Beowulf

by Harold Bloom

- Concise critical excerpts that provide a scholarly overview of each work
- "The Story Behind the Story," detailing the conditions under which the work was written
- A biographical sketch of the author, a descriptive list of characters, an extensive summary and analysis, and an annotated bibliography.

Genres: Nonfiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1995

About the author

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.

Reviews

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This slim volume of essays or excerpts from longer analyses was somewhat helpful in supplementing my great books book club November 2020 selection of “Beowulf.” Some of the selections were a bit too difficult or dense for me; this set of essays may be more helpful if you are reading Beowulf and have more time than a couple-hour meeting to discuss the material.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slim volume of literary analysis added a lot to the reading of Beowulf. It is very accessible, with short, focused chapters, excerpts from analytical essays, a genealogical chart of the various royal tribal families who appear in Beowulf, and more.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I didn't agree with everything posited by the authors of the essays herein (they don't even agree with each other; my own differences of opinion are hardly problematic) I did find the collection thought-provoking.

Beowulf is one of my favourite works of literature, but even so, I didn't expect quite the breadth of topics addressed in the essays and excerpted material collected in this book - history, religion, kinship, morality, heroism, language, fable, poetic style, and even feminism.