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A review by chris_dech
Beowulf by Anonymous
2.0
The story of the Geat warrior and king, the titular protagonist is ultimately a one-dimensional figure whose main character traits are his love of battle and God. While certainly he exhibits noble qualities like strength, compassion, a sense of duty, and a relative sense of humility, Beowulf leaves much to be desired in the way of a hero. In other words, he is basically an overpowered man, singlehandedly ripping off limbs and killing angry mothers. While certainly I cannot fault the story and the writers themselves, I nonetheless cannot overlook the fact that Beowulf is a boring hero.
On that point, the plot itself is also rather lacking, mainly consisting of Beowulf fighting a monster, his mother, and then a dragon in his old age, and then interspersed with stories of Vikings and Scandinavian valour and tragedy. I think the main strength of Beowulf as a story is more towards creating a rich world of Vikings and kings and bravery rather than a real hero’s journey. This is not a problem but I do wish there was more than just a storied world for Beowulf to inhabit and thrive in.
Heaney’s translation leaves little to desire: his translation and verse are rhythmic and rolling, and properly feels like a story being told to an audience (as it is later revealed), à la Homer or Vergil. Heaney’s translation makes the story a little more enjoyable, making the world seem a little bigger and more alive, but even he could not fix what I find lacking.
On that point, the plot itself is also rather lacking, mainly consisting of Beowulf fighting a monster, his mother, and then a dragon in his old age, and then interspersed with stories of Vikings and Scandinavian valour and tragedy. I think the main strength of Beowulf as a story is more towards creating a rich world of Vikings and kings and bravery rather than a real hero’s journey. This is not a problem but I do wish there was more than just a storied world for Beowulf to inhabit and thrive in.
Heaney’s translation leaves little to desire: his translation and verse are rhythmic and rolling, and properly feels like a story being told to an audience (as it is later revealed), à la Homer or Vergil. Heaney’s translation makes the story a little more enjoyable, making the world seem a little bigger and more alive, but even he could not fix what I find lacking.