Beowulf

by M.A.Roberts (editor)

This new, highly readable edition, by M. A. Roberts, includes a glossary and reader’s notes to help the modern reader with the complexities, archaic language, and references in Beowulf. In an ancient Danish kingdom, Grendel, a brutal monster, roams the countryside nightly, spreading terror across the land. Beowulf, a warrior of great strength and courage, hears of the bloody, pitiless attacks and immediately sets sail to free the Danes from Grendel’s bloodlust. Although Beowulf dates from the very beginning of English literature, this saga of a man who is "most kind to his people, most eager for fame" is as thrilling to us now as it was to the Anglo-Saxons who first told it over 1,000 years ago. The lively language of adventure, glory, and sacrifice-so often lost in other translations-resonates in this new Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Press Edition.

Genres: Classics, Fantasy

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2005

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful edit of the story. I really like Beowulf, although the language was confusing with the alliterations and keening. Greatly enjoyed the epic story from so long ago.

[summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely one of the better books read for class, but still not a favorite.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s there to say that hasn’t been said by a thousand other scholars? Beowulf is a classic and always will be, not just for the story itself but because of what it represents to the English literary world. More specifically though, this particular rendition that I got for our high school British literature class was interestingly updated and varied. This is a prose rendition, so I enjoyed the sense of getting more caught up in the Story this time (as opposed to focusing on ALL the literary things). But you do lose opportunities to talk about things like caesura and litotes. However, the kenning is still in abundance, and my students had fun with that.

Very impressed with all I’ve gotten from Prestwick House curriculum so far.

[Nathaniel Woy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
A good tale. I had to read this for class and we only read the first two parts: Beowulf vs Grendel and Beowulf vs. Grendel’s mother, and so I read on and finished the book. The first part was 4 stars. It was a good story although the random allusions to Christianity made me laugh as they were all pagans and would never say those things. The third part was kind of stupid and seemed all over the place. It would make sense if that was the burned portion, but still it was not very good.

[Michelle J · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an okay book. Interesting plot but slow read