Beowulf & Other Stories: A New Introduction to Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman Literatures

by Richard North, Joe Allard

Written with verve, panache and a deep understanding of its subject, 'Beowulf' & Other Stories puts the pleasure back into studying Old English. • A new action film, Beowulf and Grendel, is out very soon and so is an animated version of the tale starring angelina Jolie and Ray Winston• There is lots of general interest in stories inspired by old English - tolkein's Lord of the Rings, Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia• The authors have a fantastic writing style - engaging, witty, insightful - this book will be a page-turner that focuses on what readers want to know, instead of what it is perceived they ought to know• Gives the real low-down on the subject - translates lots of the original text, allows readers to have a go at translation themselves, and gives readers the chance to learn some old English and some old Icelandic• Contains colour photographs - rare in this kind of book - t

Genres: Anglo Saxon, Nonfiction, Language

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of essays on Beowulf and, more generally, Old English, Old Icelandic, and even the later Anglo-Norman literatures -- what survives, anyway. I wasn't too impressed. I only glanced at most of them, I only read the one on Tolkien fully, but they're not great in depth. I did like the examination of Unferth's development into Wormtongue.

It's more light reading for people who're interested in a bit of background of these literatures than anything worth using for a thesis or whatever, I think. Certainly as far as Tolkien's concerned, anyway.

Oh, and in case anyone's confused, some people have been reviewing this book as a translation of Beowulf. It isn't, although it contains some excerpts where relevant.

[Joshua Smart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the translation of Beowulf that I've read. And I loved it. I need to go back and read Heaney's to see what I think. But I picked this one based on comparisons of the first page and wasn't disappointed. It maintains the half-lines and strong tendency towards alliteration of Old English poetry, but it also attempts to give more of the rhythm and rhyme that modern readers associate with poetic works.

[la tida · Rating 3 out of 5]

gotta love myths with sword fights and dragons

[Milla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic edition!