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Summary: Splendid Contemporary Translation Of Beowulf
Review: Seamus Heaney's splendid translation of "Beowulf" is a lyrical feast for the eyes. Stylistically, he does an admirable job staying as close to the original text's rough, musical tone, yet rendering it all in Modern English poetry. It's certainly the most riveting translation I've read of "Beowulf". It's also the most enjoyable I've come across. Heaney does an admirable job defending his style in his foreword to this translation, yet I think he protests too much. I have no doubt that this version will become the new definitive text; one read with considerable joy by readers for decades to come.
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Summary: A marvelous translatiion of an outstanding piece of poetry
Review: Beowulf is a tale of glory, courage and death. It starts with a burial at sea, on a boat forever roaming the ocean with a rich hoard of gold and it ends with the pyre of Beowulf himself buried with a rich hoard in a mound to remember the dead king and to be a signal to all sailors about the land they will welcome as a harbour of peace. But the whole trajectory of this tale is founded on three exploits, three killings of monsters. First Grendel the sea monster who is destroyed with sheer muscular strength. Then Grendel's mother at the bottom of the sea in a lair that looks like a womb that has to be purified by the killing and beheading of both the mother and the son, a son that has no father and that is the last descendant of the outcast Cain. It is the perfect Christian rewriting of an old saga, the destruction of all monsters, of the last monsters bringing the end of Cain's line and the redemption of humanity in God by the cleansing of the womb that produced such monsters. It is the killing of the mother that had no husband and her son that had no father, of those unhuman beings that live on preying humanity. All the old legends are thus christianized and Beowulf, the hero, some would have seen a god in him in the old days, becomes a Christian hero who cleanses the womb and christianizes it, who brings the light of God to the world along with glory and peace. But the chistianization of the saga is only complete when a third killing takes place, a killing that will mean the death and sacrifice of the hero. The third monster is a serpent, a dragon, keeping a fantastic treasure under his guard. The monster of flight, fire and also water, the cross of all monsters of water, air and fire, living in a deep burrow in the earth. He associates the four elements and has to be killed for humanity to be free of such menaces. Beowulf will do it though he will die of it. It is the killing of the dragon in the Book of Revelation that opens the road to the New Jerusalem, the City of God. This dragon is also an obvious father symbol. Hence all the monsters are destroyed, and the victory is complete by the killing of the father, though that killing both means the death of the hero and the birth of a new hero who helps Beowulf defeat the dragon. The treasure of the dragon will yet not be appropriated by the winner because it represents the strength of this dragon, of the father, of the hero. The hero will be buried with it and the tomb will become a beaconing symbol of security and welcome for men. This christianization is very subtle. Eight warriors will enter the dragon's lair, eight like Jesus Christ in christian symbolism, but also like the omega of the Book of Revelation. And then twelve warriors will consecrate the burial mound of Beowulf, twelve like the twelve doors of the New Jerusalem, like the representatives of the City of God, of the prediction of the end of the world and the redemption of all worthy men and women after the last call of God who is both the alpha, the beginning, and the omega, the end, of life, of the world, of humanity, of any man's life that has to start with a heroic act and end with another. The present translation by Seamus Heaney keeps the rough and extremely musical language of the original. It is both coarse and melodious and the rhythm of the verse gives us the simple music of those old tales which were necessarily sung by the heros or the poets in the meetings of the warriors after the battles. The translation though loses some of the subtle symbolism conveyed by the anglo-saxon text of old, but that is absolutely unavoidable because the two languages are so far apart, have so little in common. The most beautiful translation to date. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
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Summary: Better Than My Literature Book
Review: I'm a high school senior who studied an exerpt of a translation of "Beowulf." After reading the exerpt I read part of one other version, which was difficult to understand. Recently I came across this translation which is even better than what I started with in my literature book. I also found it good to see the Anglo-Saxon version, for those who know how to read it.
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Summary: Beowulf Rocks!
Review: Beowulf rocks! He's one of the best heroes in Western literature.
