes Gesund Bjovulf! Enjoy!
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