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Beowulf
Who will come to the aid of beleaguered King Hrothgar, whose warriors have become the prey of the vengeful outcast monster Grendel?
A grand and glorious story that has endured for centuries, the ageless classic adventure takes on a breathtaking new life in a remarkable new version for a modern era. Brilliantly reimagined by acclaimed, award-winning author Caitlín R. Kiernan, based on the screenplay by #1 New York Times bestseller Neil Gaiman and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Roger Avary, it is the tale of a noble liege and a terrible creature who has cursed his kingdom with death, blood, and destruction—and of the great hero, Beowulf, who is called to a land of monsters to triumph where so many have failed . . . or to die as so many of the brave before him.
A grand and glorious story that has endured for centuries, the ageless classic adventure takes on a breathtaking new life in a remarkable new version for a modern era. Brilliantly reimagined by acclaimed, award-winning author Caitlín R. Kiernan, based on the screenplay by #1 New York Times bestseller Neil Gaiman and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Roger Avary, it is the tale of a noble liege and a terrible creature who has cursed his kingdom with death, blood, and destruction—and of the great hero, Beowulf, who is called to a land of monsters to triumph where so many have failed . . . or to die as so many of the brave before him.
384 pages, ebook
Published March 17, 2009
57 people are currently reading
572 people want to read
About the author
Caitlín R. Kiernan
416 books1,673 followersCaitlín Rebekah Kiernan is an Irish-born American published paleontologist and author of science fiction and dark fantasy works, including ten novels, series of comic books, and more than two hundred and fifty published short stories, novellas, and vignettes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
filmed
March 12, 2014I've never had reason to think anything of Gaiman.
But his dealings with Beowulf are conclusive.
The movie sucks.
Gaiman tells us that he hates Beowulf.
But he accepted the scriptwriting job all the same.
He thought he could improve it.
It sucks.
Is there reason to forgive his literary sin?
Bye-bye Gaiman.
But his dealings with Beowulf are conclusive.
The movie sucks.
Gaiman tells us that he hates Beowulf.
But he accepted the scriptwriting job all the same.
He thought he could improve it.
It sucks.
Is there reason to forgive his literary sin?
Bye-bye Gaiman.
May 4, 2015
This is not the epic poem - this is the novelization of the Neil Gaiman-penned movie. I picked it up mostly because I was intrigued by the fact that Kiernan has, apparently, disowned the book, plus it turned up at the used book store. I'm not sorry I read it, although it is definitely limited by its format.
Kiernan is a gorgeous writer, and she does what she can to make the prose sing - she brings in, I suspect, rather more Old Norse culture and language than the movie managed, and it's definitely the high point of the book. But the dialogue does not match it, and the story is, of course, quite linear and very much simplified, neither quality being typically associated with her work. I can see why she's not fond of it, although it probably is a far better novelization than the movie deserved.
I should note that I haven't seen the movie and don't intend to - the book did not change my mind in that regard. But it's an interesting artifact regardless.
Kiernan is a gorgeous writer, and she does what she can to make the prose sing - she brings in, I suspect, rather more Old Norse culture and language than the movie managed, and it's definitely the high point of the book. But the dialogue does not match it, and the story is, of course, quite linear and very much simplified, neither quality being typically associated with her work. I can see why she's not fond of it, although it probably is a far better novelization than the movie deserved.
I should note that I haven't seen the movie and don't intend to - the book did not change my mind in that regard. But it's an interesting artifact regardless.
January 15, 2008
Based on the screenplay by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery, the book is much better than I thought it was going to be. Kiernan's poetic style remains intact, and the story itself is dark, gory, and highly entertaining.
February 19, 2024
hmmm. not too bad; there are some good moments in this. it's obvious that the author would rather be writing about the female characters than anyone else, as their scenes are the best by far. drags a little in the middle & towards the end but otherwise a simple & entertaining affair.
February 28, 2012
157 - 2012
Alkisah pada zaman dahulu kala di Denmark, hiduplah seekor monster bernama Grendel yang memiliki telinga super sensitif. Meskipun gua tempat tinggalnya jauh dari istana kerajaan, ia sangat terganggu apabila Raja Hrothgar dan para pengikutnya sedang pesta minum di aula Heorot. Supaya bisa hidup tenang, ia menyerang Heorot setiap kali ada perayaan di sana, membunuh baik prajurit maupun penduduk biasa. Hanya Raja Hrothgar tua yang dihindarinya.
Setelah banyak jatuh korban termasuk para ksatria yang berniat menghabisi Grendel, akhirnya muncullah ksatria dari Geat (sekarang Gotaland di Swedia), bersama band of brothers-nya. Namanya Beowulf. Tongkrongannya stereotip ksatria Viking yang tinggi-besar-gagah-perkasa-pirang, seperti ini :
Seperti para ksatria pendahulunya, ia pun berniat mencari kejayaan (atau kematian) dengan menghadapi Grendel. Raja Hrothgar pun mengizinkan Beowulf cs membuka kembali Heorot untuk memancing sang monster keluar dari sarang. "Sok wae, upami tiasa mah," mereun kitu kasarna.
