Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly good!
Review: I have an old paperback of Beowulf lying around, but I never really got into it. I bought Heaney's translation: now I'm into it. The hardcover is nicely presented, with the text on verso pages and the translation on recto pages. Nicely done; a great tale; a good read. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Finally!
Review: If you have ever suffered through one of the millions of literature survey courses that touch on this ancient poem, you understand. The story's okay, but the translations -- from Old English -- have been, at best, boring. Dry. No more. Heaney makes the mead hall sound as wild as it should. The rattle of chain mail becomes spooky. And the beast and his mother are no longer laughable Saturday-morning-cartoon bad guys. You'll want to read it aloud, as the alliteration and Anglo-Saxon language chops around like a full-suited warrior.
Rating:
Summary: Very readable translation
Review: Ok, Seamus Heaney's book is not the most accurate translation available, but I think it's the most readable. And (and it's a big big AND!) Heaney has accurately achieved the meter and aliteration that makes this poem SOUND the way it should -- remember that Beowulf is the product of an oral culture and much of the poetry is in the way it sounds. I picked up many details and ideas that I had missed in other translations, and Heaney has added some humor -- though much of it is esoteric -- that may not be in the original, but certainly adds enjoyment. In regards to the CD, it may not be in the most convenient format, but it does give some idea of how the poem was originally meant to be enjoyed: listened to. And don't forget, it's a scary story so a cold dark night with a big fire crackling; the wind blowing; and a tankard of mead in your hands (and wolves howling, if ya got'em) are all pretty much required!
Rating:
Summary: What it lacks in accuracy it makes up for in beauty
Review: Heaney's translation of the Anglo-Saxon "Beowulf" is a beautiful book both inside and out. The poetry is stirring, and feels as if it is drawn straight out of the dark ages to be placed before you in this wonderful book. Some have complained of Heaney's failure to follow the original in a line-by-line literalness, but to me this does not matter. This is the same story I read in other translations long ago, but finally presented in a way worthy of such an ancient and classic work. This is great book which anyone should be proud to place upon their bookshelf.
Rating: 
Summary: Beowulf [UNABRIDGED]--AUDIO CD is Terrible
Review: This excellent book is fatally tarnished by the way in which it was put onto CD. The modern translation, the substance (needless to say), and the reading all are great. My rating of 1 star is attributable solely to the abysmal decision to put this work on two audio CDs with no internal track divisions. Audio CDs, such as this, are generally listened to in the automobile. If, like me, you have an older CD player in the car (or if you happen to switch cars, like my children do in their commute to and from school), you have no easy way to get back to where the story stopped if your drive is shorter than the CD. The formatting decisions serve to make this CD nearly worthless--even though I have a forty-minute drive. Very disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: A poetic rendering of a classic heroic tale
Review: Seamus Heaney's "Beowulf" translation is richly poetic, engaging, and highly readable. He captures the drama, nobility, and poetry of this classic tale. Just as the medieval Anglo-Saxons felt a deep connection to their Nordic heritage, so "Beowulf" is an important piece of the contemporary story of Anglo-Saxon descendents. The story of "Beowulf" evokes a time of heroes and monsters, honor and vulnerability. It is an imaginative adventure story of a time gone by, a time "just over the horizon" to the original storytellers, of "the Spear-Danes in days gone by / and the kings who ruled them" who "had courage and greatness." Like the Hebrews' Exodus tale of their relationship with their God, Beowulf is the story of the Anglo-Saxons' relationship with their ancestors and how they came to be the people that they were and are today. It is a story of how to be a leader, full of sage advice: "A young prince must be prudent like that, / giving freely while his father lives / so that afterwards in age when fighting starts / steadfast companions will stand by him / and hold the line" (20-24). And finally, it is a story of how people managed through chaotic, quickly changing times, which might seem difficult to imagine in our own chaotic, quickly changing world. Yet Beowulf gives us this glimpse into the past, and gives us an appreciation both for how far we've come yet how we are grappling with similar issues of vulnerability as our ancestors did, just under different circumstances. Beowulf's world was one in which a people were vulnerable to raids without a leader to protect them. It is a joy to read the passages side-by-side against their original Old English counterparts and to imagine how this story was originally told. Although Heaney explains in his introductory essay why he translated the first word of the poem, "Hwaet," to "So," I still miss the evocation that "Hwaet" implies: Listen! Lo! Hark! A story is about to begin! "So" seems to fall a little flat, even if it is in keeping with Heaney's Irish/Celtic heritage. The language Heaney uses to describe Grendel, however, is rich and evocative[.] This tale is one that could be read to children; it excites and sparks the imagination. Beowulf is a hero larger than life, boldly declaring to King Hrothgar, "Beowulf is my name" (343). But Beowulf is also the story of a young warrior grown old who faces his mortality, and of a new generation and how it deals with changing power structures. Having long fought outer demons and monsters, Beowulf's final battle is against an inner one, a dragon who wakes from his sleep. Like Christ abandoned by his disciples, Beowulf's men abandon him and he must face the dragon alone-as we all do, ultimately, at our own death.
