Beowulf

Rating:
Summary: Not a bad translation...
Review: This epic poem tells the story of a Geat warrior named Beowulf. Usually I hate books of this sort that I am forced to read for class, but this one was not so bad. The translation from Old English (written on the left side of every page) to modern English (written on the right) was done quite well, and the translator did a good job of keeping the essence and rhythm of the original poem intact. The story deals with three main battles in Beowulf's life: with the monster Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a dragon. However, you will probably come away having learned a lot about how life was like in the Dark Ages as well.

Rating:
Summary: A Much-Needed Dose of Darkness and Valor
Review: Contemporary American culture is in severe denial of mortality (a condition which Freud identified in "Civilization and Its Discontents" as a major barrier to psychological well-being). We worship youth and beauty not so much for themselves but because they make us forget that we will grow old and die--or at least the latter. Technology and modern medicine have overcome much of the troubles which haunted humankind for millenia; but they have also given us a sense of arrogance toward the forces of nature, and particularly toward death. Death can't touch us, or so we believe.

But a monster is always lurking in the darkness.

"Beowulf" is a shot in the arm against our contemporary denial of mortality. To enter the world of the Beowulf-poet is to remember how formidable Death and Nature truly are (a point tragically reminded to us by the recent Tsunami disaster). Great warriors can be snuffed out in a moment, and sickness & old age defeat even the greatest kings. But it is in the face of death that the true value of life can be appreciated, and an awareness of death is also the precondition for valor--a concept very absent from a sedentary American, TV-and Internet-addicted, Wal-Mart-shopping culture (though you could criticize me as well; after all I'm sitting on a computer, so where's MY valor?).

There are enough other reviews to get an idea of how successfully Heaney adapts the poem's language (I think he does wonderfully), but one common criticism is that the story is not so hot.

Well Anglo-Saxon understandings of human psychology were rather elementary compared to today, so you can't expect a Shakespearean presentation of human nature. But that's not the point: "Beowulf"'s aesthetic is rougher and more raw, more mercurial (though as Tolkien noted in his Beowulf essay "The Monsters and the Critics," wrought to a fine finish). It hits you in the gut, but still there are moments which are beautiful and glorious. And there are excellent battle scenes which are described quite vividly and that I found as exciting as any modern-day action movie. The plot is simple, but to consider this bad is again a judgment based on modern tastes. Think of the ancient Greeks, the founders of Western drama: many of their plots were quite simple, too. But simplicity can be a virtue, allowing you to go more deeply into a few things rather than skip around over vast quantities of material. "Less is more."

So (a word I appreciate much more after reading this poem), if you want to reacquaint yourself with darkness, mortality and valor before Life does, give this poem--and this translation in particular--a shot.

The audiobook, read by Heaney himself, is also highly recommended, though note that the 2 CD's are unabridged SELECTIONS and not every word in the book. Almost all of it is in there, though.

Rating:
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.

Rating:
Summary: From the Dark Ages
Review: I was given "Beowulf" as a gift from my son who is currently in his last year at high school. I might add that he had already read the book before he passed it on to me. I think he was keen to have someone to talk to about the work.

"Beowulf" is truly a book of the dark ages. It is believed to have been written somewhere between the years 700 and 1000. It takes the reader back to a time of dark and sinister forces. A time where dragons roamed and life had to be defended with force. It was a time of great danger and great heroics.

Although "Beowulf" is a work that should be read in order to round out the knowledge of an educated person, it is not a work that is an easy or compelling read. Perhaps this is to be expected given that "Beowulf" is older than a thousand years and the modern reader is clearly of a different mindset to even the most educated person in a time when the world was only lit by fire.

I have little doubt that the works of JRR Tolkien were heavily influenced by "Beowulf". This may be sufficient incentive to encourage many modern readers to embrace a work that, although from a very different time, is a pre-cursor to modern English.


Rating:
Summary: Audio CD is ABRIDGED
Review: I'm posting this review as a warning to buyers that although Amazon is presently listing the audio CD as UNABRIDGED, it's actually marked "Unabridged Selections" by the publisher in what is obviously an exercise in marketing double talk.

The audio CD version omits many lines and even some sizable chunks of the original work. The only word for that is "Abridged" and the publishers should be ashamed of themselves for calling it anything other than "Abridged".

Amazon should update the listing accordingly. I'm giving the edition a 1 star rating simply to call attention to the deceitful packaging. I have no other complaint aside from that.

Rating:
Summary: not exactily unabridged
Review: If you are following along in the book, by Seamus Heaney, sometimes entire pages are cut out. Its not just the unimportant stuff either. It is still a good CD and translation but its not exactly what it says it is.