Singkat cerita, Beowulf dan anak buahnya bisa mengalahkan Grendel dengan memotong tangannya. Meskipun monster itu kabur, tapi jelas sekarat dan bakal mati entah di mana. Tangan Grendel dipancang di Heorot, dan pesta besar-besaran merayakan kekalahan Grendel pun diadakan. Malamnya, seluruh anak buah Beowulf yang tidur di Heorot tewas dibantai, hanya Beowulf dan Wiglaf yang selamat karena tidak berada di sana. Potongan tangan Grendel lenyap. Apakah monster itu masih hidup?
Raja Hrothgar: Lain Grendel. Tapi indungna.
Beowulf: Aya sabaraha monster nu kudu dipaehan? Indungna? Bapana? Uwakna? Sakulawarga?
Raja Hrothgar: Ngan indungna sih...
Beowulf: Naha atuh teu bebeja? Teras kamana bapana?
Raja Hrothgar: Eu...
Daripada dibohongi terus, mestinya Beowulf balik kanan maju jalan saja. Tapi daripada ceritanya menggantung, berangkatlah ia ke sarang Grendel untuk mencari sang monster dan ibunya. Di sana ia mendapati Grendel sudah mati, dan bertemu dengan ibu Grendel yang wow-seksi-banget kayak Angelina Jolie:
Biar begitu susah dikalahin loh! Eh, meski di atas angin, cewek jadi-jadian itu malah nawarin transaksi. Karena Beowulf membunuh anaknya, maka Beowulf harus ngasih dia anak. Beowulf juga harus memberinya tanduk tempat minum dari emas hadiah dari Hrothgar. Tentu saja ada imbalannya... menjadi raja yang berkuasa dan kaya raya. Hm... harta, tahta, wanita... siapa yang nggak kepingin? Hayuk, deh...
Beowulf kembali ke istana membawa kepala Grendel, dan mengaku sudah membunuh ibu Grendel juga. Cuma Raja Hrothgar yang tahu apa yang terjadi. Karena eh karena... waktu muda ia juga bertransaksi dengan cewek jadi-jadian itu dan dari hubungan itulah terlahir Grendel! Lega kutukan pribadinya sudah lepas, ia menunjuk Beowulf sebagai penggantinya, lantas bunuh diri.
Tiga puluh tahun kemudian, seorang budak menemukan tanduk emas yang dulu menjadi syarat transaksi di sebuah gua. Saat tanduk emas itu kembali ke tangannya, tahulah Raja Beowulf bahwa masa kejayaan dan kekuasaannya akan berakhir. Benar saja, anaknya muncul dengan sosok manusia yang lebih gagah dari dirinya, dan sosok monster yang lebih keren daripada Grendel. Siapa dulu bapaknya! Dan sang monster, entah kenapa tidak diberi nama, juga membuat keributan, membunuh dan membakar rakyat Beowulf. Tapi bukan karena telinga yang super sensitif. Beda dengan Grendel, ia ingin diakui oleh ayahnya... ayah yang telah menukarnya dengan kekuasaan dan kekayaan. Ia membenci ayahnya, dan ingin membunuh semua yang dicintai sang ayah, termasuk rakyatnya.
Tapi meskipun terperosok ke jurang kutukan yang sama dengan Hrothgar, Beowulf memutuskan untuk menghentikan lingkaran kutukan sampai dirinya saja. Ia tidak mau menunggu ada ksatria lain yang muncul untuk menghancurkan monster ciptaannya, dan menciptakan monster baru demi menjadi penguasa berikutnya. Ia bertekad membunuh anak satu-satunya dengan tangannya sendiri...
Terlepas dari akhir saga Beowulf ini, transaksi antara Hrothgar dan Beowulf dengan ibunya Grendel rasanya tidak asing di Indonesia. Bukan hal yang aneh kalau kita masih mendengar ada orang yang memuja makhluk gaib demi kekuasaan dan kekayaan, dan rela menukarkan apa saja untuk itu. Anak sendiri? Silakan. Anak orang lain? Apalagi. Dengan setting dialihkan ke Indonesia, maka cerita tentang siluman ular yang bersarang di gua dan laut dan dapat memberikan kekuasaan dan kekayaan dengan harga tertentu... sepertinya sudah berkali-kali dibuat filmnya...
Alkisah pada zaman dahulu kala di Denmark, hiduplah seekor monster bernama Grendel yang memiliki telinga super sensitif. Meskipun gua tempat tinggalnya jauh dari istana kerajaan, ia sangat terganggu apabila Raja Hrothgar dan para pengikutnya sedang pesta minum di aula Heorot. Supaya bisa hidup tenang, ia menyerang Heorot setiap kali ada perayaan di sana, membunuh baik prajurit maupun penduduk biasa. Hanya Raja Hrothgar tua yang dihindarinya.