Rating:
Summary: A Beowulf that is finally worth reading!
Review: This is a wonderful translation. The language is luscious, and engaging. For those of us who waded through R. K. Gordon's verbal quicksand, this new translation is pure liberty. For readers of Shakespeare, Tolkien, or Scott, the language at times can be a hindrance to the plot and themes of the story. It took me three readings of Macbeth to finally fall in love with the play. Heany's translation liberates the story from the text and makes it fresh for the 21st Century. Two observations. First, This is a translation, not a transliteration, so of course the words do not have a one-to-one word or letter correspondence. For example, Heaney renders "Beowulf I" (son of Sheilf Sheafson/Scyld-Scefing)as "Beow." The main reason is so we do not confuse him with Beowulf II, the protagonist. That is a fair translating call. Moreover, read the introductory essay (p. xxvii-xxviii) where, Heaney explains why he translates "Hwaet" as "So." The translator's job is to rewrite the ideas in the new language. If you can retain the poetry of the mother tongue, fine, if not, it is secondary to the job. The Carlyle-Okey-Wicksteed is almost a transliteration, and is rough reading since they are so loyal to the mother text. Heaney, however, takes normal liberties in translation, and so he takes an Old English classic and makes it a Modern English classic. Secondly, we need more poet-translators, who can savor the subtleties of both languages and can enliven a text to a new audience. Heany has held up his light; let others follow.
Rating: 
Summary: A valiant effort.
Review: By creating a most readable version of Beowulf, Seamus Heaney has done the world a great service. His brilliant ability to capture the essence of this tale while allowing the language to flow in a beautiful rhythm is a wonder. The problem is the original story is what it is. Beowulf's battles with Grendel, his mother, and the final struggle with the dragon are still stunning and even more so in this version, with Heaney's interpretation carrying the day. But the remainder of the tale with its Nordic infighting and endless gift giving is tedious no matter how it is approached. At least now the boredom is enlivened by some great poetry.
Rating:
Summary: Heaney makes us aware of our Blood, Mire, and Bones
Review: When Seamus Heaney was asked to do the translation for Beowulf, he first replied that he didn't have time to do it. Then he was asked, "Well, do you know who else could do it?" The result is a fabulous translation of a centuries-old poem, by our greatest living poet writing in English. This is language full of the mire, blood, bones, and passion of human life on this earth ... and it is an entrancing book ... I recommend this book to everybody.
Rating:
Summary: FaithWorks review, July/Aug 2000
Review: Somehow I made it through high school, college and graduate school without ever having read Beowulf. When I heard that Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney had done a new translation, I decided that the time was nigh to tackle this epic tale. Written in England sometime between the seventh and tenth centuries, the legend recounts events set in Scandinavia, where the hero Beowulf delivers the land of the Danes from a monster named Grendel. This edition presents the original Anglo-Saxon Old English text on the left-hand pages with Heaney's modern English translation on the right. The cultures described in the poem have recently encountered Christianity, and the author reframes their mythic worldview in light of the Christian story. Grendel, as the embodiment of evil, is identified as a descendant of Cain. Beowulf's battle accounts are oddly Christianized; at one point he declares, "I praise God in His heavenly glory that I lived to behold this head dripping blood." But a surprising theme that emerges is the providence of God. Interspersed throughout the text are such affirmations as "The truth is clear: Almighty God rules over mankind and always has." Beowulf compellingly portrays a primeval world of both brutality and heroism where paganism and Christianity intersect.
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