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Summary: The ancient epic; first work of English literature
Review: The reason I read, "Beowulf," is two-fold. A friend of mine is really into the Vikings and Norse culture and history (he mentioned it a few times and I was curious) and it was one of JRR Tolkien's favorite poems. After having read, "The Hobbit," and, "The Lord of the Rings," several times, one wonders what inspired Tolkien. If I may be permitted to speculate, the Rohirrim (Men residing in Rohan) are probably the influenced by, "Beowulf." Likewise, the idea of a single person stealing a single treasure from dragon, thus awaking him is presented here and echoed in, "The Hobbit." The setting is in Scandinavia, over a thousand years ago. I love the literature and the characters and their worldview, which is a combination of early Christianity with the warrior/honour ethic of northern Europe. It is sad that the virtues of duty and honour, so central to, "Beowulf," are often so lacking in North American culture. The other distinctive quality of the poem is its fantastic elements. There are three mythical beasts; Grendel, Grendel's mother and a dragon. Unfortunately, this makes many people think it is merely work for children. I resent such an attitude. Beowulf is one of the great pieces of European literature and, was the first piece of English literature. My two favorite incidents of the poem are the Father's Lament (lines 2444-2462) and the reaction of the Geat woman to Beowulf's death (lines 3143-3155). I think Heaney captured the spirit of the poem here. Many of the reviews I have read here on Amazon debate the accuracy of the translation and recommend other versions. For those seeking a translation of the poem for academic study, this may be good advice. For personal enjoyment and enrichment, this translation is adequate. In the Introduction, Heaney states:
"While I had no great expertise in Old English..." (xxii)
Heaney, in addition to giving useful background and context to the poem, discusses his approach to translation. He also discusses how the language of Beowulf mirrors some elements of the English spoken by his family in Ireland. Heaney may not be a professor of Old English, but this translation is a worthy addition to one's library of great literature.
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Summary: Well, it was good in seventh grade
Review: i ordered Beowulf because i remembered it being hugely entertainting when my seventh grade history teacher read parts of it to us on rainy days.....Maybe there are two Beowulfs and Grendels in the fictional world because i found none of the suspense, colorful descriptions or fascinating characters that got me through those rainy days in history class. i didn't even finish the book; it has been one of the biggest literary let-downs ever.
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Summary: peeeeeeuw!
Review: who's kidding who here? a simple translation attracting this much bravado? it's a joke - wake up! there's a very bad smell from this version and you all know it - don't waste your money or your time. get real and get to a library!
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Summary: Sub-par Translation
Review: As Heaney is such a big name in medieval lit., I was expecting a far more vibrant and accurate translation of this great epic. However, he seems to take far more freedom than I would have liked. Alone, it seems reasonably good, but in comparison to better translations out there, it's inferior. I'd suggest skipping this one, unless you don't want to experience the full depth of the story. And the few notes on the sides of the page are more like a high schooler's notes than true explanations of the events taking place.
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Summary: Nothing Less Than Five Stars
Review: I imagine almost everyone has heard of or read Beowulf. It's the kind of book that is excellent to read as a child because it's full of neat battles and lots of bravado. This new edition by Seamus Heaney seems to be a better version then the one I remember reading as a child. Many translations attempt to turn this tale into a prose story. Heaney's translation tries to show Beowulf as it really was: an oral poem that was told around endless campfires until it was finally written down. The epic of Beowulf is most notable for showing how Christianity influenced the warrior class in early Europe. Beowulf contains tons of early medieval imagery. Everything from references to early Christianity to the codes of the warrior class can be found in this poem. Gold takes on a magical aura, and evil skulks incarnate in the forms of Grendel and his mother. Even if you're not looking for any symbolism, this is still a cracking good adventure/fantasy tale. Mounds of books and monographs have been written on Beowulf. Even such an august personage as J.R.R. Tolkien delved into the depths of this epic. Heaney's version includes the original language of the poem, side by side with the English translation. This in itself is a real treat, as we can see where are language eventually came from (albeit through a long, circuitous route!). I dare you to decipher the original words! There's not much more to say, I suppose. If you're not familiar with the poem, buy it here or check it out of a library. If you're white, you should learn more about where you came from! Recommended.
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Summary: A less than heroic translation
Review: I originally read Beowulf in an English class in 1975, and while I forget the name of the translator, I remember the magic of the language as much as the magic of the story. In the current translation, I found myself often bored and often impatient with what seemed to me to be Heaney's ostentatious and clumsy attempts to revive the sound of Anglo-Saxon poetry. It probably didn't help that he includes the original on facing pages, and while I don't know Anglo-Saxon, I at least know how to pronounce it, so the magic of the original sound was there for comparison. In any case, expecting a revival of the magic, instead I had to drag myself from page to page. Heaney is a fine poet in his own right, but in my opinion he doesn't have the sound of Beowulf right at all.
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