Setelah banyak jatuh korban termasuk para ksatria yang berniat menghabisi Grendel, akhirnya muncullah ksatria dari Geat (sekarang Gotaland di Swedia), bersama band of brothers-nya. Namanya Beowulf. Tongkrongannya stereotip ksatria Viking yang tinggi-besar-gagah-perkasa-pirang, seperti ini :
Seperti para ksatria pendahulunya, ia pun berniat mencari kejayaan (atau kematian) dengan menghadapi Grendel. Raja Hrothgar pun mengizinkan Beowulf cs membuka kembali Heorot untuk memancing sang monster keluar dari sarang. "Sok wae, upami tiasa mah," mereun kitu kasarna.
Singkat cerita, Beowulf dan anak buahnya bisa mengalahkan Grendel dengan memotong tangannya. Meskipun monster itu kabur, tapi jelas sekarat dan bakal mati entah di mana. Tangan Grendel dipancang di Heorot, dan pesta besar-besaran merayakan kekalahan Grendel pun diadakan. Malamnya, seluruh anak buah Beowulf yang tidur di Heorot tewas dibantai, hanya Beowulf dan Wiglaf yang selamat karena tidak berada di sana. Potongan tangan Grendel lenyap. Apakah monster itu masih hidup?
Raja Hrothgar: Lain Grendel. Tapi indungna.
Beowulf: Aya sabaraha monster nu kudu dipaehan? Indungna? Bapana? Uwakna? Sakulawarga?
Raja Hrothgar: Ngan indungna sih...
Beowulf: Naha atuh teu bebeja? Teras kamana bapana?
Raja Hrothgar: Eu...
Daripada dibohongi terus, mestinya Beowulf balik kanan maju jalan saja. Tapi daripada ceritanya menggantung, berangkatlah ia ke sarang Grendel untuk mencari sang monster dan ibunya. Di sana ia mendapati Grendel sudah mati, dan bertemu dengan ibu Grendel yang wow-seksi-banget kayak Angelina Jolie:
Biar begitu susah dikalahin loh! Eh, meski di atas angin, cewek jadi-jadian itu malah nawarin transaksi. Karena Beowulf membunuh anaknya, maka Beowulf harus ngasih dia anak. Beowulf juga harus memberinya tanduk tempat minum dari emas hadiah dari Hrothgar. Tentu saja ada imbalannya... menjadi raja yang berkuasa dan kaya raya. Hm... harta, tahta, wanita... siapa yang nggak kepingin? Hayuk, deh...
Beowulf kembali ke istana membawa kepala Grendel, dan mengaku sudah membunuh ibu Grendel juga. Cuma Raja Hrothgar yang tahu apa yang terjadi. Karena eh karena... waktu muda ia juga bertransaksi dengan cewek jadi-jadian itu dan dari hubungan itulah terlahir Grendel! Lega kutukan pribadinya sudah lepas, ia menunjuk Beowulf sebagai penggantinya, lantas bunuh diri.
Tiga puluh tahun kemudian, seorang budak menemukan tanduk emas yang dulu menjadi syarat transaksi di sebuah gua. Saat tanduk emas itu kembali ke tangannya, tahulah Raja Beowulf bahwa masa kejayaan dan kekuasaannya akan berakhir. Benar saja, anaknya muncul dengan sosok manusia yang lebih gagah dari dirinya, dan sosok monster yang lebih keren daripada Grendel. Siapa dulu bapaknya! Dan sang monster, entah kenapa tidak diberi nama, juga membuat keributan, membunuh dan membakar rakyat Beowulf. Tapi bukan karena telinga yang super sensitif. Beda dengan Grendel, ia ingin diakui oleh ayahnya... ayah yang telah menukarnya dengan kekuasaan dan kekayaan. Ia membenci ayahnya, dan ingin membunuh semua yang dicintai sang ayah, termasuk rakyatnya.
Tapi meskipun terperosok ke jurang kutukan yang sama dengan Hrothgar, Beowulf memutuskan untuk menghentikan lingkaran kutukan sampai dirinya saja. Ia tidak mau menunggu ada ksatria lain yang muncul untuk menghancurkan monster ciptaannya, dan menciptakan monster baru demi menjadi penguasa berikutnya. Ia bertekad membunuh anak satu-satunya dengan tangannya sendiri...
Terlepas dari akhir saga Beowulf ini, transaksi antara Hrothgar dan Beowulf dengan ibunya Grendel rasanya tidak asing di Indonesia. Bukan hal yang aneh kalau kita masih mendengar ada orang yang memuja makhluk gaib demi kekuasaan dan kekayaan, dan rela menukarkan apa saja untuk itu. Anak sendiri? Silakan. Anak orang lain? Apalagi. Dengan setting dialihkan ke Indonesia, maka cerita tentang siluman ular yang bersarang di gua dan laut dan dapat memberikan kekuasaan dan kekayaan dengan harga tertentu... sepertinya sudah berkali-kali dibuat filmnya...
March 3, 2015
This is a beautiful rewriting of the original poem. Caitlin Kiernan really knows how to weave a tale. At first, I was a bit lost until I made good use of the glossary.
I liked that the tale was interspersed with Old English words.
