Readings on Beowulf

by Stephen P. Thompson (Editor)

Contains a collection of essays examining the epic poem in a cultural and social context, as well as essays dealing with thematic and structural issues

138 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1998

Reviews

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compendium of essays is a really helpful supplement to “Beowulf,” which my Great Books book club read for the November 2020 meeting. The introduction did a nice job of explaining the culture and history of “Beowulf,” including why one the the English language’s literary treasures was set in Scandinavia and Denmark. The material included is suitable for school-age youth and for adults like me reading classics without the guidance of a teacher.

[Clickety · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love the Literary Companion Series by Greenhaven Press. This book wasn't as interesting to me as some of the others; quite often there are a few essays on each of a fairly broad variety of topics. But in this one there was a LOT about the heroic archetype (it had its own section) and as a result I didn't adore it as much as other in the series. The first and third chapters felt more well-rounded to me. OTOH, it's possible that the asymmetry reflects the same tilt in the scholarship in general.

There was only one essay about the language of the work, and only one small section within that essay about the literary conventions used. SAD FACE. I was really hoping to read more about that. I tried googling the author of that piece (Barry Tharaud) but I haven't been able to track him down to contact him and let him know I enjoyed it. Alas!