Rating:
Summary: A Legend Revitalized
Review: Irish poet Seamus Heaney brings Beowulf to life in his 1999 translation of the epic saga. It's one of the oldest stories to have been written down in English (circa 8th century AD) and on reading it for yourself you'll see why it has stood the test of time.

Part history, part fantasy Beowulf tells the story of the Geats, the Swedes and the Danes. The times that they live in are violent and frightening, and not only because of their wars. There is Grendel, an monstrous descendant of Cain, his equally abominable mother, and a dragon who guards a hoard of treasure leftover from a lost civilization. Beowulf, a warrior of the Geats, comes across the sea to the Danes to battle these creatures, to drink mead with his allies and to boast of his adventures.

The narrative isn't neccessarily in order of events, and often flashes back, or has stories within the story. Though the historical parts drag on a little, it's quite an interesting structure once you get used to it.

Heaney has done a wonderful job at capturing the feel of the story. He has a passion both for the poem and for the language, and it shows. The words are powerful, and the descriptions vivid all the way thtough. Though I'm not usually a fan of heroic fantasy, they really stuck with me. I could put the book down, pick it up again later, and become fully immersed in the world of the Danes and the Geats within a verse or two. A bleak world, where dangers can lurk on the moor, in the sea or even in your house at night. A world of blood and mud, where gold and glory are prized above everything. A world a mans most prized posessions are his family sword and chainmail, and where battle is as commonplace as eating. The battle scenes, in particular, are real page turners. I can really see how it captivated people of ages past. Wow.

Even with this refreshing translation, I still feel the "christian" sentiment of the saga is tacked on. Everytime God is mentioned, it seems to come out of nowhere. Beowulf, the Geats, The Danes and the Swedes don't seem very christian at all, let alone be the types to have God on their side. They live for glory, they make proud boasts to each other and they drink heavily. Doesn't sound very christian at all. The only sin to them is killing on of their own kind. They can kill anybody else they like, and boast about it. This is more akin to their native religions than to christianity. What's really interesting is that Beowulf only came to the Danes after they had prayed to their heathen gods. Maybe the original 8th century author felt forced to add christianity into the legend when transcribing it from the oral traditions, either out of fear, out of his newfound faith, or so that the legend of Beowulf wouldn't be destroyed, or dismissed by the medieval Catholic Church as a shameful heathen past. Oral traditions don't survive as well as written ones, so we'll never know for sure how the original "heathen" Beowulf went.

I'd recommend this to lovers of heroic fantasy. In that genre, you can't get much more archetypical than this. If it's anything to go by J.R.R. Tolkein loved this story so much, he not only wrote an essay gushing with praise about it, he also borrowed the idea of a dragon guarding a treasure and put it in "The Hobbit".

Rating:
Summary: Make sure you are serious.
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien once stated that he was sorry that so many children read 'The Lord of the Rings'. This is because at such a young age they couldn't possibly get out of it what was truly meant by the author. Attempting to read a great work of literature before you are ready can spoil that unique pleasure you get from a first time read. This holds true for Beowulf. If you are not a serious reader that really wants to delve in, wait awhile until you are. I would not recommend this to younger audiences, unless you believe you are as mature a reader as possible, you will be spoiling one of the greatest reads you will ever have. But of course, the only one who knows if you are ready is you.

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: Astonishing lyrical translation
Review: Seamus Heaney's Beowulf is the best translation of a classic work into a modern language that I have seen in years, it may yet be my personal favorite translation of all time (best to let the thrill of the reading wear off before that judgement is made, however). I have done a bit of translation work from modern languages other than English, and am fully aware of how difficult it is to translate a line of prose from one living language to another, while acomplishing the two tasks that are the goal of every translator; 1- convey the meaning of the words, 2-convey the aesthetic "feel" of the words. These two goals are very often in serious conflict with one another- and when one adds in the element of the subject being poetry it makes it even harder, because you have to mediate the first two goals, and then add another; fit it all into a lyrical framework.

Much of the time, translators simply drop the poetry, and represent the story as prose (the Rieus version of the Iliad does this)and this is a choice I usually respect. Trying to force a story into an alien rhyme scheme makes them, very often, unbearably cheesy (viz. most versions of the Aeneid); whereas the Rieus' Iliad is a rollicking good time.

Nevertheless, the loss of lyricism is indeed a loss; especially when the sounds of the words when spoken are particularly beautiful, or the lyrical framework particularly appropriate for conveying the mood of a story. Ironically, the better the poet is in the original language the more difficult it becomes for her voice to survive the translator's work.

And this is why (back to the orginal topic) Heaney's work is so jaw-dropping. The story works as faithful translation, beautiful writing, and poetry as well. It is entirely comprehensible, faithful to the original text, and yet has the distinct ring of an authentic saxon "voice." I would give my right arm to have half the ability with translating modern languages that Heaney has brought to bear on this translation of the classic saxon epic.