Extract :
"They [humans] are not trolls, she answers." "They have neither the fiery breath nor the wings of dragons, nor have they the strength of trolls. And they are ever jealous of those things, and fearful. They destroy, Grendel. They despoil. They destroy for glory, and from jealousy and fear,to make the world safe for themselves. And I cannot hide you always, child. Your father-"
"M'e faedyr?” Grendel asks her, surprised, having never much dwelled upon the subject of his absent father and, perhaps, thinking himself somehow genuinely faederle'as—born somehow only of woman.
"He has slain a dragon,” she hisses from the pool.
"That weorm, Modor, maybe it did not know to hide,” Grendel insists, and he crushes the seal bone to white-gray dust between his fingers. "I will stay always here with you. They will not find me," he says again. "Not ever."
I liked that the tale was interspersed with Old English words.
Extract :
"They [humans] are not trolls, she answers." "They have neither the fiery breath nor the wings of dragons, nor have they the strength of trolls. And they are ever jealous of those things, and fearful. They destroy, Grendel. They despoil. They destroy for glory, and from jealousy and fear,to make the world safe for themselves. And I cannot hide you always, child. Your father-"
"M'e faedyr?” Grendel asks her, surprised, having never much dwelled upon the subject of his absent father and, perhaps, thinking himself somehow genuinely faederle'as—born somehow only of woman.
"He has slain a dragon,” she hisses from the pool.
"That weorm, Modor, maybe it did not know to hide,” Grendel insists, and he crushes the seal bone to white-gray dust between his fingers. "I will stay always here with you. They will not find me," he says again. "Not ever."
February 14, 2016
Ovako visoka ocena je samo zbog činjenice da obožavam originalan ep. Lepo je što je "osvežen", "sažvakan" i na savremen način približen čitalačkoj publici koja nije imala prilike da se sretne sa prvim prevodom ili originalom ranije. Loše je to što, u nekim delovima, to "osveženje" zvuči vrlo jeftino, frazeološki i potrošeno. Kakogod, posle ove domaštane i prerađene verzije, ona klasična se može još bolje razumeti i mogu se uočiti neki detalji koji su pri prvom čitanju promakli.
October 28, 2014
Great Reading
Better than the Movie.
More Details
Great Story ,ALL the characters were defined and easy to understand...If Grendles Mother looked like Angelina,I can understand their weakness...........
Better than the Movie.
More Details
Great Story ,ALL the characters were defined and easy to understand...If Grendles Mother looked like Angelina,I can understand their weakness...........
September 26, 2011
Finally actually read this instead of the Cliff Notes version from High School :)
September 11, 2023
I love the imagery in this book.
August 13, 2019
Part 1: From The Book Cover
Who will come to the aid of beleaguered King Hrothgar, whose warriors have become the prey of the vengeful outcast monster Grendel?
A grand and glorious story that has endured for centuries, the ageless classic adventure takes on a breathtaking new life in a remarkable new version for a modern era. Brilliantly reimagined by acclaimed, award-winning author Caitlin R. Kiernan, based on the screenplay by #1 New York Times bestseller Neil Gaiman and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Roger Avary, it is the tale of a noble liege and a terrible creature who has cursed his kingdom with death, blood, and destruction – and of the great hero, Beowulf, who is called to a land of monsters to triumph where so many have failed… or to die as so many of the brave before him.
Part 2: Recommendation
From the depths of my memory the name Beowulf rings a bell after seeing the movie trailer inside the darkened theater and I told myself that I’ll watch that movie when it opens in theaters but sad to say, due to time constraints (because I wanted to read the original epic translation of Beowulf first before watching the film version) I somehow missed it and worse, I couldn’t find the original epic book version.
But it looks like the heavens are with me because an officemate gave me this movie-tie in book version by Caitlin R. Kiernan as a belated birthday gift (to you who gave me this, thank you!). I was planning to read this last November 2007 but I kept putting it off maybe because it wasn’t the original translation and because I didn’t get to see the movie the whole three weeks it was showing in theaters.
It was only during the Christmas break that I finally got around to reading it because of the fact that I have nothing new to read and I remembered I still have Beowulf gathering dust as he waits for me to remember, go back to and get to know him.
Having zero knowledge about what the epic Beowulf is all about except for the fact that he is some country’s long forgotten hero and the fact that his song is in the list of the world’s best literature that my high school English teacher enumerated with such a brief description it completely slipped off my mind and was easily relegated to the darkest recesses of my memory. Of course, I’m too lazy to Google it at that time (because what I might read on the net might ruin the suspense for me) and, like I said before, I’d like to be surprised and be entertained when I read a story.
My journey with Beowulf started on December 28, 2007 and ended just last January 1, 2008 and though I could have read the novel in the span of one day, I didn’t gobble it up like I usually do and I don’t know why I prolonged the agony of suspense.
It was indeed a memorable journey for me because ever since my teacher enumerated that list of the world’s best literature, I wanted to own every book listed there and now at least two of them are mine now.
Beowulf is a Geat who sailed the seas towards the kingdom of King Hrothgar with fourteen men with him, warriors all of them, when it has been said that King Hrothgar’s kingdom is cursed by a demon. They journeyed on despite bad weather and towering walls of water in the hopes of finding glory if they survive because their names will be sung until the end of time or to die gloriously in battle and earn a seat at Odin’s Valhalla at Asgard rather than to die of old age.
