jaan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Beowulf has very quickly become an all-time favourite. The reason I didn't give this audiobook edition 5 stars is because Heaney abridged his own translation, and the verses he dropped are integral to an interpretation I find to be very rich.
I listened to this edition as I read Heaney's 1999 facing-page translation. I LOVED his narration. He was not a very dynamic narrator, but he was slow, steady, deliberate, and he gave the poem a depth I would not have felt if I didn't listen along (Beowulf was always meant to be heard anyway, not read). I cried a little towards the end when Beowulf recalled his service in Hygelac's retinue: "I marched ahead of him, always there / at the front of the line; and I shall fight like that / for as long as I live, as long as this sword / shall last" (2497-2500).
I got 150 lines in before immediately becoming a Grendel apologist, btw.
Beowulf is a poem about many things: grief, predestination, war, self-actualization, etc. It's about the relationship between the Danes, the Geats, and the Swedes, a meditation on what a man's descendants owe to him, to what extent goodwill endures between generations, the punishment a man inflicts for his victim's grandparents' actions. It is about the lives women must piece together betwixt the death and loss and tragedy of war, and the agency they might exercise to prevent further violence (these are the verses missing from Heaney's abridged narration, but existing in his facing-page translation).
Give this story a chance. It helped that I read it with my book club, at my own pace (instead of for a class, during which I would have been rushed by deadlines).
I listened to this edition as I read Heaney's 1999 facing-page translation. I LOVED his narration. He was not a very dynamic narrator, but he was slow, steady, deliberate, and he gave the poem a depth I would not have felt if I didn't listen along (Beowulf was always meant to be heard anyway, not read). I cried a little towards the end when Beowulf recalled his service in Hygelac's retinue: "I marched ahead of him, always there / at the front of the line; and I shall fight like that / for as long as I live, as long as this sword / shall last" (2497-2500).
I got 150 lines in before immediately becoming a Grendel apologist, btw.
Beowulf is a poem about many things: grief, predestination, war, self-actualization, etc. It's about the relationship between the Danes, the Geats, and the Swedes, a meditation on what a man's descendants owe to him, to what extent goodwill endures between generations, the punishment a man inflicts for his victim's grandparents' actions. It is about the lives women must piece together betwixt the death and loss and tragedy of war, and the agency they might exercise to prevent further violence (these are the verses missing from Heaney's abridged narration, but existing in his facing-page translation).
Give this story a chance. It helped that I read it with my book club, at my own pace (instead of for a class, during which I would have been rushed by deadlines).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Grief
Moderate: War
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I listened to it on audiobook mostly while falling asleep so I missed a lot of it. I really enjoyed the introduction which was mostly the history of the Beowulf. I definitely enjoyed the parts I was tuned in for and plan to reread it in book format.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, and Violence
waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I had to read this for a college course, and I have to admit that it's one of the better books I've had to read for school! The translation and context provided by Seamus Heaney went a long way in my enjoyment and understanding of the epic poem. It reads a lot like the Greek epics: The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid. It's a classic hero's journey tale: Beowulf battles monsters, avenges the lives of those cut down in battle, confusing family trees where all the names sound the same, and lots of hyphenated descriptions of people and beasts.
It may help to know that if you have to read this for school, I was able to read the whole thing in about 6 hours while taking notes for class, and I'm a slow reader. I hope you find it as easy and interesting to read as I did!
It may help to know that if you have to read this for school, I was able to read the whole thing in about 6 hours while taking notes for class, and I'm a slow reader. I hope you find it as easy and interesting to read as I did!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death of parent, Murder, Death, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
goatpush's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
That was a good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, War, Torture, Blood, Violence, and Child death
Moderate: Grief
sarah984's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
If you're not a fan of Beowulf the poem (full disclosure that I am not, way too much meandering and masculine posturing) this won't exactly change your mind. I didn't really find it particularly feminist as advertised, aside from a few jabs at how many women in the poem go unnamed and gendering the dragon.
The modern language generally works well, though a few bits did stand out as kind of silly. Overall, it feels like a drunk guy clamouring to tell a story in a bar, which feels accurate to the original. I think I might have liked it more as an audiobook.
The modern language generally works well, though a few bits did stand out as kind of silly. Overall, it feels like a drunk guy clamouring to tell a story in a bar, which feels accurate to the original. I think I might have liked it more as an audiobook.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, and Violence
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