Beowulf thought the real monster was Grendel but King Hrothgar, Queen Wealthow, and Unferth knew better and later Beowulf finally understands who the real monster is but then it is already too late for such realizations or regrets as it usually is the case with regrets always coming in the end.
It is a great story and it does deserve its place as one of the world’s best literature but then, I still wonder how did it all start – the part where it is said that the demon’s curse started since the time of King Hrothgar’s great ancestors and the curse probably ended with Beowulf but then the demon was trying to continue the cycle with the new king but he didn’t fall for it and it is said that the demon can wait for as long as need be and she can be very persuasive. I wonder if that last king of the Old Ways did finally succumb to her spell or was he able to resist her potent magic and ultimately prevailed and thus freed the kingdom of the vile demon and her curse?
With all these unanswered questions still buzzing around in my head, I hope when I get to watch the movie I’ll finally have my answers. If not, well, I can only imagine and I’d rather have a triumphant ending.
It is a great read and despite the holiday activities, I find it really hard to put the book down for an hour or two or more just to be able to finish my chores and errands and to rest my eyes and to sleep. Although this is not the original translation, I feel that the story of Beowulf was given due justice and the way Caitlin Kiernan describes everything truly brings Beowulf to life. The epic adventure of Beowulf teaches the readers not to underestimate anyone, whoever they may be; to be always prepared for the worst and best scenarios in life; and while it is alright to dream big and work hard for it, a person should know when to stop if greed is becoming your driving force to achieve your dreams; to learn from the mistakes of others; and to always keep in mind that by our own strengths will we achieve greatness and thus by our own faults our own downfall will be upon us.
Who will come to the aid of beleaguered King Hrothgar, whose warriors have become the prey of the vengeful outcast monster Grendel?
A grand and glorious story that has endured for centuries, the ageless classic adventure takes on a breathtaking new life in a remarkable new version for a modern era. Brilliantly reimagined by acclaimed, award-winning author Caitlin R. Kiernan, based on the screenplay by #1 New York Times bestseller Neil Gaiman and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Roger Avary, it is the tale of a noble liege and a terrible creature who has cursed his kingdom with death, blood, and destruction – and of the great hero, Beowulf, who is called to a land of monsters to triumph where so many have failed… or to die as so many of the brave before him.
Part 2: Recommendation
From the depths of my memory the name Beowulf rings a bell after seeing the movie trailer inside the darkened theater and I told myself that I’ll watch that movie when it opens in theaters but sad to say, due to time constraints (because I wanted to read the original epic translation of Beowulf first before watching the film version) I somehow missed it and worse, I couldn’t find the original epic book version.
But it looks like the heavens are with me because an officemate gave me this movie-tie in book version by Caitlin R. Kiernan as a belated birthday gift (to you who gave me this, thank you!). I was planning to read this last November 2007 but I kept putting it off maybe because it wasn’t the original translation and because I didn’t get to see the movie the whole three weeks it was showing in theaters.
It was only during the Christmas break that I finally got around to reading it because of the fact that I have nothing new to read and I remembered I still have Beowulf gathering dust as he waits for me to remember, go back to and get to know him.
Having zero knowledge about what the epic Beowulf is all about except for the fact that he is some country’s long forgotten hero and the fact that his song is in the list of the world’s best literature that my high school English teacher enumerated with such a brief description it completely slipped off my mind and was easily relegated to the darkest recesses of my memory. Of course, I’m too lazy to Google it at that time (because what I might read on the net might ruin the suspense for me) and, like I said before, I’d like to be surprised and be entertained when I read a story.
My journey with Beowulf started on December 28, 2007 and ended just last January 1, 2008 and though I could have read the novel in the span of one day, I didn’t gobble it up like I usually do and I don’t know why I prolonged the agony of suspense.
It was indeed a memorable journey for me because ever since my teacher enumerated that list of the world’s best literature, I wanted to own every book listed there and now at least two of them are mine now.
Beowulf is a Geat who sailed the seas towards the kingdom of King Hrothgar with fourteen men with him, warriors all of them, when it has been said that King Hrothgar’s kingdom is cursed by a demon. They journeyed on despite bad weather and towering walls of water in the hopes of finding glory if they survive because their names will be sung until the end of time or to die gloriously in battle and earn a seat at Odin’s Valhalla at Asgard rather than to die of old age.
Beowulf thought the real monster was Grendel but King Hrothgar, Queen Wealthow, and Unferth knew better and later Beowulf finally understands who the real monster is but then it is already too late for such realizations or regrets as it usually is the case with regrets always coming in the end.
It is a great story and it does deserve its place as one of the world’s best literature but then, I still wonder how did it all start – the part where it is said that the demon’s curse started since the time of King Hrothgar’s great ancestors and the curse probably ended with Beowulf but then the demon was trying to continue the cycle with the new king but he didn’t fall for it and it is said that the demon can wait for as long as need be and she can be very persuasive. I wonder if that last king of the Old Ways did finally succumb to her spell or was he able to resist her potent magic and ultimately prevailed and thus freed the kingdom of the vile demon and her curse?
With all these unanswered questions still buzzing around in my head, I hope when I get to watch the movie I’ll finally have my answers. If not, well, I can only imagine and I’d rather have a triumphant ending.
It is a great read and despite the holiday activities, I find it really hard to put the book down for an hour or two or more just to be able to finish my chores and errands and to rest my eyes and to sleep. Although this is not the original translation, I feel that the story of Beowulf was given due justice and the way Caitlin Kiernan describes everything truly brings Beowulf to life. The epic adventure of Beowulf teaches the readers not to underestimate anyone, whoever they may be; to be always prepared for the worst and best scenarios in life; and while it is alright to dream big and work hard for it, a person should know when to stop if greed is becoming your driving force to achieve your dreams; to learn from the mistakes of others; and to always keep in mind that by our own strengths will we achieve greatness and thus by our own faults our own downfall will be upon us.
November 17, 2021
La cour du roi des Danois Hrothgar est persécutée par Grendel, un monstre meurtrier. Un jour, le jeune Beowulf et ses compagnons débarquent en se vantant de pouvoir tuer Grendel, réussissant là où tous ont échoué. Mais quel secret se cache derrière la présence de Grendel?
Livre adapté apparemment du film, et non l'inverse, je suis tombé sur ce dernier un peu par hasard (et je tiens à préciser que je trouve la couverture assez laide). Ne m'attendant à rien, je ne peux décemment pas dire avoir été déçu. L'histoire est adapté du poème anglo-saxon Beowulf, que je n'ai jamais lu, et se laisse suivre. Découpée en deux parties, j'ai trouvé la trame principale correcte sans être exceptionnelle. A défaut d'être passionnante, elle a tout de même réussi à maintenir un minimum d'intérêt de ma part pour que je ne m'ennuie pas. Les personnages sont quant à eux bien trop peu développés à mon goût, même le héros éponyme, et évoluent trop rapidement (je pense par exemple à Unferth), ce qui est probablement le résultat de l'adaptation initiale du poème.
Concernant le style, je dois avouer que j'ai été un peu déçu, l'auteure semblant être un minimum connue. Si la lecture est fluide, je l'ai trouvée quelque peu banale et très directe dans la plupart des descriptions des scènes et des actions. C'est cependant un défaut que j'ai retrouvé dans un grand nombre de romans adaptés d'un film.
Pour résumer, La légende de Beowulf n'est pas un mauvais livre, mais c'est loin d'être un chef d'œuvre. La sensation de lire un "livre de commande" un peu paresseux et se reposant sur les acquis du film d'origine se fait ressentir tout au long de la progression. Vous ne passerez pas un mauvais moment mais vous n'en garderez pas non plus un souvenir impérissable, voire un simple souvenir. Le fait que j'ai beaucoup de mal à trouver quoi écrire pour cette review environ un mois après la lecture du livre est à mes yeux symptomatiques du peu d'impact qu'il a eu sur moi.
Livre adapté apparemment du film, et non l'inverse, je suis tombé sur ce dernier un peu par hasard (et je tiens à préciser que je trouve la couverture assez laide). Ne m'attendant à rien, je ne peux décemment pas dire avoir été déçu. L'histoire est adapté du poème anglo-saxon Beowulf, que je n'ai jamais lu, et se laisse suivre. Découpée en deux parties, j'ai trouvé la trame principale correcte sans être exceptionnelle. A défaut d'être passionnante, elle a tout de même réussi à maintenir un minimum d'intérêt de ma part pour que je ne m'ennuie pas. Les personnages sont quant à eux bien trop peu développés à mon goût, même le héros éponyme, et évoluent trop rapidement (je pense par exemple à Unferth), ce qui est probablement le résultat de l'adaptation initiale du poème.
Concernant le style, je dois avouer que j'ai été un peu déçu, l'auteure semblant être un minimum connue. Si la lecture est fluide, je l'ai trouvée quelque peu banale et très directe dans la plupart des descriptions des scènes et des actions. C'est cependant un défaut que j'ai retrouvé dans un grand nombre de romans adaptés d'un film.
Pour résumer, La légende de Beowulf n'est pas un mauvais livre, mais c'est loin d'être un chef d'œuvre. La sensation de lire un "livre de commande" un peu paresseux et se reposant sur les acquis du film d'origine se fait ressentir tout au long de la progression. Vous ne passerez pas un mauvais moment mais vous n'en garderez pas non plus un souvenir impérissable, voire un simple souvenir. Le fait que j'ai beaucoup de mal à trouver quoi écrire pour cette review environ un mois après la lecture du livre est à mes yeux symptomatiques du peu d'impact qu'il a eu sur moi.
August 18, 2015
Whilst I've always thought I'd enjoy the epic poem I'm one of those people that whilst I quite like to have poetry read to me I don't particularly like reading it.
Based on the screen play by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery which I did enjoy though as is more often than not the case it pales into insignificance compared to this novel which turned out to be a truly epic read.
One of those (odd?) people who often find their sympathies lying in part with the 'monster' (I always find myself in tears watching King Kong) it did however come as a bit of a surprise to find myself heart-fully sorry over the fate of Grendel.
And as for his 'merewife' mother? Incredibly moved by her love for her son - 'and her sobs become a wail, and then her wail becomes a shriek that rises up and up, leaking out through every minute crevice and fissure, slithering finally from the gaping mouth of the cavern - the cave above her cave - and cracking apart the gaunt ribs of the night'.
Enthralled by her seductive nature - 'And her lips find his, and all he has ever desired in all his life is for this kiss to never end'. I thought the imagery incredibly strong, the characterisation of such wonderful characters something the 'skalds' of old would surely have been proud of.
A wonderfully epic tale, gritty and at times incredibly gory. Not just one of my favourite books of the month but of 2015 so far.
Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper.
Based on the screen play by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery which I did enjoy though as is more often than not the case it pales into insignificance compared to this novel which turned out to be a truly epic read.
One of those (odd?) people who often find their sympathies lying in part with the 'monster' (I always find myself in tears watching King Kong) it did however come as a bit of a surprise to find myself heart-fully sorry over the fate of Grendel.
And as for his 'merewife' mother? Incredibly moved by her love for her son - 'and her sobs become a wail, and then her wail becomes a shriek that rises up and up, leaking out through every minute crevice and fissure, slithering finally from the gaping mouth of the cavern - the cave above her cave - and cracking apart the gaunt ribs of the night'.
Enthralled by her seductive nature - 'And her lips find his, and all he has ever desired in all his life is for this kiss to never end'. I thought the imagery incredibly strong, the characterisation of such wonderful characters something the 'skalds' of old would surely have been proud of.
A wonderfully epic tale, gritty and at times incredibly gory. Not just one of my favourite books of the month but of 2015 so far.
Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper.
April 18, 2015
it was okay. I guess now I want to see the movie. I think I just got bored with the innuendo and suggestion of what was happening. I wish there were more explicit statements of what happened and why. This particular edition was also hard to read because it was so tightly bound and very think. It was difficult to read with one hand and seemed silly to hold a mass market open with two. I enjoyed the glossary a lot and would have loved it if I had known it was there while I was reading it. Maybe it should have been in the front? It had so many interesting tidbits about translation and history and mythology that it would have been great to read it as a precursor or have it more available to refer to while I was reading it. Oh, well. At least I'm done. I don't think there was a lot of added value to me because I studied Beowulf in school. Maybe if I hadn't known the story I would've been happier with this rendition.
July 31, 2013
I think I understand why the writers of the film didn't want to produce a novel of the screenplay. It would fill up the gaps in the ancient poem, leaving lesser room for the imagination and exploration. The book was actually very well written, Kiernan's narrative flowed so smoothly even in descriptive scenes, but I felt some paragraphs were unnecessary, I understand it's a (direct) adaptation of the screenplay, there are just some parts that can deliver on screen and be redundant in a novel. I kept in mind that the original was an old poem of a great legend, a great old literature still studied today and that was what made the reading more exciting. However if it weren't for it's history, I believe I would find this book rather mediocre. Somethings are better left to their ancient verses. Just my thoughts.
June 28, 2023
This was cheating. This is a book adapted from a screenplay (the 2007 film-don't bother) adapted from an epic poem from Old English transcribed between 975 and 1025 (per Wikipedia).
I think I had to wrestle "The Canterbury Tales" for my Old English lit, so I haven't had the pleasure of tackling a legitimate translation of "Beowulf", and I don't think I'll pursue it now .
Still, I was in a reading funk and this action-packed adaptation pulled me out of that funk. This version does use some of the old terminology, which does give the narration an old-timey feel.
But, it is otherwise updated so that after awhile the narration does feel a bit false. We are not taking a journey through the language of the era; the myth and true hero mystique are lacking, so this Beowulf might as well be a Marvel superhero (the disillusioned kind, like Dr. Strange).
I think I had to wrestle "The Canterbury Tales" for my Old English lit, so I haven't had the pleasure of tackling a legitimate translation of "Beowulf", and I don't think I'll pursue it now .
Still, I was in a reading funk and this action-packed adaptation pulled me out of that funk. This version does use some of the old terminology, which does give the narration an old-timey feel.
But, it is otherwise updated so that after awhile the narration does feel a bit false. We are not taking a journey through the language of the era; the myth and true hero mystique are lacking, so this Beowulf might as well be a Marvel superhero (the disillusioned kind, like Dr. Strange).
February 9, 2008
After digging a little into the back story when the movie came out I had to find a copy to read. Now that I've read this one, I'm curious to find one of the original verse translations and give it a go. Probably some tough reading with the proper names and language of the time.
Anyway, a classic story of heroes, monsters, kings and demons. Also got me fired up to go back through some of my Norse mythology.
Good for fans of the genre.
* Couldn't finish
** I had nothing else to do
*** Passed the time, would be **** for genre / author fans
**** Everyone could enjoy this book
***** Everyone should read this book, I'll read it again
Anyway, a classic story of heroes, monsters, kings and demons. Also got me fired up to go back through some of my Norse mythology.
Good for fans of the genre.
* Couldn't finish
** I had nothing else to do
*** Passed the time, would be **** for genre / author fans
**** Everyone could enjoy this book
***** Everyone should read this book, I'll read it again
September 15, 2010
The epic poem of Beowulf depicts a resolute hero who above all odds succeeds and vanquishes the demons and monsters, Grendel, his mother and the dragon are some in particular. I enjoyed reading through this action packed epic and all the action scenes, as well as the details that caught my attention. There are many themes within this epic, such as violence, fear, hate, death, camaraderie, courage and many a plethora of more. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good action filled epic, that ends with the valiant effort of Beowulf to save his comrades.
November 26, 2013
(3,5 stars.) I chose to read this version because this was the most available edition, so being simply curious about the legend of Beowulf, and lacking the time to read the full original poem... I decided to go with this shorter version for now. I really liked the story but I think I would have enjoyed the reading more if I had read the original text. It's not that it is bad written, I just missed something, the atmosphere of the old english perhaps, the "seriousness" that I felt would fit this epic story better. I hope one day I'll have the time to read the original poem.
Currently reading
February 3, 2014Beowulf is a very good book it’s about this hero named Beowulf. He is a human with titan like strength, and most fear him for it. The things I about like this book is how the story is how it’s laid out, and where and when it takes place. One thing I don’t like about the book is how short the story is. They also don’t give enough detail about the monsters. "The old man's mouth was silent, spoke no more, had said as much as it could; He would sleep in the fire, soon. His soul left his flesh flew to glory." (pg. 110)
November 3, 2016
A theme in this book would be victory. Beowulf becomes victorious once he is able to defeat Grendal and kill him. He is also able to kill the dragon and stop it from destroying Herot. This is a great epic because it is the first one we know of so far. A symbol in this book could be Grendal's mother because she is the reason the dragon was created because she convinced Beowulf. This is a perfect book for middle schoolers to understand the history of the geats and danes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2017
Contando che ci ho messo 11/12 giorni per leggerlo e che aveva 291 pagine direi che non mi è piaciuto molto..strano perchè pensavo fosse il genere mitologico, avventuroso-storico che piace a me ma non mi ha proprio preso...ho faticato a leggerlo..mi sconentravo di continuo, forse è scritto strano o perchè è il primo libro che conosco tratto dal film e non viceversa. Fatto sta che l'ho trovato ripetitivo e lungo..ma finalmente l'ho finito.
April 18, 2011
Trasposizione letteraria del film (ricavato dal celebre poema epico anglosassone).
Beowulf, bell'eroe quasi sovrumano arriva a salvare il re dei danesi Hrothgar e la sua tenuta Heorot dai continui attacchi del mostro Grendel. Dopo aver ucciso la spietata creatura i problemi non sono finiti...
Bel libro, consigliato a chi ama eroi, mostri e la mitologia in generale.
Beowulf, bell'eroe quasi sovrumano arriva a salvare il re dei danesi Hrothgar e la sua tenuta Heorot dai continui attacchi del mostro Grendel. Dopo aver ucciso la spietata creatura i problemi non sono finiti...
Bel libro, consigliato a chi ama eroi, mostri e la mitologia in generale.
March 16, 2017
More of a three and half stars. Neil Gaiman calls Beowulf a story for each of us as we all have our demons. Caitlin Kiernan does an excellent job of filling in the gaps left by the epic poem. While it's supposedly based on the Gaiman/Avary screenplay, I found this much more enjoyable than the movie.
January 10, 2023
Decent. Could have used some of the manic almost Evil Dead style gore of the movie, but mixes in doses of Norse mythology. In the acknowledgements, the author mentions that there are similarities between Beowulf and the film Alien. Interesting, I read once there were similarities between Beowulf and the movie Predator.
September 16, 2010
Beowulf is an epic poem about a hero named Beowulf. It has a lot of action in it. It shows how a real hero will try to win a battle to help the person in need. It has Great battle scenes. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes action books.
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November 16, 2010Beowulf è il guerriero ideale, è l'antenato di ogni eroe da fumetto, è qualcosa di totalmente europeo. Esiste un sito dove l'opera viene recitata per esteso, nella sua lingua arcaica. La voce sembra provenire dall'immobile eternità del mito.
January 27, 2011
Takes place in Southern Scandinavia. A great warrior who fights off two monsters, and dies in a fight with a dragon. I wanted to read the story/epic poem because we saw the manuscript in the British museum.
January 29, 2013
The language and the scene changes were not my thing. It just didn't run smoothly to me, and I lost interest in the book after the first 20 pages or so. It's not bad, but I couldn't put my heart into reading it, that's why it took so long.
November 20, 2013
read for school.
didnt enjoy it much... it was too traditional, i was too familiar with the story type of hero worships and good verses bad theme/moral thing. i know this was one of the first books to have that plot but... i couldnt appreciate it.
didnt enjoy it much... it was too traditional, i was too familiar with the story type of hero worships and good verses bad theme/moral thing. i know this was one of the first books to have that plot but... i couldnt appreciate it.
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